DC Metro Mom

I just saw this in my Us Weekly.  Yes...I am as deep as a puddle and I subscribe to Us Weekly.  Go ahead and judge me=;)  Now I will admit, I felt virtually no pain during the birth of my daughter.  I am pretty sure it was the epidural and not my HypnoBirth plan (there wasn't one).   Enjoy all!

P.S.  Gisele's quotes on motherhood have been ridiculous.  Oh please...just take her picture.  I don't need to hear how she thinks it should be a law to breastfeed.  I don't need to hear how she feels that her stepson is like her son (I am sure his mother loves that!).  And finally....I don't need to hear that you never purchased maternity clothes and that you were ready for a swimsuit calendar within 3 months of giving birth.  Truly...no one but you and Tom and maybe your agent CARE!!!

Oh the joy of the first trimester.  Morning sickness (that lasts all damn day), crushing fatigue and general weight gain are all part of the fun.  That is the real 1st trimester experience for the majority of the women on the planet.  But for some reason, no one really shares these facts with new mothers.  I remember being pregnant with my daughter and suddenly finding all this out for the first time.  And then when  you ask your friends and family they all agree and nod their heads knowingly as you describe your signs and symptoms.  HELLO…I could have used that information a little earlier!  A little warning would have been nice!

Still deep in my 1st trimester, I soon realized that life needed to change.  Okay, so morning sickness stinks (that is the cleanest description I have for this God awful affliction). As I tried to get through the early days of morning sickness and fatigue, I decided I needed to do something more than eat, sleep and complain.  Actually the complaining hasn’t stopped.  You’re shocked…I’m sure.

After investing countless dollars in the bakery section at Wegman’s Grocery Store, I decided I needed a new strategy to alleviate the endless feeling of nausea. 

I returned to the gym and my neighborhood walks.  I suddenly realized that exercise was the only thing that would help with the nausea.  Going to the gym or taking a long walk was my only escape.  As I walked around my neighborhood around Week 6, I just couldn't help but look up and think why in the hell do I need to feel as though I want to vomit from early in the morning until the minute I go to bed?  Seriously…this is ridiculous.  Plus this time I have a little one, a busy household and a new website that needs to go online ASAP! Did you know DC Metro Mommy is now DC Metro Mom=;) I don't have time to feel this bad! 

As I reached Week 8 I found out that the gluttonous beginning to my pregnancy was coming back to haunt me.  I had gained 10 pounds!  It looked as though my new attitude had kicked in just in time.  I really don’t want to have to loose a ton of weight come December.  Hello...December is normally the month that you pack on the pounds because of the holiday season.  After I committed to my new workout routine (light elliptical, light weights and lots of walking).  I started to feel more empowered.  The nausea wasn’t going away but I could curb the side effects with exercise. 

At Week 12 I had lost 5 pounds, which I truly believe was more the result of giving up an extreme sedentary lifestyle.  Losing weight was not the goal.  I think that was my body correcting itself a bit.  I certainly wasn’t easing up on the food. 

So what is the moral of this story?  Morning sickness sucks!  No amount Prego pops (marketing lies) and ginger ale will make your morning sickness go away. My advice is to fight through the misery and take a walk, get to the gym or just walk around the mall if the weather is forcing you inside.  Bring your cell phone, catch up on your calls, think about life…anything to get your mind of the nausea.  I really believe exercise is a healthy and free form of therapy for your body and mind.

Okay, one last item.  I did ask my OB/GYN for advice.  He was gracious enough to offer me some prescription options.  I ended up taking an approved anti-nausea medication that is typically prescribed to cancer patients.  It is now widely used for morning sickness.  I can’t say that Zofran is right for everyone.  I have had friends tell me that they simply had to “Man Up” (hmm…strange way of putting it since men don’t actually get pregnant!) and deal with it.  By all means, do what is right for you.  I just wanted to share this information as NO ONE had told me about this drug that really does help some women get through some very tough time.  Your OB/GYN should be able to tell you more.

Well…until I bitch again.  Next week I will discuss maternity clothes.  Grrr….

Yes the title of the blog is negative, but it actually better than my first draft "Diary Of An Angry Pregnant Woman!".   So let's start with the great news.  I am pregnant!  After years of trying to have a second child, my husband and I are beyond excited to be having another baby.  It has been a long road.  It comes after lots of failed attempts, prayers, unsuccessful fertility treatments and one miscarriage that I am confident has left some permanent emotional scars.  Ahh…the joys of children.  That will be the end of the heavy heart routine.  Know that I am excited about this pregnancy.  Having said that, the 1st trimester has taught me that you have to have some levity through this process.  My answer to is start a blog series that follows the trial and tribulations of pregnancy.

By ─ Anna Carrington

This fall Del Ray's eclectic "Avenue" welcomed Bellies & Babies, a consignment boutique catering to expectant mothers and their children. The boutique provides a great opportunity to both recycle and buy local. Handmade items complement a selective collection of gently worn clothing, and the prices fit every budget.

RECIPE:
1 heaping tablespoon canned pumpkin
1 1/2 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 ounces milk
1 ounce Fees Brothers Spiced Cordial Syrup
2 graham crackers
Graham cracker crumb rim and whipped cream

Grind graham crackers into fine crumbs in a food processor.  Pour onto a small plate.  On a separate plate, pour a small amount of spiced cordial syrup.  Dip the rim of the martini glass into the syrup, then into the graham cracker crumbs, set aside.  Vigorously shake milk, sweetened condensed milk, remaining spiced cordial syrup, and pumpkin into mixing glass, with ice.  Slowly strain into rimmed martini glass.  Top with a dollop of whipped cream.

This intoxicating (pun intended) delight can be found in Natalie Bovis-Nelsen  new book, Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-to-be. Link.


"Reprinted from PREGGATINIS (©2009) Published by GPP, Guilford, CT"

Happy New Year!!!! It's been awhile since I've blogged. Between the holidays, preschool holiday parties, winter break, sick kids, family in town, like most of you, I've been swamped.

I was just thinking the other day as I was cleaning out my pregnancy/baby books (since my guy turns 18 months on the 10th -sniff, sniff) about the books that I found helpful and not so helpful. This is just my opinion and you can use some of these suggestions as you build your library of baby/parenting books.

1) "What to Expect your Baby's First Year" (or some version of a first year book): This is so helpful in so many ways. One, it gives you information about what your baby is doing developmentally, how much they should be eating, pooping, sleeping, etc. It also provides guidelines for how much and what types of medicine should be given for different symptoms (of course always consult your pediatrician before giving medicine if you have questions). The book gives information on the types of vaccines, common childhood illnesses, how to give your newborn a bath, umbilical cord care, etc. I remember cracking open this book countless times with my first and second children. The only thing I will caution is to not get too hung up on developmental milestones. You can drive yourself crazy wondering "why won't my baby pick up a raisin with a pincer grasp"......but all babies do things on their own time schedules. Use it as a general guideline.

2) Some kind of Breastfeeding book a la "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding": If you plan on nursing your little one it's a good idea to have a breastfeeding book on hand to use as a reference. Even if you take a breastfeeding class (which I also recommend) you will have questions later on. What many people don't tell you is that breastfeeding isn't always as easy as it looks. It takes practice, patience, and luck all together. Borrow a book from a friend if you can. It really will help you if you are having some difficulties or symptoms of mastitis, etc. Also, have on hand the name and phone number of either your hospital's lactation consultant or a private consultant. You never know if you might need it and you don't want to be searching for the info while seriously sleep deprived with engorged breasts.

3) "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp; This book is wonderful for suggestions for dealing with your brand new baby. Your baby will try you in ways that you've never imagined. Dr. Karp gives wonderful suggestion for how to soothe your newborn into blissful sleep. Buy or borrow the book or it's companion DVD. Have a few designated swaddling blankets or large receiving blankets around for swaddling your newborn.

4) "Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth or "Good Night, Sleep Tight" by Kim West aka the Sleep Lady: I think it is so useful to have a good sleep book on your bookshelf. I had no idea about newborn and baby sleep patterns before I had a baby besides the fact that I wouldn't be getting much sleep anytime soon. It would have helped me if I had at least glanced at a sleep book before I brought my baby home. It was only by the time that I brought my third one home and reading cover to cover both of these sleep books that I really understood newborn and baby sleep. I do think some of it is luck of the draw however, I am convinced that the reason my little guy Alex became such a fabulous sleeper early on was because I knew how to read his cues, how to swaddle effectively, and what habits not to start.

You will continue to add books to your parenting arsenal but I think this is a good place to start prior to bringing home your little one. I'd love to hear what books others found useful for the first couple of months.

Cross posted on http://www.nurseryknowitall.com/blog.php.