sexy mommy

After giving birth to baby A, I feel I really need to lose weight especially the excess tummy fat. I’m planning to exercise again, maybe put on my dance DVD, since I am keen on losing abdominal fat. Well, I’m looking forward to wearing my non-preggy clothes again and maybe add some new ones to my wardrobe. Yup, I want to be a sexy mommy again!

bloating…

Hola!  I just finished eating a big slice of chocolate cake which I shared with Caity and hubby. Whew!  My stomach feels even tighter after finishing it off coz they didn’t want it anymore.  I feel like I gained 10 kilos now! But of course, taking the best diet supplements isn’t the answer to my situation.  In case you don’t know, I am pregnant that’s why my stomach feels more bloated when I eat.  Patience, a little more patience.  I’ve got 2 more months to go till the baby pops out and then I’ll have my light figure again, hopefully that is!    

Okies, gotta do some walking inside the house to shake off that food I ate.  It’s soon time for bed and I don’t want to sleep with a full stomach. Ciao for now!

sluggishhhh

Duh! I don’t like it when I am lagging behind with my work.  I feel like it’s getting to be a burden instead of a blessing.  My mind is in the sluggish state; it refuses to work!  If given a choice, I would rather just eat, sleep, watch my favorite TV shows  or browse on the internet.  But I’ve got a lot of other things to take care of… a demanding toddler, a husband, house chores and online work.  Do I sound like a candidate for weight loss?  Not really.  With my constant eating, I don’t think I’ll lose weight.  In fact, I am gaining weight!  And that’s not just because of food but because of the growing baby inside me (I’m on my 27th week!).

Anyway, little by little, I hope to finish all my assignments.  I really need the money coz I’ve got a lot of things to spend for. 

dieting when pregnant?

Even when I complain that my tummy is bigger than my previous pregnancy, a friend told me that I didn’t get fat.  I was happy to hear that news coz I was worried that I am gaining weight from eating a lot.  I was told that it’s usually like that when you’re carrying a baby boy, you tend to eat plenty.   That means there’s no need for me to take appetite suppressant pills which is probably not also advisable for pregnant women.  

Guess what?  While writing this, I have beside me a bowl of eggnog crackers. Yum, yum!  

looking back on my pregnancy

It’s really true when they said that all the pain and difficulties a woman undergoes during pregnancy and labor disappears once she sees her baby.  When I read my previous posts about my pregnancy, I can only smile proudly and tell myself that I survived it all.  Having a wonderful and pretty daughter is worth all the pain I underwent!

One of those pregnancy discomforts I had was having hemorrhoids.  I was fortunate though that it wasn’t that painful and that it lasted only for few days.  It just disappeared without any treatment on my part. 

(more…)

back in shape

Hurray!  1 month has passed since I had my caesarian operation and everything is well with me.  The pain is gone though sometimes the skin around the stitches feels weird.  And the thing I’m most happy with is I didn’t get fat at all!  I wonder why most women have the postpartum figure and weight problems that they’re even thinking of taking diet pills like hydroxycut. 

When I was pregnant I was worried that I wouldn’t get back to my pre-pregnancy figure but fortunately I did!  I thought all women after giving birth have that problem.  I think it helped that I’m breastfeeding my baby and that I always lack sleep. Hahaha… also sometimes I had to eat less because of lack of time.  It feels nice to be able to slip into my regular clothes again.

on maternity insurance

Pregnancy can be expensive.  Expenses such as frequent appointments with doctor, lab tests, sonograms and pre-natal vitamins can cause a lot of money.  That doesn’t even include the delivery and post-delivery expenses like the hospital stay, newborn tests and checkups, immunization and a lot more.

When I was pregnant, I was fortunate to have a pregnant insurance that covered all these expenses.  That's why I strongly suggest that if you’re pregnant, you should take advantage of maternity health insurance such as the ones offered by Maternity Savings to handle the costs of having a baby.  Through their website, you can access their national maternity network where you can locate providers in your area.  Simply fill up their online form and you’ll get quick information on the maternity benefits available near you.

i survived!

Looking back now to my pregnancy days, I’ve once thought of using incontinence products such as diapers to lessen my bathroom trips especially when we’re out of the house.  Am I glad those days were over?  My bladder is working normally now and though I’m still in slight pain due to the operation I am doing very well.  I survived the nine months of pregnancy, I survived the operation and I believe I’ll survive motherhood too, with all its challenges.  Here I come!

guilty pleasures

I've been warned by my mom not to over indulge myself in food that would make my baby grow big if I want to have a normal delivery.  I admit I have been eating plenty of sweets lately… cakes, ice cream, chocolates. tsk tsk So the other day, I asked hubby to finish all the ice cream in the freezer and even let him bring to his office the chocs I have stashed in the ref.  It's now peaches and banana for my snacks!

Here are some of those tempting sweets I've indulged in the past days:

  
strawberry cheesecake                   Krispy Kreme donuts

Chocolate cake/s…

"never leave my side"

I can't stop eating!  Does it look like I'm having a party here? The picture at the left side is that of my food buddies (pizza and gingerbread) while I'm sitting in front of my notebook.  I feed myself non-stop while I browse the net, watch my movies or blog. In three hours they might be all gone! The pizza has only one slice left as I'm writing this.  Now you know how tremendous my appetite is! Oh and on my right is a 2-liter bottled water which keeps me from getting thirsty.

I had to remind myself to eat slowly though or else I might vomit. It usually happens when I don't chew my food well. 

welcome july!

Some of things I plan to do this month:

- shop for baby's stuff.

- enjoy the summer sun by taking walks more often.

- rest more, work less.

- prepare for my big day - DD (delivery date).

- do the kegel exercise diligently.

Bless me Lord!

skin problems

I forgot to add that aside from body pains, another pregnancy complications of a less evil kind has taken over my forehead and nape. It looks more like rashes rather than pimples though.  It must have something to do with my hair which touches these specific parts of my body.  What to do?

It’s best to use natural skin care products especially for pregnant women in battling these nasty skin problems.  Shira Esthetics is said to have scientifically proven skin care lines including acne and wrinkle reducing facial skin care creams and lotions. Some of their products are chamomile azulene, sea weed, wheat germ and omega-3. Skin treated by Shira is said to be smooth, supple and radiant.  Hmmm… exactly the kind of skin any women would want to have!

more to come?

My belly feels tight since last week.  I have difficulty moving especially in bed and in getting up - my lower back and legs ache. Friends tell me it isn’t the worst part yet.  I still have 2 months to go and possibly more difficulties to experience yet? God forbid! Today, an hour after I had my lunch, I felt a pain in my tummy then queasiness.  I had to vomit all I ate, that usually solves my problem.  Baby moves a lot adding to the discomfort I feel.  Then there’s the bathroom trip that’s getting more and more frequent.  Oh and I have hemorrhoids too!

It makes me wish time would fly fast forward to August…

o-oh! i’m carrying an 8 kilo load!

I’ve added 8 kilos from my usual weight since I became pregnant. No wonder I walk like a penguin these days.  I can’t even get up from bed fast!  I have to roll to the side of bed, place my feet on the floor and very slowly get up or else my back will hurt or I’ll get cramps.  Waaa! Now I know how it feels to be FAT! The body feels heavy!

After giving birth, my first project will be to lose weight or get back to my normal weight before pregnancy.  I have never been fat in my whole life even now. Good thing I found this calorie counter which I can use to keep track of the calories present in the food I eat.  It teaches the nutritional contents of the food and also teaches better food choices. Myfitnesspal.com diet is flexible too.  It can work with any diet such as Atkins, South Beach, the Zone and plenty more.  It will be losing weight in a healthy way and another awesome thing is, their calorie counter is for free!

i want to sleep

I haven't got a nice long sleep for two straight nights now.  Last night we got home past 12mn from K's place. I went to bed about 2:30am. You'd think I'll get up late today… nahhhh when M woke up at 7am I got up too.  I'm really sleepy now.  I tried to take a nap after M left for work but it didn't help.  Even if my body is tired, my mind was wandering leaving me fully awake! The irony is I already got a maternity leave (ML) certificate from my doc last week.  That means if I was employed I can be excused from working so I can spend more time resting. heh!  Plus factor is, I'll get some money from the government with this ML certificate.   Weeeee… i really want to sleep!

big bother

Well not really. There's this black vertical mark running across my belly.  I swear it wasn't there before! I showed it to a friend (who has 4 kids already) and she assured me that it's common in pregnant women.  The black mark usually just fades off after pregnancy. Whew!  That's a relief.  It's really not a good sight to look at.

oh baby, baby…

After two years of trying to conceive, my mom suggested that we (M & I) both see a doctor for check-up. Sensing no problem in either of us, M and I brushed the thought aside until one day … we were blessed with a baby!

I know there are couples out there who have infertility problems. Probably consulting a specialist would be the last recourse. A doctor by the name Randy Morris of Chicago PGD (pre-implantation genetic diagnosis) is a fertility specialist who helps couples understand and resolve the problem of infertility. His clinics in Chicago and Illinois offer the following services: in vitro fertilization, treatment of recurrent miscarriage, treatment of female endocrine problems, treatment of other reproductive problems, reproductive surgery, ovulation induction, complete diagnostic testing and radiology services.

Thank God we didn’t have to go through with any of those treatments. 

guess who just gave birth?

A new celebrity mom! Yes, Julia Roberts delivered a healthy baby boy (her third child) on Monday.  The baby’s name is Henry Daniel Moder.  Congratulations to Julia and her hubby Danny.  Not that I know them, but I can relate to their happiness… me being an expectant parent.

I got this news from Celebrity Gossip blog. I was keeping myself informed with what’s happening in planet Hollywood.  This site didn’t disappoint me.  It has the latest buzz which allows readers to vote for each post or leave comments.  Interesting bits of news there, no need to spend $ on magazine subscription or waste a space in your place piling old issues of celeb mags.

do yourself a favor

Being pregnant can be costly.  I should know, with all the examinations, tests and maternity fees, had it not been for the wonderful healthcare we got, we would have spent a huge sum for all these important expenses. I can only pity those mothers in the Phils. who are always shelling out huge money every time they visit their OB gyn or have medical tests; even their hospital bills are costly. 

It is really advisable for pregnant women to avail of pregnancy insurance such as MaternityCard.  With MaternityCard, all your medical expenses are covered and that includes ALL! Doctors’ visits, lab work, hospital stay and other expenses incurred during your pregnancy.  An average member actually saves up to 60% on these medical expenses.

Take for example the case of one of its member K.W from Texas.  If she hadn’t availed of MaternityCard, the hospital would have charged her $11,000, but by signing up with MaternityCard, her fee was reduced to a measly sum of $3,300.  You can see that there’s a huge difference in the amount. 

Do yourself a favor, get yourself a pregnancy insurance now.

acne and pregnancy

Another little problem brought about by pregnancy is acne!  Mine just got healed after applying it with an overnight pimple gel. 

For some pregnant women, they experience reverse effect: their acne problems clear up during pregnancy leaving them with clear skin. But for unlucky ones, breakouts seem to be attacking them.  Thankfully for me, it was a little case of skin outbreak. Not enough to bother me big time!

What causes acne? Acne.com has a comprehensive article on this one.  For preggies,  acne might be caused by:

 hormones – hormones called androgens causes the sebaceous glands to enlarge. Androgens are responsible for acne flare-ups associated with pregnancy.

extra sebum – when the sebaceous gland is stimulated by androgens, it produces extra sebum.  The presence of extra sebum in the skin follicle increases the chances of clogging which causes acne.

For acne prevention, read Acne.com’s Five Rules for a Healthy Face.  To sum up these five rules:
1. Don’t over wash your face.
2. Skip harsh scrubs.
3. Say no to alcohol.
4. Don’t squeeze or pick the blemishes.
5. Keep your hands-off from the break-out.

If prevention doesn’t help and you’re still suffering from annoying acne, try using Proactiv Solution.  It is said to be a proven remedy to fight breakouts and get clear skin.  Even Vanessa Williams, Jessica Simpson and Elle Macpherson use this acne treatment.