Cravings & Exercise During Pregnancy

This was originally written on Monday, February 25, 2008:

I’m over the Y.I. (and prescription) so that is definitely good news.

As of a few weeks ago, L.J.'s kicks last for longer! In other words, some days he’ll push through my belly and just leave his arm or leg there for a few seconds! If that’s not weird enough (in a good way), one night I was taking a bath and as I changed positions I saw a perfectly round ball press through my skin. . .as in L.J.'s head! Yes, there are some definite crazy moments during pregnancy!

As for my blood glucose test, I never heard the results today, so I don’t know if they're waiting to tell me at my next appt or what. I’m glad that it was taken on Friday and not today because there was a to-die-for cake and mints at my Omaha baby shower yesterday, so I not only had sweets—but a lot! They were so good, though! (And the shower was a lot of fun-I received some great stuff!)

I'm in my 30th week and 26 lbs. gained. I'm beginning to understand what it's like to be overweight. When I go to restaurants I'm claustrophobic in booths! Even though my back is against the seat, my stomach touches the table. Not comfortable. I'm looking forward to buying an eliptical machine--Joe has been wanting one for a couple of years and so we're going to look the next chance we get. (Of course I won't start using it until after I have L.J..)

I’ve just learned that after 34 weeks of pregnancy you need your doctor’s permission to travel—even 2.5 hours away. So no more trips to Iowa for me after my mom's shower this weekend.

On Friday Joe & I went out for Chinese food because I was craving lemon chicken. Cravings is my blog topic for today. I haven’t experienced them too much while being pregnant (or at least it’s been less than what I expected from watching television). Besides the chicken in the very beginning (remember my story of my first morning sickness day, getting up at 4:30 am? lol), other things I craved were honey mustard (I’ll never forget the look on Joe’s face when he glanced at me and saw me drinking a cup of honey mustard one day, seriously--haha!), cheese spread, deviled eggs, meatballs, barbecue sauce, and deep dish (thick-thick) pizza. It is true that if you try to satisfy cravings with something else, or put it off, it just gets stronger and more intense. It’s not like when you’re not pregnant and eventually the desire goes away. It becomes all you can think about so you’re obsessed and miserable! But for me, I was satisfied immediately after eating those things. So it wasn’t like I had the same food and only that food for a week or more.

No one really knows the cause for cravings, but it’s assumed to be hormonal driven. Although some food cravings may be a bit strange, they aren't harmful. But there are some women who crave items that are not food and could be potentially harmful when consumed. The term that refers to such unusual cravings is pica. Some non-food substances that pregnant women crave include dirt, cigarette ashes, chalk, baking soda, soap and other items. Although it remains uncertain, pica may be linked to an iron deficiency. If you or someone you know has a strong craving for a non-food item, don't eat the substance since it can be harmful. Talk to your physician to make him or her aware of the craving. It could be due to an underlying illness.

Cravings may start very early in the pregnancy and last throughout, or a woman may not experience any cravings until the second or third trimester. Women who were vegetarians may experience strong cravings for meat during their pregnancy. This can be the body's way of fulfilling its need for protein.

Doctors recommend giving in to the cravings, even if they have little nutritional value. Once the baby is born and hormones return to normal your eating habits will, too.

Our breastfeeding class was canceled this evening due to the snow we got today.
---------------

This was originally written on Tuesday, February 26, 2008:

I forgot to mention yesterday that my horoscope said I'd "feel back to normal in three months"--HAHA! How appropriate.

Also yesterday I went to Hy-Vee and I have to say they are awesome to have expecting and new mother parking places! I'd never noticed those before pregnancy and hadn't felt right about using them until now that it's obvious to everyone that I am. But yesterday was really icky weather (rain and snow all day) so it was very nice to be able to park right in front and not have to waddle far :p All places should have those! (Today was nice weather again.)

Speaking of everyone noticing, a little over a week ago Joe and I went to the mall and I had to go to the restroom. There was a long line as usual for the women's and I was totally caught off guard when four different people in front of me offered to let me go in their place! I didn't feel right about doing that (I told them I could hold it, lol), but I was really touched. I'll remember that in the future when I see pregnant women. I was clueless before and had no idea that pregnancy does make you have to pee really, really, really bad!

You might remember me mentioning in one of my pregnancy symptom blogs that it's easy to "lose some" when coughing. Well those ten days that I had the chest cold I experienced this for the first time and it was very weird. You don't even have to go--a little will just come out without you able to do anything to stop it.

Okay enough about that :p

Today's topic is what exercise you can do while pregnant. Unfortunately for me, my body has made it very difficult for me to do any. Just walking around the house or at the store is all my body can take (although today I was able to clean my house, hallelujah)! But exercise has been known to shorten labor, so light exercise is recommended if your body can do it.

If you have a moderate exercise routine before pregnancy, keep it up. If you've been pretty sedentary, don't suddenly plunge into a program. Here are some tips:

*Avoid overheating.

*Avoid exercising flat on your back; doing so may reduce blood flow to your heart.

*Try not to beat yourself up if you find that pregnancy makes it harder to continue the workout routine you're accustomed to. Modify your program according to what you can reasonably tolerate. Listen to your body. You may find it easier to perform nonweight-bearing exercises like swimming.

*Watch how your center of gravity shifts. You should avoid surfing, horseback riding, skiing, or any other sport that can cause injury if you're out of balance. Also avoid anything that puts you at risk of being hurt in the abdomen, and high-impact, bouncy exercises that can tax your loosening joints.

*Carry a bottle of water to every exercise session and stay well hydrated.

*Eat a well-balanced diet that includes an adequate supply of carbohydrates.

*Talk to your practitioner about what your peak exercise heart rate should be. (Many practitioners suggest 140 beats per minute as the upper limit.) Then regularly measure your heart rate at the peak of your workout to make sure that it's at a safe level.

Stop exercising — and talk to your doctor — if you experience any of these symptoms:

*Shortness of breath out of proportion to the exercise you are doing

*Vaginal bleeding

*Rapid heartbeat (that is, more than 140 beats per minute)

*Dizziness or feeling faint

*Any significant pain

Here's a more specific look at how pregnancy affects the most common kinds of exercise:

*Aerobics: Like running, high-intensity aerobics are not for pregnant women. Take a class designed for pregnant women. Avoid exercises that require you to lie flat on your back or overstretch your joints. Throughout the nine months, low-impact workouts make more sense than high-impact ones. During the third trimester, you may have difficulty keeping your balance all the way through an aerobics class or tape.

*Bicycling: Bike riding is nonweight-bearing — the bicycle supports your weight — and that makes it good for pregnant women. Still, biking entails some risks. As your center of gravity shifts, you may be more likely to fall. Your heavier abdomen can also put stress on your back as you lean toward the handlebars. Stationary bicycles are ideal because they pose very little risk of falling. In fact, stationary bike riding is an exercise that even the most sedentary woman can begin after she gets pregnant, because she can start slowly and gradually increase riding time as she gets in better shape.

*Golf and bowling: They're perfectly okay, but be careful not to overextend or overheat.

*Running/jogging: You put yourself at risk of musculoskeletal injuries — knee and hip problems and the like. Better to try walking, 30 to 60 minutes a day.

*Stair-climbing machines: Stair climbing is weight-bearing, but most machines help lighten the load so that it isn't as weight-bearing as aerobics or running. And the stationary machines pose little risk of falling. As your stomach grows, you put more stress on your back muscles, though.

*Stretching and body sculpting: These are fine as long as you don't do them flat on your back or overextend. You don't get any cardiac benefit, but stretching does help you maintain muscle tone and flexibility, which can come in handy during labor and delivery. Kegel exercises, which involve targeting and contracting the muscles of the pelvic floor (around the opening of your bladder and vagina), may not help so much during pregnancy. But afterward, they can make it easier for your pelvic muscles to return to normal, and they may prevent problems with urinary incontinence later in life.

*Swimming: Swimming is one of the best exercises a pregnant woman can do because it puts no stress on your joints and poses little risk of overheating or losing your balance and falling. However, avoid scuba diving because the dramatic pressure changes could have adverse effects on the baby.

*Yoga: Most forms of yoga are fine during pregnancy and may even relieve some of your stress. Many yoga teachers offer special pregnancy classes. Avoid lying flat on your back or overstretching.

I had to laugh at the scuba diving sentence! Who in their right mind would try scuba diving while pregnant?!