Are you pregnant?

I made a couple of grocery runs with the girls tonight, not my usual mode of operation; but seeing how my next couple of days are crazy, I'm looking to lighten the load. One of the runs was at an Asian grocery store. At the checkout, as we were getting ready to leave, the cashier asked:

Are you pregnant?

What, do you suppose, made her ask such a question?

A. I'm looking rather large, like I'm carrying a watermelon.

B. I have been coping with stress with a bit too much food.

C. I look super tired.

D. I was working frompy looking clothes.

***

I have thought, from time to time, of telling people that I haven't been dealing well or healthily with stress, when asked whether I'm pregnant. . .

When deciding to go out grocery shopping tonight, I had already changed out of my "going out" clothes; so I was no longer in a maternity top. I was just wearing one of my looser fitting T-shirts.

***

Her answer, when I asked what gave away my pregnancy, was that I just look so tired.

I won't dispute that. That does reflect reality accurately. One of my friends with 11 month old twins said she had, at best, two good weeks in her entire pregnancy. I can believe it. So far, in my second trimester, that alleged burst of energy (nesting) has not come; I'm not holding my breath for it to arrive.

Play and fun in the sun

These days, I am often lost in adult responsibilities and concerns and forget the importance of play and giddiness. When my older child begs me to play with her, even if that means we don't have time to go outside to play, that catches my attention. Paper writing, bill paying, cooking, dish washing, cleaning should not always keep me away and diverted from children hungry for quality time with me.

Since I had an overdue paper to work on and a super tired mind and body to nurse, I decided to drink coffee, do just a bit of work, and take the girls to a playground. Still need to work on giving them more undivided time each day, but can't be too hard on myself and I'm starting somewhere. Windiness and all.

2011-4-22

Hope you had as blessed a Good Friday as I did.

Moving towards a booster car seat

Which one is my older child? Is that a trick question? Are they twins?

2011-3-19

My older daughter, Isabella, was once a tot. She came home in a Graco infant car seat, one that snapped into a base already strapped into the car. In this seat, she was oftentimes transferred to another location, whether a shopping cart or some where else. Easy come, easy go.



Then around 13 months (my mind is kind of hazy), we switched Isabella to a Britax Roundabout Convertible car seat. When she was approximately 18 months of age, we turned her car seat was forward facing, instead of rear facing. I cannot remember all the weight, height, and age limitations. I do know that the recommendation is that a child remain in a convertible car seat as long as possible, until the child outgrows the car seat, for safety reasons. Once the shoulder straps are adjusted to the highest rung and the child's shoulders are above the car seat (esp. if the child is higher than the upper weight limit), then the child has outgrown the car seat. A five point harness car seat is safer than a shoulder and waist straps car seat.


Isabella's next car seat will be the Graco Highback TurboBooster car seat. Isabella has a bit more to go, before her shoulders outgrow her convertible car seat. Also, I'd prefer her to be 40 pounds. And, various reviews, such as this one, do say that the five point harness seats really are more safe, comparatively speaking. But this sort of booster seat is the next safest.

This seat comes in two pieces, the back piece and the seat. As Isabella grows bigger, eventually the back can be removed. The upper limit of this car seat is 100 pounds.

In the state of Colorado, children have to remain in some sort of booster seat until at least age 8. And, there are other restrictions, as well.

Moving towards one another

Tomorrow, I will be 15 weeks. Can hardly believe how quickly this third pregnancy has been flying by. Past the first trimester and somewhere in the second trimester.

Last Tuesday, I had a visit with my midwifery group. Wasn't aware they are part of the teaching something or other. Had a gal from the nursing school "leading" my pregnancy check up. No harm, I suppose; but, I wasn't a "high risk" pregnant woman, due to age, until last week.

Still couldn't hear any hearts beating, except mine, by doppler. Interesting I could hear my heart beating through the doppler place on my belly. This was the first time I received an explanation as to how that was the case. It's blood pulsing, at my heart rate, through the placenta(s). Found that fascinating.

Since the babies' heart rates couldn't be heard via doppler, they decided to use their older sonogram machine to look for the hearts flickering and flashing.

I was truly amazed. Those little babies have grown quite a bit since last I saw them, four weeks prior. I could easily make out their heads, bodies, and appendages. One baby had the hiccups, and the other one was looking straight at us. And yes, we saw their little hearts flickering/beating. Saw the babies' spines. At one point, the babies started moving towards one another. Sweetness.

I have gained a healthy amount of weight, which I won't disclose here. Some things must remain a mystery. Good blood pressure.

Next midwife appointment has been scheduled. And, my 20-week ultrasound with an obstetrician has also been scheduled.

I'm not keen on sharing any pregnancy photographs at this point, but I'll humor you with my 4 yr old, who, at the moment I took this photograph, claimed to have a "baby" in her belly. That's Henry, her favorite dog in the whole world.

2011-4-12

When craving foods higher in folic acid surprises me

Towards the end of last week, I've been very satisfied devouring salads. Doesn't sound like me at all. Normally, I weasel my way away from salads, the consumption of which only whets my appetite but never satisfies. Never would I, under normal circumstances, order a salad in a restaurant or purchase salad supplies whilst grocery shopping.

But, all that has changed for now. My body is telling me or perhaps the babies in utero are telling me that salads are yummy delicious. The consumption of them still don't fill me up, but neither does anything else. But now, putting together salads and eating them are enjoyable. Enter the salad for this afternoon: baby spinach and arugula, freshly peeled clementines, fresh strawberries, shredded mozzarella cheese, pine nuts, and some kind of Italian dressing.



I'm also loving clementines. Very tasty, sweet little treasures. Also (in addition to the spinach and arugula) high in folic acid. This is my folic acid intake, in addition, of course, to the 1 mg I'm taking through my prenatal vitamins daily.

Surprisingly, I'm not craving any pastas, rice, or bread. Very unusual for me not to eat loads upon loads of rice.

The importance and necessity of folic acid during pregnancy

Early on in my pregnancy with twins, my midwifery group told me to double the amount of folic acid intake. In other words, I was to take double the amount of singleton pregnancies. The discount prescription strength prenatal vitamins they put me on - Amneal Pharmaceuticals Prenatal Plus - which contains 1 mg of folic acid. We're supposed to take a minimum of 600 mcg during a singleton pregnancy. So, how's 1000 mcg? Not quite double, but getting there, right?

From what I understand, which could be mistaken (since I have a seriously warped pregnancy brain), folic acid is the synthetic version of folate.

How is the intake of folic acid important or necessary for the unborn child(ren)?*

• cellular development and regeneration.
• formation of brain and spinal cord.
• without folic acid, there is a higher chance of miscarriage; there is a 1/1000 chance of neural tube disorder (NTD), such as spina bifida, anencephaly.

*What I have included here is not to be taken as medical advice. I am certainly not any sort of medical practitioner. Far from it. My training is in philosophy.

Some foods in which folic acid can be found are:

• fortified breakfast cereals, lentils, beans, chickpeas, chicken.
• oatmeal, asparagus, spinach.
• broccoli, canned corn, orange juice, avocados.