The Healthy Lifestyle Wheel

I am tired.  Not just from being pregnant!

I am tired because I have not been exercising or eating right.  I am an emotional reck!  I know exercising makes me tired but in a totally different way.  Eating healthy can be hard and money has been tight lately so I haven't had my usual's, as the kids call them, on hand.  Of course eating sugary foods in  is not helping and also making me tired and emotional!  Eating is a challenge that I have to battle constantly! 

 

These are my excuses over the last couple of weeks "I can't exercise because it is Holy Week, I am exhausted and I am really busy getting ready for Easter.  It is Easter and a Feast so I can eat (insert your favorite food here)." Then I can't exercise but I am worn out because I am so tired because I have not been exercising.  And I'm not eating right because I crave crap because I have been eating crap.  This is a horrible cycle.

Does anyone else see this cycle in there lives? 

I just need to "DO IT!!!"  Get up in the morning and exercise.  Today is the day I stop eating crap I tell myself.  I plan on it but then I don't and I'm tired again and plan to start again in the morning.

My promise is to start NOW!!  I'm getting off the computer taking the children to the park and I will walk!  Tomorrow I will set my food goal but for today I am going to exercise! 

Will you join me?  This is important for me and Baby Niall #6.   

Feed Yourself Health

 

I wrote this blog post for the Circle of Life Network.  Circle of Life Network is committed to providing parents with the knowledge they need to become empowered self-advocates.  Our community is a safe, reliable place that offers credible evidence-based information, resources, and support from like-minded peers and birth and child professionals. 

 

Lisa and Amy, founders of Circle of Life Network, asked me to write for the blog, what and honor.  Thank you Lisa and Amy. 

I needed to remind myself what I said about health eating before I got pregnant with Baby Niall #6.  I hope this healthy piece inspires you and me to recommit to eating healthy!  I sure did forget the tips. I know I will be reinstituting them into my shopping and menu planning. 

 

I remember when my husband and I got married and started thinking about having a baby.  I have type II Diabetes, so we were not sure what it would take to get pregnant.  Once we decided to try, we started to eat healthy.  Little did I know, this was very important (I know – how can you not know eating healthy is important, but I didn’t)  and it was going to be a continued work!

Pregnant and nursing moms lose so many nutrients to their babies.  I have been pregnant 4 times and have nursed 3 babies.  After every pregnancy I wondered why I forgot more and had less energy.  Since the loss of our last baby I have been researching and learned about what our bodies do when we’re pregnant and/or nursing.

 

It is important to take care of your body with good nutrition, no matter how hard it is.  It’s easy to say “I’m having a pregnancy craving so I am just going to eat what I want,” regardless of it’s nutritional value.  I know it can be hard to take care of yourself when you are pregnant, especially when you have other children in your care.  Sometimes it’s just easier to eat the children’s leftovers.  It is like the oxygen mask on an airplane – the flight attendant always says you must put your oxygen mask on before you can help others.  You can’t take care of your children or husband’s health and nutrition if you are depleted.

 

Your diet should consist of 80% raw vegetables and fruits (60% vegetable and 20% fruit).  Some tricks you can try to eat healthy through pregnancy and nursing include:

• have vegetable and fruits you enjoy on hand all the time
• take 30 – 40 minutes 2 days a week to cut up vegetables and fruits to have on hand
• menu-plan with meals that are vegetable-heavy
• keep trail mix heavy in nuts and dried fruits in your car
• only drink water or kefir water
• when cooking vegetables, make 2-3 times more than you need and immediately store the extra away to eat later
• add fruit and vegetables to your breakfast
• start your day off with a good portion of vegetables…add them to your eggs and/or add fresh fruit to your yogurt or oatmeal
• have a salad with lunch or dinner every day

I want to address menu planning.  I know this can be daunting to many people.  I actually take the easy way out.  I plan my menus months at a time.  It does take a little time when I sit down to plan, but I repeat many of our family favorites each week.  Does your family like spaghetti squash?  We love it!  You could have spaghetti squash with tomato sauce once a week,  leftovers at least twice a week, and salad with meat at least once a week.  I know every family is different, but if I can get four days of dinners done, then I only have to be creative 3 days a week.  Be flexible! Things come up, and if there is food on sale that you can’t pass up, adjust your menu as needed.

 

Eating vegetables and fruits while pregnant and nursing will help you to stay healthy.

 

Do you eat enough vegetable and fruits while you are pregnant? 

Linked up to Wellness Wednesday.
 

High/Low

A few nights ago, Michael and I were talking about my blood sugars.  Honestly, I feel like it will never be under control.  I eat exactly what I am suppose to, workout, take the right amount of insulin, send my food diaries to my dietician every three days (honestly written) and still my blood sugars are higher than they should be.  I went to an appointment this week and hopefully this appointment will help me to make improvements and figure out what needs to change.

When I went to my appointment, I was happily surprised by the reaction of both my dietician and endocrinologist.  They were both impressed by how much my blood sugars have decreased and how hard I am working.  The proof was in the numbers.  I went down 3 total pointed in my HbA1c.  Oh yes the insulin was a big help but it does not work by alone. 

I am glad that my hard work is paying off.  I continue the battling eating right, working out and writing down what I eat.  God willing at he next appointment my number will be even better. 

Thank you for your continued prayers. I will be praying for you.  God Bless!

Doctor Dilemma

Last week, after writing the blog post Two Doctors in 2 Days, someone told me that Newton/Wellesley Hospital is one of the best in state for preforming cesareans.  That is when I decided to I looked up a doctor I used to delivery James.  I will say one of her down falls is she is the doctor that pretty much forced me into having a cesarean with James.  That story is here.  Up until that point I had a lot respect for her but I did not trust her.  I did not trust any doctor/midwives.  I trusted my body.

 I still believe I was rushed into surgery for no reason.  I don't think that she sees it my way but at this point having a cesarean is now my path so it doesn't matter.  I think she did what she felt was the best thing for me.  We had other battles because I am head strong and didn't want interventions or another caesarean.  In hind sight I do trust her because I believe she was doing what she felt was best for me and baby.  I will do what ever she asks of me in light of what happened with Peter.  This time I will be totally compliant.  I am not fighting anymore.  All I want in the end is a baby in my arms. 

Why my dilemma?  Well once I decided on my doctor I had a few people tell my about a Catholic doctor in Boston.  I called her and although she was nice the hospital and I suspect her policy for baby care after birth don't make me happy.  The is not the same with Doctor A.  I agree with their hospital policy and  it is exactly what I was looking for.   

I want a healthy baby to be brought right to me.  I remember not being able to hold Thomas, at a different hospital, for what felt like forever.  I can't image that happening again.  I want baby with me as soon as possible.  Doctor A was also really good at surgery and she was very respectful while preforming the surgery not talking about anything other than the task at hand. 

That was my deciding factor.  I would like to go to a doctor who is Catholic but my doctors from Newton/Wellesley were always respectful to  my believes that was never our issue.  My doctor was tough on me and made tough chooses I didn't like.  I think this is important.  She has proven herself to me. 

When I talked to Michael about my dilemma he said he thinks I will be happier with Doctor A.  My husband knows me best so I may not always trust my own judgment but I definitely trust my husbands. 

If things don't work with Doctor A we can always call Doctor B. 

Please continue to pray for me as I am praying for you!

Healthy Baby

I mentioned in the post Two Doctors in 2 Days that of my both doctors said my baby has increased chances of birth defects.  What does that mean to me?  Is it scary?  Yes, it is a little scary but not as scary as losing a baby.  It means that I once again need to trust God.  He knows what is best for my life and He will do in me what is His will. 

On retreat this weekend the priest, Fr. Emmerich Vogt, started his talk with the Serenity Pray:

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,

not as I would have it;

Trusting that You will make all the things right if I surrender to Your Will;

so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. 

Amen.   

Do I blame myself?  NO.  Could I avoid the birth defects?  Well there is a 3.8% higher chance of having a baby with birth defects if blood sugars are high in the first trimester because baby is developing.  This is my 5th baby and the first time I have heard of this.  Maybe I should have known.  I did not and that makes me sad but I can not change my past.  One of Fr. Emmerich's favorite quotes is "Give up on the hope of a better past."  He told us this on retreat this week.  Who knew I needed to hear this?  God.  I can't chance what I didn't know, I can't even chance the past 13 weeks of my  life.  I can only trust God knows what he is doing.  I AM going to choose to trust that God knows exactly what He is doing in my life. 

I continue to ask for your prayers.  I am praying for you.  God Bless!

Working Out

 

Snowshoeing at St. Benedict Abbey. 

I am trying to get healthy and I often forget eating is only one piece of the puzzle. 

The second piece of the puzzle is working out.  I need to just start moving.  Moving can be such a challenge especially in the winter.  Moving for a diabetic and someone with PCOS is totally medicine!  As one good friend said it best, exercise is insulin.
 

The beauty one can experience while exercising!

I need to take this insulin (exercise) daily!  I know from past experience that this insulin (exercise) is a very effective natural substitute. 

 

I find excuses all over creation not to exercise.  I am a busy homeschooling mom is the excuse I use most.  And while this excuse is true and it is hard to find time to exercise it is important.  When it is as important to your health as it is to my health you/I need to MAKE TIME to do it! 

 

This week I started to workout.  I started really slow at 9 - 12 minutes of Zumba and 6 - 10 minutes of stretching exercises.  This Saturday I even went out into the snow and spent about an hour snowshoeing. 

 

Exercise with good friends, that's a great way to get out!

I will continue to exercise because it is beneficial to my health.  I will continue to exercise because it will help decrease my blood sugars.  Lord help me to make exercise an important part of my life.  Help me to take exercise seriously. 



Fun while exercising!  Turkey tracks. 

Why am I talking about exercise?  Exercise is going to be a huge part of this pregnancy journey!  Please pray I stay strong and continue to exercise. 

I will be praying for you.  God Bless!