[jmb1981]

just found out this morning that i am pregnant! i am so excited and a little bit nervous (m/c in july at 12 weeks), but mostly excited and happy and thrilled and sooo ready!!

i have been dieting and exercising since september and have lost about 25lbs. i know the dieting part stops here, but i also know that i've been making much healthier choices. i'm not sure what i should be eating right now (i will schedule an appointment on monday to go to the doctor).

here is a typical day for me:
breakfast (8:30): cereal and milk, bottle of water, banana
mid morning snack (10:00): oranges or an apple sometimes crackers or cheese and another bottle of water
lunch (12:30/1:00): microwave dinner (lean cuisine, healthy choice, or smart on), two servings of veggies, and a bottle of water
afternoon snack (3:00): fruit (whatever is left), cheese, nuts with granola and cranberries, or crackers and more water
dinner (6:00/7:00): varies, but is usually some type of meat (beef, chicken, pork, or fish) and always includes two servings of veggies and a bottle of water

does it sound like i need to be adding something else?? i guess i should add that some days (if i'm hungry) i will have a second afternoon snack before dinner (similar to the snacks the rest of the day). i just want to make sure that i am eating enough for my baby. i know i will talk to the doctor about it but that is going to be a couple weeks down the line.

what about exercise? i've been doing walk away the pounds express. usually 2-3 miles almost daily since september. do you think it is okay to continue that (once again, i will talk to my doctor about it, just wanted to see what you were told)? i will not add anything different, i just want to continue with my walking. if you aren't familiar, you do walking in place with knee lifts, side steps, and kicking. it gets pretty brisk, but nothing where you can't still have a conversation with someone.

i have been taking my prenatals, even before we were trying to get pregnant.

any advice would be great! thanks!!

[dgramie]

I am so happy for you!! I will pray things go smoothe for you this time!
I was told that as long as you have been doing exercise you can continue what your body is use to.I would check with your dr to make sure since you had problems before.
As far as your eating goes ...i dont see alot of calcium. You might need to add a few more servings a day. Also you really need to watch sodium in frozen meals. Be sure to take a copy of what you eat with you to your dr.
good luck

[WooPigSooie]

Congrats! Your healthy lifestyle is going to benefit your baby so much. I agree w/ the previous poster re: your exercise. If you're concerned at all, just do regular walking w/out the extra moves. At a glance I think you're eating plan looks great. You might check out "The Pregnancy Diet" in one of the pregnancy books and cross reference w/ it. Definitely make sure you're getting enough calcium since pregnancy robs you of it. I don't have a total number for you, but they say you only need about 300 "extra" calories per day during pregnancy. I'm curious if anyone knows the specific number of calories recommended?

[jmb1981]

i've been looking some information up on the internet and everything i have read has said only 300 extra calories a day. i was doing weight watchers though so i'm not sure what my current calories are. i'm going to figure that out today. i found a great article from march of dimes and another from babycenter on eating during pregnancy. on the babycenter site i also found great information on the different vitamins and minerals you need, how much, why it's important, and where to get them. so today i am going to gather all of my new info. and work out a food plan to make sure i am getting the recommended daily dose of everything my stickybean and i need!

with my miscarriage i never truely felt connected to the pregnancy, i never felt comfortable with the pregnancy. it's like i knew something wasn't right. i have known for about 24 hours now (officially) that i have a little person growing inside me and i am already so overwhelming in love with this baby. it feels right. i'm so happy!

[aphil]

As far as calories go...when it says 300 extra calories a day, this means 300 calories added to MAINTENANCE calories. If you are eating 1500 a day to LOSE weight, then 300 added to that isn't enough.

I was recommended by my physician to eat 2300 calories a day during my first trimester, and then 2500 a day during the second and third. 2000 calories a day is considered "maintenance/balanced diet" by most health standards/plans, and we added 300 extra during the first trimester, and 200 more a day during the second and third-because that is when the baby starts putting on size/weight.

As far as exercise goes, some things you want to avoid are kicks, jabs, etc. and sharp movements, especially in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. No kickboxing, Tae Bo, etc. Walking, prenatal workouts, etc. are great. You want to avoid any traditional ab work (crunches, etc.) after the first 12 weeks. Avoid lying on your back for long periods of time after 12 weeks as well.

If you like doing dvds, something I really liked during my third pregnancy was the dvd "Crunch Yoga Mama". It really helped keep my core strong, and everything stretched out and limber. It helped me to avoid the lower back pain that is common during the third trimester from all of the baby weight.

Good luck to you!
Aphil

[modkittn]

First, congratulations on your pregnancy!

Weight Watchers will not allow you to continue on their plan while pregnant (for liability reasons). You should tell your leader that you are pregnant, and they will put a hold on your account until after the baby is born.

If you want to continue using the point system, you can try to figure out what your points would be if you were to be maintaining at this point, and then add 300 calories per day on top of that. I was told that the extra 300 calories per day weren't really necessary until the 2nd and 3rd trimesters.

[jmb1981]

i haven't been going to ww meetings, just doing it on my own, but i have stopped. i am adding more calcium to my day by drinking 2c. of milk (i have to make it chocolate, don't like white milk), cottage cheese, and cheddar cheese. i have been making sure i am eating plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and protein. today my calorie intake (i believe) will be around 2300. i am trying to add calories here and there and am eating every 2-3 hours, sometimes closer to 4.

i'm new at calorie counting and trying to make sure i get enough so this is a bit tough right now. when i first wrote out my plan for today (which was a lot of food, but it's mostly fruits and veggies) i was only at 1900 calories so i had to add some snacks. when i wrote it all out last night it looked like i was eating a massage amount of food and it was hard for me to think that i would actually eat all of it, but i was hungry today in the morning so i did eat all of it. now i need to work on tomorrow's plan and make sure i have enough calories!

as far as exercising, i am planning on continuing with the walking dvd, but only do the walking. i don't want to take any chances! i will look into the crunch yoga mama b/c i know i will get bored with the walking! thanks!

[Jayme31]

I`ve been doing the walk away videos as well,, only doing the 1&2 miles though ,, i tried the 4 mile express one and found it to be too much for me; i managed to get one of the miles done and then quit that one.

Maybe you could stick with what your doing and then as you get bigger, cut it back a bit to be more comfortable.

Also i love the videos because they always show you a modified lighter version!!

Best of luck to you,, your doctor is probably going to be your best bet on diet/excercise; especially with considering your history.

Best of luck to you

Only 2 more weeks to go for me!! YEAH!!

[CatlaurWill]

Congratulations on you pregnancy! Here's to a happy and healthy 9 months.