Search Results for: pregnancy the first 9 months

Yoga Moves to Relieve Pregnancy Pain

On Monday I shared a list of positions that can help ease pain during labor.  As a follow-up, I thought I’d share some of the moves that I’ve learned in prenatal yoga that can help with some common aches and pains during pregnancy. One of the biggest complaints in pregnancy is pain in the bladder/round ligament reason.  My daughter set up shop on top of my bladder once I was about four months along, and it’s been her favorite spot ever since, much to my discomfort.  I’ve learned a number of moves in class that really help when I’m having … Continue reading →

Medication and the First Trimester

At the beginning of the week I cautioned against going off medication when you get pregnant.  Now I want to write a follow-up, because it actually is important to know any potential dangers with medicine and the first trimester. As a rule I’ve avoided reading lists of dangers, side effects, and rare pregnancy and birth problems.  They’ll just cause me unnecessary stress, and since pregnant women usually see their doctors at least once a month, I trust mine to keep me informed about anything that will actually/is actually affecting me.  But it is important to know that the first trimester … Continue reading →

Most Important Early Pregnancy Advice

Many people might start off their first pregnancy blog with a story: why they decided to have a baby (or not), the story of how they became pregnant, their early thoughts on pregnancy and childbirth.  I might get to all of that, or I might not.  But today I want to share one of the most important things I learned in my first month of pregnancy: do not go off any medication without talking to your doctor first. This might seem silly or obvious, but I cannot stress how important it is.  My whole first trimester might have taken a … Continue reading →

Twelve Months Post Partum: An Exercising Journey Part I

Now that it has officially  been an entire years since my daughter’s birth, I feel that my post partum period has come to a close.  This twelve month phase of my life has been rather incredible mostly because of the precious gift of my daughter’s life and the joys (and frustrations) of being a mother, but also because I seemed to have accomplished my post partum fitness goals.  I felt that it was fitting to bring my post partum journey to a close by divulging some of my fitness triumphs and defeats. I set out determined to get back into … Continue reading →

Alabama Has a Plan First Program

Every state has a Medicaid program. A portion of that program is designed to cover the health care needs of low-income women who are pregnant or are seeking family planning services. In Alabama, it is called Plan First. Medicaid is a public, or government run, health insurance program. It is designed to cover low-income individuals and families who cannot afford to purchase health insurance coverage from a private health insurance company. Medicaid is funded, in part, by the federal government. Medicaid is also funded by the government of an individual state. In Alabama, the Medicaid program is administered by the … Continue reading →

Pregnancy and Heartburn

One of the most common pregnancy – related discomforts is heartburn. About half of all pregnant women experience heartburn to some degree during their pregnancies. I experienced it rather severely during both pregnancies. In fact, when I was pregnant with Blake (who is now almost five months old), I started having heartburn a few weeks before I even suspected that I was pregnant. One day, I found myself reaching for the Tums that I had not used since my first pregnancy. I blamed it on the pepperoni pizza that I had just eaten, and I figured that all of the … Continue reading →

Recovering After Pregnancy

Although the birth of each of my sons was different, I have noticed a similarity between the two experiences in how I feel afterwards. The overall theme of what I felt after my first pregnancy and what I am feeling now is to get up, get out, get moving, and otherwise resume my normal daily activities. As I share my experience in the pregnancy recovery department, please keep in mind that since each woman and each pregnancy is different, your plan for pregnancy recovery and resumption of daily activities should be discussed with your doctors or midwives to ensure your … Continue reading →

Pregnancy Cravings

Pregnancy is certainly an interesting experience on so many levels. Not only are you experiencing the miracle of life unfolding within your very own body, you are experiencing physical sensations that range from strange to painful and everything in between. Add to that the mix of emotions that accompany a fluctuating flow of hormones, top it all off with a few food cravings, and you’ve got yourself a non-stop supply of entertainment for nine months. Food cravings have always interested me because I love food. I always wondered whether I would crave anything strange during pregnancy because I had heard … Continue reading →

Pregnancy Number Two

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It became clear that our 18 month old needed a sibling. We had reached the point that we felt it was a good time to start trying for another baby. Largely, motivated by our son who loves “babies” and joyfully points out any baby he sees, it seemed that our son was also ready for a new baby especially since he has been practicing being a “good big brother” with a baby doll I recently found in a closet. He also had the opportunity to hold the 2 week old baby girl of a colleague and friend. He was completely … Continue reading →

Chocolate During Pregnancy May Make for Happy Baby

When I was pregnant with my first daughter in 2006, for some reason, I heard about this 2003 study where some doctors found that women who eat chocolate daily during pregnancy have happier babies. What? So, I was definitely interested. I was already eating chocolate daily. What pregnant woman doesn’t? OK, so maybe there are some pregnant women who don’t, but I definitely wasn’t one of them. And, the funny thing is, I wasn’t that big of a chocoholic before pregnancy. But, once those hormones kicked in, I was hooked. And, the other funny thing? I did have a pretty … Continue reading →