Pregnancy
Good Mood Pregnancy (or Stressed Out) Food
Being pregnant takes a lot of physical, mental and emotional energy – so does parenting! If you are currently pregnant, Kids in the House shares foods you can eat to help manage your mood. If you are just a stressed-out parent, eating these foods may help you too! Wild Salmon, Mackerel, Herring Cold water fish are low in mercury and contain important omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to be effective in stabilizing moods, relieving anxiety and aiding in healthy sleep. Omega-3s are also great for baby’s brain development! Asparagus Asparagus is rich in fiber and has diuretic properties that can help improve your digestion and metabolism during pregnancy. It also contains the most folic acid of any vegetable, which is incredibly i...
The Don’ts of Being a Birthing Partner: 15 Things I Wouldn’t Do If I Were You
Now that I’m working on baby number three, I’m kind of an old hat at this pregnancy/childbirth thing—Literally. I have AMA (advanced maternal age) on my file. I’m 35. I know what to expect this time around when I go waddling into that delivery room in anticipation of pain, exhaustion, nausea, and the promise of a cold turkey sandwich at the very end. However, during my first pregnancy, I simply had no idea what to expect when it came time to deliver my baby. Like most first time moms I was plagued with wonder and worry. But, out of everything I experienced the single most surprising thing about giving birth was how easily annoyed I got. Having the lights on was annoying. Having people whisper was annoying. Having my cervix checked was annoy...
Xtreme Hydrating: A Not-So-Serious Look at Pregnancy Hydration
As I round out of—quite literally—the end of the first trimester and waddle into my second, I’m already sick of drinking water. I make it my personal goal to drink an entire body of water every day—so that I can pee every fourteen seconds. Though I don’t always hit that goal—the drinking water goal. If I didn’t drink a drop of fluid all day long, I’d still pee every fourteen seconds because Mother Nature has a sense of humor. One that we don’t share. I think the important question here isn’t how my body can retain so much water, and I not bloat out like the blueberry girl from Willie Wonka. The important question is why the heck do I need so much dang water: 1. Hydration Water carries nutrients to my baby—who happens to be the size of a lemon ...
Funny Pregnancy Cravings: The Good, the Bad and the Very Ugly
In pregnancy, there are two kinds of cravings: the ones you’re willing to indulge, either because they’re healthy or because you’re hormonal and the only thing that will keep you from crying is half a cheesecake. Then there are the unhealthy ones that you try your best to suppress. Sometimes suppressing them feels like you’re wrestling a pack of wild badgers while blindfolded and balancing on a spinning log on Class IV rapids, but you still try. For me, jalapenos fall into category number one. I am obsessed. Getting a turkey sandwich (pressed on the Panini maker until steaming, of course)? Slice me up a few jalapenos. Ordering a salad? More peppers, please. A turkey burger? My fabulous husband knows to throw a few jalapenos on the grill. Perhaps jalapenos aren’t in the same healthy categor...
Pregnancy Not Your Thing? You’re Not Alone
I’m 34 weeks pregnant with Baby #1, and it’s taken me an hour to get the first sentence of this story typed. I blame the restless legs, heartburn, aggressive kicking, baby brain, aching lower back, tiny feet stuck under my ribs and grumbling stomach all caused by this 5 pound tiny human squished in my uterus. While I’m not ungrateful and I don’t love my unborn child any less than other women, I’m going to be honest and admit that I don’t love being pregnant. Gasp! Over the years I’ve heard many of my friends gush about their pregnancy and about how magnificent each step was and how beautiful they felt. They loved it! Perhaps you have a few friends like that? The ones who talk about how thick and shiny their hair is, the glow of their skin, how each kick they feel is the most ea...
Why one mother says induced labor isn’t a good idea
A new study recently came out linking autism to labor induction. I will not get into the weeds right now on that particular study, but it got me thinking again about labor induction, a topic that I cover at some length in “Expecting Better.” When I was 39 weeks pregnant, my doctor offered to schedule an induction at my due date. This is common now, although that wasn’t always the case. In 1990, fewer than 10 percent of births followed medical induction of labor; by 2009, this number had risen to 25 percent. This increase has occurred across the board, not just for babies who are overdue. In 1990, only 7 percent of births at 39 weeks of pregnancy were induced, but 23 percent were induced by 2009. Sometimes, labor is induced for medical reasons — the baby isn’t doing ...
Becoming Mothers: I’m Alive, Because I’m a Mom–A Teenage Mom’s Experience
What do you get when you mix a 17-year-old girl who lives with friends, has no boundaries and no desire to obey the rules that governed most people? You get Me. Everybody thought I was too young, no one said it but one could read it in their gaze when they saw my swollen belly. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I saw those two blue lines on the test, “That is the bluest blue I’ve ever seen.” I cried that night. When I awoke the next day, something in me snapped. I decided that this little baby was my only saving grace. I had a modeling shoot a few weeks later and was chosen as a finalist, before me was a decision, end my pregnancy to pursue my dream or place selfishness on the back burner and give another life a chance. The decision was an easy one. My path after that was l...
Expecting a baby? Want to conceive? Apps to help you plan
How did we ever have babies without our smartphones? I’m joking, of course. But with the array of fertility and pregnancy tracking apps available, there’s now a plethora of customized information at your fingertips showing you everything from the best days to try to conceive a baby to what your unborn child probably looks like in utero. Trying to conceive a baby? Forget about counting out days on a paper calendar. These apps will track your most fertile days for you. The most basic conception apps track a woman’s menstrual cycle. If you’re willing to pay a little something extra, there are apps that provide you with more specific information about the best time to try for that baby. The Period Tracker | Android, iOS; free Enter the start and end dates of your last p...
10 Reasons C-Sections are Awesomely Awkward
Updated: November 2021 Recently, our 10-year-old son had appendicitis and needed surgery. He spent two nights in the hospital. Our 5-year-old daughter wistfully noted how lucky he was to get to be in the hospital and have surgery. Why was he lucky? Because, she explained, now he knew what it is like to be a mama having a baby in the hospital. This made everyone laugh, especially my 10-year-old son. My three youngest children were born via c-section and our new baby will be, too. My five oldest kids were born the old-fashioned way. I grew them in pickle jars in a pantry in the basement. When they were sufficiently steeped we opened the lids, just as our mothers and their mothers did before us. If you think about c-sections from a child’s perspective, they seem unduly harsh and scary. ...
A Pregnant Mom’s Overdose
Updated January 2022. Editor’s Note: Trigger warning. This article discusses mental illness, bipolar disorder and a suicide attempt. For resources, check out Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts: A Healing Guide to the Secret Fears of New Mothers. If you’re in distress, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 1-800-273-8255. Casey of Moosh in Indy is beautiful, vibrant, has a darling daughter and an attorney-husband. After talking to her for just two minutes, I felt on top of the world. So I was surprised to learn that someone so enviable has been at the very bottom of it. Please join me in welcoming Casey. She may not be a local mama but her struggles with depression are universal. ===== I overdosed on prescription medication when I was seven months pregnant....
