Monday, February 20, 2012

My Pregnancy (Healthy Living) Routine

I figured that I would go over some things that I love to help me stay healthy throughout this pregnancy. The first 18 weeks were extremely hard for me because of the nausea, throwing up and major food aversions. I worried about what I was eating, because I couldn't stomach any type of meat and looking at the leafy green vegetables that I needed to eat for calcium (since I cannot have dairy), made me want to run out of the house. After a while, I wasn't just feeling sick because of the nausea, I was feeling really run down because I wasn't getting enough protein, iron and calcium (amongst other things).

Luckily my meat eating abilities returned before my iron levels dropped too much, but the lack of calcium still made me nervous. I've taken a supplement since the beginning, but I still believe that food should be your number one source for your vitamins. Enter my husband, the maker of my amazing green smoothie (he still makes these for me even though I can look at veggies again...love him for that).



While I couldn't look at cooked vegetables without feeling sick, for some reason I could handle them in blended form (maybe because the berries over-rided the vegetable taste?). Here is what you can usually find in my smoothie: 

- 2 handfuls of kale (steamed) 
- 2 handfuls of spinach (steamed) 
- frozen blueberries & raspberries 
- an apple 
- almond milk or water and some ice 

I found steaming the vegetables to be key, as your digestive system is already running slower when you are pregnant and this helps alleviate the chance of stomach cramps/ bloating/ indigestion. No reason to add any more discomfort to yourself. Also, a green smoothie a day helps keep the constipation away (yeah I went there).  

I usually get 2 large shakes out of this, which means I only have to make them every other day. Sweet!

This is the calcium supplement I take in case you were wondering: 




For my prenatal vitamin, I went with the Rainbow Light Prenatal One. I love these because they don't make me nauseous (they have a ton of really good reviews in this respect), you only have to take one a day, and they are gluten and dairy free (score!). They are also free of yeast, eggs, so, nuts, fish and shellfish if you were wondering. Love, love, love these. 



I also take Vitamin D3 supplements (since I live in the northeast and it is winter and I'm a pale, pale person), along with Super Omega-3 EPA/DHA supplements. I use Carlson Vitamin D3, because it is a quality product, and LifeExtension Super Omega-3 EPA/DHA with sesame lignans & olive fruit extract. I love this product because it does not smell or taste fishy at all. I've taken other fish oil supplements, which ultimately went to waste, because could not handle the fishy aftertaste. This one is pure awesomeness. 






Then there is my beloved water bottle. Everyone knows you have to drink lots and lots of water especially when pregnant, but I was finding it tricky keeping track of just how much I was drinking since I have a job where I am on my feet or driving most of the day. So I went in search of a water bottle that met the following criteria:

- Had measurements on the bottle 
- Was BPA Free
- Was thin enough to fit in a cup holder 
(You can get so much water drinking done while stuck in your car! Why are so many water bottles ridiculously wide?!?) 
- Had a straw
( I am clumsy enough... I don't need to spill water all over myself. Also straw = easier to drink in the car)

Enter the winner: 



This sucker goes everywhere with me.  

With regards to exercise, I've mostly been sticking with walking every day, since prenatal yoga actually made my weird hip pain worse. I did just buy a prenatal bellydancing dvd in the off chance that it helps relieve some of the pain. I haven't tried it out yet, but will make sure to review once I do. 

So, that about sums up my healthy pregnancy regimen. Let me know if you have any question! 

**I was not paid to review any of these products. These are just what I found to help after a lot of research. 

4 comments:

Belle on Heels said...

Totally not saying this to be bitchy, it just cracked me up: under the prenatal vitamins, it says "fairy free". Good to know :)

Katie & Ryan said...

hahahaha I will change that :) This is what happens when you write on 2 hours of sleep

Ally said...

I LOVE green smoothies! I didn't know about steaming. That might be a good idea. I drink one every day and when I am away from my blender, I MISS IT!!! Hope you are feeling well. :)

Chelsea said...

Healthy pregnancy means a healthy baby! Way to go, Katie! \m/ Looking at that smoothie, it sure looks tasty! It actually reminds me of an avocado shake. Aww. You’re truly blessed to have a lovely, healthy family! Good luck with everything! ;)

- Chelsea Leis