Pages

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Pregnancy #2 + Healthy Happenings + Weekend Recap

Okay so the news is out... Baby McG #2 is on his or her way! This time around... the guppy gut has already begun WAY EARLY. I think I was about 16 weeks once I noticed a little tummy with Ava. Not this time! 9 weeks and I am looking bloated. I am 10 weeks now and still looking the same. 
This was at my mom's last week. I thought it was an appropriate spot for my 1st pregnant selfie with this baby since it was right where I did mine with Ava for the 1st time. :) 


Baby's 1st sonogram picture. You can barely notice the little white area in the dark area. That's the little guppy looking cute already! haha 
Mark went with me for this appointment. It was where we would have my first ultrasound and see a heartbeat. 

I had already gone 2 days prior to draw blood to confirm my pregnancy and to meet my new OBGYN. I decided to go with a new OBGYN this time since my last experience was good...but could have been better. Let's just say, Mark was very happy I decided this. I did my research and decided to go with Dr. Channing Coe over at Broward Health Medical Center (where I was born and where Mark's stepfather currently works as an anesthesiologist). Dr. Coe and his wife own the Yoga Joint studios that I love and he is a very well known and respected doctor down here. I am looking forward to having a doctor that is on my same wave length on health and letting a baby come when (((baby))) is ready to be delivered. I knew after 1 minute of speaking with him that he would be my new OBGYN. As I asked questions about certain prenatal pills, taking my JuicePlus+ capsules, Omega3s,  etc...he was smiling and knew exactly what I meant and had great suggestions. You would think all doctors would be like this but they aren't. Some, believe or not, will tell you these things do not matter and just to eat everything in moderation and stay active. Well, that's not good enough for me. Sorry to sound so demanding but I think every mama can be informed of even better things to eat and do to have an even happier and healthier pregnancy and delivery. 
I was very calm and comfortable when I was pregnant with Ava. I had energy, felt happy, was limber, slept well, rarely had issues with swelling or heartburn (a few times at the very end), and overall enjoyed every moment of my pregnancy with her. I want to try as much as I can to make that happen again. I know that all babies and pregnancies are different and you don't always know what to expect, but I also know that you do have control over a lot of your pregnancy and health in order to have the best possible outcome. I hope that I can have another healthy and happy pregnancy for our next son or daughter. 

A college friend of mine reached out to me as I wrote this post coincidentally enough on what I take during pregnancy so that when the time comes for her (which is shortly! So excited for her!) she will have some better ideas of what she may also want to take.

What I take/ do (daily): 

1. Rainbow Light Prenatal One Multivitamin A [food-based] multivitamin that also has fresh ginger juice + bioactive probiotics. You can find them in the Whole Body area of Whole Foods as well. 

2. Juice Plus+ capsules (1 vegetable capsule & 1 fruit capsule ) These are non GMO, free of pesticides, herbicides, etc. fruits and veggies that have been juiced and made into powder form (for the gelatin capsule. I love Juice Plus+ so much now that I recently became a rep so that I can buy them for our family and also be able to sell them my friends, family, and future health coaching clients who want them since they aren't sold in stores.

3. Omega3 supplement

4. A green smoothie a day (or at least I try to) - I make them with whatever I have available that day (and usually add chia seeds to them for the extra omega fatty acids, protein, and fiber.)

5. I make a conscious effort to get out in the sun on walks or playtime with Ava. Believe it or not, but a lot of us are vitamin D deficient (even those of us in Florida). We are told to just bathe in sunscreen and sit in the shade, and before you know it you aren't allowing your body to absorb the adequate amounts of vitamin D that you need. 

6. Water, water, water. All I drink is water and lots of it.  (Once in a while I have Harmless Harvest coconut water (It is the only good one in my opinion other than taking it out of a coconut yourself) or GT's Organic and Raw Kombucha. 

I do allow allow myself 1 cup of organic coffee a day still. Organic (you knew that was coming! haha) because coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed crops out there. Gross. For $5/6 a bag I can have 2 weeks worth of organic coffee and feel better that I am not sipping pesticides that are going to my baby. (PLEASE read about decaf coffee if you think that it is safer during pregnancy since it is decaf. It isn't! The process that happens to make conventional coffee into decaf is horrifying. Go organic decaf if you want decaf. It is done with a safer, water process rather than toxic chemicals. 

7. The obvious, I try and eat as healthy as I can while staying just as active as I was before pregnancy. I am human and do leave the confines of my home so I am not always a 100% perfect eater. But I do try when I can. My daily activity is normally one or a combo of: walking 1.5mi-3mi, jogging, squats/lunges around the house, yoga, and naps. Napping is not active but it is good for you. I am a big napper :)

8. I will be buying (this week) my probiotics to take daily as well. Ava has been taking them since she was 4 months old when I learned why gut health is so important for our health. I add them to her apple sauce or yogurt and she can't even taste it. I used to add it into her bottle when she was a baby. (Breastfeeding moms can put it right onto themselves for baby to consume it since its powder form.) 
The adult version comes in capsule form. This is the brand she takes and this is the one I will be buying for myself. I also buy these for my grandmother to take daily.  These are also found in the [refrigerated section] of the Whole Body section of Whole Foods. 

Hope that helps! Feel free to ask any other questions. You know I do not mind at all!  




Some smoothies from my Instagram account: 

This one (below) tastes like cake batter with the Juice Plus+ Complete vanilla shake mix. 
A sweet treat... super delicious. 


Pregnancy is the BEST motivator to eat well. I enjoy knowing that I am not just eating for myself but for a very important little someone too. 


On Friday, I took Ava to a gymnastics center for open play time. She had a blast. 
Bounce house fun
Saturday! GAME DAY! My game day selfie. Excited because I know I am about to tell Mark that I want to let our little "baby #2 secret" out tonight... 
HOORAY! Baby #2 is on the way! 

After the win, we all headed back to our place. My best friend, Ali, and her husband, Lee, slept over that night. That Sunday morning when Ava woke up, she and Ali got to play with her Little People toys. Ava could play with those little animals all day. 

After I said bye to Ali, Mark took us (and my mom) to brunch at The Floridian on Las Olas. 
After we ate,  Ava got to do her favorite... 1!2!3! SWING! as we walked back to the truck. 
We decided to drive to the other end of Las Olas (it was about 90 degrees out and I had a not-so-bright idea to wear jeans that day) or else we would have just walked the whole way. There is a tiny little farmers market by YOLO and I wanted to see what they had. 
They had $2 dragon fruit!!! (And Mark bought a ton of peaches for himself) 

As soon as we got to the farmers market, my mom noticed a lady selling natural popsicles and bought us some. I got the watermelon, mint, and lime popsicle and LOVED IT. It was so refreshing on that hot day. 
I went home and couldn't stop thinking about it. Mark went to the store to grab a couple of things that we needed for that night's little BBQ and bought me some watermelon, fresh organic mint, and limes. He is such a thoughtful guy...  I was so happy. I blended it all up and poured it into popsicle molds

Here are the measurements I found on Pinterest if anyone wants to make them. 
There really is no wrong way to make them or mess it up. Just taste as you blend. 
I am making "spa popsicles" tomorrow: Cucumber, lemon, and mint. 
I am also already thinking about a mango, cilantro, and lime popsicle... and a strawberry, basil, and lemon-"ade" popsicle.  YUM. It's a great way to use up your produce and herbs before they go bad too!
 Me & my Vitamix = Love 

Coloring session after popsicle making


Laughing at the camera flash

The next day, Mark was the first to go and see if the popsicles were ready. Haha. I love how he gets just as excited as I do about healthy foods. 
Mark approves! (He's already eaten half of them...) 

Loving my fruit snacks as usual. A friend of mine asked on my Instagram account how to eat and peel a dragon fruit. 

Personally, I all I do is slice it in half and scoop out the middle. It reminds me of a kiwi. It is soft and seedy but less tart than a kiwi. Looks crazier than it tastes. I love them. They sell them at Whole Foods if you aren't by a farmers market that has them. Try one if you haven't already! 


(Yesterday, we went to my in-law's home for a BBQ with their neighbors. I didn't take any pictures but it was a great time.)  

Last night's treat:
When I was pregnant with Ava (and before and after that) my not so healthy craving is ice cream. I am enjoying these popsicles so much that I think I won't have a problem making these my sweet treat from now on. A lot more refreshing than ice cream and not an ounce of guilt. Win win. 
You can buy the Ice Pop Maker Molds with a Sipper Straw Base here (also BPA free :) 

Well, that's all I have for now. Hope everyone has a nice week!
XO
Christina

4 comments:

  1. Congratulations on baby #2 mama!! So awesome that you choose to go super healthy! Love those smoothies!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Loved reading this. You know, I never thought about pesticides in coffee... Gross!

    ReplyDelete
  3. CONGRATS!!! Very excited for you and your family <3

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing your thoughts and feedback!
Thank you for taking time to comment.
XO