Pregnancy Posts Around the Web, Take 2

As comprehensive as I'd like this weekly series to be, I can't cover everything that involves a natural pregnancy and birth in just a few short months (although I wish I could!). 

But I delight in sharing relevant posts I'm finding around the web! A few months back I gave you "Pregnancy Posts Around the Web, Part 1." Be sure to check out that post if you haven't already!

Here are some other great posts I've recently found:

Image by sundaykofax

Kristy from Little Natural Cottage recently had a great guest post from Bambi of Nursery of the Nation on the Benefits of Red Raspberry in Pregnancy. 

I read this post while on my babymoon (look for a post on that soon!) this past weekend, and I was so inspired that I immediately brewed myself a cup of the tea (which I had packed for our trip)--steeped with two tea bags!

Image by richard_north

Bambi also had a wonderful post on her own blog about how to prevent group b strep. Her remedy includes a regimen of herbs, vitamins, probiotics and garlic during the final weeks of pregnancy (actually beginning at week 34...which I'm almost at...yikes!). 

This post was of special interest to me since I've tested positive for GBS all three pregnancies. In fact, my midwife's office tested me my very first pre-natal visit this time (I guess because of my history?), and they will not re-test me at 36 weeks. 

I've already been told that I will have to receive antibiotics in labor. :( This doesn't deter me, however, from hopefully trying out this regimen. I figure it can't hurt and can only help!

Image by vinodvv aka vcube

Frugal Granola contributor Beth of Red and Honey recently wrote about the benefits of placenta medicine. In short, some research shows that consuming your own placenta may have health benefits--including postpartum depression prevention. 

I recently wrote an article about a placenta encapsulationist local to my area, and I've been researching and sorting through my own thoughts about placenta encapsulation this pregnancy. I'll have a post on this soon--and Beth may even pop in for a guest post (although it may be a little while...she welcomed baby #3 this weekend!). 

Image by goblinbox (queen of ad hoc bento)

Stephanie from Keeper of the Home recently posted on Simple Mom about taming the mom wardrobe. 

I've struggled with the amount of clothes I have over the past few years--especially after spending much of my teens and twenties traveling to and ministering in countries where women had very little!

I found this post encouraging because Stephanie gives practical tips of what clothes to keep and which ones to trash (or, rather, donate) when you're in the often-awkward, in-between sizes childbearing years. 

What are some recent pregnancy posts you've enjoyed around the web?

Check out the other posts in this series: 

• 5 Simple Tips for Combating Morning Sickness
• Reflections on my First Pregnancy
• 10 Reasons We Opted to Give Birth at a Birth Center
• Easing Leg Pain During Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Posts Around the Web
• A Tale of Two Births: Medicated vs. Natural Hospital Births, part 2
• A Tale of Two Births: Medicated vs. Natural Hospital Births, part 1
• How to Achieve a Natural Birth in a Hospital Setting
• Real Food Pregnancy Cheats/Shortcuts
• OB or Midwife: Finding the Birth Provider Who Works for You
• A Comparison of Birth Settings: Home, Hospital and Birth Center
• Resources for a Natural Pregnancy
• 10 Things Never to Say to Pregnant Women 
• What Every Pregnant Woman Wants to Hear

• Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Much More than Severe Morning Sickness

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Reflections on my First Pregnancy {A Natural Phenomenon}

It's the LAST week for the Keeper of the Home eBook sale!  Keeper of the Home's eBooks are all on sale for 25% off! Use code: Challenge25. OR, get all three of her books in a bundle for 50% off using code: BUNDLE50!

Yesterday, my family celebrated our sweet little firstborn's 4th birthday! I can hardly believe she is already 4. I admit I was a bit teary-eyed watching her sleeping peacefully in her big girl bed the night before...thinking of how tiny she was in those early days of sleeping in her bassinet as a newborn. 

I wasn't blogging back then, but I did uncover some reflections I had written on my first pregnancy--just 9 days before she was born!

The following is a snippet of those reflections...from a first-time pregnant me: 

19 weeks...right before finding out baby's gender!

  

Any time now I will go into labor, deliver a baby, and become a mother. When I look back to that life-altering day in October when I took my first (of seven--all positive) pregnancy tests, I can hardly believe the time has almost come.

As surprise (though planned, it happened FAST) turned to excitement and excitement gave way to fatigue, that first trimester seemed to drag on forever. I guess I would work in a daze because I can't really remember how I made it through each day. I would come home, sink into the couch until Will got home, get up and make something for supper (I can't even remember what--we probably didn't eat much those first few weeks), and then go right back to sleep--only to wake up the next morning feeling exhausted.

 Second trimester brought renewed energy, and at first, when I still wasn't showing, I almost felt "normal" again, except for the occasional and delightful little flutters that my baby used to remind me she was there. 

Those kicks and punches and somersaults became stronger and stronger, and in week 19 we found out Baby Odom was a GIRL! That day in itself brought a flood of emotions, as we watched God's little creation growing inside me--moving all around, breathing, heart beating....But I was afraid Will would be upset. 

I thought he wanted a boy, and I had been building up that I thought the baby was a boy. So, despite Will's reassurance that he was thrilled to be having a little girl, I cried all the way home. Not that I didn't want a girl--I really, really did--but I think all of the emotions that came with the realization that we were really going to be parents and there was no turning back hit home at once. 

Friend/Family Baby Shower

And I cried. After I dropped Will back at work, I turned on K-Love and the first song on the radio was "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. It was a new song, and it was the first time I had heard it. The whole song is from the perspective of a father to his little princess daughter, and I felt God's reassurance that Will would love having a little girl.

The last trimester has had its ups and downs. There was the dizziness and black-out spells and shortness of breath that had my doctor send me to see the cardiologist--all for her to tell me that my blood pressure was probably dropping when I stood up and that I needed to drink gatoraid. We stopped by Kroger on the way home and stocked up. 

Me and my mom

Needless to say, my wedding ban got almost too tight to take off about a week later (extra sodium will do that!), so we had to make a trip to Kohl's to get a nice 3-stone CZ for $7.99. Along with the trip to the cardiologist, there's been the steady weight gain (no doubting my state of being with child) and anemia (325 extra mg iron/day!) and two diabetes tests (I passed the second one!) and a rhogam shot (since I'm O-) and endless phone calls to the insurance company (gotta make sure I get those benefits!) and a hernia (it ended up NOT being a hernia!) and carpal tunnel (I get to wear these "cool" little hand/wrist braces at night!). 

Really, compared to a LOT of people, I've had a very good and low-maintenance pregnancy. I think that maybe God allows all these strange things to happen to our bodies toward the end, so the desire for the baby to come will outweigh all the nervousness that accompanies the impending labor and delivery. 

Babymoon in Atlanta

In April, we took our final pre-baby vacation--our "babymoon" is what I called it. We got a really good deal on the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Atlanta, and the view from our room was excellent. It was a whirlwind, long-weekend trip, where we visited Zoo Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium, the Varsity, World of Coca-Cola, and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. We enjoyed the time together, though I was a little sentimental about it being our last vacation before becoming parents.

The end of April my mom and sister flew out for a whirlwind shower weekend! Will's family as well a few friends gave us the baby's first shower on Saturday, April 26, and our church gave us a shower on Sunday, April 27. We were overwhelmed with the generosity of the many wonderful family and friends that God has given us here in Mississippi. On Monday, May 5, some sweet co-workers and friends from Hope Sullivan Elementary gave us a shower there as well. The Lord has truly blessed us with providing for our baby girl! (And those blessings have been multiplied by three, as we will soon welcome a third baby girl who will wear these same sweet clothes!)
 

I was relieved when school got out on May 23. It has been getting harder and harder to get around with such a big belly!

Last pic before delivery...a few days before!

Though I thought I would just relax after school got out, I can't seem to sit still for long as I wait for our little girl's arrival. I keep going back and forth from wanting her to be here and wanting just a little more time before she comes. 

I've cooked and frozen a few meals for us to eat after she comes, but I still have a few more I want to do. I've washed clothes for her to wear the first week she's home, and I've read up on getting her on a feeding/sleep schedule. I had lunch the other day with a lactation consultant friend to discuss breastfeeding. I've been trying to keep on top of laundry and keep the house clutter-free. I've read and watched a video on giving birth, but I still feel clueless. 

The bags are packed, and the car seat is installed. We aren't setting up a nursery since we are trying to sell the house, but the guest room closet and dresser are full of baby girl clothes, blankets, burp cloths, toys, diapers, wipes, etc. and the baby's pack 'n play. 

Everything seems ready, but am I? Is Will? We will see in a few days or a few weeks--or even a few hours. Now we just have to wait....

I was overjoyed to be a first-time mommy!

5 Simple Tips for Combating Morning Sickness {A Natural Phenomenon}

Guess what?! Keeper of the Home's eBooks are all on sale for 25% off! Use code: Challenge25. OR, get all three of her books in a bundle for 50% off using code: BUNDLE50!

Have you entered this week's giveaway yet? Click HERE for your chance to win one of 3 herbal supplements from Trilight Health!

Image by evilerin

I have to admit that I feel a little inadequate writing this post on combating morning sickness. Out of my 3 pregnancies, I've only battled morning sickness one time--in my current pregnancy. (Don't hate me!) 

One misconception about morning sickness is that it is only in the morning--and that it ends like clockwork as soon as you begin the second trimester. Every woman is different. My "morning" sickness actually lasted until about 16 or 17 weeks (although it did weaken in the 2nd trimester) and would start in the afternoon and go into the night. 

Not all women with morning sickness even throw up. I never did (again, don't hate me...I have had TWO stomach viruses during this pregnancy!). Anything from a queasy stomach to severe vomiting can be classified as morning sickness. 

Image by futurestreet

The following 5 simple tips are very basic. These are mainly what worked for me. They may or may not work for you. If nothing at all works and your morning sickness does not seem to let up at all as your pregnancy progresses (and you are vehemently vomiting several times per day), you may want to talk to your doctor/midwife about Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

Image by little blue hen

Without further ado, here are my 5 very humble, very simple tips for combating morning sickness:

1. Eat upon waking and eat small meals throughout the day (if you are able). My friend Stacy went through a period where all she could consume was Sprite! I actually stayed quite hungry during my morning sickness, but I could only eat so much at a time without feeling queasy. A lot of people like to stick to very bland crackers, rice, bananas, etc. 

2. Avoid your food aversions at all costs. I will tout the benefits of consuming broths all day long, but I simply cannot make or really even consume them this pregnancy. I finally gave up cooking whole chickens and making broth/stock around 17 weeks--after throwing out an entire chicken and gagging every time I had to enter the kitchen. Remember this is only a season, and you will be able to consume your favorite foods again!

Image by imallergic

3. Drink a ginger tea. Now, I'm sure the best ginger tea is one with freshly-grated ginger that you make yourself, but I know that even the most basic cooking tasks can sometimes be difficult during those first few months of pregnancy! I drank the Yogi brand ginger tea, and I recently discovered Earth Mama, Angel Baby's Morning Wellness Tea. You can get both of these at Vitacost* or iherb*. You can also order the Earth Mama, Angel Baby tea directly from their website. 

4. Suck on ginger candies. This was honestly not my most favorite remedy. I much preferred the tea--but it could have been just the type of candy I had. I purchased an unknown brand from the bulk foods section of my local healthfood store. I also found several different brands on both the Vitacost and iherb websites. It might be worth a try if you cannot find them locally!

5. Change your vitamins. Some real foodies don't worry about taking prenatal vitamins. They figure that as long as they are eating well, their diets will give them plenty of what they need. I agree...BUT, the problem is that many of us with morning sickness simply do not eat well. So, I still take a vitamin. 

However, about halfway through my bout with morning sickness, I realized that my prenatal vitamins were making me feel even more nauseated. I frequently took them in the late afternoon or evening, and that is when I felt the worst! When I ran out of my vitamins and took my daughter's vitamins in the meantime, I started feeling better! When I re-stocked, my morning sickness came back! I spoke to my midwife, and she said I could double up on the children's vitamins. I did this and felt much better--although I had to take one vitamin in the morning and one at night. If I took my full dose at one time, I still felt just as ill. 

I am now taking the Vitacost brand Omega 3 with Folic Acid as well as 4 capsules of the Vitacost brand 42 Fruits and Veggies supplement.


Honorable Mentions:

• Trilight Health's Morning Soothe liquid herbal formula. Since I did not start using any of Trilight's formulas until after I was over morning sickness, I cannot vouch for this particular formula, but I do use and love some of their other pregnancy formulas. I would definitely give this one a try if the morning sickness were to return!
• Ginger Wonder Syrup, New Chapter Daily Ginger Extract. Again, I have not personally used these formulas, but I found them on iherb.com. If nothing else works, I would definitely give these a try!

What are your tips for combating morning sickness?

*I have mentioned both Vitacost and iherb several times in this post. I am not an affiliate of these companies, but I do have a referral code that, if used, will give both of us coupons. Vitacost's first-time customer coupon is worth $10, and iherb's is worth $5. If you are interested in any of the products I mentioned, I would personally just price compare at both companies--and go with where you can get the best deal! You can get your $10 off Vitacost coupon here, and you can get $5 off your first iherb order by using code: OZU663.

Want to check out another great post on morning sickness? Lauren from Serving from Home is running a 5-day healthy pregnancy series right now! Check out her post from Monday on The Morning Sickness Phenomenon!

Check out the other posts in this series: 

• 10 Reasons We Opted to Give Birth at a Birth Center
• Easing Leg Pain During Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Posts Around the Web
• A Tale of Two Births: Medicated vs. Natural Hospital Births, part 2
• A Tale of Two Births: Medicated vs. Natural Hospital Births, part 1
• How to Achieve a Natural Birth in a Hospital Setting
• Real Food Pregnancy Cheats/Shortcuts
• OB or Midwife: Finding the Birth Provider Who Works for You
• A Comparison of Birth Settings: Home, Hospital and Birth Center
• Resources for a Natural Pregnancy
• 10 Things Never to Say to Pregnant Women

• Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Much More than Severe Morning Sickness 

     

  *Disclaimer: Please consult your trusted healthcare provider before taking any products. 
  *Disclosure: I have included an affiliate link to Earth Mama, Angel Baby in this post. Thank you for your support!

  

  
   

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10 Things NEVER to Say to Pregnant Women {A Natural Phenomenon}

Image by futurestreet

Two weeks ago I entered my third trimester of pregnancy. I can hardly believe I will meet this precious baby in 10 weeks or less! I love this stage in pregnancy. I’m still holding onto some second-trimester energy, and not only can I feel this baby girl moving like crazy, but I can also see her twist her little body all across my belly.

As much as I don’t want to rush this pregnancy, I’m glad I can finally say I’m in my third trimester--we’re in the home stretch. I showed so early this pregnancy (really, even before I took the pregnancy test!) that people have been asking me for weeks if I am about to have this baby any day. 

This is my best friend/college roomie Brantley & I--about 8 weeks before she had her first and I had my second babies!

I know people mean well, but after surveying some of my readers on Facebook and talking to other mommy friends, there are some things we wish people would never say to pregnant women. Here’s a list of my top 10:

1. “Are you sure you’re not having twins? You look too big for that to just be one baby!”
2. “Are you sure they have your due date right? I don’t think you’re going to make it until August.”
3. “You’re going to have your hands full!” (As they look on at my 3 and 1 year old.)
4. “You had a natural birth last time? Was that planned? And you seriously want to do it again? Come on--just ask for the epidural! You don’t have to be superwoman!”
5. “You look like you are due any day now! Do you really have three more months?!”

Image by Crystal_1979

6. “I bet you were really hoping for a boy this time. That’s too bad you’re having another girl. Will you try for a fourth, so you can get your boy?” (Who said we wanted sons? We are thrilled to be having a 3rd girl!)
7. “I was all belly when I was pregnant. I only gained 15 pounds.” (I have definitely gained more than that!)
8. “Wow, you look like you’re going to pop!” (This is worse, says my friend, when it comes from a heavy man with a pop belly--who thumps your belly when he says it!)
9. “You don’t look pregnant. Are you sure you are?” (This can be a compliment to a women of multiple children who has gained a lot of weight, but it can be disappointing to the first-time mom who is already nervous and desperately wants to look pregnant!) 

10. And on a serious note: “My friend lost her baby in the third trimester, but I’m sure you’ll be just fine.”  

(Please, don’t bring up pregnancy loss to a pregnant woman!)

I’ve had friends who have responded to some of these comments with rude comments of their own, but I usually smile and nod and then ask my husband: “Do I look fat?” And he says, “No! You look pregnant!”

But as my friend Christy of The Simple Homemaker pointed out, “We should not be too easily offended in life or in pregnancy when people speak to us. It is always easy to find offense if we are looking. Some people are just genuinely, lovingly interested, and others are really trying to be helpful....they really are trying to help, and we should offer them as much grace as we would like for ourselves. That said, I've heard many of these comments, and try to reply with respectful humor or a positive comment. Six girls and one boy--you can imagine what we've heard!”

What are some things you've heard while pregnant? Or, what are some things you wish people would never say to pregnant women?

*This post first appeared as one of my columns in the Mooresville Weekly newspaper. 

Check out the other posts in this series: 

• 10 Reasons We Opted to Give Birth at a Birth Center
• Easing Leg Pain During Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Posts Around the Web
• A Tale of Two Births: Medicated vs. Natural Hospital Births, part 2
• A Tale of Two Births: Medicated vs. Natural Hospital Births, part 1
• How to Achieve a Natural Birth in a Hospital Setting
• Real Food Pregnancy Cheats/Shortcuts
• OB or Midwife: Finding the Birth Provider Who Works for You
• A Comparison of Birth Settings: Home, Hospital and Birth Center
• Resources for a Natural Pregnancy

• Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Much More than Severe Morning Sickness   

   

I am currently using several of Trilight Health's pregnancy formulas--including their Circulatone for varicose vein support and Tri-Iron. In a few weeks I'll start taking their Labor Prep formula (under the guidance of my midwife)! Be on the lookout for a post and great giveaway from Trilight soon!

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Easing Leg Pain During Pregnancy {A Natural Phenomenon}

Last day to enter the Earth Mama, Angel Baby Pregnancy Bundle Giveaway! Guess what?! Keeper of the Home's eBooks are all on sale for 25% off! Use code: Challenge25. OR, get all three of her books in a bundle for 50% off using code: BUNDLE50!

Image by olga.palma

If you're pregnant and wake up at night with tingling, achy or cramping legs, you're not alone. 


In fact, there are many different ailments that can plague your legs during pregnancy:


Sciatic Pain
Restless Leg Syndrome
Leg Cramps
Varicose Veins
Charley Horses

Image by tommo4074

I've personally experienced restless leg syndrome (during my second pregnancy), charley horses (during my first pregnancy) and both varicose veins and leg cramps during my second and current pregnancies. 


I will write a separate post on some preventative and relief measures for varicose veins, but here are some things that have helped relieve my leg cramps (which mostly occur at night):

• Sleeping on my left side, with my legs cradling a body pillow. (You can find speciality pregnancy pillows online, but a regular body pillow works just fine for me.)
• Staying off my feet as much as possible (This also helps with varicose veins.)
• Maintaining good calcium intake. If I do not feel like I am getting enough calcium through my diet, I make sure to drink a liquid calcium-magnesium supplement. I personally use the Natural Calm brand, and I get mine on Vitacost (if you order anything from Vitacost through this link, you'll get a $10 off coupon!). 
• I am not absolutely sure this is what has done it, but I've recently been taking Trilight Health's iron supplement. My leg pain has almost disappeared since I started taking this! 

Have you ever experienced leg pain during pregnancy? What helped alleviate your pain?

*I am in no way a health professional or expert. This post is my personal experience and opinions only. Please do your own research and consult your trusted health professional if you are experiencing leg pain during pregnancy. 
**I have included affiliate links in this post. 

Check out the other posts in this series: 

• 10 Reasons We Opted to Give Birth at a Birth Center
• Pregnancy Posts Around the Web
• A Tale of Two Births: Medicated vs. Natural Hospital Births, part 2
• A Tale of Two Births: Medicated vs. Natural Hospital Births, part 1
• How to Achieve a Natural Birth in a Hospital Setting
• Real Food Pregnancy Cheats/Shortcuts
• OB or Midwife: Finding the Birth Provider Who Works for You
• A Comparison of Birth Settings: Home, Hospital and Birth Center
• Resources for a Natural Pregnancy

• Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Much More than Severe Morning Sickness

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