When you see a pregnant woman in a TV show or movie, they always seem to have the same symptoms, don’t they? We see them throw up, feel exhausted, act crabby, and complain about swollen feet. It all seems pretty standard. The first thing that surprised me about my first pregnancy was that I never threw up! (well, until I was in labor anyway.) After that came a whole slew of weird symptoms that I figured out were caused by being pregnant. I learned that every woman handles pregnancy differently. Even more than that, every pregnancy is different. My second pregnancy was very different than my first even though they were just a couple of years apart. There is such a huge range of things that could happen because of being pregnant – some more surprising than others. Read on for 10 weird pregnancy symptoms no one tells you about.
Category Archives: Managing Health & Fitness
10 Cheap Healthy Grocery Staples – Eat Well on a Budget!
There seems to be a stigma around eating healthy that causes people to think that healthy foods are expensive. Maybe part of that comes down to an ever-growing health and fitness industry. There seem to be new “health foods” on the market each day. These snacks tend to be packaged, processed, and come with a high price tag. The truth is that eating well just comes down to making good choices. Eating foods in their natural form, without added preservatives and other modifications is the best way to “eat clean.” It doesn’t have to be hard and it doesn’t need to be expensive. Check out this list of 10 cheap healthy grocery staples for some ideas of how you can eat well on a budget.
Wildscape Frozen Meals Review
When it comes to being a working, breastfeeding mom, there are days where it feels like the hardest part of everything is keeping everyone fed! The need for convenient, healthy, nutrient-dense meals is at an all time high. That’s why I was excited to partner up with Moms Meet to try Wildscape. They make frozen meals that they call a “fresh take on frozen food.” Frozen entrees are a great grab-and-go meal for lunch, but many of them are packed with sodium and preservatives. Is Wildscape wildly different? Check out this review to see my thoughts.
Maternity Leave Goals – The Second Time Around
Hey there! If you’ve noticed that it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, that is because I am currently on maternity leave. Our daughter is now 8 weeks old, and I have been taking that time to get to know her and enjoy being home with her and my son. Okay, if I’m honest, I’ve also been kept plenty busy and a little overwhelmed trying to juggle the two kiddos! I wrote this post as I was preparing for our little girl’s arrival. I wrote it with two intentions – to have goals down on paper for myself and to share with other moms who need some help setting goals for their own maternity leave. With my first son, I did not do anything like this. Those first blurry 11 weeks flew by and left me feeling like I had wasted them on the couch. Keep reading for the goals that I set for maternity leave.
Maternity Active Wear from Pink Blush
When you are pregnant, finding the energy and motivation to workout can be a challenge to say the least! It doesn’t help that as your belly grows, it gets harder and harder to find comfortable clothes that fit. Maternity active wear seems to be the hardest to come by. Yes, you can just wear regular clothes or a big t-shirt, but that can be cumbersome for some types of exercise. Not to mention, for many pregnant women, it can be a challenge to keep your self-esteem up at the gym to begin with. Having comfortable and functional maternity active wear can really help you to feel better about getting to the gym. Check out the maternity active wear selection from Pink Blush for some great options meant just for your pregnant body.
Acidil Review
As an acid reflux sufferer, I have figured out that managing my diet is key in managing my digestive health. It turns out that the best way to combat my acid flair ups and digestive issues lies in eating the right plant-based foods regularly. I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to keep my digestive system healthy. Of course, most adults have occasional discomfort. When stress or a run of less than ideal meals causes your stomach to turn on you, Acidil can offer plant-based relief. I recently had the pleasure of teaming up with Moms Meet and Boion to check out Acidil and let you know my experience.
8 Moves to Work Your Abs During Pregnancy
Having a happy, healthy pregnancy is every expecting mama’s number one goal, right? Well, I would hope so at least. Many of us are focused on staying in shape through pregnancy with the end goal of getting back into shape quickly after baby is born. The truth is that keeping up your health and fitness during pregnancy will help your pregnancy itself to go more smoothly! Keeping your core strengthened and engaged will prevent (or at least help) back pain, lessen the pregnancy waddle, improve your balance, and help when the time comes to deliver baby. The trouble is that your abs are now shaped differently and need to be worked in different ways. Everyone’s comfort level and exercise style is different, but here are a few suggestions. Keep reading for 8 moves to work your abs during pregnancy.
25 Super Easy Almond Butter Snack Ideas
Have you jumped on the big nut butter bandwagon yet? As many people seem to be stumbling across the benefits of a plant-based diet, it seems like nut butters are becoming more and more popular. I know that I am definitely a fan of pretty much any variety – peanut butter, hazelnut spread, and definitely almond butter. The one challenge that I have with nut butters is finding a variety of ways to use them. I tend to stick with fruit, waffles, or smoothies as my three go-to nut butter carriers. I scoured my brain and the internet to find these ## no-fuss ways to use almond butter for your snacking pleasure. See below for some great almond butter snack ideas.
Using Essential Oils During Pregnancy (Guest Post!)
There are so many great benefits to using essential oils. Research is getting more and more accessible, and the use of oils is becoming more common – including among pregnant women. During pregnancy, many women are more cautious than normal about what we put into our bodies. Essential oils can be a great alternative to chemicals and medicines that should be avoided while pregnant. As with anything else, it is important that you do your research before introducing new things to your body. With proper research and caution, it is possible to safely use essential oils to help relieve some of the most common pregnancy symptoms. Keep reading for some great advice from Ruth – a mom of 4, RN, and wellness advocate with doTerra – about how to safely use essential oils during pregnancy.
Back to Basics Cooking with Malaysian Palm Oil
When I was a kid, diet foods and lower-calorie butter substitutes were all the rage. Everything was low-fat, processed, and supposedly better for you. Think back to the dreamy-man-filled “I can’t believe it’s not butter” commercials! Well, research has recently put those ideas all to bed. It turns out that eating foods in their natural state is the way to go. We are going back in time to nutrition as it was before processed food became the norm. Fat is not the enemy. When it comes to fat, there are healthy and unhealthy fats. The best kinds of fat are the fats found in plants – avocados, nuts, and natural plant oils. Malaysian palm oil is a great source of natural, healthy fats. Check out this post to see how Malaysian palm oils fits into a back to basics style of cooking.