Thursday
First of all, thanks to every body for their kind responses. We're really thrilled to be sharing the news, although one horrifying drawback was learning what my step-mother wants the grandkids to call her. Let me just state for the record that I am not big on the made-up grandparent nonesense names (I'm sure you're shocked). Also, my brain somehow managed not to explode from the stress of sorting two Grandmas in my youth. And if Joyce thinks I'm really going to point to pictures of her and tell the kid, "That's your jommy," let's just say that... she's mistaken.
So anyway, giving up alcohol? Not hard. Giving up coffee? Suprisingly? Not that hard. Giving up Diet Coke? Oh, sweet sweet Diet Coke, how I miss you. See the thing is, for the pregnant gal, you kind of have to drink nothing but water most of the time. Because everything else has caffiene, sugar, altificial sweetners, or some combination thereof. And it wasn't like I even had a soda every day. I'd go days at a time without soda, but now that I cannot have Diet Coke, I can only have its bastard cousin of the decaf variety and infrequently to avoid too much aspartame, I miss Diet Coke with rampaging desperation.
Overall, the weirdest thing about pregnancy has to be how oddly reassuring all the discomfort is. The baby is still tiny (about 2.5 inches long) and it's too early to feel movement. So especially in the early weeks, the constant queasy has actual been a reminder that there is a baby in there. It's thoughts like that which are keeping me from going completely insane these days.
My list of TV shows gets smaller and smaller. Invasion is failing to move me, The OC has been a yawn, and I've had enough of Martha's Apprentice. Gilmore Girls is improving at last. Nip/Tuck was so freaking creepy this week that I had to mute it for awhile, but boy does that show have some good writing and acting for such a crazy soap opera. Tonight I will be watching Smallville and taping Alias, just in case the latter improves.
13 Comments:
OK so for you no caffeine and no aspartame, or limited anyway. Everytime pregnant lady I talk to says something a little different. What has your doctor said on the subject and what else have you heard?
My doctor wanted me to give up caffiene before we even started trying, so vehemently is she anti-caffiene. From what I've read, 'some' caffiene is generally considered to be okay, like one cup of coffe's worth a day. But my doctor insisted on none, so I'm complying.
The fact is that there's no proven link between aspartame and problems, but everyone's so vague about it. Most of what I've read says to limit to one or two serving per day. Hence the occasional decaf diet soda.
So yes, if one day I am just overcome and must have the nectar that is Diet Coke, I'm pretty sure it won't cause long term damage to Baby. I'm just trying very hard to be good and not get into bad habits.
I had to give up caffiene once before for health reasons... during my senior year in college... while writing a thesis, applying for grad school and jobs, and planning a wedding. This time, compartively, giving up caffiene was cake.
I do miss it sometimes. I drink decaf coffee sometimes because I miss coffee so much. But decaf coffee has to be heavily flavored, because otherwise it sucks.
Yeah, so far I have heard: no lunch meat, no soft cheese, no fish (or only some kinds), no hot tubs, no alcohol, no caffeine, no aspartame (you say no artifical sweeteners, so I assume that means no splenda as well)...yeah, like you said in your post--that's almost everything.
Lunch meat? That's a new one on me. In fact, I've been encouraged to eat small turkey sandwiches as a good snack between meals. Also on fish, as long as it's cooked and eaten in small quantities is okay. It's pretty much the same guidelines as mercury cautions for fertile women whether you're pregnant or not.
With cheese, it has to be pastuerized. I've read some stuff that says Splenda is better than aspartame. But Splenda's only been on the market for like five years whereas aspartame has been around a while with no proven side effects, so I'm avoiding Splenda and only occasionally having anything with aspartame.
Anything that raises your body temperature is bad, hence the hot tub rule. That's also why I couldn't do a nice herbal wrap at Luxor this time. No steaming, no saunas.
Yeah, I've heard the litter box thing too. When your time comes, check out all the free info on parents.com. And save your money on What to Expect When You're Expecting. I bought it, and I am so sick of the preachy tone and there's not much (if anything) I can't get free from parents.com. If I have to read one more time about how I should eat a carrot instead of a Milky Way, I am burning the damn book. I am pregnant, not retarded.
By the way, about Nip/Tuck, I liked how they made the Faker's slashing gave her face a look like some sort of scary psycho killer clown grin. Nice touch.
From what I know, the cat litter thing is due to the risk of getting toxoplasmosis. Of course if you have been changing litter for a while you have likely already gotten it and are OK. But as with most things of this nature, better to play it safe. Who knows what else will be on the can't eat or do list when our babies are having babies.
First of all We are so Happy for the two of you!!!! We could not be more excited. As for the can/ cannot do stuff (at least from what I remeber from med school ob/gyn rotation)
Mercury is bad, so only one serving of tuna/ swordfish or otherwise "bloody, meaty" fish a week.
Kitty litter does give you toxo, which is worse for the baby the further along in your pregnancy you are. It is most common in ferral (ferrel?) kittens, so the litter box thing applies only to kittens from the pound. But to be on the safe side I would still use gloves to change the cat box and maybe a mask if the cats, like mine, insist on only the really gritty, dusty litter to poop in.
Cold cuts and unpasturized cheese can both carrry Listeria which causes preterm labor and miscarraiges. However turkey and what not tend to be pretty safe, I just wouldn't make my own sausage and eat it. I probably wouldn't make my own sausage anyway, but another story for another time. The whole caffeine/ water / sweetener thing is that preterm labor can also be induced by dehydration, so you limit the stuff that dries you out (caffeine, sweeteners) and increase the stuff that hydrates you. This is also the same reasoning behind the no hot showers, etc. However, not to sound like a Splenda plug, but it IS sugar, just in a form that your body cannot ingest, so it is invisible to your gut. I would consider it very safe for you. Of course you can now have for real sugary soda.
Of course I have also seen a baby withdraw from caffiene (Mountain Dew was its momma's craving food).
Otherwise it is okay to take any of the over the counter stomach medications (except for pepto, which has aspirin). You can only have tylenol for pain, and if you have a nasty crack habit, you should probably give it up before you try and concieve. I saw LOTS of crack babies in med school, it was not pretty, to say the least.
By the way, don't give your baby the Hep B shot in the nursery. If you wait until its two month well child check it can get Pediarix which is three vaccines in one. Yes, all babies need vaccines and they DO NOT cause autism, sorry my pediatrician side is coming out.
Congratulations again.
Heather, thanks for your doctorly input. It is much appreciated.
Yeah, no worries about us not vaccinating. I kinda think Child Welfare should be all over your ass if you won't get your kid vaccinated.
I'd heard that reasoning on Splenda before, but never from a medical type. That's good to hear. I know Diet Coke has versions with Splenda now; don't know if the decaf is available that way.
As far as dehydration, I am thirsty all the damn time, and I'm just in month three. I can't imagine the quantity of water I'll be glugging down in a few months.
Good info from Heather. I'll have to think about that getting off the crack thing. But, as a side note, at least I won't worry about the cat box, since Taylor always takes care of that. I have only done it once since we got married, since he had to be out of town for a while. And I wore gloves. ;-)
this thread is why i like blogs.
did anybody else notice that chad's already thinking about his grandkids?
As if Chad wasn't already obsessed enough already with his own future children. ;-)
I agree Richard, this thread is one of the reasons I like blogs as well.
And yes I snuck in a little reference to Charles's and Grace's future children. What of it? :)
What's really funny when you think about it is how hearing that Claudia is pregnant has made Melissa and I think more seriously about having children. Behold the power of blogs.
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