What's On The Menu?

So....shall we follow up on my previous post about Nutrition and Pregnancy?

Let me begin by saying that at the beginning of this pregnancy, it was a little overwhelming to think about how much responsibility I had in growing these little people!  Nutrition is a big part of ANY healthy pregnancy and well, let's face it...when you're carrying someone else's children, that responsibility can feel even greater!

That being said, I am relieved to report that at this point, as we approach 15 weeks of pregnancy, good nutrition has become 2nd nature and no longer feels quite so overwhelming.

I have continued to stick with the 2500 calorie a day plan.  The Dr. was pleased with that number, as well as my long term goal to stick to a 35-45 pound weight gain.  I am still shooting for the 24 pounds by 24 weeks number as well. I gained 8 pounds in my first trimester...a little above the 4-6 pound goal, but the Dr. was not worried about that at all!  In fact, she was pleased with my weight gain at my 12 week appointment.  Since then I have gained an additional 3 pounds, for a total of 11 pounds at this point.  (*sidenote*  I noticed this morning that I have to lean over to see the numbers on the scale now!  Haha!)  Average weight gain after the first trimester is 1-1 1/2 pounds a week, so for the second trimester,  I'm right on track...

I will be honest, I don't religiously count my calories.  What I mean by this is that I don't keep a food journal, or track my calories anywhere but in my head.  As anyone who is an avid calorie counter will tell you, we mentally count calories all day long...pregnant or not.  I fall right around 2500/day.  Sometimes a bit more. :-)

What kinds of things am I eating?  Well...here's another tricky part about pregnancy.  Often, when it comes time for a meal, certain types of food sound great, others sound AWFUL!  The very next meal, that same thing that sounded AWFUL, now sounds absolutely delightful!!  Crazy what hormones do to your appetite! LOL!  So, I can't exactly pinpoint what I AM eating, because I tend to eat what sounds good at the time.  I   CAN tell you that whatever it is that sounds good, I try to make it as healthy as I can.  For example, if a salad sounds good....great, I'm good to go.  If a burger and fries sound good, I will have that, but I try to limit my portions.  I'm just being honest here.  I tend to eat what I want, but you have to make adjustments depending on what your day's calories look like.  Higher calorie lunch=Lower calorie dinner, etc.    I feel comfortable knowing that I'm getting enough by shooting for that calorie range and trying to keep the bulk of those calories healthy ones.

What I don't eat:
Cookie Dough (or anything with raw eggs), Lunch meats, Soft Cheeses, Undercooked meats....these are all typical things to avoid during pregnancy. 

A few things that I've noticed:
The further I get into this pregnancy, the less ROOM I have for meals.  Let's face it...these babies are squishing my stomach and there just isn't enough space!!  Eating smaller amounts of food, more often during the day, allows me to get those calories in, without making my insides too uncomfortable!  This also helps with the heartburn...I am told by the Dr. that this will obviously continue to be a problem as these babies get bigger so I am just getting used to the smaller amounts/more often now....

Speaking of heartburn, one of the things that I definitely have been avoiding is spicy foods...it just doesn't sound so delicious when I can literally feel what that heartburn is going to feel like later.  I've had 3 ugly cases of heartburn so  far and it's not so fun...so I try not to overeat (TRY being the operative word) and avoid things that would have a tendency to cause heartburn.

All in all, the key to  a good diet (pregnant or not) is balance and moderation. If I can continue to practice these 2 things, I am confident that this girl's gonna meet her goal of growing two 5+ pound babies!!  Think I can grow 6 pounders????  Sounds good....let's shoot for 6!  :)