Question for those dealing with morning sickness. I'm obese, so I'm trying to really watch my calories to avoid gaining weight during my pregnancy. I also have really bad nausea, and ginger ale is helping a lot.
My question is which do you think is the better option for now: diet ginger ale, with the artificial sweetener but no calories, or regular ginger ale, without artificial sweetener but adding several hundred calories a day to my diet? I should probably add that I haven't (yet) been throwing up, so I'm not losing calories.
Hi all! Was anyone planning to send first babe to nursery school in the Fall (mine will be 2.5 years old) or start any other form of childcare, but now second guessing it so as not to overwhelm with big transitions??
@fantasyflyte would ginger chews or something else potentially help you too? My personal perspective as an also overweight mama (pregnancies have unfortunately rocked my body…) Don’t stress the calories. Do what you feel is helping you and helping baby best. Weight and calorie fixation during pregnancy can drive a person batty, and you are perfectly made for your bebe. Preggie Pop drops helped me too, or unisom sleep tabs (NOT sleep gels—different main ingredient!) and a b6 supplement.
@Knottie1431908356 I actually loved having my older son in school when DD was born because it was another group of people to love, care for, and celebrate him as a big brother. He had a place that was focused on him and his needs, rather than just in the new baby, but he was also very excited about showing his baby off to his friends at pickup and drop off. We also didn’t make him necessarily aware, or hide from him, that baby and I were home together all day. As far as he knew, nothing was happening without him.
In my past pregnancies I’ve gained a TON of weight. I never really lost it all either. I’ve only just gotten to my lowest yet since before kids and it’s still higher than pre-kids. I’m hoping to keep better control over the excessive weight gain. What are some tips ya’ll have?
I walk 30-45 minutes a day. I don’t overindulge when I eat (smaller meals with small snacks between) and I am trying to drink more water. Other ideas?
@Gingermom15 we're going to have a 5 year age gap between our first and our second. My sister and I are 7 years apart, so that's something I was actually kind of hoping for all along. I'm sure the transition is difficult for kids of any age, but I think when they're older it is easier to explain things about the baby, get their help, and have them engaged. One thing we need to work on with our first is independent play, so he's more used to it in November and I don't feel as bad not being able to play with him on demand.
@fantasyflyte not ginger ale, but I find a lot of nausea comfort from lemon seltzer. The bubbles and the slight sourness really help settle my tummy, so that's something else to consider. Honestly, I feel like the first trimester is survival mode, and you should just eat/drink what you can, when you can. This is not a time for us or for medical professionals to police our bodies.
Obesity puts us at higher risk of gestational diabetes which has consequences other than a large baby at birth. If ginger ale is the only thing that helps, I'd go for diet until you get your glucose screen.
There's also dramamine non-drowsy which is just ginger in capsule form. I took that last time and also use peppermint soft candy occasionally and sugar free mint gum.
@fantasyflyte I find ginger ale helps me too but worried about drinking that much sugar. I generally try not to drink my calories and usually avoid soda, juice, etc. I decided to try ginger tea and it's helping similarly to the ginger ale, so if you like tea it might be worth a try. In a pinch, I've also just chewed on a piece of raw ginger.
I have a large age gap between my two kids. My oldest is 10 and my youngest is 3. I am actually nervous to have a newborn and a 3 year old! When my youngest was born my oldest turned 8 a few weeks later. It was wonderful! She was old enough to have conversations about how the baby takes a lot of my attention, but it won't always be that way. She was super helpful, could go to the bathroom on her own, grab a snack on her own. I love the gap! I'm freaking for a 3 year gap. I have no idea how I'm going to manage my toddler and a newborn. Send help!
@fantasyflyte I would avoid diet sodas even while not pregnant. They do make mini cans of soda now, maybe try that instead of a full sized can? I’ve been drinking ginger ale lately too. I use the mini bottles and drink one of them over two days 🙂
@jacquieb-2 my oldest was still helpful at 21mo when my middle was born, and even more helpful at 3.5y when our 3rd was born. One of her favorite jobs was showing our middle how to be gentle with the baby. She'll be nearly 5.5y when this one is born and I'm sure she'll be super excited for this baby. Maybe have your oldest help your 3 year old practice with baby dolls, or even have the 10 year old pretend to be a baby? You're definitely right that toddlers are a challenge with a newborn to care for too, but I've found the newborns are so portable/adaptable that I was okay meeting the toddler's needs first *most* of the time.
Not a doctor, but try to avoid “sugar free” drinks. The sugar substitutes have been found to be harmful with links to cancer. Best advice is drink ginger or peppermint tea, if you need it strong straight up boiled ginger root. For weight management stick to real foods, like veggies, fruits and proteins. Try and limit the process or steps your food has gone through. Example sweet potato vs. chips, 1 step versus not sure. Limit starches too, bread, rice, potato, and sugar. Sub in healthy fast like coconut, avocado, or olive oil. This will also help keep skin hydrated and elastic. This has helped me!
This one is for other tattooed moms. How did you protect your belly and side tattoos or how do you plan on protecting them? As a girl who only started using lotion like 8 months ago, I am struggling trying to figure out what’s what.
i want a vitamin e and shea butter lotion that’s organic… I think? I’m open to any suggestions. I’ve put more money into the work on my side than I’d like to admit and I would love to keep it from scarring!
@fantasyflyte I had a ginger flavored soda water that was pretty great yesterday. We got it at our local coop, but I am guessing they would have it a t Target or Whole foods.
I am almost 5 weeks pregnant with my first, and I’m constantly anxious. I have normalized in my mind that a miscarriage is always possible, especially all that I’ve read, but I’m looking for some encouragement for people who have had a successful pregnancy. We got pregnant within the first month of trying, so I have no indication that I should be concerned but of course always am!
Has anyone been super anxious about taking baths? Before being pregnant I would take baths daily! Now I’m scared with everything I read about temperature of water and all. I am not taking a Luke warm bath!
@emmaliz12 you should be fine, you just don't want to get your core temp up above 102°f (39°C). So, try not to take so long a hot bath that you start sweating. But tap hot to start is fine and then get out once you're clean or the water is too cold for your liking, basically don't keep adding hot water like in a hot tub, and ideally not for more than 20 min. If you're worried, bring your thermometer and do spot checks until you've figured out a comfortable range of temp and time.
@fantasyflyte re: sugar calories vs artificial sweeteners: If you already include artificial sweeteners in your diet, then diet ginger ale is fine. If you're managing your sugar calories to the gram already then just steal them from somewhere else and enjoy your full sugar ginger ale. Basically, what's best is to keep doing what worked in your pre-pregnancy life, but with ginger flavor on top. Don't let nausea cause you to get dehydrated or prevent you from taking a prenatal (folate), or getting enough nutrients. A little extra aspartame or sugar is unlikely to make a significant difference.
Personally, I cannot make myself take what I consider a "cold" bath and so I just do not take baths the entire time I am pregnant...I do take a lot of showers though and I do foot soaks.
I did give birth 2 times in a bath tub though and both times the midwives asked if I was sure I wanted it that hot and I just said "yes yes!" They were a bit surprised, but I guess they did not stop me because both times the baby was almost out by the time I got in the bath. The first real bath pp is awesome after not being able to do it for so long.
Personally I took hot showers and baths as a way to soothe the itching from my cholestasis during my pregnancy with my son and didn't have any ill effects. But definitely do what makes you comfortable!
Momma to 3 angels and two amazing children
F born June 2018 W born September 2020 #3 due November 2022
@knottie9ede9e6baf1e395a I was very worried about that with my first as well. People are talking about loss a lot more these days and so it makes it seem like it's a lot more common. I believe the statistic is 25% of pregnancies end in miscarriage... That's 75% that don't.
Hormones cause a lot of the anxiety as well. My anxiety has been much worse since getting pregnant.
So my first beta on 3/10 was 127. On 3/14 it was 576. Then today it was only 3541 (I was expecting like 6500+). So according to an online calculator, it doubled every 64ish hours instead of 48. Is that still okay, or should I be worried? I've already been a ball of anxiety, and I've got an email out to my nurse asking about it, but I'm worrying in the meantime.
ETA just talked to the nurse, she said they look for a 60% rise every 48 hours (online calculator tells me I'm at 68%) and I'm totally fine, and they're not worried about my levels, and someone will call tomorrow to schedule the first ultrasound. I am definitely learning that anxiety + pregnancy = super anxiety.
@fantasyflyte I love diet ginger ale when nonpregnant, it helps me curb my coke addiction. (Coca-cola in the red cans I mean.) I also use aspartame in my coffee most mornings. To the point where if I run out and have to substitute sugar I miss its weird metallic taste. There's studies that show sweetener replacements trigger insulin secretion, so aren't as protective against insulin resistance as their zero calorie status would suggest. And either the sweet taste or insulin secretion may trigger your hunger hormones to seek out actual sugar elsewhere. I think that's a good argument to not use them thinking they're completely benign and going to fix a sugar craving by themselves. Buuuuuut I recently went off the aspartame in my morning coffee, replaced it with sugar, and gained weight over the past few months after remaining weight stable for a whole year. (I kept my coffee equally sweet so I was adding ~200 calories to my day.) So, I think artificial sweeteners ARE a good tool that really help me consume less sugar in places that I would be using regular sugar in a very "empty calories" way. I try to avoid them when I'm really hungry because I think that messes up my hunger signals--like if I have an eat-sugar craving I don't try to mask it with diet ginger ale because I worry that will result in eating something less good for me later on. But keeping diet ginger ale in the fridge keeps me from going out and buying the cokes that I try not to keep in the house, lol. Anyway, I think it's up to you whether the diet form helps you avoid the full sugar form or gives you sugar cravings later. I don't worry too much about the cancer association because it only caused cancer in mice when given in really really high amounts and there's no way I will expose myself to an equivalent amount in my lifetime, and I'm probably giving myself/children cancer by running my plastic containers through the dishwasher and eating burnt crispy meat bits.
If you take B6 and unisom, do you take it at night only and it helps during the day? Or do you have to take it during the day?
Take it at night and it helps throughout the day. It’ll knock you out so don’t recommend taking it in the AM. I usually find it wears off by 6pm or so. But at least I get the vast majority of the day.
Car seat question: we will have a big age gap between our kids (my oldest will be 7 when this one is born). I still have his infant seat and it hasn’t been used since he was about 10 months old. I’m debating if I can reuse it based on expiration. Thoughts?
@michellelynn6 thanks! I haven’t taken it before and wasn’t sure if people were taking it in the morning and just trying to stay awake all day? I don’t know if the fatigue or nausea would be worse 😂
For the car seat, I think would depend on expiration date and storage. If it has been exposed to humidity and heat more than if it was in use in a car.
At 7 years, I might be more inclined just to buy another seat unless it has been stored in a cool, dry place and wear and tear is minimal. My oldest will be 7 as well and we are replacing some of the items we held on to to be safe. It sucks to have ti buy things again!
Most infant car seats expire after 6-7 years. Some convertible get 10. Check for a sticker with an expiration date, or if there's a date of manufacture you can check with the maker to see how long they last. But likely you'll need a new seat.
Momma to 3 angels and two amazing children
F born June 2018 W born September 2020 #3 due November 2022
Is anyone else experiencing acne like they were in high school again? (7 weeks) I’ve stopping taking my spirnalacdone and using retinols / tretnoin, and my skin is flipping out terribly. I thought being constipated was bad, but this skin issue is driving me insane.
Is anyone having spotting? My due date is November 10th and I’ve been spotting for 5 days now. Super light only on the tissue paper. I had an ultrasound Friday (6 weeks 1 day) and it showed flicker of heartbeat and heart rate 128 and they said everything looks normal so far
I would call your doctor and check, it will give you piece of mind! With my first pregnancy I bleed the whole time and it never go easier but everything is was fine. It can be normal but always ask. Sending love ❤️
@lmac628 is it pink/red or brown? I had brown spotting (implantation bleeding) for about a week with this one and DS. With DD I actually didn’t have implantation bleeding but ended up with a subchorionic hemorrhage, so about 12-16 weeks into the pregnancy I was bleeding for a few weeks because there was just a pool of blood in my uterus. Definitely call your doctor and see if you can get in for peace of mind.
Re: The Great Big Question Thread
I walk 30-45 minutes a day. I don’t overindulge when I eat (smaller meals with small snacks between) and I am trying to drink more water. Other ideas?
@fantasyflyte not ginger ale, but I find a lot of nausea comfort from lemon seltzer. The bubbles and the slight sourness really help settle my tummy, so that's something else to consider. Honestly, I feel like the first trimester is survival mode, and you should just eat/drink what you can, when you can. This is not a time for us or for medical professionals to police our bodies.
Obesity puts us at higher risk of gestational diabetes which has consequences other than a large baby at birth. If ginger ale is the only thing that helps, I'd go for diet until you get your glucose screen.
There's also dramamine non-drowsy which is just ginger in capsule form. I took that last time and also use peppermint soft candy occasionally and sugar free mint gum.
I’m so glad you asked this! I also take Lexapro and was advised by my psychiatrist to stay on the medication throughout the entire pregnancy. Apparently, there are far many more risks going off of it than not. I also take ADHD medicine and plan to stay on that as well! Highly recommend Emily Oster’s approach (Expecting Better)
i want a vitamin e and shea butter lotion that’s organic… I think? I’m open to any suggestions. I’ve put more money into the work on my side than I’d like to admit and I would love to keep it from scarring!
W born September 2020
#3 due November 2022
If you already include artificial sweeteners in your diet, then diet ginger ale is fine.
If you're managing your sugar calories to the gram already then just steal them from somewhere else and enjoy your full sugar ginger ale.
Basically, what's best is to keep doing what worked in your pre-pregnancy life, but with ginger flavor on top.
Don't let nausea cause you to get dehydrated or prevent you from taking a prenatal (folate), or getting enough nutrients. A little extra aspartame or sugar is unlikely to make a significant difference.
Personally, I cannot make myself take what I consider a "cold" bath and so I just do not take baths the entire time I am pregnant...I do take a lot of showers though and I do foot soaks.
I did give birth 2 times in a bath tub though and both times the midwives asked if I was sure I wanted it that hot and I just said "yes yes!" They were a bit surprised, but I guess they did not stop me because both times the baby was almost out by the time I got in the bath. The first real bath pp is awesome after not being able to do it for so long.
W born September 2020
#3 due November 2022
Hormones cause a lot of the anxiety as well. My anxiety has been much worse since getting pregnant.
I also use aspartame in my coffee most mornings. To the point where if I run out and have to substitute sugar I miss its weird metallic taste.
There's studies that show sweetener replacements trigger insulin secretion, so aren't as protective against insulin resistance as their zero calorie status would suggest. And either the sweet taste or insulin secretion may trigger your hunger hormones to seek out actual sugar elsewhere. I think that's a good argument to not use them thinking they're completely benign and going to fix a sugar craving by themselves. Buuuuuut I recently went off the aspartame in my morning coffee, replaced it with sugar, and gained weight over the past few months after remaining weight stable for a whole year. (I kept my coffee equally sweet so I was adding ~200 calories to my day.) So, I think artificial sweeteners ARE a good tool that really help me consume less sugar in places that I would be using regular sugar in a very "empty calories" way. I try to avoid them when I'm really hungry because I think that messes up my hunger signals--like if I have an eat-sugar craving I don't try to mask it with diet ginger ale because I worry that will result in eating something less good for me later on. But keeping diet ginger ale in the fridge keeps me from going out and buying the cokes that I try not to keep in the house, lol. Anyway, I think it's up to you whether the diet form helps you avoid the full sugar form or gives you sugar cravings later.
I don't worry too much about the cancer association because it only caused cancer in mice when given in really really high amounts and there's no way I will expose myself to an equivalent amount in my lifetime, and I'm probably giving myself/children cancer by running my plastic containers through the dishwasher and eating burnt crispy meat bits.
W born September 2020
#3 due November 2022
W born September 2020
#3 due November 2022