32 Weeks Update: Pregnancy Diet and Exercise

Hi guys! Hope you are having a fantastic Monday! I had a great relaxing weekend with my little family! Since I wasn’t working, we decided to just chill and relax at one of the beautiful resorts in Scottsdale (Carefree). Although I have been living in Arizona for over 15 years, we have never been to this beautiful resort called  The Boulders Resort and Spa . We always heard about the beauty of this resort but never made it there! The resort was lovely! The grounds of this beautiful golf resort are full of beautiful big rocks that literally make you feel like you are in the middle of the mountains! The golf course, the beautiful flowers and lovey lakes around this golf resort make it look so relaxing! Having a delicious lunch on their lovely patio and enjoying the view was the best part of the day! We know once our little daughter will be born, we won’t have that much time left to hang out as a family (at least in the beginning)! We are excited but also a little anxious about it! I have made a goal for this pregnancy that I would capture my journey through pictures throughout the pregnancy and this beautiful Arizona resort was the perfect setting to show you one of many the stunning resorts here in Scottsdale.  Pregnancy is a very wonderful, and sometimes one of the most challenging experiences that I have ever had in my life.   During my first pregnancy I was sometimes confused about what I was supposed to do or not do.  Through countless hours of reading and consulting with my OBGYN I learned a few things and would love to share them with you.

I can’t believe I’m now 32 weeks pregnant! It feels like it was yesterday when we got the positive pregnancy test and now there are only a few weeks left until we meet our baby girl. I think pregnancy is one of the most unique experiences in life! I call it “unique” because for some women is a very difficult time of their life and for another group of women is just a nice breeze until the baby is born and the 3rd group of women, are “in between”… it’s not that easy but it’s also not very difficult. Regardless of which group of woman you fit in, pregnancy is a very special and memorable time of your life.

My first pregnancy with Valentina was pretty stressful! When I was only 21- weeks pregnant, we found out my cervix was short! It means that my baby could be born any second! The chance of baby’s survival at that stage of pregnancy is only 2% to 15%! We were in the biggest shock when we found out and I couldn’t stop crying knowing that we could be losing our baby any day! I’ll be forever thankful to God and my doctor both to help me to get through those rough times and kept our baby Valentina safe until the end of term! The incredible medical care my doctor (Dr. Jaacks) provided, was something I’ll never forget! She was born perfect and healthy on April, 25, 2015 only 10 days before my due date! This pregnancy (the second time around), has been a completely different experience! I have had a very smooth and easy pregnancy from day one and I have had no problems so far! I’m so grateful and hoping this continues until the delivery date!

My Pregnancy Diet & Exercise

I tried to maintain a relatively healthy diet in my both pregnancies! I tried to stick to protein-rich foods include fish, eggs, organic meat, beans, a little bit of cheese, nuts and seeds. In addition to a healthy diet, any pregnant woman also has to take a daily prenatal vitamin to obtain some of the nutrients that are hard to get from foods alone, (for example folic acid and iron).

When they say you are pregnant, so you get to “eat for two”….is completely wrong! While there are days (especially the first three months), you feel so hungry that you could eat a horse, the idea you should “eat for two” is FALSE! If you end up “eating for two”, you will gain an excessive amount of weight which is not healthy for the mom or the baby! Each doctor might tell you a little different calorie intake number for each trimester and it also depends on your pre-pregnancy weight!

In the first trimester, you won’t need any additional calories. Instead, you should focus on choosing nutritious foods that keep your energy up while your baby is in the beginning stages of development! In the second trimester, you need to add only extra 300 to 350 calories per day! Which can be as simple as adding extra apple with peanut butter (280 calories) or a mixed berries smoothie (270-300 calories). In the third trimester, you’ll need about an extra 500 calories per day (if you carry twins you need more).

Of course, there are always exceptions! For example for those people that were over-weight or underweight, they have to follow a different diet plans from their doctors. But if your weight is considered to be within the normal range, then that’s all you need to eat to maintain a healthy pregnancy.

These are some of the top 10 foods I make sure to eat daily while pregnant

1-    My green smoothie every morning before breakfast

2-    Salmon

3-    Eggs

4-    Lean Meat

5-    Berries

6-    Whole Grains

7-    Dried beans & Lintels

8-    Fruits

9-    Nuts

10- And of course lots of WATER! (1.5 to 2 Liters) per day!

Note: My green smoothie contains two or three cups of spinach, half a cup of water, one big orange, one big lemon and a small ginger! You need put these in the blender and drink it right before your breakfast! You get all the vitamins you need for the day! One of my girlfriends who is a fitness model told me about this smoothie about two years ago and I have been on it since then! It’s absolutely amazing!

During my first pregnancy, I continued my routine 5 days a week workout (of course I didn’t push myself that hard). But as soon as I found out that I had a short cervix and had to be on bed rest, I stopped exercising all together until 6 weeks after my daughter, Valentina was born. In my second pregnancy, I decided to take it very slow from day one so I would hopefully avoid any complications! I went for a walk every day and took it very slow! I can’t wait to get back into shape and start exercising again once our second baby girl is born! Overall during pregnancy diet & exercise is sooo important though!

If you are pregnant or have any good tips/advice for pregnant ladies on diet and exercise, please feel free to share on the comments below! Would love to hear all about it!

Love,

Sherry XOXO