Reminiscing About My Pregnancies (Part One)

Brandon and I have decided that this will be our last child (unless Heavenly Father intervenes). It is hard for me because I will be closing the child bearing chapter in my life. This chapter has been open for a long time. Since my early 20's and I am 35 now. The Child Rearing Chapter will be in full force. Concentrating on really being here for all of my 6 children. Raising them to be God fearing individuals and "good kids". With all that that entails.

As I sit here thinking about this being my last pregnancy, it is bittersweet for me. I feel privileged to have had 5 healthy beautiful children and another one on the way. Bringing children into this world is a blessing. I know I have done something very sacred. Bringing these special spirits from our Heavenly Father, helping them to gain a body so they can fulfill their Missions in this life. All part of the Plan of Salvation. We have planned a Home Water Birth with this baby. I am very excited and nervous. I feel very blessed from my Heavenly Father to be able to have a home birth. To be able to celebrate this birth and this "chapter" in my life. I am due in about 3 weeks, around the 4th of July.

During this pregnancy I haven't been checked to find out how dilated I am or to see if anything is "happening". When I was pregnant with Lily I was checked several times and all it did was make me frustrated, and impatient because I  was dilated and effaced for weeks before she was born. I thought any day she'll be born. Wrong she was born 2 days after her guess date.

I feel very patient in this pregnancy trying to enjoy every last minute of it. That is why I am blogging about it. I want to remember what it was like to be pregnant, since I tend to forget. As I sit here and type I am crying... Little Mark is moving and sticking his cute little butt up on my left side. He loves to stick his foot out on the right side. I am one that does miss the baby moving inside of me after they are born. It may sound crazy to some. There is no other thing like it in the world! Even holding my babies and breastfeeding I still will miss them moving inside of me. Weird I know. I even question the rational.

I slept really good a couple nights ago (the BEST sleep in a LONG time). I only got up a couple of times. However last night I went to bed about 9:30 and went to the bathroom around 11, 1, 2, 3 and finally got up to eat around 4ish :) Maybe it was the almost full moon and my body thought it was Sunlight. LOL

My ankles have swelled at times when I am on my feet a lot. My lower back is getting sore and my ligament on the sides are starting to hurt more. I am getting lots of practice contractions that I can feel more in my back. They are preparing me for the "real" thing. Just recently I have started having acid re-flux which is normal for me during the 1st and 3rd trimesters of my pregnancies. Although with this one I have been able to eat things I wasn't able to with the others. I have been able to eat tomatoes and tomato sauce, green chilies, salsa etc. Eating spicy things in the beginning suggested I was having a boy. When I was pregnant with Logan I ate sliced jalapenos! 

Before this pregnancy I worked very hard to lose over 50 pounds! Little did I know I was preparing my body to bring another child into this world. This has been one of the easiest pregnancy's I have had. I am very grateful for that. My last pregnancy I thought that i could never do that again. Brandon even recently told me that when I was pregnant with Lily it was really bad and that i could't do anything. Although I haven't been able to exercise this pregnancy I have watched what I've eaten and tried to eat as "healthy " as I can. It gets harder the more tired I get. I started out at 135 and now I am at 164 or 165! I was 162 BEFORE I got pregnant with Lily. I always weighed over 200 POUNDS by the time I delivered my other babies. So I am very proud of this accomplishment. I haven't eaten at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, or Taco Bell! Which normally was a staple in previous pregnancies! LOL

35 weeks pregnant with Lily

Brandon and the kiddos helped do a belly cast a couple nights ago for family home evening. I stood leaning and kind of sitting on a stool for about 50 minutes. Brandon did a great job. It has to be sanded etc. before it is finished however it really shows the difference in this pregnancy and when I was pregnant with Lily.

About 37 weeks this pregnancy with Mark (LEFT)

35 Weeks Pregnant with Lily (RIGHT)

A few weeks ago when I was grocery shopping at Costco I ran into Cami Austin, who we go to church with. Well we used to go to church with her. However her family and our family go to different buildings now. Anyways, we got to chatting and she asked me if I was having a Baby Shower? I said no. She said you have to you are having a boy. I will throw you one and I'm going to call people in your Ward or Congregation for those of you who don't know what Ward means. I am so grateful that I ran into Cami that day and that she was so kind and inspired  to think of me and my baby. I had a wonderful baby shower on Saturday June 11th. Heather Carlisle, Marjorie Sprague, and Cami Austin threw it for me in a short period of time. So many people were so gracious and blessed my life with not only gifts but memories. I was so glad that I was able to celebrate this last pregnancy and celebrate this new life that I will bringing into the world shortly.

Cami
She was unable to be at the shower since her son was sick :(

Heather Me and Marjorie 

LOTS of YUMMY Food

                                                             

Faith was having so much fun!

LOTS of Clothes for Mark

My Mother in Law

Some of my Friends that Came

I realized that this last picture is the only one I have of Dana. She was taking most of the pictures. Faith and Dana were the only ones that came out of my kiddos.

My mind wonders to my past pregnancy's so bear with me. You may want to fast forward to the end if you'd like. Since this may be boring for most of you. This is more for me kind of journaling for my posterity's sake.


I'm remembering my first "pregnancy" now. I didn't know how far along I was because my periods were very irregular. I had struggled since I was a teenager with "woman" issues. Lots of BAD menstrual cramps etc. I remember I was working cleaning houses at the time of this pregnancy. I remember getting really dizzy and nauseous one day while cleaning a bathroom, which they say is a good sign in pregnancy. My Mom even got me a little Noah's Ark white onesie. It was so cute and little. My Dr. had ordered an ultrasound to figure out how far along I was. I had my husband and my Mom there when I had the ultrasound done. I was so excited. They had them stay out in the waiting room while they got things ready. So while by myself she was looking at the baby and I didn't see the monitor. The Dr. put her hand on my leg and said, "I don't know how to tell you this, but the baby never developed." I think I was maybe 10-12 weeks along. Very sad day for me. It was like I lost my first child. To me there was a baby growing inside of me. It was very difficult to think it was just a blob or cells (blighted ovum). The Dr. asked me if I wanted to tell my husband or if she should. I decided to tell him. I was also given the option of miscarrying on my own and perhaps losing a lot of blood in the process, or having a D&C. I chose a  D&C. Which meant I had to have my cervix dilated for the rest of the day until my D&C in the morning. OUCH it hurt! I had a hard time walking and was in a lot of pain.

I had the D&C the next morning and my Dr. asked if she could pray with us. She asked God to guide her hands. I was very impressed with her prayer. How many Dr's pray with their patients before surgery?

Well afterwards I remember my Church Family really stepping up to the plate. Doing our laundry bringing meals in. Sending cards and gifts. I felt that in my time of need I was being blessed with friends who helped me so much and were very comforting.


 As a child I thought that I would never be able to have children. After my "miscarriage" we moved to Texas with the Air Force.  I struggled with PCOS and had ALL kinds of tests and procedures to figure that diagnosis out.
 I had to take Clomid (well I thought I did at the time) to get pregnant with Logan.

END of Part One

Great Article ~ Let me ask you, Why do you eat?

Although this is an article from 1975 I think it still applies to us today! Enjoy :) I read this months ago and it made me think.

Don’t Eat Your Heart Out

Ronald L. Rhodes, “Don’t Eat Your Heart Out,” Ensign, Oct 1975, 72

“Stop crying, Johnny, and I’ll give you a big dish of ice cream.”

“You kids get your rooms cleaned up, and then you can have some pie.”

“Now, Susie, if you’ll stop fussing and get your ‘jamies’ on, I’ll give you some cake before you go to bed.”

How many times have you heard such expressions? They are symptomatic of an interesting contemporary problem. They betray an emotional reward orientation to the consumption of food, a tendency to eat in response to feelings and habit rather than to physical need.

Emotions play a dominant role in food selection. And in most of us these emotional determinants are established in childhood by well-meaning parents whose only desire is to show love and concern in a rather traditional fashion. But that kind of love is killing us! The long-range detrimental effects of such food abuse are becoming increasingly evident to the student of diet-health relationships. We are literally digging our graves with our spoons.

One may find dietary deficiencies in groups of all economic levels, even those that have the financial capabilities to provide better fare. 1 In most cases, minor deficiencies do not give rise to observable declines in health status or work efficiency. But significant dietary deficiencies, demonstrable especially among the underprivileged, may indeed give rise to clinically observable signs, such as anemia and shortness in stature. 2

But the bane of the western gourmand’s diet is not malnutrition, but overeating. Obesity (loosely defined as weight exceeding the recommended standard for sex and frame size by 20 percent or more) is a risk factor in several leading diseases. Diabetes, coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, osteoarthritis, and gall bladder disease all occur more often in the obese than among individuals of normal weight.

Many obese people are acutely aware of these relationships, and for this reason, as well as for reasons of general appearance and feelings of well-being, have elected to try one of a variety of weight-reducing programs. But frequently these programs are downright dangerous. The effectiveness of practically all reducing programs, including those that are prescribed, falls somewhere in the range between poor and miserable. Their five-year success rate in the United States is almost zero. 3 No programs have been successful that did not entail a permanent change in dietary and/or activity habits.

The 1973–74 Relief Society lessons contained excellent information on basic principles of proper nutrition. However, knowledge alone, albeit indispensable in planning a proper diet, has been found inadequate in significantly altering dietary habits. In general, we eat what we like, not what we know is good for us. And our likes and dislikes are usually emotionally founded and well-established long before we can make rational decisions about them.

When we finally do understand the principles of nutrition, we tend simply to add the more nutritious foods to our already existing diet, thereby increasing our caloric intake. For example, we may learn that spinach is good for us, but we’re not likely to give up cake. We may learn to eat carrots for the eyes, but we don’t trade in our candy. It seems quite clear that to effect a satisfactory change in eating habits, there must be a change in deep-seated, long-standing attitudes affecting what and how much is eaten. Such habits and attitudes seem changeable only with difficulty. In fact, there is some recent evidence that early-established eating habits may be resistant to any change at all. 4

Where do we go from here? It’s obvious that some changes are desirable, not only to realize better nutrition but, more importantly, to reduce the incidence of obesity and its associated problems. Let’s take a look at some of the things we may be doing wrong as parents and what we might do to change them.

1. We use food as a reward. From the time our children are small we are inclined to make them feel happy when they are sad by administering a “spoonful of sugar” in some form. If Doug falls down and skins his knee, we make it better with bubble gum. If Marty’s heart is breaking because Daddy went to the store without him, we placate him with a popsicle. Children soon learn that feelings of discomfort or sadness can become happiness through eating. Such an early association between food and good feelings may well extend into adulthood as a self-reward habit involving a trip to the refrigerator every time a case of the blues arises. What the food-as-a-reward tradition lacks in quality it overcomes in simplicity. Most parents prefer the 30 seconds required to administer a candy mood-changer to the 15 minutes required to reward Johnny with a story about David and Goliath. Imagine the impact we might have on the lives of our children if we substituted rapture in the scriptures for contentment in cookies. Perhaps the child would even realize that there is more love involved in giving time than in giving substance. Or if time is short, a few moments of closeness and a few expressions of love might adequately attend the situation. Even a ten-cent balloon might be a healthier reward than a confectionery.

2. We use food as a punishment. When John doesn’t want to eat his dessert, his parents will probably be unconcerned. But if he balks at his broccoli, look out! Mom and Dad are likely to make such an issue of the matter that the mere sight of broccoli incites anger. Some parents will compound the problem by saying, “If you don’t finish your broccoli, you can’t have any pudding.” Then broccoli becomes the evil obstacle between John and that wonderful experience called dessert.

If you want your children to like carrots, don’t bully them into eating them. Why not try the more successful emotional approach used on television? Commercials on television associate foods with fun things like cartoons and toys. Why not develop some associations between good foods and happy, fun experiences like picnics and family home evenings? How about a pioneer dinner in the park featuring raw vegetables and fruits? Or let the little ones experiment by dipping vegetables in a variety of sauces and dressings in a fondue-style dinner.

3. We encourage snacking. To add to the conviviality of such occasions as watching television, reading, or socializing, we too often engage in snacking. And as an after-school ritual, the habit is probably firmly entrenched in most of our homes.

Children do get hungry between meals. But learning to live with that little bit of hunger, especially while yet young, may be healthier than eating at every urge. (Any Latter-day Saint knows that fasting becomes easier with practice.)

It would be best if we never developed the snack habit. If you don’t think you can accomplish that in your home, perhaps snacking could be shifted from cake and cookies to the less fattening fare of low-fat milk or fresh fruits. Of course, there is no guarantee that a well-established snack habit involving milk and fruit will not change for the worse when the child is on his own, but at least the youngster has been taught the proper principles.

Complete elimination of the well-embedded bedtime snack is also desirable, but if you can’t eliminate it, how about a glass of low-fat milk instead of a heaping plate of ice cream?

4. We eat opulently. A lavishly set table has become a symbol of success. “We always had more than we could eat at my home,” may be a braggart’s phrase, but that stuffed look is certainly testimony that it is not an empty boast.

“Waste not, want not” is a desirable ethic for frugal folk, but it might produce less obesity if it were applied at the time the plate was loaded up rather than at the time it is “cleaned up.” “Clean up your plate” is the prelude to dessert in so many homes that it’s no wonder a child feels he must eat till the food is gone, including what’s left in the serving bowls. Perhaps tables could be less sumptuously set with meals more carefully planned according to the basic food groups.

And when the food is gone, it’s gone. Some recent evidence suggests that less food will be consumed, and thus less need be prepared, if you can teach your children simply to eat more slowly. Is there really any sense in eating at each meal as though there was never going to be another one?

5. We serve too many desserts. I hesitate even to mention this last item. In many homes I’m sure it will be tantamount to heresy. But are desserts really necessary? In some homes they are so commonplace, they become ordinary and even a little dull. Reserving rich treats for special occasions would not only enhance the appreciation of both the treats and the special occasions, but would do much to eliminate obesity. If the dessert habit is too firmly entrenched, switch to fresh fruits. You may be surprised at how much your family will enjoy them.

The scriptures tell us that deathbed repentance is impossible. If we have a problem in our lives, we need to start as early as possible to resolve it, since repentance may take some time. And how much better it would be if we just never developed the problem in the first place. Poor eating habits, like all others, are hard to repent of, and prevention is infinitely more satisfactory than treatment. Therefore, start right now to try to correct your family’s bad eating habits:

Prepare less food.

Use more fruits and vegetables in your meals; cut down on fried and high-fat foods; serve desserts sparingly, using more fresh fruits.

As for snacks, particularly the highly processed varieties, a few days of standing firm against those pleadings for goodies might help extinguish that habit. Not having snack items around the house may reduce their consumption to almost zero.

Try to make meals a more leisurely and conversational experience.

Let’s help our children learn to eat the right amounts of the right foods for the right reasons.

[illustration] Illustrated by Julie Fuhriman

Notes

1. D. E. Scotland and J. A. Pritchard, “Iron Deficiency in Healthy Young College Women,” Journal of the American Medical Association, 199, March 1967, pp. 897–900.

2. Juline B. Richmond and Howard L. Weinberger, “Program Implications of New Knowledge Regarding the Physical, Intellectual, and Emotional Growth and Development and the Unmet Needs of Children and Youth,” American Journal of Public Health, Part 2, 60:4, April 1970, p. 34.

3. Paul B. Beeson and Walch McDermott, Textbook of Medicine, 13th Edition, W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1971, p. 1457.

4. S. L. Krittle and J. Hirschi, “Effect of early nutrition on the development of rat epididymal fat pads: cellularity and metabolism,” Journal of Clinical Investigation, 47:209l, 1968.

Notes

Dr. Ronald L. Rhodes is an associate professor of health education at Brigham Young University. He is the bishop of Orem 14th Ward, Orem Utah Sharon West Stake.