PREGNANCY DO’S AND DONT’S

For persons planning to get pregnant and especially for those struggling with infertility, ever so often you daydream about getting pregnant and how blissfully happy you will be.

When we do get pregnant, we are ecstatic of course, but soon we become so preoccupied with all the do’s and don’ts of pregnancies that others are so quick to make known to us, to the point where we are really not able to enjoy our pregnancies, as we otherwise thought we would.

Here are a few categories that I would like to look at:-

I am going to start first with what we can and cannot eat:-

Seafood: is number one on my list. Seafood rich in mercury like swordfish, shark, king mackerel, tilefish etc., is said not be consumed by women who are pregnant. Others such as, tuna, salmon, catfish, shrimp etc., can be consumed but you must not exceed 12 ounces in any one week.

Caffeine and Alcohol:  is said to not to be consumed by pregnant women as well but in recent researches, I am seeing where you up to 300mg of caffeine a day is ok, For  alcohol we are advised not to drink it at all, because no amount of it is safe.

Cheese: Hard cheese like cheddar and mozorella can be consumed, but soft cheese, like blue cheese must be avoided because the milk used to produce this cheese is said to not be pasteurized.

Deli Meats: Deli Meats can be consumed, but they must be reheated in the microwave, to kill any bacteria, which might be present.

Secondly, I want to look at Beauty and Hygiene:-

Manicures and Pedicures: These are safe to have, but you are advised to bring your own equipment to avoid being exposed to any bacteria. You are also advised to stay clear of any salons with strong chemical odours, and look for those with air condition and fans, so you do not inhale fumes.

Lastly, I want to look at sleeping positions  during pregnancy:-

Sleeping positions:  This one drove me crazy when I was pregnant with my son as I was constantly suffering from leg cramps. Sleeping during pregnancy can be quite challenging and uncomfortable and will require you shifting from position to position as you try to feel comfortable. We are advised that it is best to sleep on our left side, as this benefits the baby in terms of blood flow and it also helps your kidneys to eliminate waste effectively from the body, hence reducing swelling in your ankles feet and hands. Since it will be difficult to sleep on one side alone, it is further recommended that you try shifting from side to side, but sleep more on the left side.

There are a lot other do’s and don’ts of pregnancy, that I have not covered and so, below please find some sites with more information in this regard.

http://www.parenting.com/article/pregnancy-dos-and-donts-1199832063709

http://www.babycenter.com/404_whats-the-best-sleep-position-during-pregnancy_7608.bc

It is my wish that you will enjoy your pregnancy, regardless of these do’s and don’ts.

......A MOTHER'S WORST NIGHTMARE

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warrior’s hand
Psalm 127: 3 & 4

"HOPE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE"

Getting news that your child has been injured, is a parent’s worst nightmare and on Friday of last week, I received some horrible news that a friend of mine’s son, had ingested caustic soda (a very potent acidic substance very often used to clear blocked plumbing - that could easily have proven fatal in this case).

For some reason, at first I thought that ingest meant that he just inhaled too much of it. I guess I just did not want to think anything otherwise, that this child actually had this substance in his stomach. I later learnt that he had in fact drank it, because this is what ingest means of course.
I could not help the tears, as I began picturing myself in this position and my husband was haunted by this news as well.

When I enquired later about how the little boy was doing, I was told that he would be alright as the theory was that when he realized that his mouth was burning, he had asked for his milk and drank a little and so it could be that the milk had neutralized the acid and this saved his life.

I just kept thanking God for this, because I knew it was God himself who stepped in and saved this precious little boy, who, like my son, is a miracle baby, as the mother waited quite a long time for him, after suffering a devastating miscarriage a couple of years ago.

I kept thinking about the mother when I heard about this unfortunate situation, and found out that she fainted on reaching to her car to drive to the hospital to be with her son. This was after learning that her son was unconscious for a while. I expected this reaction, as any mother would have reacted in the same way, after hearing such news.

I sent her a little note on ‘facebook’ telling her that I had heard about her ordeal and she and her son are in my prayers. She responded with thanks and said now she finds it very hard to leave him and was asking me if I think she is being paranoid. I responded to her saying that, this is understandable and that any mother would be feeling like this at this time.

Help me thank God that this situation did not turn out otherwise and help me pray for a complete and speedy recovery for this child.

Thanks and catch you for my next post