8.16.16 29

Health and Pregnancy

Because we underwent fertility treatments, my health has been my number one priority for a long time even before getting pregnant. Today I want to talk about health and pregnancy and what I am doing to be the healthiest I can be during this time.

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Fitness

I have always been a very active person, which is good because I did not have to all of a sudden come up with a fitness routine when I became pregnant. During the time of IVF I could not work out much. I could basically just walk. So everyday I went to the gym and walked on the indoor track for an hour. It was SO BORING. But I wanted to stay in some kind of fitness routine and I wanted to get out of the house. I did not walk outside for two reasons. The first is that it’s summer and VERY hot in Texas. The second is that I am really trying to avoid mosquitoes to reduce my chances of getting West Nile Virus or Zika Virus. Once I got the all clear to go back to working out I had to start slow. So first I mixed walking with the stationary bike. Over a few weeks I worked my way back to what I was doing before. So now I am doing a mix of cardio (50 minutes a day) and weights three times a week. So a little less than before. I also try to do a level one yoga or barre class once a week at my gym.

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Nutrition

As far as nutrition goes, I have always been a pretty healthy eater. Then I got pregnant, and most foods I loved started tasting awful. For instance, my morning latte and favorite oatmeal and banana, nope. Smoothies I basically had to force feed myself. I pretty much lived on carbs the first few weeks. I ate a lot of pizza. Granted I know that at that point just eating in general is a win, I wanted to eat my normal stuff. Thankfully by about week 9 I was back to loving oatmeal and smoothies and tolerating coffee. Now I still love pizza, but I am trying to make better decisions. I try to eat a lot of fruits and veggies everyday. Thankfully this baby is a fruit fiend. I also try to eat a good amount of protein which can be hard for me. Health and pregnancy can be kind of tough when no foods sound good which happens more days than not. I really just try to stick to the thing my Dr tells me to have. Plenty of veggies, fruits, proteins, grains, and vitamins in all my food. But I wont lie when I’m craving pizza or a brownie I 100% allow myself to have that.

Overall Health

I am taking good prenatal vitamins daily, which I have actually been taking for well over a year. I also carry a Ricola Herb Immunity Drops with me all the time. So about a week ago my allergies started acting up and I started becoming constantly congested. I have also read that pregnancy can do that to you. Ricola Herbal Immunity Honey Herb Lozenges and Ricola Herbal Immunity Citrus Herb Lozenges are both really good! I keep some in my car, some in my purse, and some by my bed. Whenever I’m feeling less than great, I just pop one in. Great news for you guys! Ricola Herbal Immunity products will be available early September in CVS, Walgreens, and Rite-Aid stores nationwide. You need these in your life. If you are pregnant or if you just are prone to allergies these are fantastic! Ricola Herbal Immunity harnesses the power of herbs, ginseng, and vitamins B6, B12 and C to boost immunity strength and fight fatigue (great for this pregnant girl)! New Ricola Herbal Immunity helps you stay well and gives you the power to always bring your “A Game.” So basically its a tiny miracle. Obviously ask a Dr. if you are concerned about taking certain things. My Dr. told me these were fine for me use 🙂

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So that’s a breakdown of my health and pregnancy updates right now.

I would love to know, if you are currently or have been pregnant, what your health and pregnancy looked like in these categories. Share below!

I’m sharing #Ricola in my life as part of a Ricola sponsored series for Socialstars™

Leave a Comment

29 Comments

  1. Tine wrote:

    Congratulations on the pregnancy! I’m not there yet myself but this has already thought me a lot for when I am ready 😉

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  2. michelle wrote:

    Great photos and information!

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  3. trininista wrote:

    You could still have coffee??? Yaaay.

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  4. Shann Eva wrote:

    During my first pregnancy, I was so sick, that my eating and fitness took a pretty big hit. It’s so smart that you’ve kept your fitness routine. I think it will definitely make you feel better. Those drops sounds amazing. I found that sucking on some hard candy helped me not feel so sick, and with the benefits of Ricola, those would be even better.

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  5. rachel wrote:

    I have those sneakers! Thanks for sharing the Ricola info! I am so nervous about getting pregnant and feeling sick!

    Congrats again on your pregnancy!

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  6. Monica wrote:

    Congratulations! I’m sure you do miss the outside walks but you can’t be too careful about Zika. I find walking boring as well unless I can be outside. We have a dog and she loves her walks so I have my Buddy and that makes all the difference. Good luck with your pregnancy. I’m excited to be able to follow along with your blog.

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  7. melanie wrote:

    congratulations on the pregnancy that’s so awesome 🙂 It’s great that you’re taking steps to be more healthy during the pregnancy because that’s so important. I’ve never had children but I plan to one day and I’ll certainly use these tips to stay healthy. Thanks for sharing 🙂

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  8. Katie wrote:

    These tips are spot on! For me, just taking each pregnancy one day at a time helped me. Listening to my body & helping my baby grow by resting and eating well and working out and drinking enough water were all good things that I could try to do every day, but if one or more of those things didn’t happen every so often that was ok too. Pregnancy is such a blessing!

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  9. I’m not pregnant but some friends are I know they suffer with allergies. I can’t wait to tell them about this since their doctors tell them there is nothing they can take to help their allergies while pregnant.

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  10. Kate wrote:

    I didn’t know you could take ricola while you were pregnant! I always thought those sort of things were off limits! Interesting!

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  11. Glad you have found a healthy balance. Plus, pizza has veggies and protein so you grab that pizza when you are craving it ?

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  12. Katy wrote:

    I really admire that you’re still sticking to your health goals. I honestly felt completely hungover for about 2 months at one point, and all I could stomach was Wendy’s french fries and chocolate frosty’s. I know, totally healthy right?! It’s gotten much better now, and I’m just trying to eat alot of protein and make sure I’m getting enough calcium as well. Also, drinking water. That made me nauseous too early on

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  13. Cara wrote:

    Congrats on the pregnancy! Definitely treat yourself every now and then during pregnancy! It’s completely okay to have a brownie and slice of pizza! 🙂

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  14. Liz Mays wrote:

    It’s great that you’re keeping your health in mind in all of these ways. It’s good to be proactive about these things since there’s so much you already have to think about when you’re having a baby.

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  15. Michele wrote:

    I’ve never been pregnant and now it is way past the time I could or even would want to (I’ll be 66). It only makes sense to do what you are doing health wise.

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  16. Jenny wrote:

    Glad that you’re making sure you and the baby are healthy. Heck I’m not pregnant and pizza sounds better most days than not haha.

    xoxo, Jenny

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  17. Rachel wrote:

    I hear about a lot of rough experiences in the beginning of pregnancy, glad to hear you’re hanging in there! And yay for still being able to have coffee!

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  18. Congrats on your pregnancy!

    Thanks for the tip on the lozenges! I’m 10 weeks and pretty congested too. I’m not sure if we get these in Australia but I’ll look into it. I had to stop taking my triple strength garlic / horseradish and vitamin C so an alternative would be awesome (I’m not even sure at this stage if it’s a cold or just really bad hayfever).

    I worked out before getting pregnant and pretty much stick to the same routine of body attack / step and RPM. The jumping around feels a bit uncomfortable in attack so I just alter the moves so I feel comfortable and do a bit more RPM if I’m not feeling too energetic.

    For the food I’m much the same – used to be so much more healthier before, but I find it works just to eat what ever seems appealing at the time (while trying to squish fruit and veg in where possible). I tend to go through stages where I feel like certain foods, eat heaps of that and then get over it and onto something new.

    Hope the rest of the pregnancy is good to you 🙂

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  19. Brandy wrote:

    I hated being pregnant, I was so sick and it was difficult to focus on the positive during that time. I hope that you stay healthy and remain positive during all of the ups and downs pregnancy brings.

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  20. Going through a pregnancy is the most wonderful experience in a woman’s life. To carry a life in you for 9 months is a miracle in itself. When I was in my reproductive age, I watched what I ate, but of course, gave in to cravings once in a while and I always made sure I did some exercise, mainly walking around the neighborhood everyday.

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  21. Charlotte wrote:

    Aww love learning about how to stay healthy during pregnancy–thanks for sharing and will have to look for these drops!!

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  22. Congrats!!! I love Ricola! Actually, I need to add this to my list for the store today! Thanks for the reminder!

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  23. While I have never been pregnant, I have heard from a lot of friends who have been how hard it was at times for them to eat healthy, especially when they first got pregnant.

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  24. I haven’t been pregnant…but plan to be soon. I know from experience with other friends the importance of health…eating right and staying active. I’m pretty healthy, but I know I need to do better in both areas for when that time comes!

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  25. Amber wrote:

    Congratulations on your little baby and sticking with your health goals.
    I remember feeling so stuffy towards the final months of my pregnancy and resorting to breathing Vicks water over my humidifier. The ricola lozenges sound like a great idea thanks for sharing .

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  26. I was the same way with vegetables. I couldn’t stomach them until around week 10. But I made up for it quickly. 😉 Congrats again!

    http://ashortblonde.com

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  27. Tami wrote:

    I only tend to pay attention to healthy habits when I am pregnant. I really need to apply it to everyday living, as well.

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  28. I think it’s so important to be mindful of your health during pregnancy. That certainly helps the baby’s overall health as well.

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  29. Congrats!!!! I was a total health nut when I was preggo!!! I went all natural for anything and everything…. Yes, I was that annoying person lol

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