A Little Announcement…

Some time ago I wrote an article about how Twitter “almost” got me a job on TV.

At the time I hinted I had a little piece of news to tell you concerning this, but you would have to wait a while longer to hear what it was.

Well, a few of you picked up on my clues, but I’ve been meaning to confirm what I was talking about for some time now.

The good news I’ve been wanting to share with you is that we are expecting another little addition to the Thomassian household.

We are all hugely excited about this baby’s arrival in February 2012, and I’m sure it will be a lot of fun with Elissa to “help” out :-)

I am almost 27 weeks pregnant, which you can see from my self portrait —>>

By the time the baby arrives, Elissa will be two years and 4 months old. This will certainly be an interesting challenge!

Elissa loves to be around other children, and is an extremely social child. However, I’m fully aware that this may be a different story when the baby is here all of the time.

I hope to keep things pretty normal on Dietriffic throughout this time, but I also know that it’s going to be hectic for a while. I hope you will bear with me, as I try my best to keep everything running smoothly.

Preparations For Birth

I’ve been feeling great throughout most of this pregnancy, apart from a few weeks of sickness and extreme tiredness in the early days.

Right now I’m simply trying to eat well and stay active, so that I am prepared for what lies ahead.

If you’re a women, you may already know that giving birth is one of the biggest marathons you will ever go through.

It always amazes me how little some women prepare before giving birth, though.

Obviously each circumstance is different, as is each birth, but a little thought and preparation beforehand, to get your mind and body in gear for the whole experience, is definitely going to pay off.

Exercise Routine

As I said, I am almost 27 weeks pregnant right now, and I am currently working on my physical fitness. I must confess, I have been slacking in the months which have just passed, but I am getting back on track now with a regular, albeit short, routine.

Last time I was pregnant, I took a pre-natal exercise class, which was wonderful.

It was amazing to meet the other mums, and I really believe that the workouts, coupled with the breathing exercises I learned there (and God’s help) enabled me to have a very positive birth experience.

We have moved house since then, which means I can’t attend that class this time. So, at the minute I am working on a routine which elevates my heart rate, strengthens my core and legs, and improves flexibility.

Eating

As far as my diet is concerned, I’ve mostly continued as normal, with particular attention to my fruit, vegetable, and protein intake.

In the UK, we recommend a 100-calorie increase per day for the first six months, and 200-calorie per day increase for the last three months.

At you know, this isn’t a huge increase, so it’s important not to believe the “eating for two” mantra you will hear people spouting.

Remember, gaining too much pregnancy weight, increases your risk of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, so avoiding that, if at all possible, is wise. It also makes losing weight post-birth much easier.

If you decide to breastfeed, though, you don’t need to think too much about that either. Not to mention the mega, super duper benefits for your baby, too ;-)

Books I Recommend

I read quite a bit when I was expecting with Elissa in preparation.

A lot of my information came from the web, but I also borrowed some books from the library, and purchased a good few books from Amazon, too.

Childbirth Experience
The single most amazing book I have discovered is Ina May’s Guide To Childbirth. This book is an absolute must read, particularly if you favor a natural birthing experience.

I must caution, however, there are some things contained in the book, which you may find a little “way out.” I recommend taking what you can from the book (which is a lot, I assure you), and leaving the rest, if it doesn’t suit you.

This book will empower you to believe in your body’s ability to give birth, without fear, simply trusting it to do the work it was designed to do.

Fitness DVD
Throughout my last pregnancy, I did the Complete Pregnancy Fitness DVD by Erin O’Brien, and throughly enjoyed her routines. I will now be using this DVD once again.

Baby Sleep Schedules
I also read quite a few books about sleep routines.

I think I purchased Gina Ford’s The Contented Little Baby first. But, I have to say I don’t like her approach, and I didn’t use this method with Elissa.

Personally, I much preferred the methods found in the ebook, Mastering Naps and Schedules, by Nichole Johnson. I found this to be an invaluable resource, and to this day Elissa is a wonderful sleeper, who still naps in the middle of the day for up to 3 hours.

I also read the book Three In A Bed. This book is all about the benefits of sleeping with your baby. It was a huge eye-opener to me, and is based on medical and historical evidence of what is best for your baby. It’s certainly an interesting read.

Choosing Names
Of course, I also leafed through various baby name books. One of the best books I used was The Complete Book Of Baby Names. This book has 100,001 names to choose from, and can partly be attributed to our choice of Elissa’s name :-)

Weaning
I also highly recommend Gill Rapley’s Baby-Led Weaning approach, when you get to the baby weaning stage. If you like the idea of skipping the pureed stage completely, you’ll love this book. It worked really well for us last time around.

Anyway, that’s just a little summary of what’s been going on with me lately.

If you have any pregnancy resources, tips or anything else to share with me, I would absolutely love to hear from you…