Today after being up for 45 minutes I got the 'eat or puke' signal from my body (I find myself doubting this internal signal needs more of a description for most mommies), and rushed to pour myself a bowl of cereal on my way out the door to the boys appointment. I ended up consuming a total of three bites and then drinking the rest of the milk, as the cereal which had so lovingly befriended me for the last week suddenly needed eight ounces of milk per bite to make it barely palatable. I then of course found my empty stomach making me wish it wasn't. Time to start packing more road snacks for Mommy!
I've found fruit can be a good bet for me to have on hand as it more often agrees with me better than any other food group. And yes, I just equated the chances of finding an always constant, wonder-food in pregnancy with all the excitement (and risk of losing terribly) of betting on a horse race or better yet, playing the lottery. Sometimes a quick sugar or protein boost can be the key to keeping tummy calm (or calmer). Keeping a variety of (non-spoiling!) fruit pieces, fruit leather, nuts, seeds, whole grain croutons, or anything else one is feeling may be edible today or this week in key places such as the purse, the car, the kitchen (brilliant isn't it?), or the drawer at the work desk can be a nausea rescue.
Another noteworthy event is the insta-craving accompanied by mouth-watering day dreams of a meal that will quench all of my hormonally induced nutritional desires. Take for instance the one I had last night... on the way home I decided that homemade stir-fry, complete with strips of steak, mung bean noodles and a bevy of colored veggies sounded particularly heavenly. It was instantly on the menu for the evening and once we got home the guys and I proceeded to begin- dicing & sauteing veggies, soaking & frying noodles, and of course searing and slow-cooking the strips of steak to perfected deliciousness (thankfully my husband lovingly always attends to the raw meat for me- as even a glimpse in raw form can often leave me not wanting it for days). After an hour of preparation we sat down to eat and low and behold I found myself gagging with every bite. A sad moment for my high expectations.
With this one, know your limits! If there is a sweetheart who is able and willing to do the dinner cooking- wonderful. If mama happens to be lucky enough to know what sounds good for dinner before lunchtime and it's something that can be thrown in the crock pot- celebrate (these can be found for as little as $10-$15 dollars and are worth so much more in grief they can save). Or if a sister, mother, friend, or anyone really, wants to spend some quality visiting time and help out simultaneously- assign the task of prepping the things in the fridge or cabinet for potential meals for the week or next few days (For example: grating cheese, chopping veggies, pre-cooking meats, washing & dicing potatoes), anything that can make the time spent preparing meals, shorter- that way the loving food cavity still has the feel good to allow you to put some of that delicious food in it afterward.
Finally, not to be discounted in all of this is the preparation of food for our toddlers- this past week we found ourselves removing dairy, wheat, soy and corn from their meal plan, in hopes of discovering the root of the immune system crashes our eldest has been having. After the visit with the nutritionist we stopped at the health food store, and I cried. I'm sure many of you have had the privilege at some point or another of being on a _____-free diet or shopping and cooking for someone who is- it is stretching, sometimes overwhelming, and hopefully eventually exciting in a challenging way. What has this translated to for me lately? Not quite what it has for my wonderful husband. When he is home he has been spending every meal time making sure that "all four of his babies" get the nutrition they need, in a delicious, full meal manner. He is a blessing to us in so many ways- I can't imagine being a Mama without him.
When I am alone, as with making my food, feeding my kiddos their own has been a challenge- I've resorted to snack foods much of the time, which does get harder the more restrictions we have. I've compiled a nutritionally sound list courtesy of some beautiful, wonderful women that I thought I would share. It is a list of fairly easily prepared (or at least things that can be prepared when N is home or I am feeling well), quickly served and self serve, and minimal clean up.
Green beans, peas, sliced pears, sliced apples, bananas, raw or steamed baby carrots, grapes cut up, strawberries, mandarin oranges, steamed or raw broccoli, chopped avocado, gluten/corn/soy/dairy free cereal pieces, sweet potato fries, pre-cooked small chunks of meat, cooked beans (fairly dry with a bit of sea salt), almond and cashew pieces, raisins, sunflower seeds.
Obviously this list is not exclusive and can and should be adjusted according to each child's age, sensitivities and preferences. If you have other ideas I'd love to hear them!
To put all this in perspective I wanted to include these wonderful blogs that I have been reading for awhile on a fairly rare, but extremely serious complication of pregnancy, Hyperemesis Gravidarum-a potentially life threatening condition for mom & baby. As a childbirth teacher, and mostly just a pregnancy, birthing and mothering enthusiast, I believe that every mother should have the opportunity to be understood, and cared for according to her specific needs, whether they be great or small. This of course means that diseases such as HG should be known and treated with great importance by medical professionals, families and friends alike so that women who are truly suffering get the care and attention they need- physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
I do warn that these are tough stories- of loss, pain, loneliness, regret, and hope. And I hope that you get a chance to read them, and allow them to make a difference to you, or someone you know.
Island of Grief, Mountain of Joy
First Light Of Dawn
It's only
As a slight post script- I plan to start adding pictures (I shoot in RAW format which requires me to change the format before posting- more work, but worth the quality), expanding my about me (because it is quite too simple at the moment), and as soon as I have the time to do them justice- giving you a glimpse into all the boyish charm and manly strength of my three amazing guys!
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