New 1st time mom -to- be fears.

[JMD]

Hi all,

I am 6+ weeks blessedly pregnant and finding it difficult to relax. My baby was conceived while i was 100%raw. I have been for about 100 days. i have known about the pregnancy for 2 days now. I am feeling guilty for a few things and can use some comforting words. (My hubby is away on business for 5 more days:(. )

I fear....that i am eating too much. I added in too much dehydrated protein falafall balls actually and i feel horrible. I feel like i have already gained the 3-5 lbs i am supposed to in 12 weeks!! with constipation and gargantuan breasts mostly:).

My other fear is miscarriage. I NEVER knew how high the chances were until now and i am nervous. This my 1st pregnancy and i am 34....BUT i DO know all is in the Universe/God's hands. I am trying to envision white light and do affirmations to counter my fearful thoughts.

I am also recovering from an eating disorder and have been in OA successfully for 11 yrs. i feel like i screwed up this weekend with food though trying to find the perfect food to suit EVERY craving. I really want to just eat the way i was a few days ago and i will proably do so and not try to add the 300 calories and go into a fear bubble that i eat too little protein and am hurting the little angel.
:)

I am doing yoga, journaling and surrounding myself with loving people. I welcome warmly all advice.

Hugs
JMD/Jen

[cassidy]

Wow Jen, Congratulations!
You know... your best bet is to relax and go with the flow. An internal balance will make things so much easier. Just let your body do what it needs to do. If it needs to eat a lot.. let yourself and don't worry about it right now. Don't overwhelm yourself. Your body has a lot to do right now... food should not be the issue. You say you are high raw so you have nothing to worry about what so ever! That is great you have been at it for 100 days! Your body is so ready for this! Remeber too that you have so many hormones surging through your body that are going to make you feel weird. Your body is trying to work everything out. You will probably feel really abnormal for a while... like 9 months. Actually about 1 year!!! But it's a wonderful feeling. Just accept the magic of it and go with the flow.
I'm sorry you have had to deal with ED, congrats on not giving up and doing OA for so long. It is an amazingly tough thing. My pregnancy shut down my ED for a good 9 mos. I think I just decided while I was pregnant that there was no way I wasn't going to gain weight. I just accepted it and ate whatever I wanted - I kept it as healthy as I knew how in that point of my life. Surprisingly I only gained about 25 lbs and after giving birth weighed less then my weight before concieving. Weird huh? After having my daughter though I felt a strong urge to keep the weight off and my eating disorder came back full force. I struggled for a long while. Just recently on raw have I felt totally free again. Like I felt when I was pregnant. I feel healthy and in love with my soon to be pregnant (hopefully! I think I'm pregnant RIGHT NOW but we'll have to wait and see...) body.
I am so happy for you. There is nothing in your life that you will ever love more than the child you are nurturing right now. It is impossible to imagine.
It's hard not to worry about miscarriages huh? But, you knoe there would be absolutely nothing you could do, besides the obvious reckless behavior, that can prevent something like that. Since there is nothing you can do about it give it to God/the Universe/whatever and think about more positive things. Think about life and love and that is what you will get!
Congrats and hope this helps!

[JMD]

Thanks Cassidy...

Your words hit the spot. I feel so comforted now. Thanks ...I guess i feel sorta in shock and want to express/share the news but am waiting until week 11.

ALL Is truly in God's hands I tend to be such a perfectionist that i doubt how in good health i AM in now. i was trying to get every nutrient in etc....to insure a health first trimester. It is time i let go a bit and know i will prob digest all a bit better too!!

Back to basics tomorrow....everything seems better after a good night sleep...

Hugs (((((((())))))))) and let me/us know about your new pregnancy:)
fingers crossed.

JMd

[Vegan Diva]

Congratulations!

Try to relax I know it's hard but it's good for you and your baby. I was 32 when I was became pregnant with my daughter (she turned three on 05/21).

It sounds like you are on the correct path with yoga, journaling, and surrounding yourself with positive people. I kept a journal during pregnancy. I "knew" I was going to have a girl long before it was confirmed so each entry is addressed to my daughter. I plan to pass it on to my daughter when she is older. I'll definitely keep you in my thoughts.

Blessings

[codajess]

Congrats!!!!

I'd love to be pregnant & go through the (water!) birthing process, and the breastfeeding... if it weren't for the whole lifetime of work after that. :p I'll stick with living vicariously through everyone else. Again, congrats & think positively.

[JMD]

Thanks to you all!! I feel better already---I guess i "feel" like I am on hold for the next 7 weeks....IS that "normal"?? I guess I should also say I did have anxiety issues as a child and tend to be on the negative side--out of fears of success. BUT i am much better today but b/c of things i feel like i am goign backwards or something with all my feelings. I hope this is making SOME sense :) here.

Blessings galore to you all.

OX
Jen/JMD

[Guppy]

[QUOTE=codajess]"Congrats!!!! I'd love to be pregnant & go through the (water!) birthing process, and the breastfeeding... if it weren't for the whole lifetime of work after that. "

Hahahahaha!!! Oh yeah that about says it!

No seriously I have 2 kids and it's great. But it's not easy so I totally get what you are saying there.

Jen - Welcome to the world of motherhood! I am afraid that anxiety is par for the course. You suddenly have this whole other person to worry about. I can remember being terribly nervous and agitated with my first pregnancy and always fearing the worst. You sound like you are already doing the best things by eating well, doing yoga and being surrounded by positive people. It is a long nine months while you are in it but looking back it will seem so fast.

As for the additional calories, I don't think you should worry about them. An extra 300 calories is only like 2 pieces of fruit. Just eat when you are hungry and stay hydrated.

Congrats! Sending good thoughts to you!
emily

[Sharon in Colorado]

Congratulations, JMD what a blessing!

It sounds like you are eating and living better than 99.999999% of the pregnant ladies out there so take it easy and enjoy your healthy food and wee one developing in you.

You are giving him the best nutrients to build the most important parts right now. This is a time when a lot of women experience morning sickness which many believe is the bodies way of throwing off toxins - the body needs raw nutrients to build up the best material for junior.

34 is not a risk factor IMO - I've known so many women to have gloriously healthy babies (on the SAD yet) who were so much older than you.

Remember that worry will not get you anywhere - find joy in your little creation and try not to think about tomorrow or the past. Just concentrate on what you can do now to optimize your health and the health of your baby.

And overeating some optimal food here and there is not such a big deal. There will be plenty of times when all you want is fruit and salads so it will equal out in the end.

[faith4u]

Jen,

I totally agree with all of the advice you have gotten here.

I have to tell you, though, that I just had my fourth baby almost 6 months ago and I worried that whole time too. I get so attached right away and no matter what I worry. You just have to give it to God, daily!!

Don't stress over the food. I'll tell you what, there is nothing like a pregnancy to mess up your eating. ;) You can be starving one minute and sick and not wanting food the next.

With my last pregnancy I gained quite a bit of weight in the first three months. I had never done that before. I was worried that I would be HUGE by the end but it all balanced out. I actually lost some of the weight during the last three months (I wasn't trying).

Just relax and enjoy this time of your life. The happiest times in my life have been during my pregnancies. I feel like I am doing exactly what I was meant to do during those times.

Congratulations!!

It will all be worth it when you hold that precious baby in your arms for the first time.

[ljcoolj]

JMD...CONGRATS!! Try and relax and enjoy this time, its such a wonderful experience. All the worrying in the world isn't going to help that sweet baby of yours, as someone else said...'just go with the flow'. One of my best friends had her first baby at the age of 34 , she's now 37 and working on #3!! Don't let all that hype about your age scare you, just eat right and take care of yourself, baby will be fine!! By the way, had my 2nd one at 34, it was just as easy as it was when I was 26.

[JMD]

THANKS EVERYONE i am so touched:)

I am feeling better because I found a good OBGYN and have an appmt for Monday the 12th:) They have me at 6 weeks and 4 days!!

I actually loveeeee the comment about morning sickness being a way for the body to rid one of toxins...

I was worried because I have NO nausea just a sore chest area and tiredness at the end of the end at like 4, and some slight cramping . I actually feel so happy i think that is why i have more energy....even with 4 hours of sleep!!

I am hoping by eating so well and taking prenatals with good iron content(i am slightly anemic) i am hoping i will make it thru the 1st trimester with EASE:)

I have no friends that have had a raw pregnancy--so i am asking ALL my ??"s here.. :D is it okay to have no typical signs of pregnancy like nausea and major fatigue???

It is a miracle my baby was conceived while i was 100% raw and still am...I have a funny feeling i will be fine!! throughout and i also sense it may be a GIRL??? just a sense....though i am thrilllllleed regardless:)

I really feel like nothing i mean NOTHING matters now but my little ones health--oh and my hubbys:). It was great to have flowers delivered to work while he is away with a card that read "to the new mommy love from the new daddy".

I really know it is so much easier said than done to relax and let go and trust WITH GOD ABSOLUTELY!!

Thanks all and i welcome all your great advice:)

OXOXOX
JMD/Jen :D

[Eveleaf]

It was great to have flowers delivered to work while he is away with a card that read "to the new mommy love from the new daddy".



Ah! What a sweet guy you married! You know not a lot of guys would ever think to do this!

We're all going to be sending you positive thoughts and cheering you on!

Oh and with both of my previous (SAD) pregnancies I didn't get morning sickness until at LEAST 4 months into the pregnancy. With the first it was actually around month 6 that morning sickness finally hit. I was exhausted though, with both of them. But I've been exhausted a LOT in my SAD life, so that was nothing new! I'm sure I'd have tons more energy on a RAW diet.

Cheers and blessings!

[Miranda]

here is proof that we dont talk as often as we should...i had NO idea. congrats to you, i'm so happy for you guys<3

[ljcoolj]

I wasn't raw when I was pregnant with either of my children, but I never once got sick or even nauseous. Not every pregnant woman gets sick to her stomach. With both of mine, I was tired for the first 3 months and I had heartburn with the second one. Wish I could go back in time and see what it would be like to be raw and pregnant. I had such wonderful pregnancies and can only imagine how good they'd be raw!

[JMD]

ljcoolj,

Thanks for your sharing of experience. I feel better knowing that. Funny thing is i have the heartburn--but ususally after my pre-natals :eek: ...they are GROSS aftertasting!! LOL

I actually do well in the morning and afternoon is a BUMMER--i am tired and have TOTAL aversions to all veggies. I am juicing daily to get my greens in but NO WAY can i eat a salad or AVOCADO which was my STAPLE every day. Wild how things change:) What a miracle we women are designed to be!!

OX
JMD

[Raw Jewelrylady]

Wow Jen...Megga Congrats !!!! :p :) :p

I am soooo excited for you!!! I've never had a baby-& I even had to have a hysterectomy years ago-so I have no advise whatsoever. I know from reading your posts & journal that you will do GREAT !!!! :p

I just wanted to let you know that I will be reading & following this wonderful joy about to enter your life. Take care...

All my best... :)

Lana

[JMD]

Lana...

I am SOOOOOOOOOO touched...I miss talking with you!! Hope all is well with you!! Thanks for the vote of confidence...It is amazing how when I am faced with unknows I FREEZE and forget how far I have come.

Hugs,

OX
Jen :)