So, for those of you who don't know, I've been vegetarian for about the last 8 years. I've never missed meat and I've never felt an urge to go back. So, when I started thinking about nothing but steak at around 16 weeks, I knew something was up. I have enjoyed and valued my vegetarian lifestyle, but that's doesn't even rate on the same scale as the one I measure the importance of a healthy pregnancy and a healthy future for my child. When I got pregnant I became okay with the idea that I might need to eat meat to sustain necessary protein/iron levels. My mom was anemic during both of her pregnancies, and as a result of that, my sister and I have been anemic/borderline anemic for much of our adult lives. So, I was working on the realizing it was time to start eating meat again, since I was already consuming as much iron as I could manage in veg form when I started craving red meat. Then my doctor called and let me know I'm a little low on iron. Well, that was the assurance I needed to confirm that I needed red meat. So I did a bunch of research on successfully integrating meat back into your diet (since you kind of forget how to digest red meat after about 5 years) and that evening I started with a small portion of rotisserie chicken. The next day I had a bit more chicken. The next day I had 4 oz. burger made with high-quality 90% lean sirloin. And the day after that, full size burger. For these first 4 days, about an hour after eating the meat, I had a minor tummy ache but that was it. No puking (as I had feared, and as some people experience), no nausea (thankfully, don't need any more of that), just some discomfort, and then I was fine. So I've since been working on getting as much iron and protein as possible. This is still coming a lot from greens and legumes, but I've definitely been enjoying the red meat and have been working to get to the place where I'm *not* in the mood for it. It's been about 4 weeks, and I'm not craving it. I'm still very much enjoying it when it comes (in the way that feels like this is what my body needs) and every two days or so it comes up, and I make sure to fulfill it, since babies are made of protein, and iron(and some other stuff). I'm feeling very happy with my decision, and I have no idea what I'll do after the baby gets here.
The other new development is in the baby kicks department. So, on all of the pregnancy progress stuff I've been reading, the material says that if you're on your second pregnancy or beyond, you'll start feeling the baby kick at about 16 weeks. If it's your first pregnancy, though, you have to wait until about 20 weeks. Well, that's just not fair. And, the overachiever that I am, I was determined to beat the curve. So, I tried focusing really hard on my abdomen for anything matching the description of what they were supposed to feel like. I'm pretty bad t focusing on those kinds of things, though, so I kind of forgot I was supposed to be noticing. Then, as these things almost always happen (the same way I realized what my heart murmur feels like) I was talking to a friend about how I didn't think I'd felt it yet when one happened. And huzzah, I beat the curve! That was at about 18 weeks. I'd been feeling that same sensation for about 10 days, but hadn't classified it yet. So, there, WedMD. I win. Thanks to Mel for the assist.
That's about all the interesting things I've got for now.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
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