Thoughts While on Bedrest

November 1, 2020 Humble Mama

Being stuck in a bed for weeks without the freedom to move around really puts a damper on things. I remember feeling so much anxiety and at times so much sadness for not being able to spend my time with my family. For missing out on Halloween with my 5-year-old. For not being able to be by my husband’s side at night…

I thought maybe if I had done things differently. If I would have stayed off my feet more and did less, would I have gotten to this point of preterm labor anyway?

There was only so much I could do from the hospital bed at 30 weeks. I cried. I prayed. And I meditated. Every morning I would make it a point (and I still do) to express my gratitude for the blessings I’ve been given. I know that things could always be worse no matter what, and I was in the best place possible for my baby and me.

Whenever my anxieties would start to creep in, I would hold on to my amethyst and practice some breathing techniques that I had learned along the way through guided meditations.

Some days when I couldn’t quiet down my thoughts and concentrate on my breathing, I would listen to uplifting music. If that didn’t work, I would watch something funny, and when all else failed, I wrote. I wrote to myself. I wrote to my husband, or I would call my family.

They surrounded me with so much love, prayers, and strength that I honestly can’t ever repay them but spread that same love, prayer, and strength to those that might be needing it.

I know that it doesn’t always work out this way for every Mama, but regardless of the outcome, I am a firm believer that the universe has a plan for you. Often times, it’s so much better than what you had envisioned in your mind. It is important to keep an open mind and an open heart. Whatever you are going through today, know that it shall pass. There are even more beautiful things waiting for you out there! Stay strong, my Humble Mamas.

Sending you tons of love, light & positive vibes!

pregnancy

Tips for Dealing with Gestational Diabetes While on Bed-rest

October 16, 2020October 19, 2020 Humble Mama

All too often, people say that pregnancy should be a beautiful time in a woman’s life. While this is true for some (do not get me wrong, I was ecstatic knowing my baby boy would be making his debut in due time), for many others like me, it was anything but a walk in the park, especially during my second pregnancy.

I did not experience any complications other than the normal achiness, fatigue, and nausea until my water broke at 35 weeks. Lucky for my daughter and me, there are fewer risks associated with preterm labor when delivering at 35 weeks, but we were still worried. We remained optimistic and it worked out. However, with my second pregnancy, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 28 weeks.

Gestational diabetes is a complication that occurs when hormones from the placenta block insulin and prevent the body from regulating the increased blood sugars during pregnancy. “About 7-10 women get diagnosed with gestational diabetes”, according to the March of Dimes.

Upon being diagnosed with GDM, I was devastated. It was hard not to blame myself and feel guilty over something I thought I could control. Despite making healthier choices, my blood sugar levels were too high. I was prescribed insulin medications to control my blood sugar. I had to monitor my blood sugar levels in the morning after fasting overnight (within the first few minutes of waking up) and then again a few more times after every meal. I suggest journaling everything from the dose of insulin administered to you’re your levels after each test. At the end of the week, I would meet with my perinatologist (high-risk doctor specializing in maternal-fetal medicine) to review my results and stay on track.

As some of you may know, before learning how to give myself the insulin injections, I was admitted to the hospital at 30 weeks and put on bed rest for the risk of preterm labor (link to my story here). While at the hospital, I learned how to administer the insulin injections to myself since I was no longer at risk for delivering my baby before 34 weeks. I also met with a board-certified food and nutrition expert to help me figure out a plan once I transitioned from bed rest in the hospital to bed rest at home.

Here is my schedule and what worked for me:

I was nervous about transitioning from the hospital to my being at home on bed rest. At the hospital I had around the clock monitoring of my blood sugar, insulin injections, blood sugar levels, and I would order my meals from a modified menu. I am not a professional or a doctor, but I experienced GDM. Here’s what worked for me.

Spreading Out Meals & Sticking to a Daily Schedule

Every day at or around the same time I would eat my meals. Eating at the same time every day helped keep my blood sugar numbers in range. The nurses who took care of me advised me to eat around the exact times daily to avoid a spike in my blood sugar levels. Here’s what I ate and my daily schedule.

6:30 am	Monitor blood sugar after fasting overnight
8:00 am	Insulin & Breakfast	Breakfast – -1 slice whole-wheat toast 1 15g starch -1 scrambled egg with or w/o cheese, 2 turkey sausage or beef links (protein) -small tea or coffee (optional) You can opt for a sugar-free juice or skim milk.
10:00 am	Track blood sugar (2hrs. after breakfast)
11:15 Snack	Snack	-1 cup of mixed fruit or Small apple Or tbs of nut butter with 6 saltine crackers
12:45-1:15pm	Insulin /Lunch	12:50 pm – lunch; a turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat or turkey burger on whole wheat with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions (pickles on the side). Most of the time I would have a side of salad or mixed fruit
2:45 pm	Track blood sugar (2hrs after lunch).
4:00pm	Snack (optional) I would skip this and have a snack after my nightly insulin of NPH	-1 slice of whole-wheat bread Or 2oz. cheese Or Grapes or mixed fruit
6:00pm- 6:45pm	Insulin/Dinner	Turkey Breast with a side of mashed potatoes and veggies. Salad, or mixed fruit, or a sugar-free juice.
8:30 pm	Track blood sugar (2hrs. after dinner)
9:45 pm	Last dose of insulin for the day (NPH)
10:00-10:15pm	Nighttime Snack (optional/ I swapped for the 4 pm snack)	I would have 1 piece of fruit or cereal like cheerios or rice crispy with 1 cup of skim milk.

This is intended as an example only.

What carbs can I eat, is everything off-limits? (Complex Carbs)

So, cutting out all carbs during pregnancy is not recommended, but I did reduce them significantly. You do not have to eat what I ate; there are so many other options; you can swap out the meals with your preference; as long as you stay within the 30g -35g range for each meal and snack, you will get through this! Some of these whole grains are packed with fiber alongside some fruits and veggies. Some friendly GDM carbs that you can combine with proteins or fruits and veggies that you can have on the side are:

Brown Rice
Quinoa
Whole Wheat Bread
Whole Wheat Pasta
Veggies; Kale, Spinach, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms
Fruits; apples, plums, grapes, oranges

Lean Meats & Proteins

As you can tell, my options were a bit limited at the hospital, but once I transitioned to bed rest at home, I could change up my proteins. Below is a list of proteins you can incorporate into your GDM diet (pretty much your average protein options):

-Full fat cheese, yogurt
-Lean beef, chicken, turkey

Healthy Fats

Another thing I learned when I was diagnosed with GDM was that the consumption of proteins and fats helps slow down the absorption of carbs into your blood. Not only do they help manage gestational diabetes, but they improve heart health. Some healthy fats that I opted for are:

Avocados
Nut-butters with no added sugar
Salmon
Dark chocolate (there are sugar-free options out there like ChocZero)
Eggs

Again, these are just a few tips that really came in handy and helped keep my blood sugar at a normal range. If you think or know you’re at risk for developing gestational diabetes, check with your obstetrician. It could be life-saving, getting diagnosed early, and keeping mama and baby safe.

pregnancy

How I Survived My Second Pregnancy on Bed-rest & the Products That Came in Handy

October 15, 2020October 19, 2020 Humble Mama

OMG! We did it again?! Is this really happening? were my immediate thoughts after finding out we were pregnant with our second little babe.

My husband and I were elated. Granted, we were nervous, having had a miscarriage the year prior, but (that is a story for a different time) nonetheless, we were optimistic and positive despite the series of events that were about to take place. The last thing on my mind was that I would end up on bed rest, let alone be in the hospital for 4 weeks!

Yea… My thoughts exactly.

The initial plan I envisioned was to stay healthy and active through the pregnancy. I would not say I was less active with my first, but I did go into preterm labor at around 35 weeks. This time around, I had a few extra pounds that I had been trying to lose for my wedding and had recently started a ketogenetic lifestyle. At 8 weeks, my doctor recommended that I seek a Perinatologist (a high-risk obstetrician specializing in maternal-fetal medicine) to start off on weekly progesterone injections that would help prevent preterm labor beginning at 18 weeks.

I ended up having to go to the emergency room at around 12 weeks since I experienced bleeding and the passing of a blot clot. Thankfully after some testing and an ultrasound, they found my baby and his heartbeat. I never felt more relieved. The doctor’s recommended that I refrain from my usual activities such as limit my walking, work duties, house chores, to protect both me and my baby.

What did this mean exactly? Absolutely NO heavy lifting and “light duties “assigned at work. “Let your husband take care of it” was the hardest piece of advice to follow since he was doing so much for our family already. But I followed the doc’s orders and at 18 weeks I started my weekly injections, along with bi-weekly ultrasounds and measurements.

Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next… fast forward to 30 weeks, and at my bi-weekly appointment, the ultrasound tech noticed my cervical length had shortened significantly. I spoke with my obstetrician and was instructed to go to the hospital, directly to labor and delivery to monitor my contractions (apparently, I was going into labor without any pain, and the only indicators being my cervical length and 2cm dilation). I was transported to another hospital more suited to handle preemie’s born before 34 weeks (also, my high-risk doctor worked at this hospital and requested my transfer).

I spent two days in labor and delivery before being moved to the maternity ward, where I met the wonderful nurses & doctors that took care of me for 4 weeks. So, here I am, 30 weeks pregnant on restricted bed rest in the hospital. It took some serious work and self-motivation every single day! I would not have found the strength to go on without the support of my husband, my family, and my best friend. Despite being scared to my core and hearing the doctors and nurses tell me the baby was coming, and I would not be leaving the hospital until I gave birth, I remained positive and optimistic. Optimistic that if I had our baby right then and there, things would be exactly how they were meant to be.

Being at the hospital on bed rest means no standing, showering, or walking. No walking meant, not even to the bathroom! What was I going to do? Having to use a bedpan, no showering or washing your hair or brushing your teeth at a sink, really played a number on me. This puts things into a different perspective. Luckily, I had my hospital bag semi packed, and I asked my dear husband to pick up a few things that made a living at the hospital for 5 weeks bearable.

Hygiene Products

First up, bath wipes! I did not even know these were a thing, but after asking at the hospital and some research, I came across Sage bath wipes. These came in clutch when I wanted to wash up in the morning. The nurses would bring me a basin with warm water and a towel. I would use the wipes to freshen up, rinse off with warm water, any brand shower gel (I used Dove moisturizing body wash), and a washcloth.

Next, travel size items like deodorant, toothpaste, and mouth wash. I would also use facial cleansing sheets to keep my face refreshed; I liked using Burt’s bees facial towelettes. The next item on the list would be an intensive body and face moisturizer; the brand I used was Cetaphil. Finally, to keep my lips moisturized, I used Vaseline lip therapy; it is my absolute fav! All these items helped minimize some of the discomforts I was experiencing.

For my hair, I used SheaMoisture coconut oil leave-in conditioner and a spray bottle with water, and a comb, to get my knots out. I kept my hair tidy by twisting it, or you can braid it, so it does not get too tangled since you are in bed all day. Because I had to use the bedpan and was on strict bed rest, I asked for a hand-sanitizer. It’s always good to have some antibacterial hand sanitizer, not that it beats washing your hands, but it got the job done in the meantime.

Snacks

Pink Stork tea not only does tea have calming and relaxing effects, this one just so happens to help with bowel movements since I was significantly less active, so were my bowels (I know TMI, ha-ha.) Snacks to keep nearby like popcorn, trail mix, water, and fruit when hunger strikes and no one is home. Because I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I had a few sugar free treats like Choc-Zero (so good even when you’re not watching your sugar intake!).

Aromatherapy

Bed rest not only puts a strain on your body physically but mentally; being away from my family and friends only made it easier for some depression to creep in. I tried to find ways to keep myself calm and just take my mind off my current reality. Some feel-good products that helped ease some of my stress were diffusers with some essential oils to help calm any anxieties. Having a Himalayan salt lamp next to me also helped to keep me in my element. You will be surprised at its soothing effects; there are so many different kinds out there. You can check them out on Amazon.com

Before I knew it, I made it to 34 weeks! My high-risk doctor gave me the okay to transition to bed rest at home (this was one of the happiest moments for me in the 3rd trimester). By this point, any hospital would be okay for me to deliver our baby safely, so home I went!

Support

My family often visited, every other day, I would say. My husband would bring our daughter after school almost every day, and my best friend would pop in every now and then. I must admit that without my husband and family’s support, I wouldn’t have been able to keep myself as positive and calm as I did. It wasn’t always a happy day, I had tough moments, but I did a lot of reading, meditating, and getting to know the wonderful nurses that took such good care of me. I am forever grateful!

I hope this post helps another mama or mama-to-be, that may be experiencing the same or have been told they need to go on bed rest. I’m here to tell you to remain positive. You can get through this! Have hope, stay focused, and know that you got this humble mama!