ashleyd /

Baby Diamond – Weeks 18 and 19

Happy Tuesday friends! Am I the only one who feels like it must be Thursday already? Even though this week has a been a great one, I still feel like I’ve put in four days worth of work in the past two days. This weekend I’m off to Des Moines, Iowa for a fun girls weekend with three of my sorority sisters. It’s been years since we were all together so I look forward to a weekend full of laughter and endless conversations.

Tonight I’m sharing my recap and thoughts from weeks 18 and 19 of pregnancy.

week 18

Baby Size: Bell Pepper (week 18) and heirloom tomato (week 19)

Weight Gained: I don’t have a scale at home but I feel as though I haven’t gained more weight, so about ten pounds in total.

Workouts: On average, I am working out five days per week. Each of these two weeks my workouts included: 1 Orange Theory workout, 1 XTendBarre class, 2 runs and Prenatal Pilates.

xtend barre

Cravings: I continue to be hungry non-stop especially on days I workout. In order to ensure that I’m fueling my body for healthy growth, I am increasing my protein and fiber intake, especially at breakfast and lunch. I also am never without healthy snacks. This week I fell in love with Siggi’s Icelandic Yogurt topped with berries.  In the evenings, I continue to crave Italian, Greek and Mexican which means that I’ve pinned lots of recipes and discovered some great new ones such as this healthy burrito bowl.

Food Aversions: I’m happy to report that all food aversions have gone away. While I don’t crave cooked vegetables, I am able to eat them again – even brussels sprouts.

Symptoms: My skin continues to be drier than I’ve ever experienced, especially my stomach. I lather on moisturizer and cocoa butter multiple times throughout the day but pregnancy growth and the cold, dry winter air aren’t doing my skin any favors. I started using two new products during this period, that really seemed to help with the dry skin and itchiness – Belli Elasticity Oil for Stretch Marks followed by Belli All Day Moisture Body Lotion. I also find that this brand absorbs better than what I was using previously, meaning that I don’t feel sticky all day. My only other symptom was continued breast tenderness.

Sleep: Even though I’ve been sleeping with my Snoogle every night, I inevitably wake up around 3:30 AM sleeping on my back. For the first few days this worried me, for fear I was hurting the baby, but my doctor confirmed that as long as I am spending more time on my left side than my back she should be fine.

Wearing: I continue to live in my AG Maternity Jeans, turtleneck and a flowy vest.

Other random things from the week: I’m not sure if it’s nesting mode or what but I’ve started deep cleaning the kitchen every night after we cook and eat dinner. I don’t think our kitchen has ever been cleaner. I also started switching our kitchen cleaning products to more natural items, especially our counter top cleaner.

Your turn: Any questions? Anything that you loved during your second trimester or any tips?

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Staying Hydrated and Satiated During the Second Trimester

As you guys know, I’m almost half way through my pregnancy. I pinch myself on a daily basis in disbelief that I’ve been on this wild ride for more than four months!

IMG_0360

Even though I am feeling energized these days, there are a few things that remind me daily that I am definitely growing a baby girl.

  • Early morning workouts aren’t very frequent. I used to be the queen of morning workouts, often waking up before 6 AM to workout before enjoying coffee, breakfast and work. These days, I find myself pushing snooze anytime I set the alarm for earlier than 7:30 AM.
  • I’m ALWAYS thirsty. Regardless how much water I sip throughout the day, I can’t seem to quench my thirst.  I try to ensure I have access to water throughout the day, keeping water at my desk and on my bedside table. The other thing that is helping is keeping our refrigerator stocked with sparkling water.
  • As of last week, I am ALWAYS hungry. Trust me, I’ve read enough books and spoken with enough doctors and friends to know that many people start eating for two WAY too early OR tend to eat for four instead of two. I am being concious of what I put in my body, but also listening to my cravings and hunger cues.  This means that I’m packing more snacks than ever before when I head to the office, gym or even out to run errands.

After trying to figure out the best way to answer my pregnancy cravings, I’ve found that eating lots of fruit helps me satiate both hunger and thirst. Whether it’s fresh grapefruit at breakfast or berries and yogurt for dessert each evening, I’m always just a few hours away from my next serving of fruit. Luckily, these handy Del Monte Fruit Refreshers are perfect for grab-and-go snacks that pack in the flavor without the unwanted additives like high fructose corn syrup, GMOs, artificial flavors or colors!

IMG_0359

If I’m heading out for a workout, I’ll toss it in my bag to enjoy right after class. When I’m in our WeWork office I keep a pack in the fridge for easy snacking. They are currently available in four different flavors:

  • Red Grapefruit in Guava Water (holy yum!)
  • Pineapple in Passion Fruit Water
  • Mandarin Oranges in Coconut Water (love the coconut water twist)
  • Grapefruit & Oranges in Pomegranate Water

These handy snacks are like fruit cups for grown ups – not too sweet and packing in a full serving of fruit in each 100 calorie cup. Around 3:30 each day, I find myself enjoying one of these alongside a handful of almonds and cup of tea.  Next time you’re at Target, Walmart or your local grocery store I suggest tossing a pack in your cart. You’ll thank me when these give you an afternoon pickup when you need it most.

IMG_0361

To learn more about Del Monte’s Refreshers product line, visit www.delmonte.com, or visit their Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook channels.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Del Monte . The opinions and text are all mine.

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Baby Diamond – Week 17

Good evening! I hope you all are having a great week. Today seemed like it would never end. I was at my desk working non-stop for more than 12 hours and seriously feel as if I could fall asleep right as I type this post. Even though I’m feeling great, my hunger and exhaustion reminds me multiple times during the day that I’m 19 weeks pregnant. Yup, we hit 19 weeks yesterday so we are just a week away from half way – CRAZY. I am going to upload two pregnancy posts this week so I can catch up. Hope you guys enjoy and, as always, keep sending any questions to me via Twitter, leaving comments or sending me an email.

17 week pregnancy

Baby Size: Navel Orange

Weight Gained:  At my doctors appointment I found out that I have only gained 10 pounds. It seems the 12 pound gain I showed during my last appointment must have been caused by retaining water weight or I ended up losing weight over the past four weeks since my activity level increased from my first trimester. My doctor says I’m right on track and feels that as long as I continue eating and working out as I have been, I’ll be right on track to gain a healthy amount during the rest of my pregnancy.

Workouts: I had so much fun working out this week before I came down with a stomach virus for weekend. The week’s workouts included Bar Method, Flywheel, my first private prenatal Pilates class, an elliptical session at the YMCA, prenatal tower Pilates class and OrangeTheory.

img_0836

Cravings: My cravings evolved a bit this week as I was hungry non-stop. I found myself craving ALL the fruit and vegetables in addition to sparkling water, popsicles, and Mediterranean food. I think I had homemade Greek salads or Cava Grill salads three times this week!

cava grill

Food Aversions: Unfortunately, brussels Sprouts or any other vegetable with a strong smell when cooked, like broccoli, don’t appeal to me.

Symptoms: The only real symptoms I felt this week were dry skin, breast tenderness and hunger.  

Sleep: Sleep started to become difficult as I sleeping on my back is no longer comfortable. I tried using pillows to keep me comfortable, but ended up borrowing my friend’s Snoogle. This helped make my time in bed on Saturday and Sunday while I was sick SO much more comfortable.

Wearing: So far my daily wardrobe continues to be a JCrew tissue turtleneck, AG maternity jeans and a wrap sweater or vest. By the end of the week I was sick of this clothing and logged on to StitchFix, requesting a maternity box. I can’t wait to share the items with you as the box was the perfect way to add a few new things to my wardrobe! I also went through my workout clothing and now have only one drawer of workout clothes that fit.

Other random things from the week: Unfortunately, I learned first hand just how weak a preganant woman’s immune system is. Even though I scrubbed our home and slept in a separate room, I still came down with the stomach virus Bo had earlier in the week. While he was able to fight off the virus after a day, I was in bed and unable to hold down food for almost four days.

Your turn: Any questions? Anything that you loved during your second trimester or any tips? 

Share Button
Follow: