Are you looking for tips on how to get pregnant? This is a time when the health of your body and of your partner’s body is incredibly important. Here are some tips that you may find helpful as you try to become pregnant.

How to get pregnant tip #1:

Don’t expect instantaneous results. Try to think of this as a time to relax. You have probably spent a large number of years trying to avoid becoming pregnant. This may have been very stressful at times. Now that you actually would like to become pregnant, you don’t have to worry about that. You will be happy when it happens. Remember that and use this time as an excuse to have a lot of fun sex with your partner.

How to get pregnant tip #2:

Don’t listen to what everyone else tells you about when and how to get pregnant. You are an individual and what your mom tells you that worked for her aunt won’t necessarily work for you. Chances are, whatever they did wasn’t in the end related to the pregnancy anyway. You will hear a LOT of wives’ tales when people find out that you are looking for tips on how to get pregnant.

How to get pregnant tip #3:

Talk about your frustrations. If you have been trying to get pregnant for some time, you may start to be anxious or angry. There are all sorts of emotions that can surface while you are trying to change your life in such a big way. Instead of snapping at your partner, try to express how you feel. Use “I statements” to explain what your feelings are, instead of blaming the other person. You will feel better, and you will build up a stronger relationship in the process. The process of finding how to get pregnant and then having a child together will be challenging. Use good communication strategies to help everyone during this time.

How to get pregnant tip #4:

Take care of yourself physically. If you are planning to become pregnant, your health not only affects you, but the baby that you will eventually have. Now is the perfect time to stop smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, exercise regularly, and eat a well balanced diet. Make small goals for yourself and work from there. Maybe you can start today by taking a 15-minute walk around your work building, and then eating an extra serving of vegetables for dinner!

How to get pregnant tip #5:

To actually become pregnant, you will have to either have sexual intercourse or undergo infertility procedures. If you are planning on going naturally (which is definitely the first technique to try to become pregnant), then make sure that you are taking plenty of time to visit your partner. Turn the lights lower and spend time alone together. You will be pregnant in no time!

RECOMMENDATIONS AND IDEAS FOR HEALTHY EATING FOR PREGNANCY

Breakfast

Fresh fruit smoothie: Blend any fresh fruit (with some natural unsweetened live yoghurt (soya, goat or cow’s) and a handful of mixed seeds (e.g. pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and linseed).

Tip: if you are in a hurry, add fresh orange or apple juice to dilute your smoothie so it’s easy to drink, then put in a beaker and take it with you.

Boiled, scrambled or poached egg with buttered oat cakes or rye toast. – Wholegrain rye toast spread with nut butter (almond, cashew, hazel or peanut)

Mix a handful of oats in a bowl of live natural yoghurt and top with a few pieces of chopped fresh fruit and a handful of chopped nuts.

Spread some cream cheese on corn cakes or wheat-free bread/crackers and top with wild or organic smoked salmon.

Porridge cooked in water with grated apple and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Tip: soak oats in water for 10 minutes before cooking – this will bring out their creamy flavour, so there’s no need to use milk. Add some hot stewed apple and berries

An omelette (filling ideas: grated cheese and red onion, mixed fresh herbs, chopped tomatoes and peppers, garlic mushrooms and watercress, smoked salmon).

Baked beans on rye toast.

DRINKS

Herb teas instead of caffeinated tea. There are so many varieties now, experiment until you find one you like. Rooibosch (Red Bush) tea is the closest to ‘normal’ tea and can be drunk with milk.

Caro, Barleycup and Dandelion coffee are all caffeine-free coffee alternatives. Teeccino is a delicious coffee substitute that you make in a cafeteire (comes in different flavours, e.g. mocha, vanilla nut, almond amaretto)

Instead of alcohol, mix fruit, elderflower or ginger cordials with sparking water.

SEEDS are rich in protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals – grinding them helps to release their nutrients. Aim to have a heaped tablespoon each day and add to cereals, yoghurt, soups or salads.

Buy some fresh, unsalted seeds – pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and linseed (also called flaxseeds – the golden variety is richer in essential fats than brown).Using a coffee grinder or a grinding attachment from a food processor, grind a mixture that’s 50% linseed and 50% a combination of pumpkin, sunflower and sesame. Grind enough to fill a small glass jar (choose glass rather than plastic as plastic can damage the essential fats in the seeds). Store your jar in the fridge. Ideally, keep your unground seeds in a dark cupboard to protect them from light or oxygen damage (essential fats can be damaged easily).

ENERGY BOOSTING SNACK IDEAS

An apple and a handful of pumpkin or sunflower seeds

A pear, peach or other seasonal fruit with 10 fresh almonds

Three oat cakes with nut butter (almond and hazelnut butter is a delicious alternative to peanut – buy in healthfood shops).

Mackerel, salmon or mushroom pate on two ryvita (beware pate in pregnancy unless homemade and without fresh mayonnaise/egg).

Carrot and celery sticks with hummous.

Berries stirred into a small pot of natural yoghurt.

QUICK AND EASY MEAL IDEAS

Roasted vegetables with pesto crusted chicken or fish: Add a pesto-coated organic chicken breast or fish fillet (organic salmon or cod works well) to a baking tray of part-roasted vegetables (e.g. new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, courgettes, onions, garlic red and yellow peppers) and cook for a further 10-20 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Chickpea and apricot tagine: To a basic tomato sauce (i.e. a tin of chopped tomatoes added to an onion and garlic clove softened in olive oil), stir in half a finely chopped red chill, a pinch of ground cumin, a handful of chopped dried apricots and three handfuls of chopped mixed vegetables (e.g. carrots, courgettes and baby corn). Add water if necessary to make a nice sauce consistency, then season and simmer for 15 minutes. Add a tin of chickpeas and cook for a further 10 minutes, then stir in a handful of fresh chopped coriander and serve with couscous, quinoa or brown rice.

Haddock poached in a parsley and lemon tofu sauce: Blend half a block of silken tofu with a clove of garlic, the juice of half a lemon, some chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Add to a pan with two haddock fillets and slowly simmer so that the fish poaches (about 15 minutes, but keep checking). Serve with steamed broccoli or green vegetables and brown rice.

Baked potato and sweet potato filling ideas:

Hummus (home-made ideally); Ratatouille or baked beans topped with grated Cheddar; Cottage cheese with chives or spring onion, mixed with chopped red or yellow peppers, cucumber or prawns; Roasted vegetables and pesto; Tinned or smoked salmon mixed with cottage cheese or crème fraîche; Cannelini or butter beans mashed with anchovy fillets and black olives, with lemon juice and black pepper; Steamed leeks, broccoli or cauliflower florets mixed with cheese sauce; Hard boiled egg chopped and mixed with cottage cheese or crème fraîche and chopped parsley; Guacamole (again, make your own or buy in the deli section of your supermarket)

DELICIOUS SALADS (perfect for a light meal or packed lunch):

A simple salad of mixed leaves and chopped raw vegetables can become a nutritious and delicious meal in moments if you keep your fridge stocked with deli delights such as artichoke hearts, sun blushed tomatoes, olives, hard boiled eggs, peppers, sweet baby peppers, anchovies, smoked fish and slices of lean white meat.

Smoked organic trout fillet (a delicious alternative to smoked salmon that is packed with Omega 3 Essential Fats) with flageolet beans or lightly steamed broad beans mixed with lemon juice and black pepper.

Hot smoked organic trout or salmon, or smoked organic mackerel, flaked through whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice, millet or couscous, with chopped raw vegetables. Season with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, black pepper and chopped fresh herbs.

Tofu chunks (marinated in tamari or soy, ginger, garlic and sesame oil and brown rice syrup), stir fried for seven minutes or till golden and fairly crisp. Toss through whole grains as above, or stir into buckwheat noodles with finely sliced cucumber and seaweed (packets of dried varieties can be found in the Oriental section of supermarkets). Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve warm or chilled. – Mixed bean salad with peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, sweet baby peppers and chopped hard boiled egg, with a tomato and basil dressing.

Chickpeas dressed with paprika, lemon juice, black pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt or Solo low sodium salt and parsley, with quinoa.

Warm potato salad with passata (sieved, chopped tomatoes – buy at your supermarket), with a dressing made from olive oil, paprika, chillies and crushed garlic.

Taboulleh of couscous, bulgar wheat, millet or quinoa with chopped cherry tomatoes, spring onions, cucumber, parsley, mint, olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning.

Whole radishes, crumbled feta cheese, broad beans and alfalfa sprouts.

Blueberries and apricots on green leaves such as lamb’s leaf or spinach, with feta cheese crumbled over the top.

EASY PUDDINGS

Raspberry sorbet: Liquidise frozen raspberries and bananas to a smooth purée.

Apricot whisk: Purée a handful of apricots (fresh or dried) with half a cup of low-fat curd cheese or silken tofu lightened with two whisked egg whites.

SHOPPING LIST: NEW FOODS AND BRANDS TO LOOK OUT FOR!

Nairns oatcakes (wheat and sugar free) Terrance Stamp wheat-free breads Boridinsky rye bread Pumpernickle-style rye bread (e.g. thin slices of dark bread Sugar-free peanut butter (I like Whole Earth brand) Cashew, almond and hazelnut butters Fresh, unsalted seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and golden linseed) Intelligent Eating or Columbus eggs (rich in Omega 3 essential fats) Fresh, unsalted nuts (e.g. almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, brazils, cashews or mixed nuts) Frozen berries – look out for blueberries, summer fruits, forest fruits and raspberries. Organic oats – If having them cold, look out for small rather than jumbo oats (you should also find these in a healthfood shop). Rooibosch tea (Tick Tock is a good brand) Elderflower or ginger cordials Quinoa

It’s important that you COMMIT TO EATING BETTER QULAITY FOOD TODAY! Pregnancy is only 9 months long and your precious little one needs those nutrients for proper growth and development, not to mention you need them for strength and energy
]]> http://pregnancytip.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/the-foods-you-need-to-eat-during-pregnancy/feed/ 0 pregnancyweekby http://pregnancytip.wordpress.com/2009/08/04/pregnancy-tips/ http://pregnancytip.wordpress.com/2009/08/04/pregnancy-tips/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:50:00 +0000 pregnancyweekby http://pregnancytip.wordpress.com/2009/08/04/pregnancy-tips/ ]]> Being pregnant is one of those points in your life when you need to follow your practitioner’s advice, take extra special care of yourself, keep healthy and put you and your baby first. Check out these pregnancy tips to help you enjoy this special period of your life. · Good prenatal care is important for the health of your unborn child. Make an appointment as soon as you know you are pregnant and don’t skip any of your prenatal appointments. If there are to be any problems with your pregnancy the sooner they are detected the better! · One of the best pregnancy tips I can give you is – stop smoking, preferably before you get pregnant but certainly once you are pregnant. Smoking is bad for the baby’s health, even secondary smoke so avoid smoky environments and ask people not to smoke around you. · Stop drinking. No level of alcohol during pregnancy has been proven safe so stay off the alcohol throughout your pregnancy and while nursing. · Exercise. Always check with your health care practitioner to make sure you get the amount of exercise that is right for you (in some circumstances exercise is not advisable) but as a general rule exercise is beneficial. It has been shown that exercising while you are pregnant can help reduce the time you spend in labour, aid your recovery following the birth, reduce the need for cesarean, help you return to your pre-pregnancy weight quicker and improve your overall health. · Swimming is an excellent source of exercise which can help ease your aches and pains. · Another top pregnancy tip is to change your eating habits as soon as you find out you are pregnant. Eat foods that are high in fibre, eat plenty of vegetables and include foods rich in iron, calcium, protein and folate in your diet. · Talk to your health care provider about what you should eat and how much weight you should gain. If your diet is unlikely to contain sufficient folate, iron and calcium your practitioner is likely to recommend that you take supplements. · Eat foods that are high in fibre, eat plenty of vegetables and include foods rich in iron, calcium, protein and folate in your diet. · Eat a balanced diet and eat regularly. Don’t skip meals and don’t try and diet during pregnancy. Remember you are eating for two so you need to add 300 – 500 (healthy) calories a day to your diet. · Limit your caffeine intake (tea, coffee, chocolate and soft drinks). · Drink plenty of water, six – eight glasses a day. · Join a prenatal class. · First hand experience with babies is invaluable experience. If you have any friends or family with a baby offer to baby sit, get some experience and learn the ropes. · When the nursery is being prepared remember, you as the expectant mum, must avoid all harmful fumes such paint stripper, paint and wall paper glue and delegate the heavy work. · Don’t forget to baby proof your home. · If you don’t have life insurance then now is the time to take out a policy. · Make sure you have a Family Health Insurance Plan. · Get your bags packed well in advance, you might have a due date but that doesn’t mean that your baby intends to stick to it! · Pregnancy tip number 1. If you ever have any concerns over the way your pregnancy is developing, or what you can or cannot do, always seek the help and advice of your health care provider.