How am I feeling? I haven't taken iron this entire pregnancy since I had such an intolerance to it when I was pregnant with Cameron & lately I've been suspecting that I could possibly be anemic. I've found that I'm short of breath a lot, have heart palpitations at times & just feel so worn down. A lot of these symptoms could just be related to the pregnancy in general, but I know I'm at a greater risk for anemia now that I'm in my 7th month of pregnancy & my little Reese is needing more & more from me. It's standard for doctors to test for anemia at the beginning of pregnancy & I was fine then, but it's rare to be anemic that early on. Once you hit about 20 weeks, you're at increased risk because of the rise in blood volume & the baby's additional needs. So, I've started taking a liquid iron supplement called Floradix that is more easily absorbed & kinder to the GI tract! I've also changed my prenatal to a whole foods vitamin containing iron which is also better tolerated & can even be taken on an empty stomach. And to top that off, I'm taking a probiotic supplement to help with digestion.
Since I'm a dietitian, I know what I should be eating each day but it's not always easy when things get hectic. I've started making a breakfast fruit smoothie each morning with a scoop of ground flax seed for a dose of omega-3s & a serving of Metamucil. I feel like a 90 year-old woman on the mission to keep things moving! And speaking of moving, I've also been wearing my new pregnancy "girdle" to help with the pelvic pain & pressure I've been dealing with. Nothing makes me feel sexier than when I strap that bad boy on each day! Getting ready for work has begun to feel like a science experiment with all my belts, straps & contraptions!
Any new changes this week? Besides my list from above? No, not really!
Weight gain? 10.5 pounds.
Pregnancy looks good on you! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cheryl! You too!!!
ReplyDelete