“It’s a weird time to be pregnant”

Among the people whose lives are being turned upside down by the coronavirus are many pregnant women. As new moms prepare for one of the most intense and emotional experiences of their lives, they face the possibility of delivering babies in hospitals filled with COVID-19 patients — and plans they've made for where to give birth and who will be there with them are often now in question. Amongst these new moms is Ashley (@blissfully_buchanan)! She shares her story with us...

“It’s a weird time to be pregnant. My parents can no longer come help us. I have to walk through the length of an entire hospital every week for my appts now (the side door directly to my midwives has been closed off). Everyone going in for anything has to use one entrance. 😷 My “week off” before birth has been cancelled. I had a whole week planned...the kids would be at school/daycare, I’d be off work (home alone all day) and the hubby would take over everything I normally do at home. It was a week for me to pamper myself and relax before delivery. Of course now we are all social distancing together. That time alone was self care I needed before bringing another life into my world. Hospitals across the country are modifying labor and delivery policies in efforts to keep moms and newborns safe. Some mothers are being forced to labor alone. Fathers are missing the birth of their children. My hospital has gone back and forth on enforcing this. As it stands now...after I deliver my husband will have to go home and check on our other children. The hospital won’t allow him back in. I wouldn’t see him again until discharge. I’m doing my best to stay positive. As much as this virus is altering our lives in ways that are undesirable, it’s managed to bring us some joy. The irony. We get to spend so much more time together since work and school is all at 🏡 home. Shiloh tries to stay 2 steps behind his dad and it’s the cutest thing to watch all day. 

Waking up with my kids every morning is SO much more enjoyable when I don’t have to pack several bags and rush out of the house. There is no racing against the clock. Shiloh wakes me up with the loudest, SPITTY kisses and I love it. Saige dances around the house all day when she’s not doing school work. I have more free time to play card games and sit down to watch tv with her. Usually I’d be way too exhausted after work for either. Although I’ll miss out on the type of me time I wanted, the extra slow paced time with my family has been beautiful. I’m more than ready to meet Willow and introduce her to this crazy thing called life 💕 And that is my ONE long caption for 2020. 😌”

Motherhood.

Motherhood. 

15 minutes of pushing and here it is! Motherhood. Or for some it’s that blissful 9 months of carrying your baby. I love being a mom but it didn’t happen over night or over 9 months. 

My expectation of motherhood is that I would just know. I would be able to sleep train my baby with nerves of steel because of course, I worked with children. I would be able to snuggle the sickness out of my child because I’m her mother, aren’t my snuggles magical? 

But there I laid after 15 minutes of pushing with my newborn on my chest blissfully unaware that this intense feeling of worry and anxiety would last. Did mothering instincts come in like your milk? Would I wake up the next day and have engorged mothering instincts? Expectations are a bitch. I had no idea I would worry about everything. Motherhood is the ultimate Instagram slide of expectation vs. reality. 

The incredibly high expectations I had for motherhood, I put on myself. What I realized over time is that there is no manual for motherhood. My type a creative self would just have to figure it out on my own. To this day, I still have no idea what I’m doing, but this I know, my expectation for myself as a mother begins and ends with one thing: love my daughter fully, unconditionally, and endlessly, and that I can do. 

By

thejenningsgirls

Mom & Digital Creator

Our Mother, Educator, Survivor

Three Pregnancies…I’m Glad I Did It!

I am the mother of three wonderful children. I am almost ashamed to say this, but my first pregnancy was unexpected, for I was a teenage mother. My second pregnancy was as normal as normal could be, while the third could have taken my life and that of my unborn child. Ugh! Let me begin with the first…

Pregnancy #1

I have always been good girl. I was active in church, I hung around positive people, I was a good daughter, and an excellent student. Even though my family lived in poverty, God placed within my heart the willingness to be a good person. Despite striving to be upright, I liked a popular guy at school, and we dated for about four months until he began to pressure me to have sex with him. I resisted him as long as I could, but he threatened that he would break up with me unless I had sex with him. I was afraid because I was a virgin and I knew I would sin against God if I gave in to this charming guy who said he would never hurt me. Peer pressure really sucks! I did it! I had sex with this guy, yet I didn’t even want to do it! I hated myself for giving in to him and for being so weak. Soon afterwards, I despised him because he rejected me and treated me as if I didn’t matter! He lied to his family by telling them that he was not involved with me. That hurt! I gave up my virginity to a guy who didn’t respect or love me and I knew God had to be mad at me, too. 

As time passed, I realized I was pregnant, but I ignored the fact that a baby was growing inside of me. Three months passed…my belly was swelling! Uh oh! Four months passed…I was getting bigger! My clothes were getting smaller and my body was getting bigger. I was having a hard time hiding my pregnant belly from my mother and father. Upon the sixth month, my mother looked at me, unexpectedly, and asked me if I was pregnant. With tears running down my face, I could no longer hide from her. For six months, I denied my baby proper prenatal care until Mom found out! She was angry with me, but she immediately took me to the local clinic, where they ran some tests, determined I was truly pregnant, and started a regimen of prenatal care so I could care for the baby I was completely neglecting. For the rest of my pregnancy, I took care of my baby by eating right, taking my prenatal vitamins, and getting the proper rest I needed in order for my baby to grow and develop properly. Even though my ex-boyfriend denied my baby, she was mine and I had to do all I could to make sure she was healthy. Upon the 9thmonth of pregnancy, she was born! She was healthy, happy, and beautiful. The delivery of my baby girl was the easiest delivery of my three pregnancies! Four hours and 21 minutes! The contractions were minor up until the last few…they were pretty rough! Whew! 

That story was tough to rehash, for I have suppressed it for 33 years. With God’s help, I raised my little girl through a time of poverty, denial and uncertainty. Even though it was difficult being a teenage mother with very little support, I knew God would never leave me! He had my back all along! How do I know this? My baby, who is now a 33-year old woman, who works as a USDA Inspector and is currently a small business owner, loves Jesus and adores me for the sacrifices I made for her. She is now my best friend and I am so pleased that she successfully made it through this crazy journey with me. I love you Kristian! 

Pregnancy #2

Once I got my act together, I married an amazing guy and after a courtship for a couple of years, we decided to get married. During premarital counselling, I expressed to the Pastor that I did not want to have any more children since I already experienced an emotional, life-altering, and difficult experience while raising my daughter. Having more children seemed like so much of the same pain and suffering that I went through while raising Kristian. The Pastor assured me I needed to trust that God will allow my husband to provide for my family. I submitted to this man and I became pregnant with my second child. When I found I was pregnant, I immediately began to take care of my unborn child by filling my body with only good stuff! And yes, I TOOK MY PRENATAL VITAMINS EVERYDAY! HA! I didn’t experience morning sickness, my skin glowed, I was happy, I was healthy, and I actually lost weight, even though I craved watermelon several times a day…thank God I was pregnant during the summer months when watermelon was at its peak season. 

During my second delivery, I received an epidural! The best med I believe God could have ever created! I didn’t feel a thing. This delivery ended with a beautiful baby boy that had the longest cone head I have ever seen. That head worried me, but the nurse told me I could mold his precious little head. Every time I held him, I softly caressed his little dome…lol! Now he has a perfectly round “BIG” head (at least underneath all of the hair that these teenagers tend to grow). My baby grew beautifully! I must believe it was due to the excellent care I gave him while he was in the womb. Skipping ahead 17 years, my son is a handsome, God-fearing, 215-pound linebacker/running back, that is highly intelligent, and will most likely attend any of the Ivy League Schools that have reached out to him. All I can say is…Goooo Julian! I’m so proud of you! Did I mention that his career objective is become to be an ophthalmologist…so proud!

Pregnancy #3

All I can say is that God must have really wanted this little guy to be on this Earth! This pregnancy posed the biggest struggle and tested motherhood during and after pregnancy. It was during this pregnancy that I was diagnosed with Protein S deficiency after presenting to the ER with several small pulmonary emboli at the base of my lungs. Evidently, I could have died due to the PE, but the meds that were prescribed are known to cause genetic defects in unborn babies. At that point, I was under the care of a Hemotologist, a Neonatal Specialist, and an OB/GYN. I had to regularly visit the doctor from one to three times each week. Once I reached my fourth month of pregnancy, my OB/GYN insisted that I be placed on bedrest due to a thinning cervix. My incompetent cervix could have led to a premature delivery. With the idea of a premature child born with a genetic disorder looming over my head, I stayed in bed while taking injections in my tummy twice daily and going to the doctor more than desired. This was frustrating and unnerving to me because this third child was also unexpected. He turned my life upside down. The Neonatal Specialist told me that I could have an amniocentesis performed at 36 weeks to determine if my baby was fully developed and if he was going to be born with defects. I was informed that my baby was perfectly normal, and I could deliver early because his bodily systems were able to operate on their own. Little did I know that an induced labor was very painful. The Pitocin that was used to dilate my cervix caused extreme pain. Labor with this little booger lasted for 26 hours. I was extremely overwhelmed when he was born. I had so many mixed emotions. 

Even though this little boy was completely healthy, he cried sooooo much. Kristian, Julian and I would just sit and look at him in amazement while he was fussing because he seemed to cry for no reason…even after all of his needs were met…go figure! 

Fast forwarding 16 years, this fellow is one of the most compassionate, endearing, athletically-gifted, intelligent, talented, God-fearing young men I have ever known. Even though he has had his bout with injury, I know that he will be one of the most successful Therapists in Sports Medicine that will ever be known. I am so happy that Myles is here to share life with me! I love you so much!

“O LORD, you have examined me, and you know me. You knitted me together inside my mother. I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this. Your eyes saw me when I was only a fetus. Every day ⌊of my life⌋ was recorded in your book before one of them had taken place. How precious are your thoughts concerning me, O God!”

Psalms 139:1,13-14,16

To all of my babies…”Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” I Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV 

Many Blessings To All The Mothers, Educators, and Survivors! Gods Got You!

~ Kyra Beris ~

Mother, Educator, Survivor

Life Balance | Self Care

Congratulations on embarking into the motherhood journey. No matter what point of the journey you are on today, you have probably heard the buzz words: life balance and self-care.

Motherhood is a role in life that you will continue to discover and understand the beauty of these words.The biggest thing to remember in this role is patience and flexibility with one’s self. Motherhood brings about the simple joy of loving, encouraging, shaping and molding another human life. This role allows us to help create more amazing human beings. We get to inspire the future leaders.

Our roles as mothers happen through verbal and non-verbal actions and words.  One non-verbal action comes from the way we take care of ourselves. We are role models for our children. As a child, I saw my mother make sacrifices for our family daily. I also watched the moments when she would go and sit in her favorite blue chair and just be quiet. Or she would go into the garage and read or sit quietly. I don’t recall my father or anyone every saying to me, “do not disturb mommy.” I just knew those moments were her times. I knew if she was in the garage or that blue chair; it was an invisible visible DO NOT DISTURB sign. I also remember every time my mom came from those places; she was ready to take us on. My mother showed us how to take care of ourselves and how to strike a balance in our lives.

What’s your blue chair or garage? Every state of motherhood whether the planning, first trimester, toddler, teenager or adult stage needs a blue chair or garage. These simple activities bring about balance in life and allow care for self. As we care for ourselves and find balance in life, we become the best versions of ourselves, as mothers.

Care can be as simple as understanding the things that you need to function like food, water, and shelter. Finish this statement, I feel cared for when...name three things.  Now figure out ways to make sure you are getting these things daily and weekly. This action can be as simple as plugging into your schedule fifteen minutes to do breathing exercises or time to read or making sure you drink 12 glasses of water.

Balance. Think of the teeter totter from your childhood playground or the image of Lady Justice. Balance does not always mean getting everything or perfection.  It means an even distribution allowing someone to be steady. Sometimes balance can be a day getting most things done and pushing other things to tomorrow’s list. Balance means being okay to say “no” or “later” or “not this time.” Finding balance takes time and may change definitionally for you daily. Balance may be staying in bed longer due to morning sickness, or sleeping when the baby sleeps versus doing laundry, or trading a spin or exercise class this week to go to your child’s recital or taking the midnight call from your college student or adult child. BUT it also means doing laundry another day and rearranging your schedule or getting a babysitter to exercise later in the week or next week.

When thinking of balance and care remember to be patient with yourself and leave room for flexibility. A strong support system promotes self-care and life balance. We are not islands, therefore we need to surround ourselves with people who will care for us and help us find life’s balance. The joy of self-care and life balance is as we help ourselves we help our children as well.

Best & Blessings

Monica Dixon , Creative Writer, Teacher & Life Coach

PreNata Team

Lets Talk Folate!!!

As you know, folate, fiber and iron are essential nutrients for you and your growing baby. What you may not know is that you can get all three by eating the vegetables that you love. 

Lets talk Folate!!!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates in 2005 that neural tube disorders (NTD), spina bifida and anencephaly accounts for 30 in 100,000 live births Maternal medical disorders such as diabetes and obesity have been linked with the risk of NTDs. Additionally, studies have shown that Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites have higher rates of NTDs than African Americans and Asians. It is very important that women who are pregnant achieve adequate levels of folic acid. This is done by consuming a healthy diet that includes foods fortified with folic acid, providing folic acid supplements and consuming a combination of supplements and a folic acid-rich diet. NTD can be prevented if pregnant women consume a sufficient amount of B9 daily before conception and during the first trimester. Pregnant women should therefore consume 400 μg of folic acid daily.

Folic acid, or folate, is an important nutrient available in many popular fruits and vegetables. For a healthy pregnancy or well supplied nervous system, try adding these high folate foods to your diet:

Lentils
Lentils contain 358 mcg of folate per cup or 90% of the RDA.

Pinto beans

Pinto Beans contain 294 mcg per cup or 74% of the RDA.

Garbanzo Beans 
Garbanzo beans contain 282 mcg per cup or 71% of the RDA.

Asparagus
Asparagus contains 268 mcg per cup or 68% of the RDA.

Spinach
Spinach contains 263 mcg per cup or 66% of the RDA.

Collard Greens
Collard greens contain 177 mcg per cup or 44% of the RDA.

Broccoli 
Broccoli contains 168.4 mcg per cup or 42% of the RDA

Beets
Beets contain 136 mcg per cup or 34% of the RDA.

Orange Juice
Fresh orange juice contains 74.4 mcg per cup or 19% of the RDA

Papaya 
Papaya contains 53mcg per cup or 13% of the RDA

Sustaining optimum nutrition during pregnancy is extremely vital. The developing baby requires a constant supply of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to develop properly and the mother requires additional nutritional provisions in preparation of labor, delivery, nursing and motherhood. It is very hard to achieve the required nutritional requirements within a normal diet, this is the primary reason doctors prescribe prenatal vitamins during pregnancy. The doses of these nutrients prescribed for pregnancy have been adjusted to meet the needs of pregnant and nursing mothers.

Here at PreNata Smoothies we encourage you to select a prenatal supplement of you choice that meets your desired taste and lifestyle. PreNata Smoothies is a complete prenatal multivitamin fruit smoothie that includes the minimum B9 supplement requirements that can be easily consumed by the expecting mother.  This product provides the same essential nutrients found in prenatal pills, that is easy on the stomach, rich in calcium, and antioxidants. Make PreNata Smoothies your prenataal supplement of choice, you will be glad that you did!

Best & Blessings

~ Kris Lewis