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The Institute of Medicine is out with new recommendations regarding weight gain during pregnancy. The new guidelines were developed by a group of doctors, nutrition experts and public health officials. These new weight gain guidelines are the first in almost 20 years.
The new pregnancy weight gain guidelines for women carrying a single fetus are:
- Underweight: 28-40 pounds
- Normal Weigh: 25-35 pounds
- Overweight: 15-25 pounds
- Obese: 11-20 pounds
If you are carrying multiples you should talk to your doctor about what the weight gain is appropriate for you given your weight before becoming pregnant and how many fetuses you are carrying.
The IOM also recommends that women schedule a prepregnancy consultation with their doctor to discuss their prepregnancy weight (among other things) and if it is safe to begin a pregnancy at their current weight. Overweight women are more likely to experience complications during pregnancy and are more likely to need a c-section. Your doctor may recommend that you begin to manage your weight with a healthy diet and exercise before you attempt to become pregnant.
The new guidelines are similar to the previous recommendation from the IOM with the exception of the recommendations for obese and overweight women. The new guidelines show that women going into pregnancy already overweight need to take extra care during pregnancy to avoid excessive weight gain.
As any pregnant woman will tell you it can be difficult to maintain a good, healthy weight gain. Excercise during pregnancy (if permitted by your doctor) is a great way to both control your weight gain and stay healthy during pregnancy. Practicing healthy eating habits is a great way as well (although it isn’t always easy to turn down that extra donut or that whole bag of cookies!!!).
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection anywhere along the urinary tract. The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, the bladder, the ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), and the urethra (tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body). Urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria getting into the urinary tract. The bacteria can cause an infection and inflammation at any point along the urinary tract so the infection may be in the uretra, the bladder or the kidneys.
Urinary tract infections are fairly common in children with about 8% of girls and 2% of boys suffering from one at some point during their childhood. They are easily treated, however, if left untreated can cause permanent kidney damage so be sure to take your child to the doctor if you suspect a UTI.
Depending on the age of your child it can be a little difficult to identify a urinary tract infection. Younger children who cannot communicate well will not be able to tell you what is going on. Here are a few of the symptoms to look for that may indicate your child has a UTI: Continue reading
A couple of weekends ago we visited Simpson Lake, which happens to be right in our own backyard here in St. Louis. It was a mere 15 minute drive from our house and yet I didn’t even know it existed!! It is located in Valley Park, MO (a suburb of St. Louis), find it on the map here.
Me at Simpson Lake
The park was nice, especially for something in the middle of suburbia. It isn’t huge but there is plenty to do. There is a fantastic playground that Maya had a blast playing on. It is huge and not really meant for littler ones but as long as one of us climbed up with her she did great. The equipment is practically brand new. Unfortunately, they choose blue for the slide and it does get a bit hot in the sun so be careful. I think Maya would have been happy if we just spent the whole morning playing on the playground equipment.
Maya playing on the huge playground equipment
One of our favorite things to do as a family is hike. My husband loves to put Maya in the backpack carrier and go for a little hiking adventure. There isn’t really any hiking at Simpson Lake, but there is a nice little path the goes around the west side of the lake. It has some very nice views of the lake and is a nice easy walk 1 mile walk. The path is paved so really anyone could tackle this path, even those in wheelchairs or with strollers. We enjoyed our little stroll.
Walking the path at Simpson Lake
The lake is great for kayakers and canoers. In fact there was a kayaking class going on while we were there. We also saw several people fishing off the docks. You can also take a boat out on the lake, but only those with electric motors, no gas motors allowed.
Overall, we were impressed. Maya loved the playground, there are plenty of places to eat a picnic lunch, the path was nice, and the water access is great if we want to go canoeing here sometime. If you live in the St. Louis area and you are looking for a quick little afternoon activity that won’t cost you anything I would definitely recommend checking out Simpson Lake. We certainly enjoyed ourselves.
Going for a little stroll at Simpson Lake
I’ve decided to start a new series of posts on my site called, Fun in Missouri. I’ll write about the places we visit, giving you details on the area, fun things to do with children, whether we liked the spot or not, along with some great pictures.
The idea is to provide families who live in Missouri, or will be visiting the area, with some ideas of fun family activities. I hope you enjoy it, and if you have any suggestions on places you think we should visit please leave a comment or send me a message.
Parent-Child swim classes are a great way to get your infant or toddler to get used to the water not to mention being a great way for you to get comfortable dealing with them in the water. Maya took her first swim class at 7 months and absolutely loved it; she has taken 3 classes since then. She loves the water and just loves the games she gets to play and the songs she gets to sing in swim class.
Maya in her kiddie pool last summer.
The idea behind parent-child swim classes is to introduce little ones to the water, and get them familiar with what to do in the water in a relaxed environment. For babies it is really about just splashing in the water, but as your baby gets a little bit older they will learn things like kicking, grabbing onto the wall, climbing out of the pool, blowing bubbles and holding their breath under water. They learn these new skills through games, singing and instructor led activities.
If you haven’t thought about parent-child swim classes for your child you might want to look into. They are often inexpensive and offer not only a chance for you to get out with your child but a chance to interact with other parents and your child to interact with other kids. Most YMCAs, recreation centers, and public pools offer parent-child swim classes. Contact your local parks and recreation department or YMCA to find out what is available in your area.
Maya just loves going to swim class. She learned to blow bubbles, kick and climb along the wall with her hands during her most recent class. Now that the weather is nice we will be starting swim classes at our local outdoor public pool in a couple of weeks. We spend a lot of time in the water as a family so swim classes were a natural fit for us. It is so fun to watch her face light up as she splashes and plays in the water!
Maya playing in the lake last summer.