Top Foods to Eat During Pregnancy

I wanted to share with all you expecting moms of some healthy foods you should add to your diet. According to Allison Tannis, the co-author of The 100 Healthiest Foods to Eat During Pregnancy, the following are some of the best foods out there.

1. Almonds are filled with with calcium, protein, fiber and magnesium and a handful can stave off midday hunger.
2. Apricots are a good source of iron and fiber in your morning oatmeal, in granola or eaten by the handful.
3. Brewer's Yeast, sprinkled on popcorn, is full of B vitamins for energy.
4. Ginger is a great anti-nausea food you can sip in teas or add to stir fries. For a treat, try nibbling on small amounts of candied ginger.
5. Kiwi is high in vitamin C and is delicious when added to a fruit salad or sliced and eaten along with any meal.
6. Popcorn helps fight nausea. Making your own popcorn, as opposed to microwave packages, lets you control the amount of butter and salt.
7. Salmon is a terrific source of omega 3s, is low in calories and is a source of protein that is critical to the baby's development.
8. Spinach and other dark leafy greens are packed with nutrients and a good source of fiber.
9. Water and ice are crucial to staying hydrated during pregnancy. There's no need to drink extra calories in sports drinks and calorie-loaded treats from your coffee place. Water quenches thirst and can fill you up before a meal.
10. Wheat germ is a source of fiber, minerals and energizing B vitamins. Sprinkle it on yogurt or cereal, bake it into muffins or use it in place of breadcrumbs when coating fish or making meatballs.




Best wishes,
laTersa Blakely

Foods to avoid when pregnant!

Calling all my expectant mothers!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to share with you some foods that you should avoid when you are pregnant.  I know you are probably saying, here we go again.  I shouldn't do this or I shouldn't eat this or that.  I want to save you a few headaches that I had during my pregnancy.  I was a little hard headed at the beginning.  I still wanted to try to slip in a soda every now and again.  "Bad mistake".  My baby had me up all night long.  It felt as if I had given him a one way past to my bladder and my chest.  I had heartburn on top of heartburn. He was so active, that he literally thought he was the next Michael Jordan.  He's was playing alley hoop on my bladder.  But, enough of my stories, here are a list of foods you should avoid:

1) Deli meats
2) Fish with mercury
3) Smoked seafoods
4) Raw eggs
5) Raw shellfish
6) Unpasterized milk
7) Soft cheeses

For a completed list of more foods to avoid, click here!

Best wishes on your bundle of joy!
LaTersa Blakely

Breastfeeding and its benefits!

(baby nursing from mommy's breast)

Did you know that breastfeeding your baby is on the rise now a days!  Well, I wanted to share with you some benefits of breastfeeding for you and baby.  Now, I have a confession to make: I did not breast feed my first child because I just could not get the hang of it for nothing in this world.  I bought a breast pump and it hurt like crazy, not to mention my son pulling my breast in every direction but the right one.  I nursed my son for about two weeks and I threw in my towel!   Now, looking back on it, I wish I had stuck with it because there came my second child, and Boy, breastfeeding her was second nature.  She came into this world trying to eat every and anything that got close to her mouth.  I mean, the nurse came in and put Sarah up against my breast and she was the happiest little baby girl in the world.  It was so much joy and fun nursing her! We would do little songs while feeding her and we really did bond.  I enjoyed it so much that I nursed her for approximately 10 months....  I guess you're wondering when is she going to give me the benefits of breastfeeding:

1) Its healthier for you and baby.  Breast milk has more nutrition in it that only the mother can provide.  Now, again the mother has to eat right because everything she eat is making up in the milk.

2) You and baby can bond.  This will be a chance for you to learn your baby character and how he/she responds to your voice.  I mean I could go on and on about the joys my daughter and I had while I was nursing her.

3) It saves you money.  While other mothers will have to spend money on buying formula and bottles, you won't have that problem.  You can feed your baby without having to go fix a bottle or open a can of formula. Now that's heaven when your baby starts to cry or get hungry and all you have to do is turn over and give him/her your own milk.

I hope this helps you keep the stress level down when deciding to breast feed your bundle of joy.  Let me know if I can be of more assistance to you. Best wishes to you and your family this year!

Warm Regards,
LaTersa Blakely
http://www.diapercakesbylatersa.com
256-603-5353