Flutters of Motherhood, Sparkling Clean

Two women, Hena Skelton and Deleisha Collins, are students at the University of South Alabama (Go, Jags!) have written a booklet of poetry entitled, "flutters of Motherhood" as part of their studies.

For the next few Saturdays, I will post one of their poems. I hope you enjoy them.

Sparkling Clean

"I'm sparkling clean,"
she says with bright
blue eyes as she wiggles
into her princess nightgown.

Her warmth rises
from her arms
and newly dried hair.

She begs for lotion
on her little legs
and giggles that it tickles.

Snuggled now,
wrapped tight like a newborn
she yawns and blinks sleepily.

"Night, night Mommy"
Night, night my love.


Hena Skelton
©Hena Skelton 2009 All rights reserved

Hena Skelton is a senior at University of South Alabama majoring in English Literature. She is married and mother of six wonderful children, five girls and one boy.

Flutters of Motherhood, What Matters

Two women, Hena Skelton and Deleisha Collins, are students at the University of South Alabama (Go, Jags!) have written a booklet of poetry entitled, "flutters of Motherhood" as part of their studies.

For the next few Saturdays, I will post one of their poems. I hope you enjoy them.

What Matters

Twelve soft hands,
not yet weathered
by work.
Twelve tiny feet,
not yet worn
by miles.
Twelve multicolored eyes --
four chocolate
four caramel
two pine
two blue
All still looking for answers,
for stories, to please
and for praise.
My two hands
to heal,
my two feet
to walk,
my two eyes
to see these children grow.

Hena Skelton
©Hena Skelton 2009 All rights reserved

Hena Skelton is a senior at University of South Alabama majoring in English Literature. She is married and mother of six wonderful children,
five girls and one boy.

Weight Gain During Pregnancy

Not the blog entry you wanted to read during the holidays, but weight gain during pregnancy is one of the most distressing issues to many pregnant women. Some pregnant women try desperately NOT to gain any weight. Others find the period of pregnancy as a food free-for-all taking the the old adage, "eating for two" quite literally. Both of these attitudes can be harmful both to the baby and the mother. So today we will take a look at Weight Gain During Pregnancy, what's good, what's not good and how to go about it in a healthful manner.

HOW MUCH WEIGHT SHOULD I GAIN?

You should expect to gain 1-4 pounds in the first trimester and the rest of your weight spread out evenly over the remaining trimesters.According to the March of Dimes, exactly how much you should gain during your pregnancy is really determined by your pre-pregnant weight status.

If you came into the pregnancy at a normal weight (as described by your physician), then an average weight gain during pregnancy would be 25-35 pounds over the nine months. Most women will not gain much weight in the first trimester, so that would mean you would gain about one pound each week in the second and third trimesters.

If you came into the pregnancy underweight (as described by your physician), you should probably gain a little more weight than the woman of normal weight. This is because underweight women have a higher chance of having lower birth weight babies. A weight gain of 28-40 pounds is usually recommended.

If you came into the pregnancy overweight (as described by your physician), you should probably gain a little less than the woman of normal weight. Gaining 15-25 pounds over nine months would be recommended. However, you should never attempt to lose weight during pregnancy as this can harm your baby.

If you came into the pregnancy obese (as described by your physician), then you would want to gain only 11-20 pounds over the nine months.


So now we know about how much weight gain we should be experiencing,but where does all that weight go?

WHERE DOES THE WEIGHT GO?

There is much more to making a baby than just the baby! Here is the average breakdown of a 25-35 pound weight gain:

Baby 8 pounds

Placenta 2-3 pounds

Amniotic fluid 2-3 pounds

Breast tissue enlargement 2-3 pounds

Blood supply 4 pounds

Fat stores for breastfeeding 5-9 pounds

Uterus increase (muscle cells) 2-5 pounds

Total 25-35 pounds


CAN I DIET WHILE I AM PREGNANT?

It is never a good idea to try to limit your calories while you are pregnant, unless your physician has you on a calorie restricted diet because you are diabetic. Having said that, it is important to realize that you only need approximately 300 additional calories each day to support your pregnancy. That is actually less than when you are breastfeeding, when you will need 500 calories more each day!

WHAT DO I EAT?

• Try to eat small frequent meal throughout the day
• Try to eat colorful fruits and vegetables
• Try to increase your protein intake. On tablespoon of creamy peanut butter is 100 calories and provides seven grams of protein
• Avoid sweet and sugary drinks which offer no nutrients but plenty of calories
• Use fats in moderation

CONCLUSION

When you are tempted to feel bad about that number on the scales, think about how much weight you will lose the day of delivery! Or divide that number by two and then it won't seem nearly as bad!

Remember, you aren't just gaining weight, you are growing a baby. That's your super-power -- you can make a baby! Eat the right foods to give your baby all the nutrients he or she needs to develop as healthily as possible until delivery.

Flutters of Motherhood, Ballerina

Two women, Hena Skelton and Deleisha Collins, are students at the University of South Alabama (Go, Jags!) have written a booklet of poetry entitled, "flutters of Motherhood" as part of their studies.

For the next few Saturdays, I will post one of their poems. I hope you enjoy them.

Ballerina

She is a ballerina dancing to her own beat;
she doesn't care what others think,
she lets her inner self shine.
I wish I were more like her.
She is a ballplayer singing
at the end of each game,

a princess covered in dirt.
She is a rock star in high heeled
shoes, a diva, a tomboy;
she is whatever she want to be.
I wish I were more like her
wearing plaid with stripes, red with purple,
and different colored socks with Sunday shoes.
Her inner beauty overpowers
everything else. She is
enjoying every second of life.
I wish I were more like her,
a little ballerina with a ball cap on,
sitting in Mommy's lap,
staring with diamonds
in her eyes. She whispers. . .
"I wish I was more like you."

Deleisha Collins
©Deleisha Collins 2009 All rights reserved

Deleisha Collins is a junior at University of South Alabama majoring in Creative Writing. She is married and mother of two beautiful children, a boy and a girl.

Flutters of Motherhood

Two women, Hena Skelton and Deleisha Collins, are students at the University of South Alabama (Go, Jags!) have written a booklet of poetry entitled, "flutters of Motherhood" as part of their studies.

For the next few Saturdays, I will post one of their poems. I hope you enjoy them.

Run, Mommy, Run

My legs are tired from running all day,

There is so much to be done,

So little time to play.

Dishes, dusting, vacuuming,

The Housework never ends.

Meals cooked, then cleaning again,

Storing leftovers, a quick chat with friends.

Cleaning laundry and setting out uniforms

For the morning ahead,

Making breakfast, fixing hair,

Lunch money, school work,

Making up the bed.

Endless chores, yes indeed,

I move so fast my

Life is passing at an enormous speed.

And just when I am so tired I can't think,

My son crawls in my lap and kisses me

Tells me he loves me

And makes my heart sink.

I close my eyes and remember

Why I do what I do,

For these little moments,

when I look at my children

and whisper. . .

I do all this for you.

Deleisha Collins
©Deleisha Collins 2009 All rights reserved

Deleisha Collins is a junior at University of South Alabama majoring in Creative Writing. She is married and mother of two beautiful children, a boy and a girl.