8 common mistakes every pregnant woman makes!

Even if you know everything about right eating habits, exercise and other nuances of pregnancy, there are still chances that you might fall prey to some of the most common mistakes that every expectant mother (mostly first-time mums) makes, albeit unknowingly. However, don’t fret about things now, there is still time for you to rectify your mistakes and get back on track. Here are some of the most common mistakes that women make during pregnancy.
#1 Eating for two: Your daily calorie requirement is roughly between 1800 to 2000 calories. Do you really think that a tiny fetus growing inside you would need those many daily calories to grow and develop? The answer is no. What your baby needs is the correct nutrition. The rule of thumb here is that, you need only 300 calories more than your normal calorie intake. Remember gaining excess weight during pregnancy can put you at risk of conditions like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and could necessitate you to have a C-section during your delivery. It can also lead to various other health problems postpartum. Know how much weight is too much during pregnancy and how to exercise weight control.
What you should do: If you have been eating your heart out all this while citing pregnancy as an excuse, check your diet immediately. Stick to three portions of fruits, stock on greens and raw vegetables and bank on nuts and eggs for the right kind of proteins. The idea is to have six small balanced meals throughout the day and keep yourself hydrated. Keeping hunger pangs at bay by eating right will help you restrict your diet to only what is absolutely necessary and check your cravings.
#2 Self medication: Did you know that you are supposed to refrain from using antacids, paracetamol or even acne creams once you are pregnant? Self medication can have adverse affect on your pregnancy. Using over the counter medications, self medicating or undergoing harsh beauty treatments could lead to congenital abnormalities in your baby.
What you should do: Remember you cannot self medicate at any cost during your pregnancy. Only take pills that are prescribed by your doctor. If you have noticed that your prenatal vitamins and iron doses are making you feel nauseated talk to your doctor for a change of brand. These vitamins and iron supplements are prescribed to you to meet the requirements and you can’t do without them. If acidity, headache and acne is troubling you get help from a professional. Here are few home remedies for skin care during pregnancy.  
#3 Lack of sleep: If you thought that sacrificing on your sleep can help you get a work-life balance, know that pregnancy is no time to play superwoman. The hormonal and physical changes that happen within your body during pregnancy demand more rest. Less sleep would in fact add to your pregnancy-fatigue. Also, try and make up for all your sleep deficit, because your body will need you to be physically fit enough to go through the strains of labour and delivery. While resting and getting enough shut eye is a must, exercising is also of immense importance in order for your body to prepare for the arduous journey of being in labour.
What you can do: If you have been sleeping for less than five or six hours in a day, its time you sleep more. Try by going to bed an hour earlier and waking up an hour later. To fix things on the home front, hire a maid or ask your family to chip in and help. Check if your employer will allow you to take a power nap during your breaks. If not, then don’t miss out on naps during the weekends. The key is to find a balance between resting enough and oversleeping. Oversleeping tends to  make your body crave more sleep. This can spell trouble, post delivery, when your baby has erratic sleep cycles and your body yearns for more sleep. Here are six practical ways to help you sleep swell during pregnancy.
#4 Not talking to your baby-bump: Pregnancy can be stressful and leave you tired and exhausted. All this fatigue can take away attention from your baby bump — unless you experience your baby’s kick. But that’s not a healthy way to be reminded about your baby. Experts say that it is essential to bond with your baby-bump before you receive the actual reward.
What you should do: Put a hand on your belly and while gently caressing it, talk to your baby, often. Paying attention to your baby bump helps you bond with your baby and stimulates it’s senses too. But it is never too late, even if you have reached your third trimester you can still experience these blissful baby-bump moments. Here are eight reasons why talking to your baby-bump is a good idea. 
#5 Avoiding comfort foods:  If you have a sweet tooth, it’s a good practice to limit your sweet intake a little after the second trimester. Putting a check on your sweet intake will help you prevent the chances of suffering from gestational diabetes and other allied problems, but stressing yourself about not having a bite of  your favorite sugary treat will only increase anxiety levels in you, which in turn can affect your baby’s well-being.
What you can do: Reach out for a bar of chocolate or a piece of kajukatli when you crave for it, but remember to do it in moderation. The same would be applicable for spicy and fried foods too. If you are not sure that you can stop at one kajukatli or few pakoras, ask your husband, mother or a friend to sit with you and monitor your intake. Stop when they signal you. Cheating is not going to harm others but you. Here are top 10 superfoods you should have during your pregnancy.
 #6 Not exercising: If you are a ‘non-exerciser’ you will tend find excuses to sit back and relax. Most women would say that their daily commute, taking the stairs in their office, residence building or doing the usual household chores constitutes enough exercises and help burn those extra calories. But not exercising during pregnancy can harm your body like no other. Exercise helps to combat stress hormones, boosts circulation, prepare the body for labour and delivery and help in fetal growth and development. Remember daily wear and tear is no substitute for exercise.
What you should do: Start exercising from the initial days of your pregnancy. If you are a beginner, discuss your plan with your doctor and how you should go about it. If you have already started hitting the gym, have a detailed discussion with your trainer on how you can alter your regimen to suit your special needs. Remember not to do anything drastic or take up any new challenges during your pregnancy. Most importantly avoid putting any pressure on your core (stomach muscles). If you are well into your pregnancy and have not exercised enough, start to make time for it. Take walks after dinner or in the morning and slowly graduate to pregnancy yoga, but get yourself a coach or practitioner to help you stay on the right track. Here are five ways in which you can start exercising during pregnancy.
#7 Deciding on healthcare hastily: Before you decide on a hospital or clinic, ask yourself what kind of birth you prefer and if your doctor and the hospital has the means to support your decision. Birthing is a personal emotional experience and you wouldn’t want it to be ruined by not expressing your desires. Read up on the various types of birthing and choose what you would prefer for yourself. If it is hypnobirthing or water birth that you want, check if your hospital can help you with one. If not you surely should look elsewhere. Here are five things that will happen after the delivery for which you need to be prepared.
What you should do: Write a neat and clear birth plan on what you need and how to meet the criterion. Even if you are in your last trimester, just don’t give up hope. Ask yourself if you are comfortable with your doctor, if you feel at ease at the hospital or if your questions about birthing and delivery have been answered appropriately by the hospital staff. If not, talk to your friends around and explore other options. Make appointments with the other practitioners and be firm during the discussion about why you are looking for a change.
#8 Not joining an antenatal class: Everybody told you there is nothing to be learnt from your antenatal class, and you will learn more about pregnancy experiencing it on your own. But ask yourself, ‘Do you know enough about post natal care?’ ‘How to breastfeed right?’ ‘What to eat to lactate well?’ ‘What exercises should you do during pregnancy?’ ‘How to manage labour?’. Sure there will be family to help you. But there is no harm if you want to do it on your own and here is where antenatal classes come in handy. Antenatal classes will give you all the information you might on pregnancy and childcare and prepare you for the onslaught of delivery.
What you should do: Pick up a class during your first trimester when things are still in the nascent stage. In this way, you will have a lot of time to learn and do the right things for you and your baby. If you have missed out then look for a crash course in an antenatal program. You sure won’t be disappointed.

LET THE TASTE DO THE TALKING..... with Maggi, every Woman is a STAR!

APOSTLE AYODELE BABALOLA IN AN OPEN CRUSADE AT THE EARLY PART OF HIS MINSTRY

INFINITE PRAISE CONCERT

5 Messages Teens Need to Hear

Words are of more importance than we often realize. Words can wound, maybe even kill, but they can also affirm and build up. What we as youth leaders tell our teens matters. The words we use can make a difference. Here are 5 messages teens need to hear from us as youth leaders:

1. God loves you, no matter what

This is the most important truth of them all and one that we should keep repeating every single time we talk to teens. No matter what you have done, no matter what you will do, God will always love you. He loves you even if you’re the biggest sinner that ever walked the face of the earth. He loves you when your depressed and cutting yourself, he loves you when you’re having sex with your boyfriend or girlfriend, he loves you when you’re angry all the time, he loves you whether you’re gay or straight or confused…There is absolutely nothing you could ever do that would make God stop loving you. Let’s tell teens that and affirm them in God’s love for them again and again.

2. I love you

It may sound too cheesy to say, but do you know how many teens are longing to hear someone say this to them? Show them you love them in spending time with them, investing in a relationship with them. But don’t forget to say the words as well. Hey man, I love you, you’re like a little brother to me, you know that? I love you girl, I’m so blessed to know you and to have you in my life. Say the words and watch them make a difference.

3. I forgive you

Teens will mess up. At one point or another, they will make a mistake, cost you money or end up hurting you. How you react to this can have a huge impact on them. The words they need to hear are: I forgive you (possibly followed by: And I still love you!). Teens need to know that they have the room for mistakes, that messing up every now and then is okay.

4. No

I’ve been reading a book called Generation iY and the author paints a startling picture of the current generation of teens (I’ll be reviewing the book later this week). One of the things he states is that this generation is spoiled. One one hand their parents are usually overprotective and hovering, but on the  other hand they are afraid to set clear boundaries, deny their kids requests and simply say no.
Teens need boundaries, they need rules and they need to hear you say no. As a youth leader, it’s important to remember that you are not their buddy or BFF, you are their leader. They follow you, not the other way around. That means setting boundaries and lovingly saying no when teens cross them. You may feel like you’re hurting them by saying no, but in the end it’ll be better for them…and for you.

5. Hang in there and don’t quit

Barnabas is the best example of an encourager in the Bible. What hit me as I read about him encouraging young believers, was his message to them:

“(…) strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying: ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God’.” (Acts 14:22 NKJV)

Encouraging our teens doesn’t mean telling them it’s all gonna be okay, that things will look better tomorrow, or that others have it way worse. Barnabas encouraged young believers by telling them the truth: struggles and trials are part of the life as a Christian. Just hang in there and don’t give up. And I’d like to add: and you’re not alone. Those are words teens need to hear.

Being a teen has never been easy and it sure isn’t nowadays. Teens need our support and encouragement, both in their every day struggles, as in their faith. But let’s encourage them with the truth, not with platitudes. Let’s help them to continue in their faith, to hang in there and not quit.



Author: Rachel Blom
Rachel Blom has been involved in youth ministry in different roles since 1999, both as a volunteer as on staff. She simply loves teens and students and can't imagine her life without them. In youth ministry, preaching and leadership are her two big passions. Her focus right now is providing daily practical training through www.YouthLeadersAcademy.com to help other youth leaders grow and serve better in youth ministry. She resides near Munich in the south of Germany with her husband and son. You can visit Rachel at www.YouthLeadersAcademy.com 

How Did John the Baptist Prepare for Christmas?

Including today, there are precious few days until Christmas Day. Thanks for the reminder! In retail terms, that means only a few more days to purchase gifts for special somebodies (if the truth be known, anybody and everybody).

That's the Christmas spirit! Shop until you drop. Buy as much as you can and then some. Spend money you don't have. Max out the credit card. Get another credit card. It's about the economy. Buy! Buy! Buy! Don't misunderstand. There's nothing wrong with spending. Merchants have to make a living, and the days between Black Friday and Christmas Eve are crucial.

The problem comes when we spend too much, especially on ourselves, and fail to prepare properly for Christmas. Unfortunately, this secular-humanistic culture teaches that a lot of stuff is the way to happiness, so we spend an enormous amount of time preparing our lives for more stuff, especially during December.

I wonder how John the Baptizer would respond if he were to show up during Advent in any given city in America today—whether New York or Cadiz, Ky., my small hometown? He would be aghast at how we prepare for Christmas. Our bug-eating, wash-them-down-with-honey ancestor prepared the way for Christ in his proclamation of repentance and practicing the rite of baptism as the ritual to show repentance after one confessed his or her sins.

It is important to consider how we are preparing for Christmas early during Advent. All of us will shop in the course of the next several days—some more than others. Perhaps we should prepare for Christmas with some tips from the Baptizer, as it is articulated by the first evangelist, Matthew.

Prepare with Repentance

The kingdom is near! Get right with God! Christmas Day is near! Understand the significance of it! Christmas is about Christ. It is His birthday we celebrate. We honor Him by honoring each other with presents. This is all good. Perhaps a change of thought and practice, though, should occur. Repentance is about that—changing.
Maybe we repent by not spending so much. Maybe we give an amount equal to what we spend on ourselves to a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. Maybe we invite homeless families into our homes on Christmas Day to join our families for dinner. Of what do you need to repent, given that Christmas Day is about the kingdom of heaven—and it is near and it is here?

Prepare with Simplicity

John would have fit right in my generation's clothing of the late '60s and early to mid-'70s! Wild and bizarre! Something was different about him. The way he dressed and what he ate evidence a simplicity that's lost in our culture. December is dubbed by that Christmas favorite, "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." True. Add to that, though, it's the most stressful time of the year!
Simplifying our lives might be a good way to prepare for Christmas. Limiting ourselves is a challenge, especially when it comes to clothing and food. However, it's not just those items. We go from one Yuletide function to the other, never pausing to reflect through reading accounts of Matthew and Luke of what happens or a good book about the Christmas (Christian) life. Slow down and simplify!

Prepare with Worship

People came to John to be baptized as they confessed their sins. Obviously some confessing of sins should take place as we prepare for Christmas. There is something else here, I think. Baptism is an act of worship. Maybe the symbolism for us is that we go out from our homes and places of business to the church or some other meeting place for worship and worship Christ. Together, one with another, we declare the mighty deeds of God's salvation and what a deed is God's coming to us in His Son, Jesus Christ. Set aside some times to worship privately and communally. Be deliberate about this.

How will we prepare for Christmas? With repentance, simplicity and worship.

Author: Jimmy Gentry

FRESH OIL 2015.... DON'T MISS IT.... BE THERE

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