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The key is to consume the right amount of calories from the right kinds of foods to support your activity level. Activity levels determine how many calories a day you can eat without gaining weight. If you are not moving much or expending much energy, you will want to decrease your calories to prevent those pounds from creeping up.

Some tips for healthy food choices include:

·       Focus on adding healthy foods, rather than just taking away unhealthy foods.

As your baby and belly grow you will notice some changes in your skin as well. Here are some tips to protect your skin as your body adjusts to pregnancy:

·       Limit your weight gain to only what your OB provider or midwife recommends. This will limit the amount of stretching your skin will experience during pregnancy.

·       Cocoa butter can help diminish the appearance of stretch marks and help fade skin imperfections.

Lovelace Women’s Hospital has been an active partner in the community of Albuquerque supporting health and wellness through a number of community outreach activities and two annual events growing in popularity – Girls’ Night Out and Day of Dance. The message behind the outreach is to encourage the community to take an active role in educating themselves on how to improve their health and how to access resources available to support a healthy lifestyle.

When the unexpected happens and a new parent is living with depression, the situation can be frustrating. Pregnancy, mood and anxiety disorders can affect the whole family. There is no magic wand to cure depression and recovery may feel slow, but with a plan and dedication to health care, support and communication, it does get better over time. No matter how hard you try, or how much you love your partner, recovery takes longer than you want. You have to wait this out with each other.

As you support your partner, it is important that you also take care of yourself:

At Lovelace Westside Hospital we value the relationships we establish with our patients and their families. Our recent Patient Family Centered Care (PFCC) designation supports a style of care where the needs and choices of patients and their families define the care they receive.

“Having the PFCC designation shows our dedication to continual improvement in providing compassionate, caring, quality and safe delivery of care while partnering with the people who matter most; patients and families,” says Patricia Pacheco, Medical-Surgical Department director.

Addiction, depression and anxiety are examples of mental health conditions. One in five Americans are affected during their lifetime, which means every American is impacted either directly, or through their friends and family. Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition.

Women who have never used yoga for fitness can still use yoga to prepare for childbirth. Physical movements and postures can create flexibility and strength for mom as her baby and body begins to grow and change. Breathing techniques from yoga were the inspiration for Dr. Lamaze and the creation of his natural childbirth process. Another part of yoga, beyond the physical, has to do with being focused, present and mindful. These three aspects combine to increase mom's comfort during pregnancy, labor and even breastfeeding.

Have you ever felt like the world is waiting for results at all hours of the day and every day of the week? Well, I have. The fast-paced world that we live in can sometimes take over our time and attention. It is so easy, as a mother or parent, to get tangled up in the web of demands. The old adage “if momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” is actually true. If we forget to take time for ourselves, we won’t be able to perform at the peak of our abilities when our kids need us most. If you feel like the world is weighing on your shoulders:

Your life has been filled with appointments and events surrounding the arrival of your newest family member. Remember that taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your little one. When you are well, your care of others (baby, partner) improves too. It is not a selfish obsession to care for you. It is necessary for you in order to be healthy mentally, emotionally and physically. Self care allows you to be fully present for all the sweetness life has to offer.