Fish – While fish has a lot of health benefits - high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, low in fat, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding you need to watch how much and what kind of fish you eat because of toxic levels of mercury found in many fish today. Mercury is very dangerous to healthy growth of fetuses, babies and children.

Avoid fish, like shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, which are high in mercury. It's okay to eat a small amount of fish that have minimal levels of mercury. You can eat up to 12 ounces of these fish a week. The 12 ounces can include:

* Shrimp, salmon, pollock, catfish and canned light tuna
* Albacore (white tuna): Don't eat more than 6 ounces of this tuna in one week

If you have additional questions about the types of fish you can or cannot eat, check with your doctor.
Want more prenatal health & nutrition tips? Join the Luna Moms Club!

I posted something on facebook today about Pregnancy Awareness Month & a smart alecky friend of mine said "what does that mean, knowing you're pregnant?", so I figured, like the ex-teacher I am, that if 1 person didn't get it- there are probably more of you that are confused, but unwilling to raise your hands.. :)

Pregnancy Awareness month was started by Anna Getty as a way to empower pregnant women with information, “how to” ideas and inspiration to incorporate PAM’s four key initiatives – education, exercise, nutrition & wellness and nurture – into their life routines and to show women how easy it can be to make healthy changes in their lives for themselves and their children.

Check out the website for more information www.pregnancyawarenessmonth.com for more information & resources.

In celebration of Pregnancy Awareness Month every Stroller Strides & Fit4Baby class across the country is FREE this week. Totally 100% free. All you need to do is print out the coupon which you can download from this post or here and bring it to class.

As your April Newsletter described, May brings us the Healthy Momma Challenge (previously known as the Healthy Mama Challenge).

What is the Healthy Momma Challenge?
The HMC is a program that all Stroller Strides locations across the country are holding during the month of May to celebrate us- moms! Don't know about you, but I love a celebration- especially when it is centered around me.. :)

Using the Stroller Strides motto that "Healthy Moms Make Happy Families" we will begin a month- long self improvement mission on Wednesday, May 6th. For one full month you will take care of yourself FIRST (think of the what they tell you on an airplane- it's YOUR oxygen mask before you assist others) and for each positive thing you do for your mind, body & spirit you will get points. You will be in teams of 3 moms (they do not have to be other Stroller Strides moms or even moms here in Flagstaff) and the team with the most points on June 6th will WIN!

What do you win?
Besides a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyles you will win prizes! They include:
- haircut & color
- massage
- mani/pedi
- Stroller Strides gift certificates
- other misc. weekly prizes

Click here for more Health Momma Challenge info and here for the registration forms.

Get your teams together ladies! Its time to put yourself first, without losing cabin pressure.. :)

In the car today I heard this story on NPR. Click to read or listen to the story.
A general summary-
Doctors see a rise in birth defects in babies conceived during Spring planting season. Why? Most conventional farms in the U.S use chemicals once their crops start to grow- some of which are banned in Europe, but still allowed here. These chemical pesticides eventually run-off into our surface waters and the USGS has found that between April & July there tends to be higher pesticides in our water. Fetal exposure to these pesticides is linked to male genital problems and may be linked to things like Spine Abifida, Cleft palate & Down Syndrome.

Now, I'm not mentioning this to scare anyone.. Well, maybe I am a little bit. As mothers we have POWER, we don't use it a lot of the time- but think about it. If all the mothers in the U.S got angry & told someone about it- how quickly do you think things could change? While we are working on that- think about what you put into your body & your child's body. Take control on the local level first.
And until we can change things... Help raise money for the March of Dimes, who helps families effected by some of these issues. Join us at the March for Babies this Sat 4/25 @ Buffalo Park. Can't be at the race? Sponsor one of our walkers!

Our theme this quarter is prenatal & new mom nutrition and our fundraising beneficiary is the March of Dimes- we will all be walking in the March for Babies on 4/25 at Buffalo Park. Sign up to be on our team here.

Week #2

Do you double your portions because you’re now “eating for two”?

Not so fast. The recommended weight gain for the average pregnant woman is 25-35 pounds. It only takes approximately 300 extra calories a day to meet this recommended weight goal. Great, extra calories, you say? A snack equivalent to 300 calories is an 6-ounce container of yogurt and a 1/4-cup of raisins. So you can see while you are eating for two, you are not eating for two adults. You are eating for one adult and a fetus that starts off the size of a grain of rice!

For those of you that don't know, yesterday was closing day at Snowbowl. In keeping with tradition, I dressed up in a silly costume with 2 of my girlfriends. Until the pictures are uploaded, I'll just decribe my outfit as a skin-tight yellow ski-racing suit. I mean SKIN tight. While we were waiting in line for the chairlift we were discussing how the suits were great because they forced us to keep our stomachs sucked in. We also noticed that by keeping our bellies in we were skiing better AND it forced us to have better posture.


As you've been told in class, keeping your tummy in, not only works your abs, but also protects your lower back. It is also really hard to keep your belly in tight all day- try it. If you can't handle all day, keep those abs in when you're lifting things (like a 20+lbs toddler) or getting out of bed or off the couch and you will absolutely see a difference in how your back feels at the end of the day.

Our new Luna Mom's Club topic for this quarter is Prenatal Health & Fitness (good timing for all the pregnant ladies popping up at class lately). To celebrate this topic we are walking in the March for Babies on 4/25 & helping to raise money for the March of Dimes & all the amazing work they do.

Healthier eating starts now

When women become pregnant, they are more likely to make improvements in their nutrition than at almost any other time in their lives. One change to make right from the start is to switch over and eat organic foods as much as possible. Organic foods are grown without most of the pesticides that are used in conventionally grown foods.

If you are finding it difficult to switch over to organic foods at once, start with milk and meat products (beef, chicken, pork), and the “dirty dozen”, which are the fruits and vegetables that you want to buy organically from the get-go because they are the most contaminated with pesticides. Studies show that eating these fruits and vegetables will expose a person to nearly 20 pesticides per day, on average.

• Apples

• Bell Peppers

• Celery

• Cherries

• Imported Grapes

• Nectarines

• Peaches

• Pears

• Potatoes

• Red Raspberries

• Spinach

• Strawberries

So if you’re starting out with baby steps, make the switch to organic with these fruits and vegetables first.