10 Ways to Potty Train Without Using Training Pants

Posted on September 4, 2017

The Real Diaper Association estimates that the average family spends up to $1,600 on disposable diapers during the first two years of a child’s life. In addition to being expensive, disposable diapers also trap moisture against your little one’s delicate skin, often resulting in painful diaper rash that can leave her uncomfortable and irritable.

When the time to toilet train your child arrives, the idea of using what’s essentially a disposable diaper vaguely shaped like underwear may not be particularly appealing to you, especially if she’s prone to rashes and your budget is tight. While disposable training pants have become a widely accepted tool for potty training toddlers since they were first commercially introduced in 1989, parents have been helping their children reach this milestone for centuries without the assistance of these relatively expensive and decidedly non-eco friendly products.

These 10 tips can help you make the switch from diapers to the potty, without resorting to disposable training pants.

Be Prepared and Patient – Learning to use the potty is a major transition for your child, and it isn’t one that’s likely to happen overnight. In the weeks leading up to the big day, take any available opportunities to prepare your little one to discard her diapers. It’s also wise to prepare yourself for a few setbacks. Even the most eager and dedicated parent will struggle with potty training a child that isn’t ready, so remember that this is a big step for her and try to be patient.
Invest in a Moisture-Resistant Mattress Cover – Nighttime accidents are an unfortunate reality for almost all children, especially in the early days of potty training. If you’re determined not to use disposable training pants or diapers at all, it’s a good idea to purchase a barrier to protect your child’s mattress.
Talk About the Potty – Even if your toddler isn’t excessively verbal, she’s still able to understand basic concepts when you explain them to her. Take the time to talk about why she needs to use the potty, both in the days leading up to the transition and during the toilet training process.
Offer Visual Representations – Using dolls or reading one of the many illustrated children’s books on the subject of potty training can help your child grasp the concept a bit more firmly by providing her with visual representations.
Maintain Method Consistency – If you’re determined to go cold turkey, with no diapers and no disposable training pants, it’s important that you consistently maintain these practices. Getting frustrated with the process and slapping a diaper or pair of disposable trainers on your child will only send her mixed messages and make it more difficult for her to make the transition from diapered child to a fully potty trained one.
Frequently Ask Her if She Needs to Potty – When your child is actively engaged in an enjoyable activity, there’s a very good chance that she’s so absorbed in what she’s doing that she doesn’t notice the urge to use the bathroom. Making a habit of reminding your child about the potty and asking her if she needs to use it can reduce the frequency of accidents caused by distraction.
Visit the Bathroom Often – Though you should ask your child if she needs the potty on a regular basis, it’s also wise to insist you visit the restroom together fairly often as well. Until your child learns to recognize the sensation of needing to eliminate and is able to connect it with a trip to the potty, she’ll rely on you to help her avoid accidents.
Reward Successful Restroom Trips – If your parenting philosophy includes rewards for good behavior and successfully reaching milestones, make sure that you provide a reward each time your child uses the potty to reinforce the behavior.
Communicate With Childcare Providers – Your efforts to maintain a consistent method of potty training will be foiled if your nanny or daycare provider puts a diaper or disposable training pants on your child the moment you leave. Make sure that her caregiver is on the same page as you, and is willing to maintain the same training practices that you do when you’re at home.
Consider Elimination Communication – If you’re able to devote the time and energy required into the infant toilet training method of elimination communication, you can almost forgo the entire diapering process. According to Contemporary Pediatrics, almost half of the children in the world never wear diapers and are completely potty trained by the time they’re a year old. This method is largely used in Africa and Asia, but is becoming more popular with North American parents.

Because disposable training pants feel and act so much like the diapers that your child is accustomed to wearing, they can actually impede the toilet training process for some children. By wicking moisture away from your child’s skin initially, disposable trainers can make it difficult for her to realize that she’s wet. While this can make them an ideal choice for overnight use in some cases, using them throughout the day can easily confuse a child who still feels like she’s wearing the same diapers she’s always worn.

Photo: PullUps

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12 Ways to Keep the Spark In Your Marriage After Baby

Posted on August 27, 2017

While it’s no secret to any couple past the honeymoon stage that marriage requires work in order to be successful, it can come as a surprise to new parents just how much raising children changes the dynamic of a marriage. Keeping the ever-elusive “spark” alive after babies come along can be one of the biggest challenges that a married couple faces, but it’s absolutely possible.

These 12 pointers can help you maintain the great relationship you have, even when the demands of parenthood begin to weigh on you both.

1. Put in the Effort – It may seem simple on the surface, but just remembering to put some effort towards maintaining your marriage when you’re exhausted, mired in the world of potty training or just trying to keep up with a demanding family schedule can be a challenge. Just like anything else worth having, a marriage does require at least some effort from both parties to continue running smoothly.

2. Try to Focus on the Good Things – Becoming fixated on the frustrating aspects of your marriage is easy, but it’s also poisonous. Trying to keep the things you love most about your partner and your lives together at the forefront of your mind will require some dedication, but it can have very positive results in the long run.

3. Compliments, Compliments – There are a thousand things you love about your spouse, but the hectic pace of everyday life can make remembering to appreciate those things difficult. Making a point of complimenting your spouse each day shows appreciation for them and can be the balm that frazzled nerves need during high-stress moments.

4. Avoid Taking Stress Out On Your Spouse – Letting off steam is normal, but it can become problematic when you’re expressing your frustration with an unrelated situation by attacking your spouse. It’s easy to take stress out on those closest to you, but it’s difficult to repair the damage that type of behavior can have on your relationship.

5. Make Time for One Another – Time probably isn’t something that you have very much of, which makes it all the more significant when you set a sliver of your precious free time aside to spend with your spouse.

6. Remember That Your Partner is Not a Mind-Reader – You may have a running list of things that need to be done in your head, but you shouldn’t expect your partner to be able to read that list. You have to communicate your needs and expectations to your spouse if you expect them to be met, so don’t fall into the trap of expecting them to just know what you need without direction.

7. Don’t Be Too Proud to Apologize – Flying off the handle is easy when you’re in the pressure cooker that is raising children on a tight schedule. When you’ve had time to cool off, however, don’t let your pride stand in the way of a much-warranted apology, especially if you’ve realized that your reaction wasn’t necessary.

8.Assume the Best – When you’re stressed, tired and in sore need of a break, it’s easy to assume the worst as you’re trying to decipher the inscrutable actions of your spouse. Rather than believing the worst-case scenario is just around the corner, try to assume the best intentions were the motivation behind any behavior you don’t understand.

9. Small Gestures Go a Long Way – A sweet greeting card snagged from the rack at the market, a favorite food prepared for dinner and other small gestures like these can add up in big ways, especially when they’re the bright spot in a challenging day. Remembering to do these things amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life isn’t always easy, but it’s almost always worth the effort.

10. Seek Spontaneity – Look for every opportunity to do something lighthearted and unexpected, even when you can only grab a few moments in which to do so. Just because your impromptu road trip days have come to an end doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice every shred of spontaneity in your marriage.

11. Remember That You’re Playing on the Same Team – When little grievances add up to big problems, you can easily lose sight of the fact that you and your spouse are on the same team and are pursuing a common goal. Rather than seeing your spouse as the opposition, try to shift your perspective.

12.Be Adults Together – In a sea of diapers, cartoons and juice boxes, there isn’t always room for a grown-up discussion that doesn’t center around the practical aspects of running a household. Just spending a kid-free hour of television time together before bed can create interesting talking points. Every couple has their own shared favorite pastimes, but it’s important to spend time together being adults, not just oversized kid-wranglers.

Some marital issues require the assistance of a totally neutral third party, which is why marriage counseling can be so beneficial. There’s a fairly common misconception that seeking counseling is the last-ditch effort to save a marriage that’s failing, but that isn’t always the case. Don’t be afraid to seek the help of a mediator when you’re having a completely natural rough patch in your relationship, especially as you’re trying to adjust to parenthood together.

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Back-To-School: ACT and SAT Test-Prep Tips For Your Teen

Posted on August 25, 2017

Even though there is a heavy focus on first- time parents-to-be on this blog, a lot of our readers have children and relatives in high school so once in a while, we like to share tips for that demographic.

Because or that, we want to highlight some great tips from Andrea Catsicas, Founder of Mindworks Prep, who has expert insight to help parents and students prepare for College Admission Testing

Few high school students look forward to the SAT and ACT test. It’s not exactly sunshine for parents either who feel the strain and pressure to help their child earn the best score possible to help pave the way to their college education.

Catsicas developed an SAT/ACT Bootcamp program that is designed for an immediate 200 point boost in scores with material and instruction that gets right to the point.

Her tips include:

Distraction Action – It’s harder and harder for children to study for college prep tests in the digital age, with all of the added distractions. There’s nothing wrong with taking their phone away and having them study out of an SAT book for an hour, in a place where you can visually monitor that your child is not allowing distractions to take over.

Read to Succeed – The redesigned SAT is more focused on reading comprehension than ever before. Now, more than ever, pleasure reading is a way to study for the SAT.

Review and Improve – You can order a copy of the actual test your child took (depends on the time of year); for other tests, you will receive stats on how your child did, but not copies of the specific questions that were missed.

ACT or SAT – Find out which test is preferred by your child’s dream school ACT or SAT. If you’re prepping for one test and the school prefers the other, you might be wasting time, energy and money.

How’s it Coming? – Sign your child up for Khan Academy and monitor how quickly your child progresses through its lessons. Khan Academy has exclusive rights to information about testing content, and its questions mirror College Board questions more than any prep book (besides the actual College Board SAT book).

MISCONCEPTION: The ACT and the new SAT are similar: they’re more similar, but their essays are totally different, and their math content covers entirely different classes (the ACT delves into pre-calculus a great deal more).

MISCONCEPTION: It isn’t easy to study for the SAT’s during the school year: juggling school and test prep work is extremely challenging. Starting your student with a test prep program as early in their education process as possible is one of the best ways around this challenge.”

To learn more, Visit: http://www.mindworksprep.com/courses.html

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Preggers Glam Tutorial: The Matte Lip (VIDEOS)

Posted on August 24, 2017

Today, we continue with our series sharing different ways you can look glam and fab while preggers, based on Stylcaster‘s breakdown picks of the best looks celebs pulled off while expecting.

This week, we’re offering our pick of the best YouTube tutorial on achieving the Matte Lip which is a trending fave.

It’s what’s next! See a couple of hand-selected video tutorials below:

Past Features include:

The Bronzed skin (done)

The Winged Eye (done)

Slick Back Pony Tail (done)

Up Next: (see videos below)

The Matte Pink Lip

Still to come:

Mini Braided Hairline Crown

Rosy cheeks

Swept Back French Roll

Loose Waves

Smoky Eye

Afro Puffs

Messy Side Hair

Soft Waves

Dominican or Relaxed Straight Blow Out

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6 Reasons Why You Should Take the TV Out of Your Child’s Room

Posted on August 23, 2017

These days, it seems like every kid has a television in his room.

There’s no doubt that the addition of a television to a child’s bedroom allows parents a bit more freedom in terms of their own TV watching habits, but there are more than a few drawbacks to allowing kids to have their own TV. Staying strong in the face of kids’ pleas and assertions that everyone else has a television isn’t always easy, but these are some of the reasons why you’ll want to give very real thought to staying strong.

Adhering to American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines The American Academy of Pediatrics posits that the average American child spends approximately seven hours out of each day being entertained by electronic media. They also draw a correlation between the excessive use of television, computers and video games and attention problems, academic struggles, obesity and eating disorders. The AAP recommends that parents limit the amount of screen time their kids get, and that kids “media diet” be carefully monitored. Putting a television in your child’s room allows him almost unfettered access, and can make it nearly impossible to monitor his watching habits properly.
Helping Kids Maintain a Sleep Schedule Just as adults can become so absorbed in the plot of a television show that they stay up far later than they intended, children can too. A TV in your child’s room can very easily affect his sleeping habits, both through direct distraction from sleep and because the background noise of a television left on all night can disrupt sleep patterns. Unless the idea of an exhausted, cranky child appeals to you, you may not want to give in to begging for a personal television set.
Providing a Distraction-Free Homework Zone For some kids, the slightest distraction can derail their efforts to complete homework assignments or study. Creating a distraction-free zone in your child’s room can keep him out of the high-traffic common areas of your home, but the television lurking in the corner can present just as much of a distraction risk. When there’s no television to resist, your child is facing one less potential distraction.
Making Punishments Count If punishments or time-outs are part of your parenting style, you may very well find that banishment to a bedroom isn’t much of a deterrent for bad behavior when there’s a TV in the room. When your child is able to tune into whatever programming he wants, away from the need to compromise with a sibling or deal with the rest of the family, time-out or grounding to a bedroom becomes something more akin to a treat than a punishment.
Increasing Your Ability to Filter Objectionable Content Making sure that your child isn’t exposed to explicit or violent content on television is difficult enough when the TV is in a common area. Filtering objectionable programming that he’s watching in his room is almost impossible. Even stations that normally cater to kids’ tastes and developmental levels throughout the day often switch to more mature programming for late-night audiences. A child that tunes into his favorite channel may not realize that a racy cartoon is for adults until he’s exposed to content far beyond his maturity level. When television time isn’t happening behind closed doors, you’re better able to keep an eye on the programming to which he is being exposed.
To Monitor Television Habits It’s difficult to know just how much television your child is watching if he’s spending most of his time in his bedroom with ready access to a TV. Because it’s so important to monitor the amount of time your children spend in front of the television, you may want to consider the difficulties of doing so when he has his own TV.

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How to Make a Cereal Box Eclipse Viewer

Posted on August 20, 2017

If you are like most people, you may be scrambling to find a way to view the first total eclipse of the sun in 39 years tomorrow at August 21.

If you can get your hands on a cereal box, some foil and paper, you’re in luck!

You can make your own following these instructions below and a video too!

good luck!

Supplies:

An empty cereal box,

scissors,

tin foil,

tape,

a piece of white paper,

a nail (or something sharp to make a pinhole.

Here are the steps:

Empty a cereal box
Get a piece of white paper
Stand the box on it, and trace the bottom
Cut out that shape
Tape it to the inside of the box on the bottom
Close the top of the box
Cut out two square holes on the left and right sides
Place the tin foil over one of the holes
Tape it down
Put a pinhole in it
You’ll want to stand so the sun is behind you and you can see the shadow you are casting.
You’ll hold the box up, like a flute, so that the so that the eclipse can reflect onto the tin foil.

When you look into the other opening on the box, the sun should incrementally disappear on the white paper.

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5 Ways for Your Tween and Teen to Be Fit and Healthy

Posted on August 20, 2017

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that students who are physically active tend to have better grades, that higher physical fitness levels are associated with improved cognitive performance, and that those who participate in physical activities have fewer disciplinary problems.

Add to that the fact that they will be laying the foundation for a healthy lifestyle and creating great habits, and it’s a great deal all around. Yet many teens and their parents have questions about fitness that may be holding them back.

“The benefits of being a fit teen are plentiful, but it’s important to also know how to help reduce injury risks and stay motivated over the long haul,” explains Coach Sarah Walls, personal trainer and owner of SAPT Strength & Performance Training, Inc., who is also the strength and conditioning coach for WNBA’s Washington Mystics. “Being fit and healthy is more than just exercising, so it’s a good idea to learn more about what you need to do to be healthy all around.”

Here are 5 fitness tips every teen should read:

1. Eat brain food. This is the good stuff, which is the unprocessed, whole foods, which include things like salads, poultry, lean meats, eggs, healthy fats, etc. Unprocessed foods are packed with vitamins and nutrients that will keep you sharp mentally and physically fit, too.

2. Train to be more useful. Going to the gym to work on your “abs” and “beach muscles” is usually done with endless sit-ups and biceps curls, but you can get the same effect by training to be more athletic, faster, and generally more useful in life, which means working to get your entire body stronger. You can work with a personal trainer to put together a routine that meets these needs and goals that are tailored specifically for you.

3. Go into Do Not Disturb mode. A big part of mental fitness is the ability to step away from the phone calls, texts, and Instagram feeds. Your mind will keep you feeling better when you walk away from those things more often. Take some time to go for a walk or spend time playing with your dog, as these kinds of things are good for your body and your mind.

4. Appreciate that nothing happens overnight. When embarking on a fitness routine, it helps to celebrate the small victories that come with the little daily improvements. Yes, you may want to get a big bench press or increase your vertical jump by several inches – both are worthy pursuits, but both also take time and dedication. Learn to love the small changes and watch how they lead to meeting big goals.

5. Beware of the changes. Fitness has changed a lot in 20 years, so be careful whose advice you take. There are plenty of well-intended coaches and parents who dole out advice that is at best antiquated and at worst downright dangerous. Listen to your body, ask questions, and seek out expert advice when you need it!

“The teen years are a great time to work on fitness and for laying the foundation for a healthy body and future,” added Coach Walls. “The more you know about what it takes, the less you are looking for an overnight fix. Getting fit, whether you are a teen or a senior citizen, takes time, patience, and dedication. But it’s worth it!”

Sarah Walls has over 15 years experience in coaching and personal training. Owner of SAPT Strength & Performance Training, Inc, founded in 2007, she offers coaching to develop athletes, adult programs, team training, online coaching, and more. She is also the strength and conditioning coach for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and has over eight years of experience working as an NCAA D1 strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer. To learn more, visit the site: www.saptstrength.com.

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Where To Watch The Total Eclipse: 100 Campsites Across America

Posted on August 19, 2017

With my the first total eclipse on the horizon and set to happen this Monday, August 21, a lot of moon over sun watchers are arranging camping trips to get the best look at the astronomical wonder!

But also with the eclipse being so close away, public campgrounds, hotels, and Airbnbs are either all booked up or charging exorbitant rates for the last available spots.

Unbooked spots are few and far between—let alone affordable ones.

Enter Hipcamp [https://www.hipcamp.com]—a startup that creates new campsites by unlocking access to beautiful private lands such as nature preserves, farms, and ranches. With over 1,000 new campsites (and counting) unlocked in the eclipse “path of totality”.

Hipcamp has just compiled a list of their top 23 unbooked campgrounds offering spots for $25 to $87 — everything under $100.

The site also has the most comprehensive map of all camping options in the path [http://hipcamp.com/discover/eclipse-2017].

Plus, the solar eclipse is really a great natural phenomenon….

Where better to experience it than in nature?

Here are HIPCAMP.COM‘S TOP 23 ECLIPSE CAMPGROUNDS UNDER $100

Each campground hyperlinked below contains multiple discrete campsites.

OREGON: 258 CAMPSITES

Eclipse Budget Tent Camping at Sieg’s Valley View Ranch – $25

Eclipse Budget RV Camping at Sieg’s Valley View Ranch – $50

Tent Camping at Sunset Solar RV Campground – $87

Fully Contained RV Sites at Oregon Solar Eclipse Campground – $75

IDAHO: 258 CAMPSITES

Solar Eclipse Idaho Tent Camping at Wyatt J’s Land – $50

Tent and RV Camping at TJ Ranch – $50

Tent Camping Solar Eclipse Camping at Gene R’s Farm – $50

Tent and RV Sand Dunes Camping at Zach’s Land -$50

NEBRASKA: 99 CAMPSITES

Eclipse RV and Tent Camping at Eclipse Camping – $50

MISSOURI: 20 CAMPSITES

Tent Camping for a Cause at Beacon Farm Ministries – $10

Eclipse Campsites at Camp Eclipse – $60

ILLINOIS: 99 CAMPSITES

Eclipse Camp Tent Camping at Community of Faith – $30

KENTUCKY: 30 CAMPSITES

Tent Camping at Wild Dunbar Hill – $20

Solar Eclipse Tent Camping at April W’s Land – $50

TENNESSEE: 56 CAMPSITES

Mountain Farm Meadow Tent Camping at Cowgirl Glamping Cabin – $25

Pigeon Roost Tent Camping at Richard B’s Land – $25

Private Forest or Field Side Tent Camping at Belle and Beau Acres – $50

NORTH CAROLINA: 62 CAMPSITES

Total Eclipse of the Century Tent Camping on Historic Christmas Tree Farm – $30

2 Ol’ Foxes Farm Tent Camping at 2 Ol’ Foxes Farm – $20

SOUTH CAROLINA: 12 CAMPSITES

Tent Camping at Modern Harvest Farms – $28

Cali Oh Farm Tent Camping at Haflinger Heaven – $45

GEORGIA: 11 CAMPSITES

Tent Camping in the Woods at Sole Farm – $40

Tent Camping at Spotted Fawn Farm – $50

Eclipse-goers can see a map of all the campsites in the path of the eclipse here:

https://www.hipcamp.com/discover/eclipse-2017

You can check out the blog post here:

https://www.hipcamp.com/journal/land/eclipse–campsites-under-100

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Back to School: 8 Tips for Dealing With Separation Anxiety

Posted on August 12, 2017

Bellyitch Rewind

Few things tug at a parent’s heartstrings like the cries and pleas of a child in the throes of a separation anxiety attack; still, they are a normal (if distressing) part of childhood development. With proper coping strategies and plenty of love, the worst of your child’s anxieties can be managed until he’s older, at which point most children tend to outgrow their fears of being separated from a parent or familiar adult.

Managing your child’s separation anxiety and helping her to cope with the necessary but painful routine of parting is a matter of being patient, for the most part. Keeping your composure and maintaining a grip on your patience is absolutely necessary in order for you to successfully employ other management techniques.

Establish a Goodbye Ritual – Sharing a special goodbye ritual with your little one is both comforting and reassuring to her, letting her know that staying at school, daycare, or under the care of a nanny is a new part of her routine. Because structure and repetition are so important to young children, establishing a ritual that accompanies every separation can help normalize that separation, making it less stressful for her over time.
Stay Calm – Kids react to the emotional state of a parent or loved one, so allowing yourself to become overly emotional or anxious in her presence is likely to only exacerbate the anxiety and fear that she’s already feeling. Maintain your composure as best you can, saving the emotional moments for a time when you’re out of her sight.
Don’t Hover or Linger – While it might seem that your hysterical child will never calm down after you leave, childcare providers will almost always reassure you that their emotional state will improve dramatically once you’re gone. Lingering around and hovering over her will only prolong the process, stretching out both her suffering and your own.
Speak with Caregivers and Teachers – Experienced childcare providers and preschool or kindergarten teachers are well-versed in reassuring both hysterical children and their concerned parents, so don’t hesitate to speak with them about how your child is adjusting. When normal separation anxiety is particularly difficult for a child to shake, or persists after a significant adjustment period, these people are your best allies in combating your little one’s fears and helping her learn to cope with separation in a calm, healthy way.
Resist the Temptation to Sneak Away – It can be very tempting to wait until your child is distracted and slip quietly from the room, but this may not be the most productive method of dealing with her separation anxiety. Looking up to find you inexplicably gone, without any sort of a goodbye, can lead to a panic that she’s been abandoned or, at the very least, to feel that she can’t always trust that you’ll be where you should be.
Communicate With Your Child – You can help prepare your child for preschool, kindergarten, or childcare by talking about the upcoming change, practicing separation on a small scale, and answering any questions that she has. These methods can be very effective in preventing the worst of her anxiety before it starts, and maintaining that open line of communication as she adjusts to her new environment and has new experiences is vital.
Be Firm and Consistent – Don’t waver or bring your child home after a particularly bad outburst, as it sends the message that a tantrum will yield the desired result of either leaving daycare or school with you or sending your nanny home, rather than being separated. Focus on maintaining a firm but gentle demeanor, and a strong grip on your resolve.
Know When Separation Anxiety Indicates Something More Serious – While separation anxiety is a very natural, normal part of growing up for many children, there are times when it could indicate something more serious. If a previously happy, well-adjusted child begins to regress and show signs of anxiety again, or if existing anxiety is severe and does not lessen with time, you should contact your pediatrician or medical provider for advice.

Good luck!

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Katherine Heigl Shares her Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss Plan

Posted on August 12, 2017

Grey’s Anatomy alum Katherine Heigl is a veteran adopted new mom to a first born 7-month old and now she is blogging and sharing her journey to shed the 50 pounds she gained while pregnant.

“My best weight loss advice is to start every morning by saying out loud a positive mantra of your choice about your body. Mine is ‘I am easily, with good health, inspiration, grace and gratitude losing weight faster than I can even imagine with harm to none,’ ” the Doubt star said in her PEOPLE magazine blog.

“Then I say my gratefuls. Thanking my body for it’s perfect health, strength, limberness, vibrancy, youthfulness and beauty. Whether I always believe these things about myself and my body or not, I say them. By saying them out loud with love and gratitude I have found that I not only start to believe them, but my body exhibits what I say and believe.”

Beside her new baby Joshua Bishop with hubby Josh Kelly, the Knocked Up star has two daughters through adoption, but giving birth to son ntroduced her to the world of pregnancy — and its crazy changes to her body.

Heigl admitted that the 50-lb. weight gain left her with “moments of sheer panic.”

The baby weight dropped after delivery helped but not that much

“I had hoped to only gain 25-30 pounds like my mother during her pregnancies but found that just wasn’t possible for me,” she wrote. “Despite starting my gestation out on a pregnancy friendly meal plan and hiking my butt off 5 days a week my weight kept creeping up.”

Heigl continued, “At a certain point, probably around 4 months I gave up the struggle and tried instead to respect my body’s needs and trust my instincts.”

She said she is learning to love her body as is.

And she won’t let it discourage her from growing her family through adoption or trying to get pregnant.

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