Eating for two

I was getting my daily dose of news from the good folks over at WHO-TV13 yesterday and they had a report about pregnancy and weight gain. Having worked at the March of Dimes for nearly five years, my hearing has become quite attuned to the words pregnancy, preterm birth, birth defects, NICUs, etc. Naturally, I was all ears when they aired this story. It had good information from local doctors and their recommendations are right on with what we here at the MOD share with moms-to-be.

You can learn more about healthy eating during pregnancy here.

Be a Hero for Babies Day

I spent all that time talking about Ride Iowa yesterday that I plum forgot to mention that tomorrow, July 22 is Farmers Insurance's Be a Hero for Babies Day! Employees and agents around the country are trying to raise $2 million in one day for the March of Dimes. How can you help? Well, I'm glad you asked. Here in Des Moines our own agents are grilling out at all the area Dahl's stores. They're offering hot dogs, chips and a drink for donations. So stop by, grab lunch and say hello and thank you for all they do for healthier babies!

For a list of Dahl's locations go here.

Head out on the highway

It's kind of unbelievable how fast summer flies by! If you haven't had a chance for a little vacay yet, maybe you should consider planning a little road trip. Not sure where to go? Well, lucky for you Farmers Insurance is planning another fabulous Ride Iowa event benefiting the March of Dimes. They've taken care of the entertainment, music and food so all you need to do is head out on the highway on July 31 to the Boone Fairgrounds and enjoy the weekend. Sounds good, right? Register here.

Pic from here.

Tasty, tasty

We're getting ready for our most delicious fundraiser, Signature Chefs Auction and the search is on for chefs and restaurants who are looking to dish up their mouth-watering creations to Des Moines' community and business leaders and support our mission. Thus far, the wonderful talent that are sharpening their knives for the event are:

• Lisa LaValle, The Art Center Restaurant
• John Andres, Bos & Renaissance Savery
• David Jensen, Iowa Health - Des Moines
• Terry Boston, Des Moines Golf & Country Club
• Kris Van Tuyl, Des Moines Embassy Club
• Patricia Weidner, Triple Crown, AJ's Steakhouse, Champions Restaurants Chef

My stomach is growling just thinking about all the fabulous food! This ain't your mama's chicken on a bed of rice fundraiser, folks. These chefs go all out-scallops, beef tenderloin and escargot, oh my! Learn more about the event here and you can mosey on over here if you'd like to attend.

Who gets your appetite going? Do you have a favorite restaurant in Central Iowa? We have a few more spots to fill so let us know who would be a great addition to our talented line-up!

Can we talk?

Those three words generally signal the delivery of bad news. Typically, it's the preemptive strike before, "it's not you, it's me." But there are those rare occasions when you absolutely need to utter these words.

A recent survey says that moms-to-be and their docs aren't having the discussion about preterm birth until much later in their pregnancy. However, the best time to talk about your risk factors for preterm birth was yesterday. The earlier you and your doctor share your concerns, the better.

Sure, sometimes the doctor's office can be a little intimidating and working up the nerve to ask all your questions can be daunting, but the payoff could be life-saving, especially if you're at a higher risk. So next time your doctor asks if you have any other questions, resist the urge to say "Nope" and ask, "Can we talk?".

Pic from here