Pregnancy, most of us have to go through it to have children. If you boil it down, someone has to experience pregnancy for there to be a child. Whether it's your first child or your fifth, a surrogate is having a baby for your family, or you are adopting a child, pregnancy has had to happen at some point!
You can read in numerous books and online about the stages of pregnancy and we all have seen the pregnant woman on TV who craves pickles and peanut butter. However, along with the physical changes our bodies go through during pregnancy, what is talked about on a smaller scale is the emotions and thoughts that can go through your brain, (which is soaked in hormones of course).
I can only speak of my own two pregnancies, but I know that the anxieties and the excitement was nonstop. Anxiety about "can I handle this?" the first time and "how will my first child react" the second time. I had a very physically "easy" pregnancy in comparison to others, meaning I had little to no morning sickness and with the exception of near the end, was relatively comfortable throughout. So I had a lot of time to talk and think about my emotions and thoughts surrounding the pregnancy. Along with the worries of how things would turn out, including labour; what resonates with me is that unbelievable feeling of having a life growing inside of me. That may sound cliche but anyone who has been pregnant knows there is nothing like it. I remember my husband even admitting that he was a bit jealous that he couldn't physically feel that connection that I already had with our babies. That is probably why his hand never left my belly both pregnancies :-) Well, here I am getting all sentimental about my own pregnancies. This could be a very long post if I don't get down to something actually helpful to our readers.
So.... without further adieu here are my own personal twice tried, twice true tips on pregnancy to help you and your family get the most out of a very special time.
1. As much as physically possible, enjoy! Show off that belly and be proud of it, maternity clothes have joined us in the 21st century and if you have a few good friends you can share them and not have to spend a fortune.
2. Eat as healthy as possible, but remember if you have junk food once and a while it's not the end of the world.
3. Prenatal classes can be helpful, or even a good pregnancy book. It can help with not only practical questions, but to help you feel even more connected to the process.
4. Walk, it is the best form of exercise a pregnant woman can do apparently. But if you are walking in the winter make sure you have a good pair of boots.
5. I hate to say it but anyone who has had a baby has to admit...Kegels. Those little exercises are something you will never regret. Especially when jumping on a trampoline...
6. Lastly, without getting into all of the labour and delivery business, be open to the fact that anything can happen. It is important to know what you think you want when you go into the delivery room in terms of drugs/surgical procedures, but equally important to be prepared for that to all be turned upside down in the name of you and your babies safety.
An assignment to those who would like to:
Post your number one pregnancy tip and describe how it "bettered" your pregnancy experience!
Mom of all trades.
I was not one of those moms that "just loved to be pregnant". LOL. But I didn't hate it either. My best practical pregnancy tip would be to eat lots of little meals. This seems to reduce nausea somehow. My best emotional pregnancy tip is just to relax and take it as it comes, be honest with your partner, and create a support network. If you don't have much of a support network go online and find one there. There are a lot of great groups online and you may even be able to find one based near your home community.
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