I am 9 (yes, 9) days away from my due date. Although I am dying to get this baby OUT, her impending arrival has caused me to sit down and reflect over the past 9 months. I was thinking about all the great tips and resources that I have found valuable as a first time mom-to-be and wanted to share them with everyone. Hopefully you will find them as helpful as I did!
1.) Gummy Prenatal Vitamins are a great alternative to the giant horse pills!
I had horrible morning sickness in the beginning of my pregnancy and had a hard time getting (and keeping) any type of food down. At one point, I couldn’t even stomach saltines! I had serious food aversions and could not even THINK about swallowing one of those nasty, huge prenatal vitamins. My doctor told me that the most important time for women to take prenatal vitamins is actually when they are trying to conceive and in the very beginning of their pregnancy (basically when you don’t even know you are pregnant). Keeping all this in mind, I started taking Vitafusion’s Prenatal Gummy Vitamins, when I was trying to get pregnant. They taste great and I could actually stomach them through the first few months of my pregnancy, when I was so sick.
2.) 3D/4D Ultrasounds and possible risks?
In my quest to have a natural delivery and a healthy pregnancy, I decided to research EVERYTHING! Although I would consider myself more “natural” minded when it comes to pregnancy, I wanted to research and read everything that I could before I made educated decisions about my prenatal care. Many women will simply trust their doctor’s advice (and rightfully so), especially when it comes to a procedure as routine as an ultrasound. I chose to do a little research. Don’t get me wrong, I have had ultrasounds during this pregnancy and I do believe that they have their purpose, but would I choose to have one electively, just for entertainment purposes? Probably not. Although I have come to the conclusion that the percentage of risk does not outweigh the benefits of an ultrasound, I don’t believe in having a 3D/4D ultrasound for entertainment only. You can be the judge for you. Here are 2 websites I found interesting that have some information you may not have known about ultrasounds :
http://drbenkim.com/articles-ultrasound-pregnancy.html
http://www.unhinderedliving.com/pultra.html
3.) The Belly Band or Tummy Sleeve is worth it!
For $15 - $20, a belly band is totally worth it! I actually have 2, one in black and one in neutral. When your pants start to get uncomfortable, this thing is a life-saver! I wore mine from about 14 weeks on and then eventually folded and bought maternity clothes as well. At almost full term, I still wear mine when I have on pants that fall below my belly or dresses. When you start to get a big belly, it just feels good to have something supporting you and holding you in a bit. You can buy them at Target, Motherhood, Macy’s or Kohl’s and they are all around the same price.
4.) Gender Reveal Party... So. Much. Fun.
I HIGHLY recommend having a gender reveal party if it is something you are thinking about doing. It was such a blast and it made finding out we were having a girl such a special and memorable experience. I will never forget cutting into that cake and seeing that pink icing....and we got some great pictures of the whole thing! There are a ton of different ways you can reveal your baby’s gender at the party and Pinterest is an awesome resource for some great ideas. The only con to finding out the gender this way is that you may have to wait a week or two after the ultrasound to find out, depending on when you schedule your party...I was ok with waiting, but for some moms-to-be, the time between the ultrasound and the party could be torturous! Here’s a pic of us from our gender party:
5.) 3 Tips to a stress-free registry.
One of the most overwhelming moments during my pregnancy was when I walked into Buy Buy Baby with my mom to set up my registry. Just thinking about it makes me cringe (and laugh)! There is so much “stuff” out there and you feel like you need everything...since you have nothing at that point! Looking back at it now, I think I did a pretty good job of managing my registry and completing it before the baby arrives. Here are a few tips:
Tip #1: If you are going to find out your baby’s gender, wait until after your gender scan to register. Most things are gender specific...clothes, towels, bibs, and even larger items like swings and pack and plays. It makes much more sense to know what you are looking for before you register.
Tip #2: Register at multiple stores. I registered at Buy Buy Baby (which is owned by Bed Bath and Beyond), Babies R Us and Pottery Barn Kids. Between the three stores, I managed to find everything I was looking for. Plus, if you have a shower, it gives people options to shop at stores that are convenient for them (or they all have websites, so they can order their gift right from the internet).
Tip #3: Coupons can save you A LOT of money! After I had my shower, I printed off my registry and circled all the items I still needed. Many of the things on there were not necessities, so I put together a list of things that I didn’t get, but knew we would definitely NEED...a stroller, an extra car seat base, a co-sleeper (or bassinet), etc. Many of these items were expensive. Since Buy Buy Baby accepts unexpired Bed Bath and Beyond coupons, I saved all my 20% off coupons and also had a 20% off your entire purchase coupon that I used. The registry completion coupon only gives you 10% off, so you make out much better with the Bed Bath and Beyond coupons!
6.) Affordable maternity clothes DO exist.
Maternity clothes can be VERY expensive. When I walked into A Pea in the Pod for the first time and picked up a pair of maternity jeans for $95, I almost fell over! I wouldn’t even spend that on a regular pair of jeans, let alone maternity jeans that are basically “disposable” clothing. Some of the stores that I had a lot of luck at when it came to finding cute, affordable maternity clothes were:
Ross: They have a VERY small maternity section there, but I found some great jeans for $14.99.
Macy’s: Not all Macy’s have a maternity section, but the ones that do carry Motherhood’s clothes. Macy’s also has some good coupons, especially if you have a Macy’s credit card.
Kohls: Most of the clothes in their maternity section is Motherhood brand, but I waited until I got coupons for 15-30% off and then went there. Plus, at some points you get Kohls cash to use in the future.
Old Navy: With regular clothes, Old Navy has always been hit or miss with me, but their maternity stuff has been a huge hit! They had 2 days over the summer that Old Navy cardholders got 40% off their entire purchase. I went on both days and saved a TON of money. They have great dresses, t-shirts, skirts and even some pjs and comfy clothes that aren’t technically “maternity”, but work great during pregnancy.
Motherhood: Although Motherhood is cheaper than A Pea in the Pod, it can still be pricey, so your best bet is to check out their sale rack. They have some great deals on their sale rack and they also have events now and then where if you buy one regular priced item, you get another one for free.
7.) You can SAFELY help paint your nursery.
I can honestly say, I despise painting. End of story. However, I felt really guilty having someone else do ALL the work when it came to my baby’s nursery. Thank God my mom is a creative genius who loves interior decorating and DIY projects...otherwise our nursery wouldn’t be half as adorable as it is. In order for me to be able to help her paint the nursery walls (which was a big job), we bought Valspar Asthma & Allergy Friendly paint at Lowes. More and more paint brands are coming out with low VOC paint, but Valspar Asthma & Allergy friendly paint has NO VOCs and NO odor. It is a little pricier than regular paint, but totally worth it if you want to safely help paint your nursery while you are pregnant.
8.) 4 books for the pregnant bookworm.
Saying I love to read is an understatement. I usually can’t keep my nose out of a book and once I found out I was pregnant, it opened up a whole new realm of informational reading for me! I absolutely love learning through reading on my own...hence why I decided to read a bunch of books, rather than go to childbirth classes. Here are my favorites that really taught me a lot:
1. What To Expect When You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff & Sharon Mazel - This is the “go to” book for all women when they get pregnant. I read it section by section as I was going through each month of my pregnancy. I also referred back to it now and then to reference questions and concerns that came up along the way.
2. Natural Hospital Birth by Cynthia Gabriel - Since I am planning on having a “natural” birth with a midwife in a hospital, this book was PERFECT! It is a very clear and easy read and has great details about what typically happens in Labor and Delivery in a hospital.
3. HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method by Marie Mongan - I decided to try the Hypnobirthing method during my labor and the book is a really excellent way to learn about the method. I haven’t had the baby yet, so I guess the jury is still out on how well this method works for me.
4. The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp - All the horror stories that I have heard about colicky and cranky babies made me read this book...I figured being as prepared as possible could not hurt. Hopefully, my little one won’t be an incessant and constant crier, but just in case she is, this book has given me some great strategies on how to calm her.
9.) A Doula is a wealth of knowledge and support.
After reading about doulas in Natural Hospital Birth, I decided to call a few in my area to get some information about what their services entail. Because I am so dedicated to having a natural birth, I figured the more support I could have, the better. Not only has our doula helped us write our birth plan, but she has also sat with us on two separate occasions and answered all our questions. She is truly a wealth of knowledge who has been an invaluable resource thus far. I am very happy to have her available to answer any questions that come up and to be an extra support person for me in labor. Hopefully, she can also help my husband to deal with the long and sometimes difficult process of labor. I HIGHLY recommend looking into getting a doula, even if you aren’t planning a natural birth. Could more support ever be a bad thing when you new to this whole experience? I think not.
10.) Try to ignore the naysayers.
One thing I got sick of early on was people’s negative opinions...”Oh, just wait...you will never sleep again” or “Enjoy your life now, because after the baby comes you are in for a BIG surprise!” The majority of people who wanted to give their opinion had such awful things to say about being a new parent, that I just stopped asking their opinions or ignored the ones that gave them to me anyway. It is true that I have not been a mother yet, but why do people feel the need to try to scare the bejeezus out of you? I have come to the conclusion that NO ONE would have a second child if becoming a parent was really the worst thing that happened to a person. Although I have never had a human child, I DO know what its like to have furry ones. When you first get a puppy, it can be tough and an adjustment, but once everyone is in a routine and the puppy gets a little older, life with your new family member brings an amazing new joy. I can only assume that joy is even greater when it’s your own flesh and blood...so I am choosing to focus on that.
