Pregnancy & Prep.

Get the book Pregnancy & Birth: Your Questions Answered By Christoph Lees & Grainne McCartan. It discusses everything from pregnancy, to birthing, to postpartum and baby care. It’s a quick read and it really lets you know what to expect. I would definitely recommend it.

Baby book- I think it’s so important to have a baby book. You can record all your thoughts, events and pictures that your child will appreciate later. If you don’t do any other scrapbook or album, you need to do this one. They also make baby scrapbook calendars. My favorite is “Sharon Ann Baby 13 month Keepsake calendar”. They have stickers and embellishments that you can use to make it unique! Use it as your regular calendar and you can look back at all the things that happened that year. Just be sure to put in the important things- first tooth, first word, first step. They change so much. You’ll love having the dates of all the “1st’s” that happen. You and your child will be so happy and proud you went to the trouble!

Morning sickness- Yuck! Hope you don’t have to deal with this. Common remedies are crackers, ginger ale, and pickles. Read the literature you got from you OB. They should have some pointers. Things that worked for me were eating fruit and dairy before bed. It keeps your stomach full through the night. Also, the iron in your prenatal vitamins can make you sick. Use Flintstones instead until your sickness subsides. Chances are by your 3rd month you should start to feel better; however, it could last the hole 9 months.

Weight gain- You will probably lose around 20 lbs. in the hospital. After that it’s up to you, so keep it off!

Babycenter.com- They take you through your pregnancy all the way to childhood and tell you the developments your child will make. (Don’t try to get the free coupons. You‘ll get a ton of junk mail.)

Exercise- The more you exercise, the easier you delivery will be. Find a good pregnancy exercise routine and stick with it. Remember to drink your water!

Baby Register- Registering for your shower is so much fun and a little daunting. You don’t really know what your going to need. Keep the things you get at your baby shower that you don’t think you’ll need- you’ll use them. Go ahead and do the research for the swings, car seats, etc. You really want the best. Read the reviews online when you shop. The other mothers can really help with their comments. If you find you like others after you’ve already gotten some, you can always return and exchange them. I found that I really liked the Graco matching sets at gracobaby.com. They also made the consumer report #1 car seat in 2006. You’ll be using these on all you children for years to come. Make sure you like them.

Diet- Eat healthy foods. Lower your salt intake. It makes you swell. Use sea salt instead.

One to two months before your due date- Have everything ready for the big day. You never know when your going to have a preemie! Have your bag ready to go. Have your nursery put together. Have announcements picked out. Go ahead and address the envelopes or print address labels. You won’t have time to get them done after the baby is born.

Hospital- You’ll need to register with your hospital before the big day. Do this early. You’ll want to be ready! You can usually register online or over the phone so all you have to do is go in and sign papers and give them your insurance. Explore the hospital online if you can. You can sign up to take tours of the hospital. If you do a vaginal delivery you'll probably have a birthing suite. If you have a cesarean, you might just have a private room, but not a suite. You can also see what kind of labor and delivery classes they offer. Most doctors recommend the labor and delivery class and nursing class (if you plan on nursing). Most of the time these classes last for a month and fill up quickly, so you might go ahead and look into them 2 months before your due date. You can talk to labor and delivery about what would be best for you. They’ll be very informative and can help you make the best decisions for your delivery. Do yourself a favor and don’t get stuck on having a certain delivery. It’s great if you want to try things to make your delivery easier, but be flexible. You don’t want to be disappointed if you’re not able to do the type of delivery you’d been hoping for.

Pediatrician- Look around a good pediatrician (and staff) that you can work with. Talk to your friends and your doctor. If you’d like you can set up an appointment and interview them. This may sound corny, but you’ll really want a doctor you can talk easily to. By setting up an appointment, you can see how you will work with the receptionist. You can have a really great doctor and hate the receptionist. It makes it easier if you can get along with both. Make sure that the one you like takes your insurance and that immunizations are covered. If you decide you would like to switch, it could be difficult. Some doctors have contracts with other pediatricians that they won’t take their patients. It makes finding a second pediatrician very difficult.

Circumcision(Boys)- If you choose to circumcise, pick a doctor to do the circumcision. Get it done in the hospital. Don’t wait. (Make sure you have plenty of vasilene on hand. That's what my doctor used to keep the wound clean.)

Cleaning Service- If you can afford it, hire someone to clean your house after the baby is born. Especially if you have a c-section. Maybe only once a week or every 2 weeks. Mom’s are great, but you’ll need them to help you with the baby. It’s worth it.

Dinners- Buy a bunch of frozen casseroles or make and freeze casseroles. They are easy and quick and there is little clean up. You might look into Super Suppers if you have it in your area. If you do this before the baby is born then you will be prepared with dinner when you get home from the hospital.

Sleep Book- Get the book “12 hours by 12 weeks” or another sleep book. It’s a must read for the new mom. Trust me you will be pulling your hair out from lack of sleep. Go to babycoach.com for tips and schedules to help your baby sleep through the night. Read this book before you give birth. You will love having a light at the end of the tunnel. (There are other books out there that I’m sure are good. This is the one that worked for me.)