February 1, 2013

Hi guys! I feel like it was a million years ago that I was pregnant. I was inspired by a post by lovely Farah and the fact that many bloggers I follow are pregnant to write my personal tips for preggo readers.

Hope you find these somewhat useful. Please keep in mind that I had a low risk pregnancy and delivery:

Early Pregnancy:
1. Chose a caretaker that shares your pregnancy/labour philosophy. I went with a midwife instead of the standard OBGYN and could not be happier with my choice.

2. Do not rush to buy a tone of pregnancy clothing especially if you will be spending your late pregnancy in the summer. I managed with only one pair of maternity shorts and all my tops, maxi dresses fit me till the end. Best to wait to see how big you'll actually get.

3. Do not compare your belly size to other women. We all carry differently and are different shapes. I spent so many precious hours worried about my tiny bump.


Me and my 8 months pregnant bump

4. Don't bother with too many pregnancy books; just read the basics. Instead focus on some good baby basics and sleep books. I like the Mother of All Baby Books, Breastfeeding Made Simple and Solve Your Child's Sleep Problem.

5. Continue your exercise routine as much as you can. It helped me feel like my old self and maintain energy level. I especially enjoyed pre-natal aqua fitness and swimming.

Late Pregnancy and Labour:

1. Do not count down to your due date or be scared giving birth - your baby will come sooner or later and the pain will be worse if you have a negative attitude towards it. I had a relaxed attitude toward delivery my entire pregnancy and it really helped me in the end.

2. If you can, take an extra 2 weeks off from work before labour - I'm so glad I did. I managed to hang out with many friends and catch up on sleep before baby arrived. I also got my hair coloured and nails done.

3. If you have a birth plan make it flexible . My personal wish was to go drug free but I also did my research on my options and knew I would take the epidural in case of long labour (over 12 hours), being induced or back to back labour. I was lucky to have a very quick labour though.

4. If you can, have alone time with your partner before and during labour - hubby and I watched a movie the night before I went into labour, went for breakfast and nice long walk in the morning. He sat with me during early labour, hooked on my TENS machine and rubbed my shoulders as I watched Sex and the City. At the hospital, the midwives mostly left us be alone in the jaccuzi as they said we were doing great together. 

Early Post Partum Days:

1. It will take a few days for your bump to be back to normal, be patient.

2. Buy some witch hazel and use it over pads to help with healing if you had a vaginal birth. Oh ya, you will be bleeding for some time, even if you had a C-section.

3. Accept all the help you can. My mom was over at our house for 2 weeks every single day and did not let me lift a finger. I just nursed and bonded with my new baby.

Me and my 4 weeks old bebe

4. Not everyone and their mothers have to see the baby the first week she/he is here. Hubby and I only accepted grandparents, aunts and VERY close friends the first week of Sofia's arrival. Having a new baby is already a lot of work you don't want to be hosting a crowd at the same time. Other folks can wait a week or two ;)

5. You have to wait a bit before you can have sex again but maintain intimacy with your spouse. I found that I was even more in love with my husband after I birthed my daughter and watching him taking care of her.

If you guys enjoyed this, let me know and I will make a similar for new mommy tips :)