Pregnancy is an exciting time! But it can also be a busy, uncertain one. You’re juggling exhaustion, nausea, body aches, anxiety – all balanced with happiness, pride, anticipation, and fulfillment. We all have different backgrounds to our pregnancies. Different experiences, medical concerns, and lots of different emotions. I’ve been pregnant 5 times, and each one had its own highs and lows. From expected and unexpected pregnancies, to figuring out school and work schedules, to juggling children while pregnant, and finding out my baby would need heart surgery, I’ve been through a ton and still managed to make it through! With all of my different experiences, and the experiences I hear about from those around me, here’s my best advice to pregnant moms.
1. Keep your appointments
It’s so important to keep up with your prenatal appointments, whether it’s your 1st or your 6th pregnancy. I know I got tired of going to my appointments when it felt like all we did was listen to the baby’s heart beat. But, every experience and every baby is different. It’s important to go, to make sure your baby is growing normally, and that you’re generally staying healthy. Your body may also have a harder time managing your pregnancy as you get a little older, so stay in touch with your doctor!
2. Take your Prenatal vitamins
It can be hard to always eat a balanced diet, even if you try your very best during pregnancy. Prenatal Vitamins can give you some of the nutrients you’re missing from your diet, and boost the vitamins you need to help your baby grow and develop normally.
3. Eat and drink well
Focus on a good, balanced diet as best as you can. Limit foods that can cause heartburn, especially in your 3rd trimester. Don’t focus on eating “double” just because you’re pregnant. You don’t want to end up gaining more weight than recommended. Drink plenty of water, as well – at least 64 ounces per day. I’m not a big water-drinker, but pregnancy and breastfeeding are the two times I force it on myself.
4. B6 for morning sickness
My last pregnancy was the absolute worst when it came to morning sickness! I’ve tried a few things, but Vitamin B6 supplements worked the best for my nausea. Always check with your doctor before starting any medicines or supplements.
5. Plan to breastfeed
I can’t talk enough about all the benefits of breastfeeding for both you and your baby. Make breastfeeding a part of your plan, when you’re preparing for your little one. If you have to go back to work, plan for all the things you’ll need for pumping, and make a plan for pumping and breastfeeding.
6. Plan to vaccinate
Just like breastfeeding has benefits – so do vaccines! This is one of the best things you can do to protect your baby against serious, life-threatening illnesses. During pregnancy, it’s recommended to get the Tdap and Flu vaccines (if it’s flu season). And everyone who will be taking care of the baby should also have a Tdap to protect your baby against whopping cough.
Don’t believe the false information that’s out there about vaccines. Don’t listen to hearsay. Do your own research, based on the reliable medical info out there. Plan to vaccinate your new little one on the schedule that’s recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Altering the schedule, even though you’re vaccinating, can still be dangerous for your baby,
7. Choose your Pediatrician
I don’t think you have to visit 20 different Pediatrician’s offices in order to find your baby’s doctor. But, you do want to have your Pediatrician chosen before the baby is born. It just makes things easier, since your baby will need to be seen for his first visit in his first week of life. Choose an office that’s close, has reasonable hours, and a doctor that you feel you “click” with. Ask friends and family members for recommendations. Hopefully, this will be the person that will see your kids for the next 18-21 years, so give some thought to it!
8. Plan your childcare
If you have to go back to work after having your baby, be sure that you’ve thought about who will take care of him when you do. Think about whether you’d prefer a nanny, day care, a family member, or friend to take care of your little one. Each option has its benefits and downsides. Also, consider a back-up plan in case your #1 choice falls through. This is probably one of the most important decisions you’ll make, so don’t wait until the last minute to think about it.
9. Don’t listen to unsolicited advice
When you’re pregnant, people want to give you all types of advice and tell the type of mom you should be when your baby’s born. I recommend being critical about the advice that you accept. Listen to close family and friends that you can trust. Get advice from your mom. Listen to your doctor and future Pediatrician. Use reliable sources for information. Just “smile and nod” when someone’s telling you something you really don’t want to hear.
10. Make a plan, but be flexible
It’s always important to have a plan, to avoid haphazardly making your way through this life. But, understand that the unexpected can happen, and you just have to roll with it. Being a mom is all about flexibility – and pregnancy teaches you this from the very beginning. Pregnancies don’t always go the way you plan. “Birth plans” don’t always happen the way they’re written. Babies come whenever and however they want. You also never know what life with a new baby will be like. So, try to go with the flow and not beat yourself up when things get out of whack.
11. Sleep now
Most newborns don’t sleep long stretches of time. It’s a fact. You’re lucky if you get a consistent 2-3 hours of sleep at a time with a newborn. I forget this each and every time I’ve been pregnant, and don’t get reminded until the baby is actually born. So, while sleep may get uncomfortable near the end of pregnancy, try your best to rest as much as you can. You don’t know what your life will be like within the next few months, so rest, rest, rest!
12. Take care of yourself
After you have a new baby, self-care tends to go out the window. So, spend some time during pregnancy to really focus on yourself before the baby comes. Get your hair done, put up some makeup. Even taking a shower and brushing your teeth can be a luxury when you have a newborn, so spend some extra time focusing on yourself now.
13. Take a “Babymoon”
My hubby and I did this a few times during my pregnancies. We stole away, even for a weekend trip, to spend some time together before the new baby was born. These times helped us to re-connect and to focus on each other and our marriage before our family expanded and the attention was re-directed to the new baby. Regular date nights were also important during pregnancy. The exhaustion of having a newborn limited the amount of awake time my husband got out of me later on once the baby was born.
14. Spend time with your kids
Of course your hubby is important, but don’t forget about your older kids! I recommend getting your other children involved in your pregnancy and the excitement of the new baby as early as possible, and in any way possible. Get them excited about being a big brother or sister! This way, you can hopefully decrease some sibling rivalry and jealousy.
15. Don’t go crazy with spending
Babies can be expensive! But, there’s actually very little that your baby really needs in the first few months. So, be smart with your spending. Breastfeed to save money on formula. Save for things like college and future plans, instead of going crazy buying things that you won’t really use. I’ll share a list of things you really need for your new baby in a later post in this series.
16. Enjoy it while it lasts
As crazy as it may sound, I actually missed being pregnant each time I had a new baby. Of course, I was excited that I was now able to hold my baby in my arms, to smell him, and to kiss him. I didn’t miss the aches and pains of pregnancy, but I did kinda miss feeling the kicks inside my belly, and knowing that I was actually growing a human. You also get extra-special attention when you’re pregnant! So, while this may be a rough time, it’s not one that happens that often for most women. Enjoy it while it lasts, especially if it will actually be your last!
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