Doctors are great, they are amazing actually. But we don’t always get all the information we need and want from them. We are their 23rd pregnant patient that they have seen for the day, and sometimes information is left out. That’s fine, they are human. Also, sometimes we are so nervous there are questions we are either too scared or forget to ask. That is exactly why I am making a post all about pregnancy tips and tricks.
Are cramps normal? Wait, is this sex position safe? When is it okay to tell my friends and family about my pregnancy? Many questions are totally forgotten or are maybe not super easy to ask if you aren’t comfortable with your OB yet (trust me, you’ll get there).
Did you know stress and food can actually play a major role ALREADY in your babe’s health. Around week 14 you can start producing breast milk. And over the course of pregnancy, your uterus will stretch from the size of a peach to *approximately* the size of a watermelon!
Let’s try to not downplay what pregnancy is. Sure, many women today are pregnant. And many, MANY women have given birth. But that doesn’t make it any easier on you. For my first month of pregnancy, I was incredibly scared. I was incredibly lost as to what to even ask my OB. Also, I felt an overload of information thanks to my love-hate relationship with Google. That is exactly why I have created pregnancy tips and tricks for all you hot mamas out there! Grab your Bubly, coffee or tea and relax yourself.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and I am not an expert in pregnancy. Every pregnancy body and mind are different. Please consult your doctor with any questions, advice, or concerns. 🙂
This post is all about pregnancy tips and tricks for the first time, hot mom.
Pregnancy Tips and Tricks
pregnancy tips first trimester
So, you just found out you’re pregnant, (congratulations!!!) and you’re scared? Nervous? Confused? A little happy? Or maybe not even happy at all? I welcome you to tip #1. No matter what feelings you are experiencing, it is ALL extremely normal and valid. When you see pregnancy announcements on IG, are women ever expressing how nervous or scared they are? Typically, the post is filled with pure excitement and joy. So, when you find out you’re pregnant you feel guilty because you feel like you should also be super excited and gracious. According to sources, more pregnancies are unplanned than planned. And even planned pregnancies can still have you feeling overwhelmed and scared. It’s all part of the process, and you are not alone or a bad person for experiencing those feelings.
You found out you’re pregnant, so when is it time to tell family and friends? Or post on socials? I never did any exciting announcement to Mark. He was actually holding my hand while I was peeing on the stick. As soon as I found out the result, I knew I needed my mom. So, when is the right time? I knew no matter what happened during my pregnancy, I would want our closest family members and friends to know. So “weeks” didn’t matter. What mattered more to me was when I was mentally ready to tell them. As for social media, I waited until after the 12-week mark and when I was starting to show. Truly, I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer here. Just make sure you’re looking at all ends of the spectrum as to if/when you talk and post about it.
When do you make your first appointment? They typically want to see you around 10 weeks, so it is best to call as soon as you find out. *For most* the first doctor’s visit will probably be the longest and the hardest. I already knew my OB doctor because I worked with her at the hospital- but it is still nerve wracking. You can expect urine and blood work, MANY questions on your history, physical, and they may even listen for babe’s heartbeat (however- it may be too early to detect it).
I highly suggest you come up with a list of questions PRIOR to your visit. I always think I will be fine to just remember or come up with questions during the appointment. And then time and time again, I either forget or am too nervous to even think at all. Below, I will have some of my favorite pregnancy sites for you to look at and enter some notes/questions in your phone for your first visit!
Besides feeling emotionally unstable during your first trimester, morning sickness is one of the more unpleasant symptoms you will be experiencing. Because of this, eat what your body can tolerate (but obviously staying away from the pregnancy no-no’s). I was SO overly consumed in trying to eat healthy and blah blah blah- but my stomach hated me for it. I truly didn’t have much for morning sickness. But when it came to eggs or any vegetable, my stomach couldn’t handle it. If mac and cheese is the only thing your stomach can hold down, then indulge in that mac and cheese. Preggie pop drops and peppermint herbal tea were the two main things that helped my morning sickness.
Click here for my post on dinner ideas your cravings are CALLING for this pregnancy!
second trimester pregnancy tips
Yay, congratulations! You made it through (in my opinion) the least fun trimester and are in (again, my opinion) the best trimester.
Stretch marks are a thing and are what sources say, “all depend on your genes.” I think there is a lot of truth to that, but I am not all in. I had a history of stretch marks during growth spurts and never got one stretch mark during or after pregnancy. Start now with lathering on your stretch mark prevention, even before your bump starts growing. The earlier you get in this routine, the more likely you are to actually do it and stick with it. Areas such as your boobs, stomach, hips and butt should be the main focus points. The only products I used during my pregnancy for stretch mark prevention were Bio Oil and The Vaseline Intensive Care Body Lotion with Cocoa Butter.
Sex in any of the trimesters is safe. While safe is completely safe and actually can be beneficial for you (and also for baby), it is TOTALLY normal to not want anything to do with sex. I think this is the time you offer reassurance to your significant other. Nothing is wrong with them just like nothing is wrong with you. While some may be their horniest ever during pregnancy, for some it may give you the complete opposite feeling.
third trimester pregnancy tips and tricks
Buy maternity clothes. I tried to go the longest time without needing maternity clothes. I wore Mark’s clothes until those didn’t do it for me anymore. At the same time, don’t go overboard. It is definitely necessary to buy some few staples and essentials, but there is no need to have more than a few. Marketing loves to make you think you need a wardrobe full of bump friendly clothes, but you don’t. It’s truly a waste, and let’s be real- maternity clothes are not the hottest.
Need some bump inspo? Click here for my post on pregnancy outfits!
Take the maternity pictures. That’s it, that is the next pregnancy tip. I know you may not feel your best but believe me- future you will be very grateful.
If you plan on having a baby shower, do not put in extra effort and time into your registry. Maybe like 4 people went off my registry. It’s annoying but people just want to gift fun baby presents like clothes and 35 blankets. To make sure you get the essentials you for sure will need, have people bring a book instead of a card for them to write in. Another great idea is for people that bring diapers and wipes, have them place their name in a drawing for whatever gift. (and make sure to mention this in your baby shower announcement so people bring diapers and wipes).
Another idea to mention in your announcement, is to give the suggestion (I say suggestion, because again don’t expect all people to listen) for people to not wrap their present. I had a pretty big baby shower and very graciously had many presents. Which means, lots of paper went to waste. And lots MORE time was spent by everyone awkwardly staring at me while I tried to unwrap their present. This way, all your cute little presents can be on display, and you’re saving a few trees (and them some $$).
It is totally normal and okay to not have the “love at first sight” experience with your baby. Many moms talk about having such an amazing connection with their baby during pregnancy. Some talk about how in love they were when they got to hold their baby after birth. I personally, did not have the same experience. Don’t get me wrong, I actually really did love being pregnant. But to say, I felt super connected and bonded isn’t how I would describe it. Same with after birth. I was extremely happy to have him in my arms but if I am being real- my connection with Owen didn’t start until around month 3 for me.
pregnancy tips for first time moms
Preparing for labor and delivery is great. If you are a first-time mom, this is your first time going through all of this. It is all new. The hospital experience, being in pain, being vulnerable… it is all new and scary. While planning your wants and needs for labor and delivery is great- also expect the unexpected. Assuming your birth is going to go exactly as you had hoped, is not accurate and probably won’t happen.
Speaking from a nurse standpoint, things do happen. Not even talking in a dangerous way, but game plans do change. For example, I thought I would have baby and get to go home two days later. Owen’s bilirubin levels were too high, so we had to stay an extra couple of days. Second example: I got to the hospital when I was contracting often, and I was in a lot of pain. I assumed I would be able to get my epidural decently quick. Nope- there was an emergency surgery that they had to tend to first. Speaking from a mom standpoint, our babies are in control. You will learn very quickly and early on that we are on our babes’ time.
Try your best to not get super warped into all the “newborn essentials.” I spent and honestly wasted SO much time on looking up what I need for baby. I remember someone telling me: “Britney, as long as he has a place to eat, shit, and sleep- that is all you need.” I know (especially) as a first-time mom it is so exciting. And that’s totally fine. But if it gets to a point where you are on your 12th YouTube video on what bassinet to get- it’s time to walk away and leave it for a different day.
Go on a baby moon with either just yourself or significant other. Obviously, this is one of the pregnancy tips and tricks that can be done whether this is your first or third baby; however, this might be a little more practical if this is your first babe on the way. This will probably be the last time (not forever, but for a while) where you and your significant other get any alone time. Things will never be the same, and I truly find it important for you two to get as much quality time before baby. If the baby’s parent is not in the picture, I suggest you take a solo trip for all the same reasons.
for the dog mom
For those with dogs, do your best to prepare them for baby. Just like this is a big change for you, it is also a big change for them. We have a 60 pound goldendoodle. A.K.A. a crazy, loving, jealous, hyper dog. I knew she would eventually be okay, but I was stressing so hard as to how she would be towards him. We prepared her in a couple different ways. We would wrap one of his stuffed animals in a blanket and have a video of a crying baby playing on our phones. And then we would pretend to hold and rock the baby. Another way we prepared, was mark brought home a few of his items from the hospital (blanket, hat) and had her smell it. Surprisingly, she did WAY better than I would have imagined.
Pregnancy truly is an experience like no other. Something that really helped me emotionally during my pregnancy was understanding that my body was more than capable of this. My body and mind have the strength to get me through pregnancy, labor, and delivery. It is still a piece of advice that I give myself with my crazy, tantrum throwing toddler 😉 xxx
This post was all about pregnancy tips and tricks for both the first-time mom and experienced mom.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and I am not an expert in pregnancy. Every pregnancy body and mind are different. Please consult your doctor with any questions, advice, or concerns. 🙂