I'm Pregnant - Now what?

First of all congratulations on your pregnancy!! This time can be very exciting and very scary. Here are some things to remember.

1) After getting over the shock of being pregnant, cherish this time! This is the only time in your life and your baby's life where it is just the two of you! In the beginning it may be hard to "cherish" your pregnancy all the time. You may have sickness, feel bloated, be exhausted, or just not feel pregnant. I remember in my first 3 months there would be days I would forget I was pregnant. You don't really feel different yet. However, your baby is changing so much daily! Stuff is really happening in your belly even though you cannot feel it or see it yet! So cherish that! Cherish that you have a life growing in you. Once you can start feeling baby move, cherish those times you can feel the baby! Even at 2 am! Remember, this only last 10 months. Then this time is over.

2) Be thankful. Whether your pregnancy was "planned" or "unplanned", the fact is you are pregnant and that is a miracle. If you have ever research or learned about the process of actually getting pregnant, it is truly incredible and a miracle!! There are many women who try for years to get pregnant and cannot. They would give anything to be in your shoes and have the chance to be pregnant. So be thankful that you get the opportunity. Yes you will feel nauseous. Yes you will fill tired, and bloated, and fat, and be hungry all the time, and have swollen ankles. But you also have a precious being growing inside you and that is amazing!

3) Remember your pregnancy. I know not everyone has a good pregnancy. I was very blessed and had a very good first pregnancy experience. I remember praying before I got pregnant that the Lord would help it go smoothly and I praise Him that it did. However, I know that is not the case for everyone. My mother threw up literally everyday in all three of her pregnancies. My friends who have experienced hard pregnancies have told me, "Karlee, I do not want to remember this!" That is probably true at the moment, but trust me, you will want to remember later. Good ways to do this is to get a pregnancy journal (I like this one), journal your experiences in a blank journal, take pictures of your growing belly, create a blog for yourself and family, journal to your baby. Whatever you enjoy, I recommend you do it to remember.

4) Don't forget dad!! Yes, Yes I know. He is not feeling the exhaustion, nausea, swollen ankles, growing body, etc. But, it is his child and believe it or not, he wants to feel a part of this whole thing. Get him a book to read about becoming a dad, invite him to appointments, let him know how you are feeling, let him do things for you and take care of you. Since he cannot feel the baby constantly like you can, let him do tangible things that make him feel like he is a part of the process.

5) Get educated. Now, as I say get educated I mean it, but also be careful. Do not get "too" educated. You do not want to know so much that you worry about every little thing. People that know me and are reading this are laughing at me I am sure. Why? Because I worried about E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. I mean everything. What I was eating, if something hit my belly funny, if I felt any pain at all. It was exhausting and not healthy. Now, obviously you need to be aware of what you eat, what is happening with your body, and if you feel bad then definitely call your doctor. But, there is a difference in worrying and being cautious. That is why I say do not research and research and research. It will cause worry that is unnecessary. Your doctor knows what they are doing and if there is a concern about anything, they will let you know. Be aware of the basic, general things to watch for, do, eat, etc. when pregnant. If you know those, you will be fine! Your baby is VERY protected in that belly of yours!

6) Going along with 5 - Take care of yourself! Eat! You and your baby need nourishment. However, they do not need 5 cookies, 2 candy bars, and a bag a chips a day. Eat healthy foods that will help your baby develop. Not that you can't have cookies or chips, etc. I had these often when I was pregnant. I had about a jar of salsa a week. What can I say? I craved it like crazy! You really need to focus on putting good foods into your body to help your baby develop properly. As sad as this next statement is, it is true. You are NOT eating for two. Being pregnant is not an excuse to eat, eat, eat. Baby only needs about an extra 150 calories at the beginning of pregnancy and about 300-500 extra calories later in pregnancy. I say this for two reasons. When you are pregnant you just want to eat, and you want to eat whatever you want! I am also saying this because I know how hard it can be to get weight off after pregnancy. You do not want to have to deal with that! Besides, it is healthier for you and baby if you maintain an appropriate weight gain. Also exercise and take your vitamins! I took prenatal vitamins and DHA everyday. Ask your doctor what they want you to take. Every doctor is different. I will do a post on this! In terms of exercise, do what you normally do. Do not take up 2 miles of running once you get pregnant if you do not normally do that. However, if you do then you can keep this up. If your body does not feel right or if it hurts, stop. Ask your doctor about alternate ways to exercise.

6) Have fun and enjoy life! If this is your first baby, get ready! I know you have heard it before but it is true - your life will change drastically! But for the better. But enjoy life like it is now. Because it will never be like this again. Be spontaneous! Go where you want when you want to, stay up however late you want to (because after baby you will be lucky to keep your eyes open past 8 pm!), and just enjoy life with you and daddy. If this is your second, third, fourth, etc. enjoy life as a family of _______(insert number here). Because again, it is all about to change. Do not rush baby into getting here. Enjoy this phase of your life. They will be here soon! I promise!

Hopefully this helps answer some questions about pregnancy!

Until next time!

Welcome!

Hello all! I am SO excited to be able to share my experience as a Mommy with you. Congratulations to you on being a Mommy! Whether it is a new adventure for you or one you have been in for a while. I hope my experiences can help you in some way. Whether it is just to encourage you, to give you needed advice, or just for your enjoyment of reading. I am very thankful for my little boy and give all praise and thanks to God for the blessing of Brody. It is my pride and joy to be his Mommy!

My blog has labels. Labels are on the right side towards the bottom of my blog. There are a few different categories you can look at if you are looking for something specific or just to browse. All things I write about is either something I have experienced or something I have researched a lot. Please let me know if there is anything specific you want me to write about or research. I would love to have new ideas!

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I love writing it!