Pregnancy Tips

My bestfriend recenty told me that she is already a few weeks pregnant!! Great news as I would like to call it a honeymoon baby... =)

I've been to 2 pregnancies already. I was able to produce 2 consecutive gifts in my own baby factory - now a handsome toddler and a lovely princess ages 2 and 1 respectively.. 

I wrote before tips on wedding preparations.. I now feel like sharing my own maternity tips as well.. This list does not entail on how to get pregnant as I was quite lucky that producing babies was never a problem in my "factory". 

Here's my own version of pregnancy tips:

NEVER keep the pregnancy to yourself! If you find out that you are pregnant, share the news to those closest to you or whom you feel should be shared the news with or whom you feel could help you in a way.. You should have at least 1 person who knows about the news. Pregnancy is such a delicate condition that you should have a support partner/group whatever happens to you and your baby. At the very least, one person will do, a meaningful group composed of your family or friends is even better.

You have the right to announce it or not especially during the first few months of your pregnancy. Everybody else has the right to speculate as well just be ready on whatever people say - either nice or bad or both.

Take good care of yourself the moment you FEEL that you are pregnant. Be more careful the moment your feeling is confirmed.

Eat right! Remember you are feeding yourself and your baby.. Minimize sweet intake as this will make you and your baby bigger. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables just be careful that these are thoroughly cleaned though.

Learn more about pregnancy stuff - whether through books, in the internet, thru support groups or pre-natal classes. I used to attend Rome Kanapi's childbirth class, read what to expect when you are expecting, and frequently visit the site of babycenter.com for updates on my pregnancy (even until now I check updates relevant for my kids' age). You will be surprised that there are a lot of things/information waiting to unfold..

Once you are aware that you are pregnant, moisturize your tummy!! Who knows you will be one of the chosen few who missed out having stretchmarks during and after their pregnancy. Use shea butter or olive oil..I tried Body Shop and an anti-stretchmark oil from Maxwell and Cassey (hope I got the name of the store right). To be honest, avoiding stretchmarks after pregnancy is a hit and miss part. Find the product that gently suits you or one that you are comfortable with - oil type, body butter type or lotion type. Gently rub on your tummy area, back hip area as well as upper leg area (both front and back) to avoid stretchmarks! I was fortunate that I did not have stretchmarks during my first pregnancy as I was able to moisturize early since my first month. Unfortunately, I got stretchmarks after giving birth to my second child since I was late in recognizing the fact that I was pregnant thus I wasn't able to moisturize in my first trimester.

Be sure you have a trusted doctor or a doctor whom you are comfortable with in the course of your pregnancy..

Ask for OB-Gyne referrals if possible and make sure you are comfortable with her. If you feel some discomfort, then shift to another doctor that suits your needs and can answer your concern the soonest possible time.

Be diligent about pre-natal check ups! Always follow what your doctor says.. Remember her intentions are both for you and your baby.  

Do not be afraid to ask questions with your doctor! If she cannot or is not willing to answer your concerns/queries, then shift to another doctor!

Watch your weight! Unless you don't care if you go caesarean, then do whatever you want to do.. The ideal weight gain is between 20-35 pounds until pre-delivery if I remember right what I've read on pregnancy weight gain.

Have loads of comfortable shoes... I stopped wearing high heels the moment I found out I was pregnant. I kept my wedge sandals during my late second trimester. My feet's bestfriends during the course of my pregnancy were Havaianas and Crocs. For office shoes, I normally wear open-toed shoes mostly with 1/2 inch heels while some were closed flat shoes - the ballerina type. I still wear them to this day. =)

Check out clothes that are latest in fashion and apply as necessary to your condition. Fortunately for me, loose dresses/clothings were so in during the time I got pregnant! If it's not loose, I got the wrap-around types which were the latest trends back then... For pants,searching for the right pair can be compared to a treasure hunt! Most of the shops offer pants in escalated prices that's why I wait for sale season to maximize my purchases.

Pray that your husband or close relatives or close friends organize a baby shower for you. Don't be in panic mode or rather control your excitement when buying newborn stuff as there a few essentials for newborns. To enumerate are the following: diapers, tie-wrap shirt, baby bag, wash cloth and breastpump (if you are into storing breastmilk) and a crib to name a few.

Have everything ready during the last trimester of your pregnancy: from the hospital bag, birth plan, necessary documents that needs to be brought in the hospital and funds as payment for maternity and newborn hospital expenses.

Pregnancy may be costly thus know which ones can be charged to your company health benefits/health card/health insurance. If you don't have any of this, better start saving up for the cost of a CS operation to ensure you have enough money at hand. Check out various maternity package of various hospitals to get an idea on the cost.

Always Pray!! Include your baby in your prayers. Pray for good health , safe pregnancy&delivery,and for a healthy normal baby.

After giving birth, breastfeed your baby. By breastfeed I mean exclusively. Babies get optimal nutrition from breastmilk. It is difficult at the start to exclusively breastfeed but you will eventually get the hang of it. Expect sore nipples.. Just take the pain and let your baby suck and always remember that breastmilk is the best for babies.

Enjoy the moment! Enjoy your pregnancy, childbirth and taking care of your newborn. It will be taxing for a time I tell you but once you see the smile and twinkle in the eyes of your newborn - you will soon realize that everything is worth it!