Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

Anything you wished you were told in the beginning? I started checking out websites.

When do you start shopping for maternity clothes?
Showing?
Registry?


I know I have awhile & need to be cautious until the end of the 1st trimester - I am just so excited

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's an exciting time!

I'm 18 weeks, so I can tell you what I know so far.

I started wearing maternity pants about 2 weeks ago exclusively. I started shopping right away because I bought clothes when they were on sale. I refuse to spend a fortune on clothes I am wearing for less than 9 months.

I really popped this week. Everyone's different...but this week, a few people who know told me I actually look pregnant). It's my first baby, too.

As for registering, I am going to go in about 2 weeks. We just found out we are having a , so we waited to register until we found out.

Every pregancy is different, but this has been my experience so far. Have fun!!!

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

Posted by TTCMom2Be

Anything you wished you were told in the beginning? I started checking out websites.

When do you start shopping for maternity clothes?
Showing?
Registry?


I know I have awhile & need to be cautious until the end of the 1st trimester - I am just so excited

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

I like this Post... I'm still early so I'd like to hear what everyone has to say.

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

Congrats

I wish that cramping was known as more of a normal symptom as opposed to you know what.

I had cramping in my first trimester and a little into my second. I was always thinking something was wrong as I had never heard of it to be a symptom. I wish that had been more informed about it maybe I would not have freaked out as much.

To answer your other questions, I started wearing maternity clothes early in the second trimester ( every woman's body is different though) and I will register in the next week or two. I am 23 weeks now.

Good luck

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

When should you stop sleeping on your stomach? Obviously, I am only 5 weeks and my stomach is still flat...it is safe as of now?

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

The thing I wish I didn't have to figure out for myself, was that when you feel so sick and nauseous, and don't want to think about food-eat something. You will most likely feel so much better bc you have something in your stomach.

Congrats!!!!

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

Message edited 10/8/2008 4:53:44 PM.

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

Try to get used to sleeping on your side- even this early on its better for your circulation.

You will be out of breath doing easy tasks- this scared me to death the first time but now I am just used to it.

Every cramp is not a problem- just your body stretching.

I would wait to register until right before your shower since they are always adding new stuff and stuff gets discontinued.

You probably won't need maternity clothes until around 16 weeks for the first pregnancy. The bella band or just a rubberband to keep your pants open a bit goes a long way in the beginning. I am 23 weeks and have only been in maternity pants for about 6 weeks and this is my second pregnancy.

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

Posted by TTCMom2Be

Anything you wished you were told in the beginning? I started checking out websites.

When do you start shopping for maternity clothes?
Showing?
Registry?


I know I have awhile & need to be cautious until the end of the 1st trimester - I am just so excited

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

I guess I'll go too.

First, congrats!!

I have to say that I knew close to NOTHING when I got my BFP and we didn't tell a soul until I got through my 12 wk appt so this website and the girls on here were all I had. And honestly, just being on this board for a few days, I learned sooooo much.

To start, you may experience spotting in the beginning. It's totally normal and usually brownish or pinkish. You can always call your dr to reassure yourself but usually unless it's accompanied by severe cramping at the same time and persists and/or gets heavier, the spotting will usually just go away on it's own. Sometimes it's old blood, sometimes it's implantation, sometimes it's cervical irritation (especially if you and DH just had sex---spotting after sex is very common but nothing to worry about usually).

Most important thing is that every single pregnancy is different. For example, aside from major food aversions in the first trimester I really didn't have any morning sickness at all. My morning sickness hit me at about 13 weeks and was awful until about 15/16 weeks. In the beginning, as hard as it may be to keep food down, just try, you'll be surprised that you actually feel better when you eat a little something. An empty stomach will make you more nauseaus. If food makes you want to run, just stick to bland stuff and carbs...bagels, crackers...and ginger ale and sour candy are huge helps for nausea.

You'll probably get bloated towards the mid/late part of your 1st trimester and think, ugh, I need maternity pants already. Sometimes you do, but usually the bloat goes away and then the actual belly starts to come. I didn't start wearing maternity pants until around 18 weeks, but again, everyone is different. Before that I bought a Bella Band to wear over my regular pants for a few weeks. This helps when you can zip but can't quite button them anymore.

Oh, and you'll get so many different types of cramps and pains and pulls, etc. Most of it is all totally normal and as long as it's not accompanied by heavy bleeding it's usually ok. Just the joys of pregnancy.

Registering is up to you....we haven't started yet and I'm 21 weeks. It seems that most people wait until they find out what they're having at the 20 week Level II sono, but some research things they like well beforehand. It's all a personal decision.

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

Oh boy is there a lot I wish I had know before I got pregnant!!! The stuff that ISN'T in the books and that no one talks about!

1. That I wouldn't be flying off teh moon estatic about being pregnant. Sure I wanted this mroe than anythign but when your hormones are out of control you are nervous, scared, shocked and a whole battery of emotions.
2. It is normal to feel a little depressed in those first 10 weeks. I thought there was somethign wrong with me because I wasnt flying over the moon with excitement but kinda felt "Off" those hormones are a B I T C H
3. Morning sickness when its bad.....IT'S REALLY REALLY BAD!!! Not everyone gets really sick but I did and it just made me even more depressed. I was puking 10+ times a day and a hormonal wreck....... This isn't how I was suppose to feel about pregnancy! I thought I was suppose to feel like "Mother Earth" in all her glory! Instead I felt like "night of the living dead"
4. Bonding and connection doesn't occur for everyone right away. As i'm typing this my little one is using my blasser as a punching bag. I know he/she is in there...but I don't quite know who they are yet and that ok!
5. You will most likely bloat a lot in teh first 10 weeks or so and get a "belly" Don't freak out when the bloat goes away and you look like you have less of a belly! It WILL COME BACK!!! Trust me!
6. The gas, the farting, the weird pains, cramping, stretching, pinching, pulling, exhaustion, extreme moods swings are ALL NORMAL!!! Who knew pregnancy was this "glamorous"
7. I am 21 weeks now and maernity clothes feel weird on me. They don't quite fit right and I can't use my bella band anymore........Stinks getting dressed in the morning.
8. Your DH may act "weird" or "off" for a few weeks and that is normal. So much emphasis is placed on the pregnant woman and how she is feeling and the dad to be, is coping with his own thoughts, and emotions and no one asks. My DH was overjoyed we were pregnant but at times acted cranky and childlike. He was just trying to grasp this concept of becoming a parent and being in charge of another persons life. Now, at 21 weeks he does more research on baby stuff than I do!!


These are the "real" things I wish I had known, that were relevant to my pregnancy so far. Not everyone expereinces the same thing because every woman and every pregnancy is different. Don't COMPARE your symptoms and experience to anyone elses and think there is somethign "wrong" with yours! EVERYONE is different!

Enjoy it! While I can't honestly say I LOVE being pregnant I am amazed everyday that my body is creating, nurturing and nesting a new human being that one day will walk, talk and have their own set of beliefs, emotions and ideas! It's ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!

At the end of the day its a beautiful things, even after the less than "glamorous" symptoms that accompany it!

Re: Any advice for a newly preggo 1st time mom-to-be?

Great point Maria about feeling a "connection". I was worried basically until now...even now still....that I didn't really feel any connection to this amazing miracle growing inside of me. I'd read that girls on here were crying at their sonograms and I just never did. I never got emotional about it...which is weird cause I cry during dog food commercials. But this, it's been hard for me. I feel him, and even after I found out it was a , it's still been strange. I'm just now starting to feel him so that is helping...but i'm still not emotional about it. I'm almost kind of detached....like I view everything going on from a more clinical view or something. Don't get me wrong, I'm sooooo excited and can't wait to meet him......But my point is....if you feel this way there are actually MANY of us who do as well so don't feel like you are going to be a bad mommy because you don't feel a connection with your little one. My best friend even told me she didn't feel that "feeling" after she gave birth and held her baby in her arms. It wasnt' until after they got home and all the visitors left and she had real alone time with her. That's when she cried. I suspect I'll be the same. It's sooooo much to take in every step of the way....you're going to be nervous and scared every day and maybe feel like you're not enjoying this pregnancy at all....and that's ok. Anyway you feel is ok.

Message edited 10/8/2008 5:24:30 PM.