Since there are so many newly preggos

Can you girls give us some advice - one thing that has helped you make your pregnancy just a little bit easier? Whether it's a book, or a website, or a pillow that helped you sleep better? Any advice you can give us I know we would all really appreciate!!

Thanks!

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

Great post. I'd love to know this too.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

Aside from having some great friends that have had kids (or are about to have kids) to offer me support and answer all of my dumb questions. , I recently went out and brought "What to Expect, while your expecting"

Its really helped me alot, it is very comprehensive. Hope this helps.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

Message edited 10/10/2006 1:24:50 PM.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

I second "What to Expect, while your expecting"


Trying anything and everything to help with MS

Ignoring ALL the stupid unsolicited advice I was given

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

I use this website frequently---

www.babycenter.com


You can track your progress week to week and if you sign up they send you helpful email articles.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

First of all, congrats to the newest preggos! you are going to embark on such an amazing time in your lives, I'm so happy for you all

These were some of the things that I really found helpful during pregnancy:

my Snoogle body pillow - loved this! It was the only thing that really helped me sleep comfortably when I started getting a belly and helped me feel more comfortable when lying down (also helped me from rolling onto my back too much)

I have a bunch of pregnancy books, but hands down my favorite for info. was "Your Pregnancy Week by Week" Loved this book!

I felt it was much more detailed than "What to Expect" .. and a LOT less alarming. What to Expect is a good resource but can tend to freak you out about things sometimes

For humor, I also loved Jenny McCarthy's book and the Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy..

for websites I also recommend "babycenter.com" and "americanbaby.com" I was already on fertilityfriend.com when I was TTC and I continued to use that site (on the pregnancy side) when I got my BFP

And of course, this board was my lifesaver! Anytime I had any questions or felt freaked out about something, the support here was just amazing - I was so happy to share my pregnancy with my fellow preggos here.. some days there were no other people I felt I could relate to than the other girls who were going through the same things I was

Message edited 10/10/2006 1:45:42 PM.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

I second "Your Pregnancy Week by Week."
A great piece of advice is to enjoy the times when you don't feel pregnant. I know that those times can make many people nervous, but do your best to enjoy it- it may not last.
Don't let people overstress you or tell you what to do/not do while you're pregnant. Be educated and then make your own decisions.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

Thanks everyone! I'm def. going to get Pregnancy Week by week today.

Does it give you tips on how not to tell everyone you know because I really just want to shout it from the roof!!!!

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

Message edited 10/10/2006 2:05:17 PM.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

Great thread! Thanks for posting this, and for all the feedback.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

Posted by FeliciaDP

I have a bunch of pregnancy books, but hands down my favorite for info. was "Your Pregnancy Week by Week" Loved this book!
IMAGE
I felt it was much more detailed than "What to Expect" .. and a LOT less alarming. What to Expect is a good resource but can tend to freak you out about things sometimes

For humor, I also loved Jenny McCarthy's book and the Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy..

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

Aside from "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and Babycenter.com, which have been INCREDIBLY helpful, there is a great book called "The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy" that I LOVE. It is not written by a doctor, but by a woman who has 4 children (I think) and it talks about all the things that you might be embarrassed to ask your doctor. It is an easy read, its hilarious, and it is REALLY helpful. It talks about the "girlfriends" perspective of all things pregnant. It is comforting to read it and see that you are not the only one feeling a certain way.

You can also try "Eating Well While Your Expecting" for great recipes and explanations of why/why not you can have certain foods.

HTH!!

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

I also recommend "What to Expect When You're Expecting", although it can make you a little crazy at times, making you think you either have or don't have specific symptoms. I also have "Pregnancy for Dummies" and recently purchased "What to Expect...The First Year" now that I am getting a little closer to my due date. I also recommend babycenter.com and babyzone.com for websites. I think what has helped me is to think of everything in stages. Sometimes trying to plan your life over 9 months and beyond can be overwhelming. It really is helping me to think in terms of the trimesters and what I should get accomplished during each. But most importantly, never lose sight of the fact that each person is different and therefore each pregnancy is going to be different. Try not to compare yourself to everyone else you know who is or has been pregnant and try not to take everything you read in these books literally. In other words, you may not get M/S or show for quite some time and that's okay. Also, try and tune out the unsolicited advice you get from others, especially when people feed you old wives tales or tell you that you "have" to do something or it's bad for the baby. This is all easier said than done of course, but these things have helped me along the way. Good luck to everyone!

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

Zofran.

Thats it.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

A body pillow..... my best friend at night..

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

I also recommend The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy and a body pillow. For MS seltzer and lemon worked wonders as did twizlers.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

Believe it or not. During my first pregnancy (which wasn't that long ago - DS 7 months old) my DH bought me pregnancy for dummies. I actually loved this book. It was very informative. What to Expect When You are Expecting is great (as stated). Also, In The Womb which comes on the National Geographic channel is great. You could probably buy the film...... Otherwise, internet sites.

I also saw body pillow - highly recommended for those later months.

Message edited 10/10/2006 8:56:49 PM.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

I have both What to Expect when Your Expecting and Your Pregnancy Week by Week and I like them both. I also got myself The Everything Pregnancy Book that allows you write things down in your pregnancy day by day. So today I can write, "Was tired, had some craming. Craved french onion soup." That way, for the next pregnancy, I can look back and see how I felt at different points and see how similar or different the pregnancies are. It also lets you put in monthly belly pics, sonograms and messages to the baby and it gives advice like the other books.

Also, I never had real ms, but I did have 2 weeks of mild nausea and I found ginger snaps helped.

I bought the Benefibre powder that dissolves in everything and is tasteless and it's made a big difference in my regularity.

I also found babycenter.com, babyfit.com and pregnancy.org to be helpful.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

I just read Jenny Mcarthy's book in one day really funny and good!!!

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

I also recommend "Your Pregnancy Week by Week" and "Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy." Also "Baby Bargains" has been so incredibly helpful when registering & buying various baby stuff. I LOVE that book!! If you have any friends with babies, take advantage of them and pump them for advice. I took my friend who has two under the age of 3 with me to register and it was so helpful. As I got further along in the pregnancy I got the Boppy Cuddle pillow. It's smaller than the snoogle and has been great for me. It does help me get better sleep. And, last - enjoy every minute of your pregnancy. Luckily I have felt really good the entire time. I keep trying to enjoy every change, etc because I figure I'll be too busy with child #1 to really enjoy the next pregnancy.

Have a happy & healthy pregnancy!!

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

I read What to Expect...with my first daughter...and it scared me. I also read "the everything pregnancy book" great, wonderful and simple. i bought it again for this baby.

stay away from preg. magazines...they will have tear-jerking stories that make you cry and freak out. someone thought they'd be nice and gave me a couple with my first pregnancy...bad idea.

a book that will uplift you is "chicken soup for the expectant mother's soul" it's full of sweet and somewhat sad stories, but they all instill hope.

as for sleeping, at 6 weeks i'm already sleepless. ugh.

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

This is a great thread, thanks!

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

I am 6 weeks away
I have some tips for the ladies that end up with MS which I had from week 6-12. Dont be afraid to take the zofran. Ask your dr...MS can get unbearable and it did for me. You will lose weight and think that u r starving the baby but you arent. The babies fine. Some other helpful but not a cure items are peppermints, gingerale, gum, lots of sleep. I am so close to the end and still cant believe I made it through those rough times. You will get through it!
The best preggo advice to share with everyone is.....BY FAR...the best trimester is second...enjoy it!!!!!!!!!

Re: Since there are so many newly preggos

Posted by krwm

Posted by FeliciaDP

I have a bunch of pregnancy books, but hands down my favorite for info. was "Your Pregnancy Week by Week" Loved this book!
IMAGE
I felt it was much more detailed than "What to Expect" .. and a LOT less alarming. What to Expect is a good resource but can tend to freak you out about things sometimes

For humor, I also loved Jenny McCarthy's book and the Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy..

yup this is the book I have also