- Keep in touch:
- (mis)Adventures in Reproduction: Diagnosing Bad Luck
- Simon Says “Let’s Stop Climate Change”
- (mis)Adventures in Reproduction: An Update
- Expecting Great Things: A Toast to the End of 2010
- Holiday Gifts for the TTC Gal in Your Life
- Holiday Musings from an Infertile
- Life After Miscarriage: How does this story end?
- Life After Miscarriage: Who is that in the mirror?
- Life After Miscarriage: The Place Where Pain & Grief Meet Closure
- Life After Miscarriage: Recovering from Surgery and More
Recent Blog Posts
Should your Partner View the Birth?
Every man is different, as are every set of eyes. How your man will respond to seeing the baby born from a front row seat is dependent on a few different variables. Should he view it, or should he stick by your loving smile? Here are four questions that will answer yours.
- How’s his stomach?
- How’s his comfort level with your sex life?
- What’s his role in the birth?
- What does he want?
For the first question, it’s a simple matter of how good he is at holding his lunch. He is going to see a side to you he (a) didn’t know existed and (b) wished he didn’t know existed. He will see your hoo-haw stretched across the room and, quite possibly (though not necessarily), excrement making its way out, just underneath. The gross-out factor may take away from the joy of the moment, or he may be able to shrug off those feelings for the thrill of seeing his baby arrive into the world.
What does this have to do with your sex life? Two men were asked how they felt about viewing the birth of their child. One said it was the most wonderful thing he’d seen. The other man said he had a hard time having sex with his wife for a whole year after that.
Question three may just take care of the situation all together. Birth isn’t always how it is on TV (can you believe it?) In many cases, the man has a job to do, in addition to holding your hand and saying “breathe”. Oftentimes, the man will share the job of the nurse. Each of them will hold one of your legs as you push. Though he may be able to peek his head around to see the action, he may be too involved with being the leg-carrier to get to see the show.
And the final question to ponder is whether or not he wants to. Because of questions one and two, this should be his decision to make. And no matter what decision he makes, he just may change his mind at the last minute.
When it’s all said and done, no matter what he saw, he’ll think you’re a goddess… his beautiful, magnificent, heroic, kinda gross goddess.
Top 10 Most Unpleasant Things About Pregnancy
Arguably one of the most beautiful things a human can accomplish, pregnancy can also be one of the most unpleasant. While few women will experience all of the below, the majority of preggie ladies will certainly have the joy of experiencing some of these unpleasant, and sometimes gross, products of pregnancy.
- Varicose veins
Most commonly on the legs, they add color and radiance to your lovely stems.
The bright side? You were probably going to get them with age sooner or later anyway.
- Irritability
Uncomfortable for you, uncomfortable for your loved ones.
The bright side? At least this time you have a valid excuse!
- Constipation
Prunes and more prunes. And water.
The bright side? Sometimes it’s better than the alternative…
- Incontinence
You have to pee so badly that – oops. Adult diapers anyone?
The bright side? You can relive that element of your life as a baby, so you’ll be more in tune with your little one when they arrive.
- Swelling
Everywhere. Ankles, face, feet, fingers, etc.
The bright side? It may make you feel fat, but you don’t have to diet to get rid of this weight!
- Vomiting
Usually in the 1st trimester, it can be uneventful to practically barbaric.
The bright side? You enjoyed that bowl of Cheerios so much, that we’re gonna show it to you again!
- Night sweats
Like you woke up in the tub. Only you’re still in bed.
The bright side? You’ll sweat out some of the toxins from that fast food you had for dinner.
- Gas
As if you couldn’t button your pants already!
The bright side? You’ll be able to introduce your man to a whole new side to you (if you haven’t been so frank already).
- Discharge
And you were planning on simply sneezing…
The bright side? It’ll feel like the easiest (though longest) period you’ve ever had
- Hemorrhoids
Either causing pain, itchiness, or just make you feel like you’ve got a rock squeezed up there, they might make you dread going to the bathroom.
The bright side? Are you crazy? There is no bright side. Go to the drug store.
And after all that… The bright side? You get an awesome baby in the end, and all you had to do was walk around with bulging blue lines on your legs, yell at everyone who looked at you funny, not go poo for four days, while peeing your pants a few times, wear clunky orthopedic shoes for your big fat feet, hug the toilet like you were back in college, wash your sheets every morning, fart your way through breakfast, feel like you’re wearing a wet diaper, and apply cream to your you-know-what-in-the-rear multiple times a day.
Financial Fears With a New Baby
If you’re making more money than you imagined, or you’re both out of work, you’re still probably wondering how you will afford the things you want for your baby. While food and clothes (and diapers) are essential, we all have dreams for our little ones that can include anything from a cozy nursery to private school. Dads aren’t the only ones worrying about how to support his family. When we have a baby, we’re ready to drop almost everything just to provide for them. We want them to have everything we had, and more. How are you going to pay for it??
Getting pregnant can up the ante on fears like this. Especially in economic times like these, most of us are concerned about our financial situations. But there is nothing like getting ready to bring your child into the world to fill you with some pretty serious financial fears. So what is it that you think you need?
- A house that’s big enough for all of you
- Clothes
- Toys
- Shoes
- Doctor appointments / medicine / health insurance
- Airfare / gas / bus tickets for trips to visit family
- Daycare
- School
- Diapers!
- College fund
If you’re like most of us, you probably don’t have all the money you need to make every dream a reality. So you worry about it – maybe every time you go to the bank; maybe with every paycheck (or lack thereof); maybe every time you pay your rent / mortgage; maybe every morning when you wake up.
We usually let our lifestyles match our finances, instead of the other way around. This means that if you were able to make the amount of money you ideally want to make, you would probably find more things you want for your baby. So no matter how much money you have, you’ll always wish for something you can’t afford. And this leaves us with the almost unattainable ideal for living with life: to want what you have, instead of having what you want.
But what if you’re reading this thinking, “We don’t have enough money to live, let alone buy toys and pay for school!” It will all work out. If need be, you sell everything and move in with your parents. They’d probably never be so happy to have you move back home as when you’re bringing their adorable grandchild to stay with them.
And if all else fails, stand by the freeway off ramp and offer people photos with your exquisite baby for five-bucks a pop.
Bottle-feeding vs. Breastfeeding: Pros and Cons
Among the many decisions every expecting mother must make, how we choose to feed our new little bundles is one of the most important. It probably seems everyone in your life has an opinion on this: your mother, your neighbor, your grandmother, your co-worker, your friend, your friend’s co-workers’ grandmother… and the list goes on. While advice and opinions on this matter may be well-intentioned, they can also tend to be overwhelming for a mother-to-be. Each mother must carefully consider both options and make an informed decision on what is best for her and her baby.
We have all heard the motto “Breast is Best”. It is plastered on our ob/gyn’s wall, in our pregnancy books and we even hear it on television. However, there are pros and cons for breastfeeding and bottle-feeding alike.
Breastfeeding
Pros:
- Can create a unique closeness between you and your baby.
- May help you lose weight faster – Breastfeeding burns up to 600 calories a day. Of course, a mother who is breastfeeding needs to consume more calories a day. Talk to your nutrition specialist about your diet so that you may optimize your weight loss while breastfeeding.
- Helps the uterus to shrink faster and reduces bleeding
- Decreases your risk of certain cancers, type 2 diabetes and strengthens bone density
- Enhances your baby’s immune system – There is nothing on the market that will match the natural antibodies found in your breast milk.
- Reduces your baby’s risk of upper respiratory problems (asthma, allergies, etc.), chronic diseases (diabetes, obesity, hypertension, etc.), and SIDS
- Babies who are breastfed are more likely to excel in school
- Breast milk may be easier for your child to digest – Some breastfed babies spit up less often than their formula-fed peers. This, however, is not a hard and fast rule.
- Content in breast milk changes to suit your baby’s changing needs – The colostrum milk (a thick, sticky substance usually yellow to orange in color) produced during pregnancy and in the early days of breastfeeding works as a laxative to help your baby pass his early stools. It also works as a “vaccine” to protect your baby from environmental viruses in his early stages of life. After about two or three days, your milk supply will change to mature breast milk (thinner, opaque to white substance).
- Less expensive than buying formula – Breastfeeding is not necessarily “free”. Breastfeeding mothers must invest in nursing bras and breast pads to prevent leaking. However, on a long term basis, this is still less expensive than buying formula.
- Available anytime, anywhere
Cons:
- Increases your risk for breast infection or mastitis
- Higher levels of jaundice are found in babies who are breastfed
- Baby may get dehydrated easier
- Risk of cavities in infants who are breastfed for over a year – Please note, however, that the risk of cavities is still higher for formula-fed babies.
- Risk of rickets (vitamin-D deficiency) – especially in darker skinned babies
- Not necessarily convenient – Although promotion for breastfeeding has made leaps and bounds over the years, there are few places in public that cater to the breastfeeding mother. Many mothers can end up feeling very frustrated over this severe oversight.
- Must always be available for feeding or provide pumped breast milk if absent – After a long pregnancy and grueling delivery, a new mother needs her rest to recover. Newborns must eat every two to three hours for the first weeks of life. The constant caring for her newborn can leave an already tired mother feeling even more fatigued.
- First weeks of breastfeeding may be very painful
- Certain medications can interrupt breastfeeding
- Your diet can have an effect on the baby
Bottle-feeding
Pros:
- Allows father and other family members to bond with baby – This also allows the mother to get some much needed rest or “alone” time.
- Sometimes more convenient – Once the bottle is made you can feed your baby anytime anywhere.
- You don’t have to worry so much about your diet as it won’t affect your baby
- Easier to monitor the amount of food your baby is eating
- Some formulas provide vitamins and nutrients that breastfed babies have to get through supplements
- Since most formulas are richer than breast milk, frequency of feedings may be decreased
Cons:
- Although nutritious on their own, formulas just don’t match the antibodies and nutrients of breast milk
- You will have to strictly follow the preparation instructions – Unless you buy pre-made formula (which only lasts a few hours in the refrigerator once opened) you will have to go through the tedious process of boiling water for each bottle for at least the first six months.
- According to your baby’s preference, you may have to warm up the bottle before each feeding – This is especially inconvenient while out and about.
- Baby’s stomach may be more easily upset with formula as it is harder to digest
- More expensive – Depending on the brand you choose, formula can cost between $50 and $200 per month.
There are so many decisions you have ahead of you with regards to yours and your baby’s well-being. You shouldn’t have to feel pressured to go one way or the other when it comes to whether you breastfeed or bottle-feed your baby. Every mother’s set of circumstances is different. Every baby is different. Choose which option is best for both of you and move on with this wonderful new phase of your life. Afterall, the most important thing you can give to your baby is your love and affection – and that isn’t hard at all!
Related Podcasts:
Top 6 Tips For Creating a Birth Plan That Works
As you draw closer to your due date, your caregivers might have asked if you have written or created a birth plan. A birth plan is a communication tool that is used by everyone involved with your labor and the birth of your baby. Your birth plan effectively puts everyone on the “same page” when it comes to you and your partner’s preferences regarding the different options available to you during the course of your labor, birth and even after-care of your baby.
Why write a birth plan? First, it allows you and your partner to get in sync with one another before your baby’s birth. Creating a plan will give you a chance to bring up any fears, strong desires, etc. that you may have not talked about up to this point. It also allows you to create a “team approach” with your caregivers. More than likely, different people involved with your labor, delivery and aftercare. As new caregivers join in to assist you, they will be able to know your preferences no matter what stage you are in.
Of course, a birth plan is not a set of orders to be followed, but it does give you reminders as to what is important in an ideal birth situation. To get started, make sure you and your partner have some time to talk about your ideal birth story. Read up on the subject and/or take a childbirth class with your partner so that you are aware of all options available to you. Once you have a rough-draft, schedule time to review your birth plan with your care provider. They can suggest any changes based on hospital guidelines, etc. When your final birth plan is complete, make sure that you have copies for yourself, additional support persons/doula and your caregiver. It is also helpful to pack an additional one in your hospital bag for the caregivers that will be attending to you.
A birth plan should include the following:
- You and your partner’s names and baby’s name if already selected
- A brief list of your strongest preferences during the labor process, including lighting, music, visitors, conversation with caregivers, etc.
- Your preferences for managing the pain of labor. Notify the care staff if you intend to labor without medication and what kinds of other tools you would prefer to use to deal with the discomfort. If you remain open to using pain medication, specify at what point you would like to be offered pain-relief options.
- Your preferences during the birth/arrival of your baby.
- Indication of whether you are breastfeeding or formula feeding the baby
- Any newborn care preferences. You should also include the baby’s pediatrician name and number here so they can be contacted to arrange for a baby check up.
Your birth plan will be best received when it is kept short and sweet. Too much wording is hard for caregivers to read and discern what is truly important to you. Short and direct sentences or “bullet points” allow all of those involved to quickly reference your preferences at each step. Keep in mind that a birth plan are your wishes under normal birthing circumstances. Labor is unpredictable and the birth plan should not be a list of orders that restrict the caregiver’s ability to keep you and baby healthy.
Not sure where to get started? There are some great birth plan templates available on the web to choose from. Because they can get lengthy covering so much material, it is a good idea to print one out, make the selections you desire and then type those preferences to create your own birth plan.
Related Podcasts:
What No One Told You About Pregnancy: Part 1 The Other Varicose Vein
Just when you were getting used to wearing compression stockings for varicose veins on your legs, the pregnancy police blindsides you with yet another secret; hemorrhoids. Yes ladies, the hemorrhoid is actually a varicose vein that makes its lovely appearance on your rectum. And, you thought your belly would be the only place to grow a bump. You may be asking what causes these painful little guys to appear and why are they so darn itchy?
- Your Getting Bigger: Sorry to state the obvious, but itʼs true. Your growing uterus is putting pressure on your lower body, including your rectum.
- Your Hormonal: Your pregnant hormones are causing the walls of your veins to to take a vacation and relax, thus allowing them to swell more easily.
- Prenatal Horse Pills: The extra iron you are getting from these gigantic, yet very important pills, is hardening your bowels which can lead to constipation.
- Burn Baby, Burn: Hemorrhoids can be painful, especially when irritated by the daily use of toilet paper. The possibility of the area not being able to kept as clean as usual, plus this irritation, can cause an uncomfortable itch.
By now you are wondering how you can treat and prevent these horrible buggers from ever occurring again. Below is a list of ways to comfort your symptoms as well as tips for changing your lifestyle so that they never come back.
- Hot & Cold Treatments: Alternate with a cold compress to reduce swelling and a warm bath to soothe and comfort.
- Witch Hazel: Your grandmother most likely used this method. Saturate a cotton ball with witch hazel and apply to the affected area to cool, clean and soothe all at the same time.
- Pre-moistened Wipes: You will prefer these to rough, dry toilet paper any day. If you do use toilet paper, make sure it is does not contain color or fragrance to lessen the chance of irritation.
- OTC Ointment: Ask your healthcare practitioner to recommend a safe topical cream (such as Preparation-H or Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm) to help shrink the hemorrhoid. Most of these products should be used for a week or less as to prevent even more inflammation or thinning of the skin tissue.
- Eat Your Fruits & Vegetables: A diet high in fiber will help keep your bowels regular thus preventing constipation and strain. If you canʼt stomach the raw stuff, try a fiber supplement that you can mix with water or juice. Be sure to talk to your healthcare practitioner beforehand to get his/her approval.
- Drink, Drink, Drink: Fluids will help wash that fiber down and will keep your system hydrated.
- Exercise: It keeps your blood flowing so that it doesnʼt pool to the lower half of your body causing varicose veins in your legs, rectum and vulva. Yes; they can appear there, too.
Hemorrhoids usually get better with the methods above, but if not you may need to seek out a specialist for treatment. Although rare, minor surgery may be required to correct the problem.
Related Podcasts:
Focusing on Baby’s Financial Future: 3 Easy Ways to Start Saving for Your Baby
College is expensive. Though in-state schools can run as “little” as $9,000 a year according to the College Board, the average tuition at a private college or university easily tops $35,000. And while scholarships and financial aid can offset the cost of a college degree, the average debt load carried by recent college grads exceeds $20,000. Being so deep in debt is hardly a good position to start off one’s career. Many new parents are often daunted by the expenses related to raising their child; saving for college may become a secondary priority.
Here are three easy ways to start saving for your baby now—even before he or she is born—that will be easy on your wallet while still producing a nice chunk of change over time.
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Upromise is a free service that makes earning money for your child easy.
Upromise has partnered with hundreds of retailers and product manufacturers in its percentage-back program. For your purchase of products enrolled as Upromise partners, 1-25% of the purchase price is set aside in an education account for your child.Every time you shop online—for books, music, movies, car rentals and other travel-related services, clothing, and dozens of other items—you earn money if you make sure you have Upromise’s Turbo Saver tool bar installed. Upromise also has restaurant and retail partners—Exxon, Publix, and many more, who particpate in the program and offer percent-back options, too.You can set your account up before your baby is even born. But perhaps the very best feature of Upromise is the fact that you can have friends and family help earn, too. If they enroll in Upromise, their purchases divert percentage points into your child’s account. -
529 Savings Plan: A 529 is a savings plan designated specifically for educational purposes.
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They are overseen by states, and each of the 50 states has at least one 529 option available to its residents. Though the terms of the plan (and their associated tax benefits) vary from state to state, a 529 is an ideal and easy way to start saving money for your child’s education even before he or she is born. Setting up a 529 plan is typically fast and hassle-free, and you can let family and friends know that the account is available for gift-giving. A contribution to the 529 may be tax-deductible (again, depending on your state’s regulations), so family and friends may be more inclined to give a gift to your child’s 529 than a collection of baby bibs or the like. Generally speaking, the minimum deposit for establishing an account is very low. Also, if you’ve also set up a Upromise account—and since it’s free, why not?– your Upromise account can be linked directly to your 529, with Upromise earnings sent directly to your 529. -
ING Direct Savings Plan and Children’s Investment Plans: ING Direct is an online bank that offers two choices for generating educational savings for children.
First is a direct savings plan, which you can open as soon as your child is born and has a Social Security number. You can set up automatic withdrawals from your own checking or savings account on a weekly or monthly basis in any amount: even just $20.00. ING Direct also offers two investment plan for children, one called a Custodial Plan and the other an Educational Savings account. Regardless of the plan you choose, there’s no start-up minimum, no account balance minimum that has to be maintained, and no account inactivity fees. According to the bank’s own data, if you were to invest $100 a month at the rate of 8% return on investment, the account would be worth $33,441 in just 15 years and $56,923 in 20 years. At about $25 a week, that’s not too shabby. Takes care of at least a year of college!
Is Labor REALLY as Painful As Everyone Says?: A Single Effective Strategy for Coping With Pain
American pop culture– sitcoms, TV talk shows, and Hollywood movies, in particular—all tend to portray labor as the single most painful experience a woman can ever have. The pain is depicted as both inevitable and total, best dealt with by taking a generous dose of a drug that will dull the pain and make it bearable.
It’s all rather anxiety-producing, especially for a woman who will be giving birth for the first time.
In the months leading up to the birth of our daughter, Mariel, my husband and I watched one documentary after another about labor and delivery. I wanted to try to understand exactly what I was in for, and whether any alternative experiences of the birthing process were available. The goal wasn’t to deny that giving birth was painful; rather, it was to learn how the pain could be managed in a way that wouldn’t overshadow the singular moment of being present to bringing our child into the world.
It was helpful to watch “The Business of Being Born,” “Orgasmic Birth,” “Gentle Birth Choices,” and “Birth Without Violence,” all of which portrayed women responding to pain without drugs– and seemingly enjoying the process. I spent an hour thinking about how one particular woman in “Orgasmic Birth” could have seemed so…well, orgasmic. Her ecstasy in labor was utterly contrary to everything I’d ever seen about the pain of giving birth.
And yet, I was under no illusions that the head of a child squeezing out of a comparably small birth canal would not be painful. “It’s called the ring of fire for a reason,” said the woman who taught the birthing classes we attended a few months before Mariel was born. “But,” she continued, “there are natural ways to decrease the pain, and they’re really effective—maybe even more so for some women than an epidural.”
You could almost hear the “sure they are” retorts echoing in the room where women in various stages of pregnancy sat on pillows and leaned back on their partners’ legs. But all of us were in the class because we intended to give birth in a birthing center rather than a traditional labor and delivery ward, and this meant that we were voluntarily foregoing any interventions like an epidural. In other words, we had to give these natural pain management techniques a try.
The teacher walked around the room with a cup of ice, and placed a cool square cube in each woman’s hand. She asked us to be present to the feeling of the ice cube in our hand, and over the course of a minute, I experienced a searing pain that seemed to dig deeper into my palm with every passing second.
“Stop,” the teacher called after a minute. The collective clatter of cubes hitting the wood floor could be heard, followed by sighs of relief and several of us wondering aloud how an ice cube in our palm could be so painful.
The teacher smiled, didn’t say anything, and circled the room with another round of ice cubes. “This time,” she said, directing her instructions to our partners, “I want you to be present to this pain with her. Rub her shoulders, run your fingers through her hair, talk with her, encourage her.” She looked at her watch again. Each couple retreated into itself, the intimacy of encouragement between couples making a low buzz. “Time,” the teacher called. “That wasn’t even 10 seconds!” I said, almost protesting. She laughed. “It was a full minute, just like the first time.”
Again, the cubes dropped, but the remarks this time reflected a similar perception shared by all the women– the full minute had seemed like only a few seconds, and those seconds were totally bearable.
“Labor,” the teacher explained, can be just like the ice cube in the hand. If you’re totally focused on the pain the ice cube is causing, then you’re going to be attuned to the pain. But if you have someone with you to provide active support, then the pain becomes manageable and the entire experience is usually more pleasant.”
As I labored and pushed our daughter into the world, my husband on one side of the bed and my mother on the other, I thought about the ice cube melting in my hand. Yes, I went through the ring of fire. Yes, the birth was painful. But this single coping strategy for managing that pain was extraordinarily effective. It just doesn’t make for nearly as dramatic a story as a Hollywood movie.
Related Podcasts:
CNN Pediatrics Journal: Breastfeeding Saves Lives and Money
This can be a touchy subject in Mommy World, so I want to be careful…
There is a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, according to CNN:
If most new moms would breastfeed their babies for the first six months of life, it would save nearly 1,000 lives and billions of dollars each year.
I don’t care for the way that’s written. “If most new moms would breastfeed” sounds like scolding. And since the CDC reports that only 74% of new moms even try nursing, it’s scolding a lot of loving and well-intentioned women.
Despite my problem with the tone of that statement, however, I have no trouble believing those numbers. I have interviewed eleventy billion experts who say that while formula is indeed “nutritionally sound”, it’s not mother’s milk.
They call the first doses of mother’s milk your baby eats liquid gold. Colostrum comes in small doses, but packs a huge punch. Not only does your colostrum provide the exact things your specific baby needs for optimum health, it does a bunch of other things, like coat and seal your baby’s GI tract, decreasing eventual allergy risks.
And, in fact, your milk evolves with your baby. When you nurse, you and your baby are interacting on a biological level. Your baby’s saliva on your skin is telling your body “Hey, Mom, I need a little more of this and a little less of that.” The composition of the milk you make changes in response to that.
Mother’s milk is a designer product!
Formula is nutritionally sound. But it’s not a designer product. It can’t be. It would cost a jillion dollars if it was!
You also can’t underestimate the value of early nursing to the cognitive and emotional development of your baby in a way that has nothing to do with milk. The closeness, the skin-to-skin contact, the actually physical connection you make with your baby on a sometimes exhaustingly frequent basis encourages healthy attachment. I’m not talking about the mother-infant bond, here. You and your baby will be bonded no matter how you choose to feed them. Attachment is a much broader concept that includes all aspects of child development.
Nursing encourages secure attachment beautifully.
This is not to say formula fed babies cannot be securely attached! My daughter was combo-fed (formula and human milk) and is quite securely attached. Nursing moms can also be insecurely attached to their babies. Every mom and baby are different.
It’s just that nursing is one nice and effective way to foster secure attachment.
I’m so very glad the article doesn’t go much further into the scolding area of this debate. One of the study’s authors, Harvard Dr. Melissa Bartick, says:
Moms shouldn’t be blamed, because they receive mixed messages and often lack support from the moment their babies are born.
Ain’t that the truth! And…
(Bartick) says the biggest priority should be to improve maternity care practices. Bartick refers to a 2007 CDC survey of hospitals and birthing centers, which scored each facility to determine how well it complied with recommendations meant to encourage women to breastfeed.
According to that survey, Bartick says, “U.S. hospitals scored a 63 – that’s a D.”
Hear, Hear! I am all about improved maternity care!
The point I’m trying to make out of all of this meandering is this. We all know breast is best. Blah blah blah. We’ve heard it until we don’t even hear it anymore. But the fact is, mother’s milk is superior to the nutritionally sound alternative of formula for so many reasons.
So for the 26% of you who aren’t even thinking about trying it…why not just consider — just consider doing it for a few days, a least until your baby has a body full of colostrum?
You can do anything for a couple of days, right?
That is my challenge to you…<3
Related Podcasts:
Top 10 Tips for Traveling When Pregnant
Traveling while pregnant can be a wonderful thing – one of your final adventures (no matter how close to home) as freewheeling couple, sans child. However, it can also be an strenuous plight, which pulls on your last nerve every time you have to get situated in the plane, the train, or the newly purchased station wagon. The key to managing such a trip is comfort. Here are some tips to help you maintain as much of it as you can.
- Wear slip-on shoes – preferably flip flops (weather permitting)
- Always have your bottle of water (a dehydrated pregnant lady is an unhappy
pregnant lady) - Don’t wear clothes that hide your belly (people are nicer when they see you’re
pregnant!) - On a plane, try to get a seat in the bulkhead, in the aisle, or with an empty seat
next to you, so you can stretch out. - Wear the comfy pants with the loose waist (you won’t always be in a place where
it’s appropriate to unbutton the jeans…) - Don’t forget all your comfort products and eats! Bring your foot lotion, your
stretch mark cream, your ginger slices for nausea, your favorite tea, your
chocolate bars, etcetera. Make yourself feel like you’re in the comfort of home. - Pack a pillow – use it for your back, neck, legs, whatever calls for it.
- Bring some non pregnancy-related reading material. The last thing you need to be
reading about while lounging on the beach is episiotomies or post-partum
incontinence. - Prepare your scripted response for the in-laws, distant relatives, or complete
strangers at the gas station bathroom who are more than happy to tell you how
their child’s birth went, and how yours will be just as horrific. - Bring your husband, partner, mailman, whomever. Someone should be carrying
the luggage, and telling you how much traveling agrees with you.
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