THE FIRST TRIMESTER - for the pregnant momma-to-be
Congratulations!! Pregnancy and especially the first trimester is full of excitement and anticipation. Yay! Here are all the sites and interesting stuff I've found on the internet about different stages in pregnancy. Have fun checking it all out!!
Oh, and let me know if the links don't work please!!
I'm not trying to be overwhelming - when I find something neat, I just save it in my favorites and that is how I got all this stuff. You can always google the topics too.
*Four things that will mess with your mind when you find out you are pregnant:
1. How far along am I/How old is baby? It is so confusing about the LMP (last menstral period) dating method being 2 weeks ahead of the baby's actual age and it's irritating to think of it that way but if you get used to using that terminology, it matches up with ultrasounds and doctor/nurse speak. I've found it confusing trying to convert from LMP to "actual" age in my head. Doctors won't refer to the baby wrt to it's actual age only the LMP age. Since the LMP method takes into account a 40 week gestation, then it makes up for that length by adding an extra 2 weeks at the beginning of the pregnancy long before the egg is fertilized. The baby technically is 38 weeks old when born but doctors are looking for you as the momma to be 40 weeks when you have a full term baby which again implies a baby that is 38 weeks old.
2. How accurate is my due date? As far as the accuracy of LMP is concerned, if your cycle was super regular and 28 days then LMP is most likely good OR if you used invitrofertilization of course that is super accurate. If not, you could have had a 1st trimester ultrasound. Of all the ultrasounds done during pregnancy an ultrasound done between 6-8 weeks (that's pregnancy weeks - when the baby is 4-6weeks old) is the very most accurate for dating a baby's age. In the 3rd trimester blog, I will expand the topic of what makes size/ultrasound more accurate since I've managed to go to many periontologists this pregnancy I got this question answered from the experts.
3. I thought pregnancy was 9 months? Well, if you count a month as being 4weeks, pregnancy lasts through the 9month month making the full pregnancy 10 mo!! This is what the doctors use again that matches up with the 40wk pregnancy. Oh, this gets so confusing when the general public asks you how far along you are esp later in pregnancy!!! I used to just say how many weeks until due date! :) Of course there is another way to think of this so that it turns out to be 9mos for the purpose of answering the general public. If you know when you got pregnant (say Sept 10) and then just count months (Oct 10, Nov 10, Dec 10, .... May 10, June 10). You will find out that your due date is very close to this date since a month is actually 2-3 days longer than 4 weeks. If your pregnancy includes February, then predicting your due date with this method will be a little off.
4. So when does the first trimester end? Is it when "I" am 12 weeks (and baby is actually 10 weeks) or when the "baby" is 12 weeks? I asked doctors and read several books and the answer is actually when "I" am 12 weeks (baby is 10 weeks). When you get to the beginning of 12 weeks is when you've both made it! Once you get past 12 weeks, it's easier to explain to people how far you are because people want to revert to "months" and at that point, you can say "I'm starting 3 months!" which actually sounds like something at that point.
You should know that the risk of m/c decreases a lot once you've heard the heartbeat on a doppler regardless of wether you've actually reached 12 weeks or not. Don't worry...The first trimester trudges by but the second trimester is just zippy and you feel so much better - energy, no nausea, baby movements - NEATO time!!! Hearing the heartbeat via doppler is soooo cool!!
6 Topics of interest
1. Nausea - help!:
-Preggie Pops
-Hum while brushing teeth - it stops the gagging reflux (some women have it)
-Smell ginger or lemons or eat/suck on sour things when feel nauseous.
-Eat small meals without allowing time between - an empty stomach makes it worse. Try to keep crackers by the bed and eat a few in bed before moving in the morning.
-Take prenatals at night instead of on empty morning stomach or switch to prenatals with antinausea stuff in them. Or check with OB about taking Flinstones vitamins - many allow and they are easy on the stomach (note: don't take Flinstones complete).
-Tums are fine to take during pregnancy (always check with OB though). There are heavier duty meds you can take with OB's approval/prescription too.
-Nausea should not be completely debilitating or dehydrating - if you are having that kind of nausea, call doctor because there are meds for you to take so you can make it through the day!! (There is even a condition associated with pregnancy and extreme nausea).
-It is totally fine if you don't have nausea or just a little indigestion - I had none.
-Some people have nausea all day, some in the morning, afternoon, or night and again all that is fine. All of your pregnancies will be different so just because you had nausea this time does NOT mean you have to have it next time.
-I've heard it gets much better by 10 weeks.
2. Constipation - help! It is completely normal to get constipated during pregnancy because of increased progesterone (thanks to the baby - esp in 1st trimester). Lotsa water and dried fruit really really helps with constipation that. You can take immodium but not with AD. Milk of Magnesia and benefiber are also allowed and work well!
3. Gaining weight - what do I do?: This pregnancy weight calculator shows where all the weight goes so it isn't scary to think about suddenly really tipping the scales! Here is another good weight calculator. This is just a quick little article on it too. Also, I would recommend not to try to gain weight the first trimester...you only need 300 extra calories per day and you don't need that much on the first trimester. There's no reason to go out and start having a fries and a milk shake every day in the first trimester. If you gain weight naturally then that's fine. If there are any foods you despise in the first trimester, that's okay...your appetite will come back soon. More on nutrician for second trimester. It is also completely fine if you end up losing weight during the first trimester (not on purpose but due to appetite loss and such.)
4. Is it really normal to sleep ALL THE TIME? - take a nap whenever you can - they make soo much difference! I tend to need one around 4pm for whatever the reason and even if i only get 30 mins, it makes a huge difference. Your hormones are soo much easier to manage! I was so much nicer to my hubby with that nap! If you are working - try to eat a quick lunch and then take a nap during the rest of your lunch hour - in car if need be, it will get you through the rest of the day.
5. My clothes aren't fitting but I don't look pregnant. For that "in between stage" where clothes aren't fitting with buttoned pants but way too small for maternity and to save on the maternity clothes: bella bands - they run about $25 but really stretch the amount of time you can wear "normal" clothes and help you wear your old clothes sooner after your pregnancy. If it's your bra size just don't buy many new bras because you'll need new sizes later in pregnancy and then different ones for too. Also, water retention will cause you to gain weight too so please please please try to start drinking 64oz of water now so your body is very hydrated during this time. If you can't keep water down, use watered-down gatorade or flavored water if you can. As far as when you show - it varies by person. I went through a bloated stage at around week 8 where my pants didn't fit but then started drinking more water and eating less pickles and it went down. I didn't start "showing" until 18 weeks and only my mom could tell - I started "really showing" around 22 weeks where it would be tricky to hide my little bump with clothes. After that my belly just took off without me! :) BTW - you will end up buying at least two sets of maternity clothes as the stuff for the 2nd trimester stops fitting well for the 3rd trimester! OR because you are in a completely different season for the beginning of 2nd vs end of 3rd trimester. If you do need maternity clothes in the first trimester that's okay too!
6. Recommended Books?:
The Pregnancy Journal by A. Christine Harris. Here is the coolest book that I've found (it was recommended from my recently preggo friend - Amy) - there are a thousand pregnancy journals but this one is really neat because it tells you what the baby is making/doing during each week!
What to Expect When You are Expecting is a great reference guide but I've been warned by several not to read it through in its entirety because although it has some neat stuff, it also brings up a ton of "worst case scenarios" that don't matter.
Quick info on the craziest preggo hormones!
Two hormones secreted by tiny baby that may be checked via bloodtest that affect pregnancy and more: progesterone and hcg. Hcg is only secreted by fetuses attached to a uterus and not made by humans after birth - this is the hormone that the preggo tests test for and why they are 99.9% accurate for positives. Plenty of women will take progesterone supplements so there's info on that.
Testing done during pregnancy:
1. On your first visit: you will probably have blood drawn and they will test for all sorts of things: Many of these tests are state mandated so it is hard to refuse...even if you are sure you don't have these diseases due to your history. Also, they check the same stuff every time you are pregnant which is silly since some thigns like your bloodtype/RH doesn't change! I was tested for: blood type/RH... AB Screen (?), Iron levels (hemoglobin) - want above 12, Hepatitis B - want neg, HIV - want neg, Syphilis - want neg, Rubella - this one they want positive because they are checking to see if you have the antibodies for this. They also took a swab for chalmydia/GC and did a urinalysis to make sure levels were good. Oh, and if you haven't had a recent pap they'll do that too.
2. Genetic Tests: There are certain tests you can read up on the internet for genetic stuff. Note you will probably be encouraged to have an early trimester ultrasound to make sure your dates are right or you will get the wrong info on these tests...if you get a weird result they may also check your dates and recalculate. You only have to do one of these usually though if you get a positive the docs may want to run another one for confirmation. Be aware that it can take up to a week to get results back so timing needs to be correct if you want to combine two tests.
-First Trimester Screening w/ or w/out Nuchal translucent US: (Done 11-13wks). NOT invasive. This is a relatively new test. Some OB's only have the capability to do the bloodscreening (first trimester screening) whereas the specialists do both of these on these same day. Involves taking blood and ultrasound. Be aware that MANY MANY people have false positives to this test and get stressed out only to find out later after more testing that the little one is perfectly healthy. There are a few conditions that can be treated during pregnancy with surgery so if there is a true positive and fetal surgery is an option, it could make a difference.
-Chronic Villis Sampling: (Done 11-12wks) *Invasive...very small risk of miscarriage - you do find out if boy/girl too.
-Amniocentesis: (Done 15-18wks) *Invasive...very small risk miscarriage
-AFP/Multiple Marker Screening/Triple Test: Different names for the same test and can be called the quadruple test too (Done 16-18wks) *Does have high false positive rate - and only tells you liklihood of something whereas CVS gives you a "yes/no".
3. Later tests:
-Glucola test (sugar test usually done at 24-28wks pregnancy) - many doctors do the "1hr" test and if you fail that then you do the "3hr" test - some require fasting and some don't. You drink a sugar drink and wait 1hr and they take blood in 1hr test. Not sure on 3hr test
-Iron again (Hemoglobin) (usually done at same time as glucola) - want above 12 or they may be concerned about anemia.
-Rhogram (only if negative maternal bloodtype) (done at week 28...may need shot if positive)
-Group B Strep culture (close to due date) - this is a swab. You will get antibiotics during labor if this is positive.
General Interesting stuff:
*This is a link to Message boards through the same site I use - ivillage. Look at the "expecting boards" links on the right side of the page ... you can read without joining if you want. There are plenty of other places with pregnancy boards but I like this one - very nice folk. I've learned so much about pregnancy and about suggested baby stuff and treatments that help with everything (including nausea) that I just love checking these sites for info and asking questions. It keeps me from calling the doctor all the time and bugging them and helps me to know I'm normal - preggo normal that is. It is also a very clean board with nice people I think...of course never use real names or dates when signing onto these things - you can never be too sure if you are dealing with the internet. Also, if you are a stay at home mom (SAHM), having a group of women to "check-in-with" during the day really helps keep you from getting lonely.
*I like this online pregnancy calendar. And this fetal development site shows how the babies grows with respect to your body...you can scan through weeks by clicking "next". This is also a really different fetal development site with 3D pictures. You have to click through weekly in both development websites to see the different weekly developments!!
*This is a preemie doll website that makes dolls that I would never buy but they are neat to look at to so you can really see about how big the baby is! They have the dolls beside rings and thimbles and hands so you can see how much they grow! FYI...Some of the babies are based on babies that have been miscarried (NOT aborted) and the parents commissioned a doll's likeness and while that's kinda weird to think about, it's also neat to look at how much the babies grow. It's from a prolife group and I like finding the week I'm at and seeing how big the baby is.
Some nutritionists are recommending this website for keeping track of nutrition in life but also during pregnancy. Fitday.com. Again, more info on nutrician in second trimester email - just try to keep your food down in the 1st trimester and you'll be fine. And here's a link to pregnant exercise (Preggie Bellies) that's a trend in Australia!! Looks like fun!!
Last but not least...Here are some interesting links to some stuff that folks have suggested:
Baby's Eye Color - Just neato - we're supposed to have kids who more likely have green eyes but also a possibility of blue. Looks like they turned out blue!
Snoogle - I didn't need it in the first trimester and at $50, it's a luxury, but wow!! (I saw one at Burlington Coat Factory - in Baby Depot section, I saw them for $35). Start looking for one now. It is great for the 2nd and 3rd trimester. I did use mine then a lot. You will want something like this by that point - otherwise you deal with situating like 6 pillows every time you get back from the bathroom at night. Er...wait a second, I used the snoogle and 6 pillows of varying sizes at the end of my third trimester...but I slept great once it all got situated! There are a lot of pregnancy pillows out there. I took mine with me to labor with (those beds really aren't comfy and there aren't a lot of extra pillows without bugging the nurses for some). It was so awesome to have my own big pillow that I could prop and use however I wanted. I liked it in recovery to as it helped me get more comfortable. It's very interesting but I used mine a lot after delivery - it was much more comfy to "curl" up and sit on my snoogle in a recliner than a boppy in my opinion esp if you are using the boppy to nurse. So, for me, this was a great purchase.
Cloth Diapers (Here's a discussion or you can look here for reviews also on them too and cost effectiveness of them over the long run). Just something to think about in the future. This particular topic has gotten very technologically savvy with wicking fabric and snaps and more. These ain't your grandmomma's diaper anymore! They are sooo cute and seriously, if you just want the environmental advantage, check out gdiapers. You flush the inner layer and it biodegrades in the sewar system and you wash only the cover. They are super cute and my friends who use these say that the cost is equivalent to using regular diapers. In my opinion, (I will post on this later), they are a lot cheaper than disposables and healthier for the baby. I personally use BumGenius because they grow with baby! :) I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!! More on that in the second trimester!
A little early to think about right now but just to have it in your head...here are some really interesting website I've found that go into different birth theories and styles: Bradley, Hypnobabies, Waterbirth (Friend in Knoxville swore by this), Lamaze, doulas (My friend Melissa's cousins are these). Just be thinking about what kind of birth experience you want to have.
And if you are just really curious ... check out this website to find ultrasound centers in each area of the country that give 3D/4D elective ultrasounds for much cheaper than in hospitals (lots of women are opting for this since many insurances only allow 1 ultrasoundand there are many not-too-expensive ones available now!)
More info to come in the "second trimester" blog!!!
PS If you have them, I sympathize with those "I gotta go several times in the middle of the night" wake-up blues that disturb night-time sleep!! I've had to do that since 3 weeks pregnant - seriously - before we found out - and I have a really strong bladder!!
Congratulations!! Pregnancy and especially the first trimester is full of excitement and anticipation. Yay! Here are all the sites and interesting stuff I've found on the internet about different stages in pregnancy. Have fun checking it all out!!
Oh, and let me know if the links don't work please!!
I'm not trying to be overwhelming - when I find something neat, I just save it in my favorites and that is how I got all this stuff. You can always google the topics too.
*Four things that will mess with your mind when you find out you are pregnant:
1. How far along am I/How old is baby? It is so confusing about the LMP (last menstral period) dating method being 2 weeks ahead of the baby's actual age and it's irritating to think of it that way but if you get used to using that terminology, it matches up with ultrasounds and doctor/nurse speak. I've found it confusing trying to convert from LMP to "actual" age in my head. Doctors won't refer to the baby wrt to it's actual age only the LMP age. Since the LMP method takes into account a 40 week gestation, then it makes up for that length by adding an extra 2 weeks at the beginning of the pregnancy long before the egg is fertilized. The baby technically is 38 weeks old when born but doctors are looking for you as the momma to be 40 weeks when you have a full term baby which again implies a baby that is 38 weeks old.
2. How accurate is my due date? As far as the accuracy of LMP is concerned, if your cycle was super regular and 28 days then LMP is most likely good OR if you used invitrofertilization of course that is super accurate. If not, you could have had a 1st trimester ultrasound. Of all the ultrasounds done during pregnancy an ultrasound done between 6-8 weeks (that's pregnancy weeks - when the baby is 4-6weeks old) is the very most accurate for dating a baby's age. In the 3rd trimester blog, I will expand the topic of what makes size/ultrasound more accurate since I've managed to go to many periontologists this pregnancy I got this question answered from the experts.
3. I thought pregnancy was 9 months? Well, if you count a month as being 4weeks, pregnancy lasts through the 9month month making the full pregnancy 10 mo!! This is what the doctors use again that matches up with the 40wk pregnancy. Oh, this gets so confusing when the general public asks you how far along you are esp later in pregnancy!!! I used to just say how many weeks until due date! :) Of course there is another way to think of this so that it turns out to be 9mos for the purpose of answering the general public. If you know when you got pregnant (say Sept 10) and then just count months (Oct 10, Nov 10, Dec 10, .... May 10, June 10). You will find out that your due date is very close to this date since a month is actually 2-3 days longer than 4 weeks. If your pregnancy includes February, then predicting your due date with this method will be a little off.
4. So when does the first trimester end? Is it when "I" am 12 weeks (and baby is actually 10 weeks) or when the "baby" is 12 weeks? I asked doctors and read several books and the answer is actually when "I" am 12 weeks (baby is 10 weeks). When you get to the beginning of 12 weeks is when you've both made it! Once you get past 12 weeks, it's easier to explain to people how far you are because people want to revert to "months" and at that point, you can say "I'm starting 3 months!" which actually sounds like something at that point.
You should know that the risk of m/c decreases a lot once you've heard the heartbeat on a doppler regardless of wether you've actually reached 12 weeks or not. Don't worry...The first trimester trudges by but the second trimester is just zippy and you feel so much better - energy, no nausea, baby movements - NEATO time!!! Hearing the heartbeat via doppler is soooo cool!!
6 Topics of interest
1. Nausea - help!:
-Preggie Pops
-Hum while brushing teeth - it stops the gagging reflux (some women have it)
-Smell ginger or lemons or eat/suck on sour things when feel nauseous.
-Eat small meals without allowing time between - an empty stomach makes it worse. Try to keep crackers by the bed and eat a few in bed before moving in the morning.
-Take prenatals at night instead of on empty morning stomach or switch to prenatals with antinausea stuff in them. Or check with OB about taking Flinstones vitamins - many allow and they are easy on the stomach (note: don't take Flinstones complete).
-Tums are fine to take during pregnancy (always check with OB though). There are heavier duty meds you can take with OB's approval/prescription too.
-Nausea should not be completely debilitating or dehydrating - if you are having that kind of nausea, call doctor because there are meds for you to take so you can make it through the day!! (There is even a condition associated with pregnancy and extreme nausea).
-It is totally fine if you don't have nausea or just a little indigestion - I had none.
-Some people have nausea all day, some in the morning, afternoon, or night and again all that is fine. All of your pregnancies will be different so just because you had nausea this time does NOT mean you have to have it next time.
-I've heard it gets much better by 10 weeks.
2. Constipation - help! It is completely normal to get constipated during pregnancy because of increased progesterone (thanks to the baby - esp in 1st trimester). Lotsa water and dried fruit really really helps with constipation that. You can take immodium but not with AD. Milk of Magnesia and benefiber are also allowed and work well!
3. Gaining weight - what do I do?: This pregnancy weight calculator shows where all the weight goes so it isn't scary to think about suddenly really tipping the scales! Here is another good weight calculator. This is just a quick little article on it too. Also, I would recommend not to try to gain weight the first trimester...you only need 300 extra calories per day and you don't need that much on the first trimester. There's no reason to go out and start having a fries and a milk shake every day in the first trimester. If you gain weight naturally then that's fine. If there are any foods you despise in the first trimester, that's okay...your appetite will come back soon. More on nutrician for second trimester. It is also completely fine if you end up losing weight during the first trimester (not on purpose but due to appetite loss and such.)
4. Is it really normal to sleep ALL THE TIME? - take a nap whenever you can - they make soo much difference! I tend to need one around 4pm for whatever the reason and even if i only get 30 mins, it makes a huge difference. Your hormones are soo much easier to manage! I was so much nicer to my hubby with that nap! If you are working - try to eat a quick lunch and then take a nap during the rest of your lunch hour - in car if need be, it will get you through the rest of the day.
5. My clothes aren't fitting but I don't look pregnant. For that "in between stage" where clothes aren't fitting with buttoned pants but way too small for maternity and to save on the maternity clothes: bella bands - they run about $25 but really stretch the amount of time you can wear "normal" clothes and help you wear your old clothes sooner after your pregnancy. If it's your bra size just don't buy many new bras because you'll need new sizes later in pregnancy and then different ones for too. Also, water retention will cause you to gain weight too so please please please try to start drinking 64oz of water now so your body is very hydrated during this time. If you can't keep water down, use watered-down gatorade or flavored water if you can. As far as when you show - it varies by person. I went through a bloated stage at around week 8 where my pants didn't fit but then started drinking more water and eating less pickles and it went down. I didn't start "showing" until 18 weeks and only my mom could tell - I started "really showing" around 22 weeks where it would be tricky to hide my little bump with clothes. After that my belly just took off without me! :) BTW - you will end up buying at least two sets of maternity clothes as the stuff for the 2nd trimester stops fitting well for the 3rd trimester! OR because you are in a completely different season for the beginning of 2nd vs end of 3rd trimester. If you do need maternity clothes in the first trimester that's okay too!
6. Recommended Books?:
The Pregnancy Journal by A. Christine Harris. Here is the coolest book that I've found (it was recommended from my recently preggo friend - Amy) - there are a thousand pregnancy journals but this one is really neat because it tells you what the baby is making/doing during each week!
What to Expect When You are Expecting is a great reference guide but I've been warned by several not to read it through in its entirety because although it has some neat stuff, it also brings up a ton of "worst case scenarios" that don't matter.
Quick info on the craziest preggo hormones!
Two hormones secreted by tiny baby that may be checked via bloodtest that affect pregnancy and more: progesterone and hcg. Hcg is only secreted by fetuses attached to a uterus and not made by humans after birth - this is the hormone that the preggo tests test for and why they are 99.9% accurate for positives. Plenty of women will take progesterone supplements so there's info on that.
Testing done during pregnancy:
1. On your first visit: you will probably have blood drawn and they will test for all sorts of things: Many of these tests are state mandated so it is hard to refuse...even if you are sure you don't have these diseases due to your history. Also, they check the same stuff every time you are pregnant which is silly since some thigns like your bloodtype/RH doesn't change! I was tested for: blood type/RH... AB Screen (?), Iron levels (hemoglobin) - want above 12, Hepatitis B - want neg, HIV - want neg, Syphilis - want neg, Rubella - this one they want positive because they are checking to see if you have the antibodies for this. They also took a swab for chalmydia/GC and did a urinalysis to make sure levels were good. Oh, and if you haven't had a recent pap they'll do that too.
2. Genetic Tests: There are certain tests you can read up on the internet for genetic stuff. Note you will probably be encouraged to have an early trimester ultrasound to make sure your dates are right or you will get the wrong info on these tests...if you get a weird result they may also check your dates and recalculate. You only have to do one of these usually though if you get a positive the docs may want to run another one for confirmation. Be aware that it can take up to a week to get results back so timing needs to be correct if you want to combine two tests.
-First Trimester Screening w/ or w/out Nuchal translucent US: (Done 11-13wks). NOT invasive. This is a relatively new test. Some OB's only have the capability to do the bloodscreening (first trimester screening) whereas the specialists do both of these on these same day. Involves taking blood and ultrasound. Be aware that MANY MANY people have false positives to this test and get stressed out only to find out later after more testing that the little one is perfectly healthy. There are a few conditions that can be treated during pregnancy with surgery so if there is a true positive and fetal surgery is an option, it could make a difference.
-Chronic Villis Sampling: (Done 11-12wks) *Invasive...very small risk of miscarriage - you do find out if boy/girl too.
-Amniocentesis: (Done 15-18wks) *Invasive...very small risk miscarriage
-AFP/Multiple Marker Screening/Triple Test: Different names for the same test and can be called the quadruple test too (Done 16-18wks) *Does have high false positive rate - and only tells you liklihood of something whereas CVS gives you a "yes/no".
3. Later tests:
-Glucola test (sugar test usually done at 24-28wks pregnancy) - many doctors do the "1hr" test and if you fail that then you do the "3hr" test - some require fasting and some don't. You drink a sugar drink and wait 1hr and they take blood in 1hr test. Not sure on 3hr test
-Iron again (Hemoglobin) (usually done at same time as glucola) - want above 12 or they may be concerned about anemia.
-Rhogram (only if negative maternal bloodtype) (done at week 28...may need shot if positive)
-Group B Strep culture (close to due date) - this is a swab. You will get antibiotics during labor if this is positive.
General Interesting stuff:
*This is a link to Message boards through the same site I use - ivillage. Look at the "expecting boards" links on the right side of the page ... you can read without joining if you want. There are plenty of other places with pregnancy boards but I like this one - very nice folk. I've learned so much about pregnancy and about suggested baby stuff and treatments that help with everything (including nausea) that I just love checking these sites for info and asking questions. It keeps me from calling the doctor all the time and bugging them and helps me to know I'm normal - preggo normal that is. It is also a very clean board with nice people I think...of course never use real names or dates when signing onto these things - you can never be too sure if you are dealing with the internet. Also, if you are a stay at home mom (SAHM), having a group of women to "check-in-with" during the day really helps keep you from getting lonely.
*I like this online pregnancy calendar. And this fetal development site shows how the babies grows with respect to your body...you can scan through weeks by clicking "next". This is also a really different fetal development site with 3D pictures. You have to click through weekly in both development websites to see the different weekly developments!!
*This is a preemie doll website that makes dolls that I would never buy but they are neat to look at to so you can really see about how big the baby is! They have the dolls beside rings and thimbles and hands so you can see how much they grow! FYI...Some of the babies are based on babies that have been miscarried (NOT aborted) and the parents commissioned a doll's likeness and while that's kinda weird to think about, it's also neat to look at how much the babies grow. It's from a prolife group and I like finding the week I'm at and seeing how big the baby is.
Some nutritionists are recommending this website for keeping track of nutrition in life but also during pregnancy. Fitday.com. Again, more info on nutrician in second trimester email - just try to keep your food down in the 1st trimester and you'll be fine. And here's a link to pregnant exercise (Preggie Bellies) that's a trend in Australia!! Looks like fun!!
Last but not least...Here are some interesting links to some stuff that folks have suggested:
Baby's Eye Color - Just neato - we're supposed to have kids who more likely have green eyes but also a possibility of blue. Looks like they turned out blue!
Snoogle - I didn't need it in the first trimester and at $50, it's a luxury, but wow!! (I saw one at Burlington Coat Factory - in Baby Depot section, I saw them for $35). Start looking for one now. It is great for the 2nd and 3rd trimester. I did use mine then a lot. You will want something like this by that point - otherwise you deal with situating like 6 pillows every time you get back from the bathroom at night. Er...wait a second, I used the snoogle and 6 pillows of varying sizes at the end of my third trimester...but I slept great once it all got situated! There are a lot of pregnancy pillows out there. I took mine with me to labor with (those beds really aren't comfy and there aren't a lot of extra pillows without bugging the nurses for some). It was so awesome to have my own big pillow that I could prop and use however I wanted. I liked it in recovery to as it helped me get more comfortable. It's very interesting but I used mine a lot after delivery - it was much more comfy to "curl" up and sit on my snoogle in a recliner than a boppy in my opinion esp if you are using the boppy to nurse. So, for me, this was a great purchase.
Cloth Diapers (Here's a discussion or you can look here for reviews also on them too and cost effectiveness of them over the long run). Just something to think about in the future. This particular topic has gotten very technologically savvy with wicking fabric and snaps and more. These ain't your grandmomma's diaper anymore! They are sooo cute and seriously, if you just want the environmental advantage, check out gdiapers. You flush the inner layer and it biodegrades in the sewar system and you wash only the cover. They are super cute and my friends who use these say that the cost is equivalent to using regular diapers. In my opinion, (I will post on this later), they are a lot cheaper than disposables and healthier for the baby. I personally use BumGenius because they grow with baby! :) I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!! More on that in the second trimester!
A little early to think about right now but just to have it in your head...here are some really interesting website I've found that go into different birth theories and styles: Bradley, Hypnobabies, Waterbirth (Friend in Knoxville swore by this), Lamaze, doulas (My friend Melissa's cousins are these). Just be thinking about what kind of birth experience you want to have.
And if you are just really curious ... check out this website to find ultrasound centers in each area of the country that give 3D/4D elective ultrasounds for much cheaper than in hospitals (lots of women are opting for this since many insurances only allow 1 ultrasoundand there are many not-too-expensive ones available now!)
More info to come in the "second trimester" blog!!!
PS If you have them, I sympathize with those "I gotta go several times in the middle of the night" wake-up blues that disturb night-time sleep!! I've had to do that since 3 weeks pregnant - seriously - before we found out - and I have a really strong bladder!!
No comments:
Post a Comment