Pregnancy Checklist

I am fond of scheduling my activities and putting things on a checklist that way I get to know what has been accomplished and what’s not. Being pregnant for the first time is not an exception. Since I have no idea what to do as an expecting mom I have listed some things which are important to my pregnancy.

Here is a checklist for early pregnancy that might be useful to you too, especially for first time moms:

• Schedule your first prenatal visit with your practitioner when you’re about nine weeks along. Your doctor will schedule you for an appointment after your very first visit (the day you found out that you’re pregnant). Plan on seeing your practitioner every four weeks.
• Avoid alcohol, drugs, cigarettes. These things are very dangerous to the developing fetus inside you. I have also included coffee and chocolate but have caffeine in it that is not good for the baby as well.
• If you’re a coffee drinker and couldn’t seem to give this habit up, cut back and switch to decaf or you may try herbal or decaffeinated tea.
• If your immunizations are not up to date, let your practitioner know. You will be advised to take some important vaccines like tetanus vaccine and if necessary vaccines for hepatitis as well.
• Drink lots of fluids, especially water (8 to 10 glasses a day).
• Stick to a diet naturally high in folic acid like oranges, melon, dark green vegetables. Folic acid is necessary to help develop baby’s brain.
• Eat plenty of iron-rich foods like whole grains, beans, raisins and nuts.
• Keep your blood sugar level at a certain level advised by your practitioner because diabetes in pregnancy is also common.
• As a general rule, avoid medication and consult with your doctor before taking any. Taking medication without your doctor’s advise is very dangerous to your baby.
• Get plenty of sleep, and try to nap if you feel tired during the day. This is not a problem for me because I sleep most of the time during my pregnancy.
• Exercise moderately. Don’t start a new exercise regimen when you’re pregnant, and be careful not to become overheated for prolonged periods.
• If your family has a history of genetic disorders, consider prenatal testing and inform your practitioner about this so he could monitor early the progress of your baby’s development.
• Start budgeting for your new life with baby.
• Choose a place to give birth (Hospital? birthing center? home?).
• Consider starting a pregnancy diary and having someone to take a picture of you (and your expanding belly) each month. Its fun and nice to see the changes happening within you through the photos. I got tons of photos myself and have enjoyed reminiscing my pregnant days.
• Refrain from getting perms, dyes and other treatments involving heavy chemicals.
• Buy some loose fitting and comfortable clothes and a pair of flat comfortable, well-cushioned shoes.
• Get smart. Buy a few pregnancy books. Having a lot of useful information on pregnancy is a tremendous help in taking care of yourself and your baby. It pays to be well-informed.

I know the above list may seem endlessly long and a lot. But once you get to do those things listed you wouldn’t even realize it. Remember you’re a mommy now, we need to focus on the things that’s important for the baby and ourselves.

From Couple to Parents: Farewell to the Good Old Days?

In my previous blog I wrote about having saved for our future bundle of joy. Taking care of the financial aspects of having a baby is not the only base that needs to be covered. Though I am not saying we should neglect this or take it lightly as well. Covering the financial aspect is also important because having a baby is one costly endeavor in one’s family life. Visits to the doctor alone for ante-natal check ups could really take up on one’s budget. Even more challenging once the baby is born. Aside from this there are other things you have to consider like yourself and your partner. Are you ready to be parents? Are you willing to sacrifice a lot of your free time for the baby?

Before the baby came we were couples. We are like dating on extended time. We have quiet romantic evenings spent at home, romantic dinners in town, watching movies, late-nights out or spend late mornings in bed. It was so much fun and very enjoyable being a couple. Then I got pregnant. A lot of things have started to change. I would get up late at night to wee or be awaken due to hunger pangs. My husband has to get up as well to help me out of the bed and put on my bedroom sleepers before I could go to the bathroom and answer nature’s call. When I’m hungry he would definitely accompany me to the kitchen to prepare something to satisfy my appetite. Or worse if there’s none that I like inside the refrigerator we have to go out and find something that appeals my now enormous palette. Losing sleep is not a small matter especially if need to get up and work the following day.

Gone are the days when we could spend late nights in town. There’s no “us” or “you and I” in the relationship anymore. The relationship turned to “we” which includes our unborn baby developing inside me. Even our conversation is centered on the baby. Our activities for that matter are centered on the baby. We no longer go out on dates because it might not be safe for the baby and we also have to avoid spending excessively for ourselves. Every dime we got must be saved for the baby. These are little sacrifices that we make. At first it was a bit difficult then we talked it out amongst ourselves how this has affected to us as couples. In the end we have to do this if we want to be parents to our baby. We may not be the world’s greatest parents but at least the best to our child. I am very grateful as well that my husband keeps the communication link between us open. Otherwise these changes we are going through could really put a strain in our relationship. He makes it a point that we talk constantly what’s in our mind and heart.

Just because we are having a baby doesn’t mean that we could never be couples again. There may be limited freedom of movement, true, but it has expanded immeasurably. Couple-hood becomes an important ingredient in the marriage more so if there are children around. The love, respect and emotional support that you and your partner give towards each other strengthens the bond of family. Someone advised us that even if we have kids we should never lose that spark in our relationship. That spark plays a tremendous role in our kids too. If our kids sees their parents as loving couples it gives them that sense of security and a positive outlook in life that the world is a wonderful place to live in. The children will have a pattern of marital relations to guide them when they are adults. This is not to say that children can’t grow up to be healthy with only one parent; many do. I have friends who are single parents and their children grew up magnificently. If they lack a father, they create one – in their imagination – from what they remember, what their mother has told them and the appealing characteristics of friendly men they see from time to time. The synthetic father can supply fairly well the masculine image they need. Similarly, a child without a mother creates one from memory, family stories and relationships with other women. Certainly it would be a great mistake for a parent to make a hasty, unsuitable marriage just to provide a child with a second parent.

Of course, parents are individuals too with needs. Just because we are now parents doesn’t mean no longer need romance. We still need to be hugged, cuddled and loved by our partners. We can always set aside a portion of our busy schedule to go out on dates just the two of us rekindling the spark in our relationship. A simple squeeze in the shoulder followed by the assuring words of “I love you” is already enough for me to give me strength to battle the day that lay before me. Other inexpensive ways of showing your romantic side to your partner would be hugging, surprising her with stolen kisses, a note of love or better a poem tucked underneath her pillow and a lot more. Just don’t hesitate to give those things to your partner. We were never shy to give these all out while we are still on the courtship stage how much more we are now bound to each other. So give it all you’ve got. When you come home from work give your partner a hug and a kiss you’ll be surprised with the effects it gives.

I’m Having a Baby!

Usually having missed one’s menstrual period is the most common signs of pregnancy. A missed period is the best known sign of pregnancy. Even my husband instantly concluded that I am pregnant when I told him so. There are other symptoms that can let a woman know if she’s pregnant or not even before she become aware of her missed period, like:

• sickness and/or feelings of nausea
• a strange taste in your mouth, sometimes described as 'metallic'
• breast tenderness, tingling and enlargement
• the small 'bumps' on your nipples becoming more obvious - these are 'Montgomery's tubercules', which secrete an oily fluid in preparation for breastfeeding
• stomach pains
• tiredness
• constipation
• needing to wee more often
• going off certain things, such as coffee and fatty foods
• increased vaginal discharge

Others experience very light bleeding (called 'spotting'). This can make you feel as though you haven't missed your period. In my case, missing my period was the prominent symptom that my husband and I have noticed plus the ten home pregnancy tests that I have taken and the confirmation from our doctor.

After confirming one or all of the symptoms above it is best to take a home pregnancy test to be scientific and accurate about your hunch. Pregnancy tests are very accurate and reliable that is if administered properly. You must read, understand and follow what the instructions said in the package. It’s really easy and simple. Home pregnancy tests are inexpensive and readily available. You can buy it in a pharmacy, family planning clinics, from your favorite doctor or in some health centers.

How does this piece of plastic stick commonly called Home Pregnancy Test work?

The tests work by detecting the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in your urine. A chemical in the plastic stick changes color when it comes into contact with this hormone, so the usual way of testing is to wee on the end of the stick and watch for the result in the little window. It usually turns red when you are positively pregnant.

Home pregnancy tests can be used two to three weeks after you think you may have conceived or on the first day of your missed period. Use one sooner than this and you may not get a reliable result.

Again pregnancy tests are very accurate as long as you use them properly. It's possible to have a 'false negative', when the test says you aren't pregnant when you are. If your period still doesn't arrive, repeat the test or check with your doctor.

It's also possible that a first pregnancy test will show a positive result, but a later one doesn't. Or the test may show a positive but then your period arrives. Your period may be heavier than you're used to, which may mean your pregnancy has been lost. This is a very early miscarriage, and is probably a way of protecting the body from hanging on to a damaged embryo. It doesn't mean you won't conceive again.

Once you have determined that you are positively pregnant you need to visit your medical practitioner so that you and your baby will be given the best possible care during your pregnancy. It is important to see an OB/Gyn early on to know if you are having a safe pregnancy and if there are any complications it will be determined early on. Your doctor will help you determine when you’re due. The length of your pregnancy is dated from the first day of your last period, even though you actually conceive two weeks or so after this date (depending on the length of your cycle). Your baby is likely to be born two weeks either side of the due date. So it is best to know and have a record of your menstrual cycles.

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