Tradition says you find your true love, you marry them, you plan out your children. The truth is almost 50 % ( 1 in 2 babies) are born into unmarried couples and are unplanned. In fact ,all three of my children were unplanned. Yes, we wanted children but we didn't sit down and chart out an ovulation calendar,work out the most effective positions to get pregnant,nor did we pre-pick our children's names. I must say though, going into my 3rd pregnancy makes me feel like a veteran!
Woman are usually concerned with the amount of weight they will put on when pregnant. Good healthy weight gain for an average woman should be anywhere between 25-35 lbs (15 lbs being the least and 40 lbs being the most). So one way or another you are gaining! I weighed a whopping 95 lbs my first time around ,pre-pregnancy weight. I ignored every rule to eating while pregnant and stuffed my face until I felt like I was going to burst at the seams. I'd even make ridiculous trips at 2 am in the morning just for a specific craving that I just HAD to have. Between doing this the first and second time around I gained around 70 lbs each pregnancy! I took the idea of eating for two a little to literal . The idea is that you only need 300-500 extra calories, but whos counting anyways right?They say third time is a charm though. Now they all these rules about eating deli meat and cheeses and so on. I say calories, smalories, if you're hungry ,just eat! I've found that having snacks in between meals,like a handful of nuts, or a few slices of fruit helps keep your appetite to want to eat 24/7 under control. Remember, everything in moderation meaning, you don't need seconds and thirds on lunch and dinner .Also ,no ones saying you can't have them ,because that might make you homicidal , but remember,no over-doing the sugars and fats!
Image ,Image ,Image. Pregnancy can do some pretty terrifying and surprising things to your body. You're going to break out and smell odors you've never encountered in your life. You're also probably going to acquire some rad new zebra stripes, aka the dreaded stretch marks! I was a complete wreck trying to keep everything under control the first time . Then the second time ,parts of my body grew bigger than the first time! This caused me to gain new stretch marks in areas I didn't have them before, and even though some parts stayed the same size, I still ended up getting more! So now I've pretty much expected and accepted the fact that stretch marks are indeed inevitable. Granted most of them faded the first time out,the second time took much looonger. I absolutely hated getting break outs though. It gave me horrible memories of high school and hitting puberty. I knew this time around they were going to come,and they come and go in little waves. Knowing this, I prepared myself by keeping to a routine with homemade scrubs and washes (look for the diy blog soon)which are not only effective in reducing the pimples but helping to prevent future break outs , and it seems to be working very well for me. Last but not least, the awful odors caused by all those wonderfully mixed up hormones you're experiencing. My secret is when I hop out the shower I cover my body in a coconut oil/vitamin E mix, (while still wet,so it helps to asorb into your skin better) and then add some baby powder . Make sure its all rubbed in. Boom. Cover for the day.
Being comfortable is a must when pregnant. Trust me.Invest in those wrap around body pillows, footrests,foot massagers, belly braces,all that good stuff. Sleeping will become a hassel in the closing months and your feet are going to swell the size of a tree trunk. A lot of people think that they need to buy a heap of maternity clothes as well. Quite honestly ,even given the fact that I gained nearly 70 lbs in my first two pregnancies, I still didn't buy a single maternity shirt or pant. To be honest they are quite expensive and the fashion is just awful.I actually had quite a few maxi dresses (which were PERFECT by the way,so easy and comfortable) that I wore very often and just borrowed my mans shorts when I ran out. As for pants. Yoga pants. Gods gift to pregnant woman! Every now and then I had to use a hair tie to wrap my jeans together but that gets real old,real quick. Yoga pants and leggings. Enough said.while you're at it, you might as well push those $40 bras and thongs to the back of your dresser and invest in some boy shorts and built in bra camisoles. Your boobs are going to grow about 2 cup sizes larger and your ass will follow right along.
Most first timers make the mistake of buying to many things that either don't need,don't ever use, or use only once. They also may not be aware of the things they do need. If you are the crafty type like myself then some of these you can turn into DIY projects. I seem to see plenty step by step tutorials on Pinterest if you're interested but not the "creative" type. Lucky for me I happen to be clingy and hang onto a lot of my items from my previous two,so there's not much I have to get this time around other than stocking up on the obvious items like diapers and wipes, and buying a new car seat and swing. Below I've prepared a list of things I believe you absolutely need and/or is extremely helpful. Items with * denote items you should stock up on asap.
Nursery
Crib
Crib sheets
Hamper
Dresser ( unless you hang all of your clothes in which case..)
Hangers
*Receiving blankets/Burp Clothes
Rocking Chair
To Go Bath time
Car seat Tub
Car window shade Wash cloths
Stroller Baby wash/shampoo/lotion
Diaper bag
Changing mat
Sanitizer Safety
Travel toys/ playmat Electrical outlet covers
Safety locks for cabinets
Playthings Safety gate
Teethers Infant Tylenol
Baby swing Monitors
Anything developmental
Bouncer/walker
Diapering Feeding
*Disposable or cloth diapers Nursing pillow
*Wipes Breast pads/cream
Powder Breast pump(Electrical)
Rash cream Formula (if not nursing)
*Bottles, nipples,caps,liners
Infant chair
*Bibs
Baby platewear/silverwear /sippy cups
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