New Pregnancy!

Congratulations!! This is the first of many wonderful feelings to come as a new mother. You seem very responsible, already looking out for the well-being of your unborn child. Just a few ideas for you: Make sure you start taking pre-natal vitamins. Don't do what I did and start 'eating for two' so soon. I gained way too much weight with my first and suffer from lots of stretch marks. Yikes! With regard to stretch marks, make sure not to scratch when the belly starts to itch from stretching. Rub, rub, rub! Stock up on lotion. And please stay active as much as possible. It will make for a smoother delivery. Being intimate will not hurt the baby, so have fun! Enjoy the one on one time with your husband as much as possible now because when the baby comes, it'll be a little tougher to not only find the time, but find the energy! Last, but not least, get plenty of rest, exercise, and WATER. Happy maternity clothes shopping!!

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Breathe ! ! ! Slowly ! ! ! And calm down (smile) ! ! !

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You can go to walmart,and the vitamin section get some folic acid that helps you as your baby grows,they also sell prenatal vitamins.Those two are great to take when pregnant.Try not lift heavy objects,as that will put a strain on your stomach.Hope I was a help for you.Good luck on your pregnancy,I had four and they are wonderful to have around.They keep you busy but its worth it all.God Bless you and your family

The newest trend in vitamins right now is Flintstones for pregnant woman, they are trying to get away from the high iron levels in prenatals. So go get you some yummy kids vitamins and be a kid again. Put your feet up, relax as much as you can. Don't do anything that is out of your routine. If you run five miles everyday, then run. But don't pick up any new physical habits. Also, limit your heavy lifting and try to stay away from major stress. The first trimester is the worst for miscarriages. Other then that, enjoy yourself and celebrate with your man that you have created a new life!!! Congrats!!!

Congrats!!! This is such an exciting time for you! Enjoy every minute of it!! In addition to the things that you mentioned, you also need to avoid hot baths, saunas, tanning beds...anything that will raise your body temperature quickly and for an extended time. Try to avoid food with perservatives and sugar substitutes and, of course, food with empty calories (chips, candy, pop)...eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as you can manage. Surround yourself with positive people and Enjoy,Enjoy,Enjoy!!!!

Sounds like you know the rules. No alcohol, no caffine, no smoking.... don't eat alot of sugar. Try to eat steamed veggies and eat as healthy as you can. Oh... and most important... DO NOT EAT RAW FISH... (don't know if you eat sushi or not but stay away from that) And DO NOT GET NEAR A CATS LITTER BOX.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING:>>>> Go to the drug store and get you a bottle of prenatal vitamins and start taking them right now. You want your baby to develop right. They are over the counter. If you don't see them, ask your pharmacist. They are formulated to have everything that a fetus needs to grow properly and healthy.
The rest, just go about your day as normal as you can. They tell you not to change anything. If you run, continue to run. If you exercise, continue to exercise.
Whenever you think of any questions, write them down and then when you go to see your OBGYN..... you can ask everything that you wonder about.
Good luck.... assuming this is your first.

Oh also...... enjoy every last second even if your back hurts when you get really big because these are the best days of your life and this will be an experience of a life time that you will never forget. Enjoy every second of it.
Being pregnant and even having my children (looking back now) were the best day and the most fun that I have ever had in my life.
Congrats!!!!!!!

How Exciting! I agree with all of the food advice listed previously, so my input is a little different. Start a journal. This is one of the most exciting experiences you will ever have, you want to make sure you remember every moment. If you have a craving-go ahead and eat it/do it. This is one of the only times you get to do what you want. I have had 3 babies, and loved almost every minute. The morning sickness, and back labor I could have lived without, but other than that it was all good!

Start taking a prenatal vitamin NOW. I got mine at Earth Fare, they were all natural and my doctor said just as good as a prescription. Watch what you eat..........no raw fish (sushi) deli meats, cook your beef med well. You can't have certain cheeses such as feta and a few more. Just eat healthy and take care of your self. Something we should all do anyway!! Get that book "What to Expect When Your Expecting" It will give alot of good imformation. Congrats!!!

Congratulations and God bless you and your husband! As far as do's and dont's...Do not change the cat litter or work in potting soil or dirt. There is some microorganism in each that can cause REAL problems if it gets into your system.

congratulations, such a wonderful time in your life. remember that all you can take for a headache is Tylenol, regular strength, and no hot dogs, unless you heat them very well, just like lunch meat mentioned before. and don't forget to get a lot of rest and milk it a little, but not too much. it is the only time in your life you will be able to do it.

Congratulations S.~!! I recommend you start taking a daily prenatal vitamin (available at any chain drug or food store) and drink lots of orange juice to ensure adequate folic acid (folate) intake; this is a critical mineral for your baby's neural development. Some extra iron intake (spinach, beans, red meat) is also a good thing. Avoid exposure to chemicals (cleaning products, nail polish, paint, etc.) Most anything can be cleaned naturally with vinegar or baking powder. Avoid second-hand smoke, too. Congratulations again, hope all goes well :-)

I second the earlier advice of the Brewer diet and add this website to hers: http://home.mindspring.com/~djsnjones/id9.html I was a healthier, happier momma on it the second time!

I also second the recommendation of independent childbirth classes. The hospital ones are so-so at best. We did
Bradley classes and they were worth every cent! http://bradleybirth.com/

I found What to Expect... pretty cliche and kinda preachy. I go with Sears' The Pregnancy Book. http://www.amazon.com/Pregnancy-Book-Month-Month-Everythi... They also have a Birth and Baby book that are excellent. (Esp. The Baby Book. I'm in that thing all the time.) Also, a must-read for expectant moms: The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Womans-Guide-Better-Birth/...

Choose your provider carefully. Don't just pick your Gyn or the closest in-network OB. Ask what their csection rate is (It shouldn't be over 15%). Ask if they do a lot of episiotomies (they shouldn't). If they treat you rudely for asking questions, stay away!!

Remember: you're not sick. You're pregnant. It's a perfectly normal state, one your body was made for. It's not a diagnosis or disease. And a doula is a great idea. Start asking around or try dona.org or cappa.net for some in your area.

Happy gestating!

I agree with the previous posts. I heard to stay away from msg and nitrates (nitrite) which is in quite a few things, but do some research on that 'cuz there were different opinions on whether or not either of those things were really bad for you during pregnancy. Take it easy, get rest, eat healthy and keep crackers, sprite and peppermint candy close by for nausea.

congrats and best of luck. Enjoy it!!

Congrats! I suggest taking your pre-natal vitamins right now. (Even if it turns out your aren't pregnant yet.) I like all natural ones from a local health food store, but any will do. You'll probably want to add an additional folic acid tablet everyday too. (They are super cheap and well worth it - just in case).

Also sart eating eggs! THe good stuff in eggs is a great building block for your baby. I was told that if that little egg had enough nutrition to make an entire living chicken - it has a great start for your little one! I try to eat one - two per day. (I'm currently in my third trimester - feeling great and healthy!) Protein is very important during pregnancy, check out the Brewer diet. Dr. Brewer's plan virtually eliminated preeclampsia and toxemia and has many other good effects. Check out www.blueribbonbaby.org or simply google "Dr. Brewer Pregnancy diet."

Stay happy and positive!! No matter what "sickness" you may feel (if ANY, there's no reason to 'have' to get morning sickness...), staying positive helps reduce the icky feelings. It works! Just don't get bogged down in describing your bad feelings... yes, you are allowed to feel icky, but focusing on it only makes it worse. I barely had any sickness during my first trimester and I think having a supportive husband and friends helped.

Enjoy the journey!! Whether you are pregnant right now or soon, begin every day with a smile! (Oh, and don't fret about what you can do better... you seem to already be on the right track by asking for things to do even better!!)

**Also, really look into your birthing options (I realize it's a long way off from now)... check out www.mamaology.com for some advice and book reviews.

Good Luck!!

S. Congrats to you. I'm the mother who wrote in before when you were waiting to find out. I'm the mother of an adopted child when she was 4 days old and am turning 50 this month. My advice to you is to just enjoy your pregnancy and keep your stress level down. No mater which way you choose to be a parent is a positive one. Take the wonderful gift God gave you inside and you and your sweetheart continue to enjoy and love each other and everything else will fall into place.
My advise to you is getting plenty of SLEEP NOW!!!

Best to you both T.

congrats S.!! enjoy your pregnancy-- i LOVED mine. there's lots of good food advice below. i would add get a good quality prenatal, not just generic ones. i used Rainbow Light prenatals-- just be aware that the daily dose is 6 a day, not one. i took two with each meal to make it easier to remember.
my VERY favorite source for help and advice is www.mothering.com and go to the discussion boards. there's a veritable ton of knowledgeable mamas on there who can help with any question, and often instantly! it's an online part of Mothering magazine, my favorite mag. get someone to buy you a subscription for a baby gift! ;-)
also i would start going to La Leche League ("LLL") meetings.find their homepage online and you can "find a meeting" in your town thru the website. they are FREE FREE FREE mama-to-mama support for breastfeeding. and other issues such as nutrition. they are *wonderful* and will go to any length to help you keep nursing, even through the hard spots.
and always FREE. did i say FREE? ;-)
start thinking about a birth plan now, cause it may take you the whole time to refine it. get a birth partner (your dh?) who will be there with you through the whole process and advocate for you when you can't, such as in hard labor when your mind is whacked and altered like you're on drugs (you are, lol!) and you can't make rational decisions for yourself.
i went to Bradley classes to learn how to have a baby the natural way, unmedicated. as it turned out i had an emergency cesarean, but i would have another baby naturally in a heartbeat-- i WANTED to feel every twitch, every pain, because it's pain with a purpose. your body is strong and made to have and nurse babies. get empowered to know that your body can handle anything you throw its way. you are woman, hear you roar!

go mama! and good luck!
P.

I knew you were!! Congratulations!!!! I was a coffe and coke drinker and I switched to sprite and water. I only drank 1 sprite a day and lots of water. They say no tuna or eggs (Unless well done). Or at least they did 5 yrs ago. Get plenty of rest(you won't get it later)LOL.Prenatal vitamines! I felt better pregnant than anytime in my life with both(other than morning sickness) which was bad enough. But I wanted kids so bad I didn't care about the minor problems. Just enjoy it it goes so fast!! Please keep us updated!! My e-mail address is on here! K.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!!! Here's my advice:

The first eight weeks of pregnancy are the most critical as far as nutrition goes---all the baby's vital organs and systems are forming. After the first eight weeks, it is all maturation and growing. So...besides avoiding the substances that you already mentioned, make sure you are taking a good multi vitamin (I recommend the liquid vitamin "IntraMax", but it is kind of expensive), eat tons of veggies and fruits (don't forget a large, raw salad once a day made with romaine or leaf lettuce [not iceburg, it has absolutely no nutrition, only water!] and colorful veggies), some whole grains, and good quality milk/yogurt/hard cheese. A flaxseed oil supplement (or add a tablespoon of flaxseeds to a yogurt/fruit smoothie) is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids for brain formation. If you eat fish 2 or more times a week, you don't need the flaxseed supplement. (a lot of other posters mentioned the fish with high mercury; avoid them and also the raw meat, cheese ect.) Try to avoid processed foods, diet sodas, and anything containing artificial flavors or colors or aspartame as much as possible. These toxins are dangerous to a brand new baby. Avoid all medications, unless medically necessary, as well. NO medications for pregnant women have been found completely safe for mother and baby. That's right: NONE. Also, if you drink chamomile tea, skip it for the first trimester, because it can cause a miscarriage.

Take childbirth classes by a private childbirth educator (not at the hospital), if you can. They are MUCH more thorough and give you much needed information about everything from nutrition to drugs to coping techniques.

Start reading now! I suggest The Birth Book by William Sears, M.D. and Martha Sears, R.N., Active Birth by Janet Balaskas, and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon. They are excellent and very informational and usually can be found at the library.

One more tip---I would recommend hiring a doula for your birth. She will really help you understand lots of stuff going on. There are many doulas in Wilmington, I happen to know one (Anna VonWagoner) who is especially awesome. Try interviewing a few in your second trimester and find one you are comfortable with. There are some that offer their services for free, because they are in training.

I hope you have a wonderful pregnancy! I hope this info is helpful.

Congratulations!!!!
THe pregnancy test that we all buy over the counters now-a-days are very advanced and pick up pregnancy very early on. The doctor acheduled your appointment out that far so that your embryo is advanced enough to develop the beautiful sound of a heart beat!! Which occurs at 6 to 7 weeks gestation.
There is a fabulous website that my husband and I used throughout our pregnancy. We discovered our preganacy at 2 weeks pregnant, so we caught our daughter very early, but I immediatly went on to the web link below to get all the information I needed to ensure her safety. In order to keep my husband up to date on each week, I went to length of making a binder. I printed each week off and put it in order in the binder. He has kept it as a keep sake of the development, what to expect from momma and baby's developement, when to schedule check ups.....everything went into that binder. (Just a thought on an easy way to keep you both informed and have something to remember the pregnancy by.) There is also alot of other information available on this site. Everything from coupons, baby store special offers, do's and don'ts (which will answer your most important questions), tips and advice. It is a very useful site and doesn't cost you anything to sign up for your weekly updates or to track your babies weekly development.
I wish you all the best in health during your pregnancy and after the arrival of your most special gift from God.

http://www.babycenter.com/

Again, Best wishes and congratulations

S. Congrats!!!!!

I am a mother of 4 boys and I treasured the times I carried them. It is a wonderful experience to go through. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout your pregnancy. My Dr. told me that the amniotic fluid replenishes itself every 2-4 hours. That was why I was going to the bathroom more often. If you like hot tea get the decaf kind and add a little sugar. Here is a recipe that I have for warm milk that helped get me some much needed sleep after our 2 oldest were born: 1 cup milk, 1 - 2 tsp sugar, 1 cap full of vanilla and a dash of nutmeg. Heat the milk, vanilla and sugar in microwave till very warm (1 to 2 minutes). Remove from microwave and put in nutmeg and stir. The combination of the flavors calms and soothes you. Others have tried brown sugar in substitute of white sugar some have also substituted cinnamon instead of nutmeg. I like the nutmeg taste better myself but you can try it both ways. If you start having morning sickness you can have some saltines when you get up in the morning. I also increased my Orange juice intake. I also recommend taking vitamins. Call your Dr. and see if He/She will call in a prescription for some prenatal vitamins. When I did see the Dr. he put me on some iron pills as well but they really constipated me. If this happens to you ask if an alternative can be used. As far as food is concerned Your body can tell you what it needs. If you have a urge for the pickles and ice cream go for it. Just start off with a small amount and when you are satisfied then you stop. Everything in moderation is good. I know raw meat should not be eaten while pregnant and you should stay away from cats liter boxes. WHen your body tells you to sleep then you should sleep. Get plenty now cause when they are born you will look for the day when sleep comes. Most importantly of all just enjoy this time that you have a little one growing inside. My Dr. gave me a book with each pregnancy that takes you through the different stages of growth. I used this book to staple the appointment cards and pictures in. They are my keepsake books now. The book is called While Waiting www.amazon.com has it for $8.95. THe one they have is the 3rd edition I probably had the 1st edition. But it really is a good and very informative book to have during your pregnancy. Hope this helps.

D. S.

No sushi. Limit seafood. Buy the book What to Expect When You're Expectiong. It will answer a lot of your questions. Get plenty of sleep and take it easy on yourself. I seem to remember that certain types of cheeses were off limits too. Congratulations and Good Luck!!

Congratulations!!! Foods to avoid are the ones you posted plus sushi (you can have veggie sushi), deli meats, unpasturized cheeses (mainly soft cheeses) or other dairy. You can have caffeine but you need to watch the amounts. I was always a black tea drinker so I did keep that up throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding, but everyone is different. You want to look to the food pyramid to make sure you are getting you daily nutrients plus you will need to take in a few extra hundred calories due to the pregnancy (speak with your doctor about this). You definitely want to avoid alcohol, although you can cook with it, as long as its cooked. Try to keep a higher fiber diet and drink plenty of fluids like water and juices because pregnancy can get you constipated. Also try to keep some form of exercise, this will also help with constipation. Just don't start any new exercise that you didn't do before. Rule of thumb: don't start anything new. You also want to watch your salt content because you may swell. Remember that a lot of prepared frozen foods and canned foods have a high salt content. Please read the labels; this is this time in life that label reading is a must. You'll get a lot of info from your OB. I followed the website www.babycenter.com throughout my pregnancy and you can also post there too. There's a lot of info about general prego questions and diet and other things. Good luck!

Congratulations! You are off on a wonderful adventure. All you need to do now is continue with a healthy life. Your exercise level can stay the same, or if you are very sedentary, you can start adding short walks. Listen to your body, and call your Dr's office ahead of time if you have concerns. I worked for an OB/GYN office for years, and listening to and reassuring new moms was routine. It also allowed us to catch the occasional mom who was having trouble. I love your idea of assisting poeple to adopt. I have 3 "home-made" offspring, and 1 "store-bought." They are the joy of my life.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I absolutely LOVED being pregnant! I was told not to eat peanuts or peanut butter because it could cause your baby to have an allergy. They also say no honey or raw eggs, but I have to admit that I sampled the cookie dough a few times and my baby turned out fine. I also read What To Expect When You're Expecting and I found it very helpful. I'm excited for you ... Yippy Skippy!!!

congrats! sounds like your doing everything right... if your on meds i would check with the doc and see if they are ok since early pregnancy is the most important time in deveopment

First of all congradulations. Children are truely a blessing. I have two girls of my own and another ? on the way. I suggest starting some over the counter prenatal vitamins. They are proven to improve the over all health oveer mother and baby. Don't be nervous about the later doctors appointment, things will be fine. It's not an immediate need to rush right in there. Avoid fish (especially sushi). If you're getting nausea or vomitting try crackers before you get out of bed. Other than that avoid stress and relax. Some women hate being pregnant and then others (like me) love it. If you need to ask any questions or just want to talk about being a mother give me a shout out. ____@____.com Good luck and again congradulations!

No motrin, aleve or other NSAID medications-- increase your risk of miscarriage in the first trimester. Avoid deli meats, sushi, other raw foods. Babycenter.com is a great resource-- gives you weekly updates on your baby's growth, and little tips and advice for each trimester also. Good luck!

I didn't read everyone else's response, so I might be repeating them. I cut out caffeine completely. If it can hurt the baby then my feelings on it were that I wasn't even going to risk it with just a little each day. Caffeine just isn't important to me. Obviously alcohol, though you'd be surprised how many moms will tell you that a glass of wine ever now and then is fine. That is totally unproven, and the professionals will tell you that they're unsure of how much alcohol it takes to cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Some mothers whose babies have it have said they had as little as one glass of wine their entire pregnancy. If you've ever met a person who has FAS, then you'd definitely know you wouldn't want to risk it. Though you sound as if you've figured this out already.

There's the normal stuff...sushi, any rare meat, deli meats and hotdogs (you can eat both of these, you just have to make sure and heat them until their steaming just in case they include listeria), fish with lots of mercury (shark, swordfish....canned tuna only in moderation), smoked seafood (lox, salmon - same as lunch meat, if they're heated to steaming, they're fine), fish that have been exposed to industrial pollutants (like if your husband catches his own catfish...not to worry about the stuff you buy at the grocery), raw eggs (no cake batter!), raw shellfish (oysters, clams), soft unpasteurized cheeses (feta, brie, Mexican queso), meat spreads/pate, and unwashed raw veggies (definitely still eat the veggies, just wash, and even peel them if you can).

I hope this helps. It sounds very limiting, but it really isn't (unless you eat seafood every day). It doesn't really limit your diet too much. Just think about everything you eat before you eat it, and ask yourself the question "If my baby was already here and eating solids, would I let him/her eat this?"....it'll keep you from eating all the junk.

Congratulations. The one thing that I might suggest, and you may already have done this, is to call the doctor and get them to call in a prescription for pre-natal vitamins and you can begin taking them now. If they will not call one in - you can find over the counter pre-natal vitamins at many pharmacies. I found that I had less morning sickness (which isn't necessarily in the morning) when I took my pre-natal vitamins at night before I went to sleep. I do not know if they are still as large as they were when I was pregnant with my two children, but sometimes they were hard to swallow. A friend of mine had the same problem and suggested taking them with a little vegetable oil - you could probably also use olive oil or something similar.

S. W

LOTS of water.
Limit caffeine intake to maybe one a day (if you need to wean off of it).
Limit sugar. Just cause you are eating for 2, doesn't mean you have to be a piggy pig. lol
Prenantal Vitamins.
Careful on the seafood, some you aren't supposed to eat at all. I can't remember which ones, but you can find that info online somewhere.
Rest. They say sleep now. They aren't joking. Cause the minute you have the baby, you are done sleeping for a while. You never really get the same rest again. Not even while in the hospital. But, if you have the chance to rest at the hospital, let the baby go to the nursery and sleep. It will be ok, and you need rest to recover.

I had like, the easist pregnancy ever. I had ZERO morning sickness, no major issues. Towards the end, my blood pressure stayed up a little, but I think that had more to do with work than anything. Best of luck to you and congratulations!

S.,
I am so happy for you. Definitely start taking pre-natal vitamins. There are also certain types of medicines that you should not take while pregnant, check with your pharmicist about any meds you are taking, even over the counter ones. Some meds just aren't good for baby. Also, just something I learned from personal experience, if you are craving something that's not great for you (like cake) go ahead and have a little. It seemed like everyone's birthday hit when I was pregnant and there was always cake around, I tried so hard to be good and not eat it, but I would end up eating a bunch of other things because the craving made me feel hungry and then still ended up having the cake because the craving was still there. Most important advice I can give you though is to enjoy being pregnant. Oh, and enjoy sleeping now while you can :)
Best wishes,
C.