1st Trimester

The first trimester of a pregnancy is usually considered the hardest, and I have to say that it was throughout both of my pregnancies. When you find out that you are expecting, mixed emotions may arise, whether they be happiness, fear, anxiety, etc.  During this time period, many women experience anxiety from what to expect, fear of the unknown, nausea, vomiting, and feel very tired.  It is important to find a great OBGYN and to follow all of their advice.  Taking prenatal vitamins on a daily basis, enough folic acid, drinking lots of water, and resting are all crucial at this time.  If possible, exercising moderately is very beneficial for you and your baby.  


I was very lucky to find a group of OBGYNs that I felt were wonderful!  During my first pregnancy, they were a group of 4 men, and I had to rotate my visits between them.  By the time I got pregnant with my second daughter, the group had expanded even more, and I was greeted with my first four doctors, + 1.  At first I wasn't quite sure how I felt about not seeing only one doctor.  However, the fact that all of them would know me, my medical history and would follow my pregnancy turned out to be a great thing.   My first daughter, Bella, was foot-breached throughout about half of my pregnancy.  All that meant was that her feet were down, next to my pelvis, and that she was not in the proper position for  a vaginal delivery.  I was told by week 32 that she had not turned and probably would not turn since there was not enough room for her to do so.  The doctor told me I could wait to see if by delivery she may have turned, by chance, or I could either have a c-section or some kind of a massage in which they could try to turn her around inside of me.  There was somewhat of a risk factor in the massage option, so we turned it down immediately and opted for the c-section, unless she did turn around.  Bella, very strong willed before birth, did not turn around, and we scheduled our c-section with our "main" doctor.  As fate would have it, she was ready and wanted to come out when she wanted...my water broke and she was delivered, via c-section a day before my scheduled surgery.  Luckily, all of the doctors knew me and my medical history, and Bella was delivered by another doctor when she was born.  Not only did he know me, but I knew him.  I have heard various stories about women who go into early labor, and when the time comes, they are presented with a doctor that they have never seen before.  I cannot imagine having to go through such an emotional moment with someone that I do not know, and who doesn't know me.  


As for pregnancy symptoms, with Bella, the only thing I felt throughout the 1st trimester was tiredness.  I felt exhausted, constantly!  With Gabi, I felt very tired, nauseous, and had constant heart burn. 


Advice:  
- drink lots of fluids  (try to cut back on all alcohol and keep caffeine to a minimum)
- always carry or have saltine crackers close by (purse, night stand, car, etc) for when you feel nauseous
- eat constantly - if you have an empty stomach, you may feel nauseous and/or light headed
- if you have heartburn, your best friend will be TUMS
- sleep and take it easy
- lastly, don't go crazy trying to plan things such as finding names, planning for a nursery, etc - you'll have plenty  
  of time to do so

Literature for Moms

My baby girl is turning 8 weeks today, and it seems like it was yesterday that I was arriving at the hospital for my c-section.  As I mentioned in a previous post, time flies by, so we have to enjoy every minute that we have, whether it be our time being pregnant or our time as mothers. 


Thinking back, I can remember when my first daughter, who is now over two and a half years old, was turning eight weeks.  We were in the process of moving to another state, and it was very difficult to deal with a move, a new born and leaving behind family and friends.  It turned out to be a great experience, and it taught me a lot about how to deal with motherhood without family or many friends close by. We were lucky to meet many wonderful people there as time went by, who turned out to be friends, and who became our family there.    


But before I wander off, the topic I really wanted to share with mothers and mother-to-be today is "literature".  Women tend to go crazy and search for books and internet sites that may help them out through pregnancy, with answers to their questions, tips on what to do and expect, and places where they can post their own questions.  Like these women, I went out and searched for both books and sites on the internet.  The BEST "literature" pertaining to pregnancy that I found is the following site:  http://www.babycenter.com
Here, you will find information about getting pregnant, weekly updates on pregnancy, and weekly updates on your child/ren after they are born.  It is a free site, and you log on simply by choosing a name, password, and putting in your baby's due date.  You can specify the baby's sex if you'd like, and later on, change the due date to the actual date that your child was/will be born on.  I received weekly updates on both of my pregnancies from this site, and I still receive weekly updates on my now "preschooler" and on my "8 week old".  Amazingly, this was the only information, regardless of what and how many books I read, that seemed to match what I was feeling at a specific moment, answered my fears and questions regarding certain moments of my pregnancy, and allowed me to understand that each pregnancy is different. You can join various groups that are on the site, as well as post questions.  I highly recommend this site!
  
I did read and enjoyed "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and I tend to turn to "Baby 411" when I have questions regarding an illness such as a rash, fever, or symptom of any kind with my children.  


If any of you out there have other books or sites that you really like and that you feel have been helpful during your pregnancy or after, please feel free to share! 

A Poem for Mothers & Mothers-to-Be

In heaven, the story goes that when the time came for a little angel to be born as a baby, she asked God:

I hear you are sending me down soon and I wonder, how will I survive?  I am so small and fragile and my wings are not that strong..."

And God replied:  "From among many, I have chosen a special Angel for you, who awaits your arrival and will always care for you."

"Here in heaven, all I do is smile and sing.  Is that enough to be happy?"

"Your Angel will sing to you, will smile at you every day, will play with you...and you will feel a deep love that will make you happy."

"How will I understand them down there?  I do not speak their language!?"

"Your Angel will talk to you with kind, beautiful words and with love and tenderness, she will tutor you to understand and be fluent in it."

"What will I do if I want to speak with you?"

"Your Angel will put your tiny hands together and she will teach you to pray: that is how you will be able to speak to me."

"Father, I hear there are malicious men on earth.  Who will defend me from them?"

"If necessary, your Angel will defend you and guard you with her own life!"

"I will be sad as I will never see you again."

"Your Angel will talk to you about me.  She will show you the path to return to me.  Do not fear, I will always be with you."

Heaven was peaceful, voices from earth were heard, and the little angel, feeling rushed and agitated, with tears in her little eyes said:

"Lord, I am leaving already; tell me her name, what is my Angel's name?"

"Her name does not matter, you will always call her...MOM."

Blog

Sixteen: that was the number of people I knew a couple of months ago that were pregnant, like I was.  Many of them were going to be first time moms - and this was my second time, so I was pretty calm and excited about my baby girl that was on the way.  However, many of the mothers-to-be shared their questions, concerns, doubts and anxieties with me.  Along with this large number of women that were pregnant (that I knew), were the ones trying or hoping to get pregnant, also talking to me about pregnancy and motherhood. 


A dear friend - who is now about three months pregnant - told me that she admired the way that I was raising my first daughter and how happy I was with my second pregnancy...she said I should start a blog.  After several months, and a new baby at home, I decided I should write and share my experiences, thoughts and comments on pregnancy and motherhood.  I am no expert, and I definitely do not know all of the answers about these topics, but I hope that by sharing the little that I know, I will help mothers and mothers-to-be with what I have been living and learning for over two and a half years.  


To all of you expecting, congratulations!  Enjoy - time goes by too quickly!  I love having my baby girl at home, but have to admit that I miss my belly!  :)


To those of you trying to get pregnant, good luck!  Lay back and enjoy - when you least think about it, it happens!