Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Advice for Expectant Moms



It’s true that when you announce you’re pregnant, everyone has advice for you. They all mean well of course, but after reading too many books, magazines and getting tons of advice from friends and family, you start to go a little crazy.

I was just about 4 weeks pregnant when I drove myself to the emergency room thinking I had all the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy. The ER doctor’s orders were exactly this, “if you continue to read too much into things, you will find you have every possible symptom, so STOP and listen to your doctor instead”. My younger sister, who gave birth to her first son Nicola 7 months ago, had the most to say – but I love her for it and I know she means well. “You cannot eat spicy foods, stay away from fish, forget the NY hotdog and your sushi cravings – don’t run, don’t exercise – if you start to spot and get menstrual cramps, that’s a BAD sign.” Yes, those were definitely the doctor’s orders in her special case, having gone through a scary and difficult first trimester, bedridden for nearly 2 months. I’m seeing the same obstetrician actually, but in my case the doctor said that I could eat pretty much everything, limit my caffeine intake to one cup a day, and do everything I want in moderation of course. The NO skiing orders where the hardest to accept, with 4 months of winter ahead of me.

I guess the best advice to new moms out there, is to listen to your doctor and what your body tells you. Every woman is different and will have different experiences throughout her pregnancy, some of which all women experience and others many women don’t. I fortunately had a pretty mild first trimester and feel pretty pumped nearing my 4th month.

I’m really enjoying being pregnant. I haven’t been this healthy in years and getting the extra special attention from my husband is something I can definitely get used to, at least for 5 more months. It’s also probably the only time in your life when you actually welcome a stranger’s stare. The stare is often accompanied by a smile, as if they are giving you their appreciation for taking on such an important job, the job of a future “office mom” in the home.


7 comments:

  1. thanks so much - can't wait to upload more.

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  2. Really, you know what is best for you and your baby. Most of the advice people give is slanted and crap. Be true to yourself and your baby and you will do great!

    Congrats on the baby and the blog.

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  3. So true...I feel the same way. Looking forward to sharing more of my experiences.

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  4. I think the reason they tell you not to eat too much fish is because of the mercury levels.

    Yes, reading those books does make parents paranoid. It seems they tell you lots of negative things.

    Congratulations on the baby and the blog. Not a bad first trimester? I'm guessing you're having a boy. Let me know, ok?

    By the way, I have a new project. You can also find me at Keeping the Castle.
    http://www.keepingthecastle.com

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  5. Thanks Karen. Everyone is saying I'm having a boy :o) from the looks of the pointy bump. We'll see. I'll definitely be posting about it once I find out.

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