Tips For Better Sleep During Pregnancy

If it feels like you have not slept well since you got pregnant, you are not alone. Pregnant women often have trouble sleeping. The good news is, you do not have to suffer from lack of sleep for your entire pregnancy. Try these tips to help you rest a little bit easier. One major cause of interrupted sleep during pregnancy is that your constantly active bladder that has you running to the ladies room all day long does not take a break at night. You will probably find yourself waking up at least a couple of times each night to … Continue reading

Common Pregnancy Myths

As soon as you (or your belly) announce to the world that you are pregnant, the flow of unsolicited advice from everyone – even complete strangers – begins. As you are bombarded with this “information” on a daily basis, it can be hard to sort out what is true and what is not. It is also important to realize that much of what is said is based upon the opinion of the person saying it and that you are the best judge of what is right for you and your baby. Here are a couple of the more common pregnancy … Continue reading

Pregnancy and Heartburn

One of the most common pregnancy – related discomforts is heartburn. About half of all pregnant women experience heartburn to some degree during their pregnancies. I experienced it rather severely during both pregnancies. In fact, when I was pregnant with Blake (who is now almost five months old), I started having heartburn a few weeks before I even suspected that I was pregnant. One day, I found myself reaching for the Tums that I had not used since my first pregnancy. I blamed it on the pepperoni pizza that I had just eaten, and I figured that all of the … Continue reading

A Few Good Pregnancy Books

I have always been into reading, but during pregnancy I was even more so. Especially during my first pregnancy – you know, before I had a little one to take care of and had more time available for reading. I read a lot of things, and like many pregnant women, I spent a lot of time reading about pregnancy and childbirth. There are a lot of books on pregnancy and childbirth out there to choose from. If you have a lot of time on your hands, feel free to explore any and all of them. If time is at a … Continue reading

Coffee During Pregnancy?

One annoying thing that pregnant women sometimes have to deal with is feeling like they are being judged for everything that they put into their mouths. Of course, there are things that are unsafe to eat during pregnancy and the list of those things is something that most obstetricians and midwives discuss with their pregnant patients very early in the pregnancy. Unfortunately for pregnant women, everyone in society has his or her own idea about what pregnant women should and should not be eating. These judgments from others could not come at a worse time – I mean, come on, … Continue reading

Top 10 Reactions to a Positive Pregnancy Test

You’ve just found out that you are pregnant. How do you react? 10. You send your husband to the store to buy a second test. The more high tech, the better. If they came out with a pregnancy test that could verbally tell you, “Congratulations! You’re pregnant!”, you would probably buy it. 9. Take a photo of the pregnancy test and post it on the Pregnancy forum on Families.com to see if your forum buddies think it’s positive, too. “Is that a line? Is it an evap?” 8. Google “early pregnancy symptoms” and mentally check off any that you are … Continue reading

Bladder Infection in Pregnancy

Bladder infection is a bacteria infection that causes inflammation in the bladder. This is also called cystitis or a urinary tract infection. The urinary tract runs from the kidneys to the bladder to the urethra. A bladder infection results when bacteria enter the urethra and travels to the bladder. If the infection continues up the tract to the kidneys, the condition is far more serious. The condition is fairly common, affecting about five percent of pregnant women. Hormonal and physical changes during pregnancy cause women to be slightly more at risk of developing the infection when they are pregnant. Symptoms … Continue reading

Let’s Talk About Pregnancy: Your Parenting Primer

There’s more than one reason why it takes ten months to develop a human being. You’re not only making a baby, you’re making yourself into a mother. Life changes like this take some time, and some getting used to. Nature has this amazing way of anticipating all these changes and introducing them to you in subtle ways, but the question is: Can you read the signs? Deprivation Station – Having to wake in the night to go pee often will help you get used to waking all night with baby. Early in pregnancy you will experience sparse trips, and they … Continue reading

Let’s Talk Pregnancy – Ten Awesome, Easy Snack Options

If you are anything like I am during pregnancy, hunger has the tendency to hit you out of nowhere. If you’re really like me, then the sudden onset of intense hunger brings on horrible heartburn and nausea. I learned right away to keep small, quick snacks at the ready for just such an occasion. Here are my ten favorite, ready-to-go, grab-it snacks that kept me healthy and not hungry, in no particular order: 1. Almonds – This was my favorite easy-snack. They are full of protein and healthy fats, and always curbed my hunger with a simple handful. You can … Continue reading

Let’s Talk Pregnancy – Awesome, Healthy Drink Options

With pregnancy comes new eating and drinking habits. Those of you who are used to enjoying a hot cup of coffee every morning may be seriously stumped as to how much is allowed, and/or what to replace it with. I myself was not a habitual coffee drinker, but I did enjoy a cup now and then. Decaf coffee does not appeal to me as it is decaffeinated by a process involving chlorine, so I was more interested in a naturally decaffeinated beverage. Colas are obviously a no-no due to caffeine content as well, so what is the pregnant woman to … Continue reading