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Practical Ways to Deal With Mood Swings in Pregnancy

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Is pregnancy really an excuse for behaving badly? I’ve written about my not-so-sweet demeanor during my last pregnancy. It wasn’t exactly my proudest nine months. I’ve resolved to be a better pregnant mom the next time around when it comes to the way I treat my family, more specifically my husband. But how can we put those goals into practice when our hormones are raging? What are some practical things we can do to rise above our crummy, snippy moods that seem to settle in with the rest of the pregnancy symptoms? They say the first step to recovery is … Continue reading →

Reduce Your Stress to Increase Your Chances of Conceiving

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It’s a classic story we’ve all heard before. A childless couple eager to start a family begins their journey with high hopes. After a few months and no positive pregnancy tests, a little tension enters the picture. After six months, more worries creep in. The dreaded 12-month mark hits and the couple begins to throw around the “I” word (infertility). The couple looks into treatments, and just before they begin their first cycle on the fertility treatments, they take a short vacation. Upon their return, they receive the shock of their life when they discover she is pregnant. Just when … Continue reading →

Reduce Your Stress for Your Baby’s Health

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Recent research conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical Center revealed that stress during pregnancy increases the child’s risk for asthma. Stress in the mother triggers an immune response, evidenced in the cord blood collected at birth, possibly later heightening their response to inhaled antigens. It stands to reason, therefore, that reducing stress during pregnancy can only have a positive effect on both the baby and the mother. Most of us immediately want to remove the source of the stress. Sometimes it is simple enough as hiring a babysitter for a few hours or telling someone to mind … Continue reading →

Three Ways to Cope with Stress When Pregnant

It was funny, when I was pregnant because on more than one occasion my husband would state categorically (and very emphatically): “The pregnant woman wins. No contest.” It would be nice, if that were always true. That philosophy would mean that stress at work, stress at home and stress of life would evaporate for that nine months and just make your life easier. Of course, reality sets in and all the nice thoughts in the world will not make the stress of living day to day life go away, nor will it alleviate other sources of stress – including other … Continue reading →

When Your Husband Doesn’t Seem Excited

First of all, this is not a generalization of all men. I have known plenty of men who show a lot of excitement about their wife’s pregnancy. But I have also talked to a lot of women who expressed frustration over their husband’s seeming lack of enthusiasm over the pregnancy. They may be happy, but they are just not as excited as the woman expects them to be, which of course gets the wheels turning in her head and pretty soon she’s convinced he doesn’t really want to be a dad yet. Then the drama begins. Sometimes, there are real … Continue reading →

Unwanted Advice

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As soon as the word gets out that you are expecting a precious little bundle, the torrential downpour of well-meaning, sometimes misplaced or misinformed advice begins hailing down on you and your innocent journey toward motherhood. Lest you suffer needlessly, your friends and family are going to make sure you know every home remedy known to man for morning sickness, back pain, foot swelling, headaches, and hip pain. Like it or not, the crowds will comment every time they see you lift something heavier than a standard sized envelope. Don’t even think about skipping breakfast unless you want three lectures … Continue reading →

Please Be Kind

Dear Future Pregnant Self, Congratulations, you are expecting baby number (2? 3? 10?)! Do you remember the first time you were pregnant? Your poor husband cringed every time you opened your mouth. Go ahead; ask him if he remembers that first pregnancy. “You were mean,” he’ll say. It’s time to face the truth. You were not a very nice pregnant woman. Even though you blamed your sharp tongue and bossy behavior on your raging pregnancy hormones, there is no excuse. You even made your sister cry when labor set in. That’s just wrong. This time you need to do a … Continue reading →

Pregnancy and Relationships: In-Laws

For many women, the relationship they have with their spouse’s parent or parents can be a tedious one. When a new bride steps into the picture, she is entering established territory: a family with a long history and its own set of rules, expectations and hang-ups. Sometimes you see a woman form a strong friendship with her new mother-in-law, but more often than not, there is a little turbulence. It’s understandable; his parents may feel like they are losing a family member or they might be concerned about his new life. Some moms have a difficult time letting go and … Continue reading →

Pros and Cons: Working During Your Last Weeks

Throughout my pregnancy, I debated on whether I would work up until my due date or take some time off. There are a lot of considerations, one being financial, of course. Can you afford to take the last two weeks off? Can you afford to take the last month off? Another major consideration is your health. Is it safe to continue working in your profession so late in pregnancy? This depends on your job. Is your job physically demanding or stressful? Does your job require travel that you may not be able to do late in pregnancy, especially if you … Continue reading →

Do Your Parents Resent Your In-Laws?

Here’s an odd conundrum or maybe it’s not so odd, but I’ve had more than one note from a couple encountering this particular issue and whether it’s the bride’s parents or the groom’s – how do you cope with it when your parents don’t like your in-laws? For Christa in North Carolina, she describes it as walking a tightrope while juggling especially around the holidays. She and her husband have three children and instead of having one large holiday with the whole family together they spend one part of the holidays with one set of grandparents and the other part … Continue reading →