While you are anxiously waiting for baby, the thought of delivering a baby naturally haunts you the whole time you are pregnant. Every woman wants to induce labor naturally to have a vaginal delivery, but the tolerance level varies from one woman to another. A very few moms may choose to have a C-section, but the majority would only want to give birth naturally.
Before starting your pushing marathon, there is a lot to be done when you are on 36 weeks mark at the end of pregnancy. Some of them might be considered old wives’ tales but for some women, if not all, have been proved very effective to induce labor naturally at home.
Every woman’s body is different, so what works for one may not work for another. Since natural ways do not have any side effects, it is worth a try to prepare your pregnant body for labor.
Sometimes even trying all the natural ways to trigger labor, the birth results are not as expected. In the end, having a happy, and healthy baby is all that matters.
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Natural ways to induce labor at home
Most women prefer natural birth, as the recovery is fairly easier than C-section. For that, you have to prepare your body for labor in a natural and healthy way without artificial induction. Let’s find out what are the food and non-food things to induce labor naturally, so you can have an unmedicated birth.
Raspberry tea
Organic Raspberry leaves are known for easing and relieving menstrual pain. Midwives usually advise moms-to-be to drink raspberry tea made with organic leaves by 36 weeks mark. Drinking raspberry tea will significantly reduce menstrual pain and make your labor pain much more manageable.
Also, you can get Pink Stork Labor prep tea to prepare your body naturally for labor and pain management.
Dates
Eating dates regularly throughout your pregnancy may help ripen your cervix by the time you are ready to deliver.
Nevertheless, you should be eating dates moderately the whole time you are pregnant, as they are the best energy boosters and healthy. Most importantly, dates help significantly in inducing labor naturally.
To be exact, you need a total of 6 dates in a day, two dates morning, two dates, afternoon and 2 in the evening. Ideally, with every meal.
Organic Medjool Dates tastes best, you can get these from Giant, Wegmans, or any other grocery store.
By the mark of 37 to 38 weeks, 2 primrose capsules every day would help ripen the cervix and may help you a lot in starting pains naturally.
On my 39 weeks appointment during my first pregnancy, I was not even close to delivering. My doctor advised me to take Primrose oil capsules orally, and she mentioned a couple more things I am going to take about later in the post.
So It was Wednesday, I started taking primrose and followed for about two days, and finally the pains triggered.
Well, it may vary person to person, but you can try taking it after discussing it with your doctor if nothing else is working. Taking primrose close to your delivery may help mucous plug to get out.
Mucous plus may come out couple of weeks before you deliver, this does not necessarily mean that you are in labor.
Pineapple
Eating fresh pineapple by the end of the third trimester may trigger labor. Although this old wives’ tale is not backed by science, it could work for some women.
Pineapple is known to have properties, called Bromelain, that may soften the cervix and induce labor pains. If you are still waiting for natural labor, why not enjoy some fresh pineapple!
Braxton hick and real labor contractions are two different things. Once your body gets ready to give birth, (meaning the cervix effaces gradually), it may take days for the cervix to dilate.
Most women would prefer waiting for natural labor pains just because they want an unmedicated birth. Sometimes cervix may take longer to dilate after 2 cms till 10 cm.
Birthing Ball helps moms to dilate faster without induction.
Sometimes, if the water does not break, hospital nurses and doctors ask you to wait at home until contractions are 5 to 3 minutes apart.
Birthing ball can be used at home or at the hospital, as it actually quickens the labor process.
Well, castor oil may be used as a laxative by many women. A lot of women get easy labor by drinking castor oil in warm milk. Castor oil helps to relax your intestines and clear them thoroughly. This may trigger some tension in your uterus, increasing the chances of a natural unmedicated birth.
Try this little trick when you are full-term pregnant. It may not work to induce labor if you try a week or so before your due date.
Since every woman is different, If castor oil does not work for you, the benefits are endless. Apply castor oil on your eyelashes at night for with the help of a mascara brush for luscious growth. Trust me, it does wonders for the eyelashes and for hair growth.
Organic ghee with milk
Well, organic ghee clarified butter softens the abdominal area and intestines. Not to mention, clarified butter does not work the same way as castor oil but it is effective and has a positive effect on contractions.
In order to have smooth and short labor, you should be drinking warm milk with a table spoon of organic ghee.
If you like, you may add cardamom for extra flavor. I do not add anything to milk for sweetness, as it is already sweet enough for me. However, you can add a sweetener of your choice, if needed.
In this video below, you will learn how to make organic ghee at home using unsalted butter.
Intercourse
Having intercourse/sex frequently during the last two weeks may help with natural birth. A lot of women swear by this method. Even doctors and midwives recommend having sex at the end of pregnancy because the sebum helps soften the cervix over time, which further helps in dilating faster.
This method is known to quicken cervix effacement naturally, eventually making the process of natural birth easier and quicker.
To be honest, at the end of pregnancy, when you are already agitated due to nauseating pregnancy hormones, having sex would be the last thing on your mind. Do not force yourself for something you don’t want just for the sake of having a natural birth.
Feel free to try any other way you feel comfortable with.
Cleaning and heavy vacuuming
In the case of high-risk pregnancy, you avoid involving yourself in physical activities or chores around the house. That could be one of the reasons you are not having natural labor pains by 39 weeks. Or your doctor may tell you at 39 weeks’ appointment that your cervix has still not effaced or close to your vagina.
Try to clean and do heavy vacuum around the house, only if your body allows. If you have strong contractions and dilate quickly, this may increase the chance of unmedicated birth without induction of Pitocin.
Perineal Massage
Another way to prepare your body for natural birth is by doing perineal massage.
The doctors advise perineal massage to prepare your vagina by stretching it, making the birth process easier. If you are comfortable, have someone massage the perineal area for you.
Taking a warm bath helps moms with Braxton hicks, it will calm down your body muscles. Massage produces hormones that may trigger labor pains naturally.
Spending most of your time in the water to increase contractions, is the best way for pain management. Because when you are in the process of having contractions, you lose energy faster, and you are already exhausted to even try further.
High-risk pregnancy requires bed rest for the most part. Doctors advise several other things to avoid, like, no exertion, no intercourse, fewer stairs and etc. Because of the less movement in general, moms-to-be tend to lazy. Well, even in normal pregnancy, you should not be overdoing anything that may risk the fetus.
Staying active during your pregnancy would help you have a normal delivery in most cases.
What to do when body gets exhausted due to labor pains
Having slow contractions for days make your body tired and exhausted. In such cases, you need to take proper rest, and sleep, although it doesn’t seem an option with all those labor pains.
When I was struggling with my slow contraction and my body was getting exhausted before time, my doctor prescribed Benadryl so I could at least sleep before the process speeds up. Talk to your doctor about Benadryl, and how safe is it to take in any circumstances.
Keeping your energy sustained for long labor is hard. Try to manage some sleep and breathing exercise to deal with intense labor pains.
Spend early labor hours or days at home When you know you are in real labor
Once you start having contractions, time the interval between each successive contraction. Contracting with equal intervals is the most significant sign of being in labor.
Ideally, the time in between contractions should be decreasing after a couple of hours. But it is not the case every time. It may reduce 20 minutes to 15 minutes in a couple of days. It is very important to have the right strategy for having a natural birth.
Sometimes the mom-to-be gets so exhausted having contractions but the dilation slows down significantly.
When you are trying these natural unmedicated birthing techniques, be mindful that you should not be doing anything earlier than 36 weeks. Babies’ lungs mature in the last several weeks of the third trimester.
Pregnancy Nausea may also be referred to as morning sickness, but in reality, it usually occurs the whole day. For some women, it is days in and days out of vomiting and nauseous feeling all through 9 months. Whereas, some may experience vomiting during the first trimester and get settled around 13 to 14 weeks.
Nausea and vomiting that pregnant women experience during early pregnancy get overwhelming and frustrating for many women and their families. One day, it is horrible nausea, and the other day, it is better. Strange enough, something that helps one day with vomiting may not work the other day.
The good news is, this may get better, and almost every woman has been able to successfully nurture the baby even vomiting 20 times a day.
These are some fool proof ways to fight nausea when nothing else seems to be working.
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Effective ways to prevent morning sickness during pregnancy
Not all pregnant women experience nausea in the same way. So if some remedy works well for you may not work for someone else. Every expectant mom has her queasy moments. Some may vomit around the clock, whereas some experience occasional nauseated feeling.
During your first pregnancy, morning sickness is a common symptom. Nausea is more severe the first time more than during the second pregnancy. Also, with multiple fetuses, it is very likely to have strong queasy feelings all through pregnancy.
1. Frequent meals or snacks
Try to eat something – even a little bit- every 2 hours. This does not mean that you have to eat full meals. Small snacks within short intervals are enough to keep the stomach full.
Eating late at night keeps a mom-to-be and the baby happy. A glass of milk with a muffin, rich in carbs and protein will help to keep your tummy happy and less nauseated.
Crackers are the best midnight snack. Eating crackers for severe nausea and vomiting will help fighting morning sickness because your tummy is not empty the whole time.
2. Avoid liquids while you are eating solid
Do not drink liquid while eating food. Wait 15 minutes before eating if you just drank, or wait until 15 minutes after eating to drink something. Hence, do not eat or drink at the same time.
Having the right amount of gap between meals and liquid is very important. However, liquids are tend to be more digest-able than solids. With that being said, spacing out your meals throughout the day is essential if you have serious vomiting and heartburn issues during pregnancy.
Avoiding greasy or spicy food significantly helps with morning sickness. Sometimes oily or spicy food may trigger painful bloating. Especially during the first trimester.
Eating fennel seeds for bloating after every meal is a highly effective remedy for pregnant, non-pregnant, breastfeeding moms, or anyone who has gas issues on a regular basis.
However, for some women, nausea tends to go away by the time you enter second trimester.
4. Try drinking carbonated drink
Typically, carbonated drinks may cause gas but for some women, soda has a settling effect for nausea. You can try sprite with lime and see if that helps. Take small sips, do not gulp, everything and anything all at once.
Surprisingly, for some women, chilly drinks are easier to stomach down, while for others, warm drinks or food work well. Try switching between the two, you may find what works for you.
5. Consume Ginger in any form
Adding ginger in your diet is effective for nausea and have properties to to settle your stomach in a good way. You can consume ginger in any form like:
Boil 6 teabags of peppermint tea in 4 cups of water. Add it to a gallon pitcher and fill the rest of the pitcher with water. Also, you can add some sugar or lemon. Honey is a good alternative too.
7. Fennel seeds for heartburn and bloating
Like I said earlier, you cannot go wrong consuming fennel seeds due to its benefits. Fennel seeds significantly help with gas. Also, chewing on fennel seeds after every meal may help with feeling nauseous all the time.
The Vitamin B6 and Unisom are the recommended medicines for Nausea during pregnancy.
Try 25 mg of Vitamin B6three times a day. Unisom sleep tabs contain the antihistamine doxylamine. It is advisable to take Unisom in combination with B6 that is known to decrease the symptom of morning sickness. But this should only be used if advised by your doctor. Keep in mind; this may keep you drowsy during the day.
Take your prenatal vitamins at night while you are pregnant, especially if you are taking nausea medication. Experts say that taking prenatal vitamins at night while you are pregnant, may help with morning sickness, restless legs, and other pregnancy symptoms.
Getting some extra sleep and relaxation, both physical and emotional, would help fighting queasy moments.
11. Do not rush out of the bed
If this is your first pregnancy, do not rush out of the bed once you wake up. Instead, munch on a small snack sitting on your nightstand. Manage yourself some moments of quiet time even if you have kids. Try waking up earlier than your kids wake up.
Taking your sweet time getting out of the bed may work for you fighting morning sickness.
Besides nausea, it would not be unfair to blame pregnancy hormones for the metallic taste in your mouth. Hormones are responsible for controlling taste buds. Once your pregnancy hormones settle down, things get much better.
If you are lucky, this constant icky taste in your mouth goes away altogether by the start of the second trimester.
Besides, waiting and wishing for the metallic taste to go away on its own, you can try these remedies by fighting metal with acids.
Besides regular pregnancy nausea, if you find any of these conditions, do not hesitate to call your doctor.
Having trouble digesting food or keeping it down without throwing up.
You are not urinating enough.
Vomiting more than 5 times in an hour
Reasons why women feel nauseous during pregnancy
Hormones are responsible for women feeling nauseous and vomit during the first trimester.
When a woman carries multiple fetuses, the chances of morning sickness is way up.
Most women are very likely to have morning sickness during their first pregnancy, as compared to others.
For some pregnant women, nausea and vomiting last for the first trimester. Once mom-to-be steps in the second trimester, things start getting better. Research says, about 75% of women feel nauseous while pregnant, while 25% may not experience nausea in any form.
Hang in there, things do get better with time. Pregnancy is all about crazy hormones.
Preparing for a baby holds so much significance in your journey to parenthood. You may have seen what having a baby looks like, but having your own is a different story altogether. Your strive begins now, how to be a well-informed parent.
To be honest, after a baby, your life is going to take a whole new turn. Things aren’t going to be the same as they used to be. To tell you the truth. your bond gets more robust and better every single day,
Parenting is hard and being a good parent is even harder, so ideally, you should be working on to understand what baby care looks like and how you can make it more natural right from the start.
When you are preparing for the baby, you must make sure you are less overwhelmed and aim to be well-aware parent. Taking birth classes, having your support from those around you, and reading about baby care and mom care is equally important.
How to prepare for the baby
The moment you find out you are pregnant, amp up your healthy eating habits, and avoid any sort of pregnancy health mistake.
Despite taking proper care while you are expecting, pregnancy symptoms like nausea, twitching eyes, restless legs, and more, may trigger your aches and pains. Learn how you can fight pregnancy discomforts.
1. Set up a Baby Nursery
Once you find out that the baby is coming soon, you start looking for baby nursery ideas. Setting up a picture-perfect nursery depends on having enough space.
Essentially, you need to maximize space by getting rid of all the unnecessary items that are taking up most of your area around the house.
Declutter as much as you can, as a baby brings in a lot of stuff. Trash, donate, sell, or purge the way you want. And remember, less is more, especially when you are a mom.
Now you are overwhelmed with so many saved ideas of setting up a baby nursery. Each one of them looks beautiful and leaves you indecisive to choose any.
Kelly Mirohi has an excellent course on setting up a baby nursery. She is going to give you ideas on how to have a specific color theme, matching rugs, curtains, and everything you need for the nursery.
Getting this online nursery bible will make decisions easy about your baby room, and your vision takes a definite direction.
2. Understand what you need – set up baby registry
Telling you from experience; please do not get into a new mommy’s trap, and buy everything you see out there. I completely understand the temptation, and I know how it feels to be a first-time parent.
I would say, do not fall trap of your emotions – and research into what could work for your lifestyle. Most importantly, understand your circumstances and the configuration of your house – What you can actually accommodate and how long you are going to use it.
Setting up a baby registry necessarily does not mean you get everything because someone else has to pay for it.
Ideally, setting up baby zones throughout the house on a budget, keeps baby entertained – while you accomplish other household chores.
When you are anxiously waiting to find out your baby’s gender, that’s the most exciting part of being a parent. Choosing a unique baby name is an exciting part of the parenthood journey.
As a first-time mom, at some point, you may find breastfeeding picture-perfect mom and baby bonding experience. Well, that’s not true. Breastfeeding is not as easy as it may seem.
Understanding the challenges of breastfeeding is very important. From the right latch to tongue-tie, from sore nipples to mastitis, colostrum to proper milk supply, there is so much to know. For that, you need proper guidance.
Stacey at Milkology is a certified lactation educator. She has an online breastfeeding class that you can get any time – It is better if you take it before you deliver. However, it is never too late to take the course. Stacey’s comprehensive course on breastfeeding is going to tell you ways to improve milk supply, and the timeline involved. Thousands of moms have taken the course and benefitted from it.
Choosing a competent and experienced pediatrician is very important. Research some good pediatrics that are closer to your area. Usually hospitals have their own pediatricians, but once you go home you need to schedule appointment immediately with your pediatrician.
7. Prepare your Hospital bag
Have your hospital bag ready by the 34th week of your pregnancy. The essentials that you need in your hospital bag depends on your delivery.
Other than everyday essentials, do not forget to take a long charging cable, a hairdryer, and your comfy pillow.
While new parents are busy preparing for the baby, they tend to forget about their own needs.
Most essentially, moms need a lot of support and recovery tools, so after experiencing a life-changing event, their bodies need to heal. Regardless of what type of delivery you have, preparing a postpartum essentials kit is a must.
When you move closer to your due date, have your freezer meals ready, so you don’t have to worry about cooking and feeding your family.
You must include protein in your postpartum diet. Marinade chicken with your choice of spices and freeze. Thaw before cooking. Either cook it in an instant pot or bake it in the oven.
Stress-free meal preparation is a great way to minimize postpartum overwhelm.
You can make bone broth ahead of time and freeze it in serving size. Eating bone broth speed up healing process and keeps moms hydrated.
Either you can order these from Amazon or you can get these herbs from any international grocery store near by.
Cumin seeds help significantly improve milk supply for breastfeeding moms. You can also add cumin seeds while you cook the bone broth.
During pregnancy and postpartum, you can prepare cumin seeds water and drink throughout the day. Cumin seed water helps with digestion and promotes lactation for nursing moms.
Fennel seeds are the only best home remedy to fight gas issues for mom and the baby. Eating a tsp of fennel seeds for the first several weeks helps moms with bloating. Add it in your postpartum snack basket, and your baby is not going to wake-up crying due to sudden gas pain.
If you ask any mom about the toughest part of motherhood, the answer would be sleep deprivation. Managing sleep with a newborn is not an easy feat. Newborns may seem like sleeping all day but as the days go by, they become more active.
As a mom, you must understand how newborns sleep pattern works. Once the baby is here, you are busy adjusting. Utilize your time learning about baby sleep while you are still pregnant. That way, you can rule out baby sleep issues later – if she develops any.
Motherhood does not come with a manual; moms learn as they go. As a new mom, hearing a baby cry may affect you more than anybody else. Babies only communicate with crying; that’s the only language they know.
Pregnancy is the most critical time in a woman’s life. Expectant moms need to be extra careful and vigilant about taking care of themselves and their unborn child. Nurturing a human inside you is an incredible phenomenon and a lifetime experience.
When it comes to being vigilant about consuming and eating, make sure to keep a close eye on your everyday activities.
In this post, I tell you about several pregnancy health mistakes that pregnant women should avoid, whenever they can.
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Common Pregnancy health mistakes you should avoid
1. Not drinking enough water
Do you know why you need to drink plenty of water in pregnancy? Besides getting dehydrated, not drinking enough water leads to body cramps, leg cramps, body aches, swelling, UTI’s, and many other discomforts.
Try to drink plenty of water, if you do not like drinking regular water, you may try vitamin water or other non-caffeinated flavored liquid. Make sure your caffeine intake is moderate as too much caffeine could lead to more frequent urination.
Some of the flavors of vitamin waters are having caffeine so you should be avoiding that to be on the safe side.
Typically, pregnant women should not take more than 200mg of caffeine each day. Less than 200mg is considered to be okay. Always read a label for how much caffeine your drink has. If you are a coffee or tea person, you must take note of how much caffeine you are consuming that is recommended for mom and your unborn baby.
Here is a breakdown of the caffeine intake you should keep as a counter.
3. Not taking proper rest when your body is telling you to
If you are a working woman, it is very likely for you to get tired due to lack of sleep, leg cramps, fatigue, nausea and so much more. Listen to your body. Whenever you feel tired, stop doing, what you are doing. Try to lay down or sit, put your feet up and relax for a while.
For instance, If you are standing for a long time, and suddenly you start feeling tired in your legs, sit or lay down. If you have been doing a lot of physical work lately, slow down and take rest.
Pregnancy discomforts are normal still you should always respond to your body right away.
Once you find out about your pregnancy, you need to start taking prenatal vitamins if you are not already taking that. Typically, doctors advise taking prenatal vitamins even If you are trying to get pregnant until you are breastfeeding the baby.
As a new mom-to-be, you need to make sure you are taking prenatal vitamins with the right amount of folic acid, as it plays a vital role in the baby’s brain development.
You should talk to your doctor about the safe dosage or supplements you need every day.
5. Not taking an iron supplement or iron-rich food if you are anemic
Also if you are low on hemoglobin levels or having breathlessness during pregnancy, (as it could be one of the symptoms of being low on iron level) you may want to start prenatal vitamins with iron. GNC has a prenatal formula with iron and I have used them for about 3 years and highly recommend these. You can get it from Amazon too.
If you are a second-time mom or had a previous C-section, you should be super careful about your hemoglobin levels.
6. Using harsh cleaning chemicals
Typically, doctors and midwives do not recommend using harsh cleaning chemicals while being pregnant, as you inhaling the strong chemical is not a good idea.
Avoid as much as you can. Make sure you have a proper ventilation system if you REALLY have to do it. Also, wear gloves if possible.
Try to avoid using products that have warning labels about toxicity.
Ideally, you should get the help of your partner because of the fact, pregnancy is the only time when they are actually willing to help.
7. Not emptying bladder while Urinating or holding on
Pregnant women are vulnerable to getting urinary tract infections quite often. It is highly advised for pregnant women to empty the bladder every pee time.
Due to a full down belly, the bladder does not get empty on its own every time you do for a pee. The simple tip is to lean forward to put pressure on your bladder and pee. This way it will help your bladder to get empty and it would significantly reduce the chances of getting UTI just because you are pregnant.
Secondly, drink plenty of water, and if you get UTI often, start using a peri bottle for better cleaning. Especially, if you are using a toilet for number 2.
Once you deliver your baby (Vaginal or C-section), your nurse is going to give you one to use for washing. So, why not start using the peri bottle now.
You may or may not notice implantation bleeding or spotting in the earliest weeks of pregnancy. But for some of you notice a stain on your panty gets super stressful. Besides spotting during the first trimester being normal, you should never ignore bleeding at any stage of pregnancy. Always talk to your doctor about your concerns.
Some pregnant women, if not all, may experience Subchronic Bleeding and deliver healthy babies. Subchronic bleeding occurs when there is an accumulation of blood under the outer fetal membrane or between the uterus and the placenta. This can only be found out in an ultrasound. Most o the time it resolves on its own over the course of pregnancy.
For the most part, bleeding in pregnancy is very disturbing mentally and emotionally. However, not every time it means a miscarriage. In most cases, babies seem to be healthy and happy inside the womb.
As a general rule, if you are soaking one full pad, always call your doctor and schedule a sonogram to see if everything seems okay.
Although it may seem fine in your ultrasound but you still need to take these precautions if you have experienced subchronic bleeding during pregnancy.
Limit your physical activity
Avoid sexual intercourse
Stay hydrated
Take proper rest
Do not do any heavy lifting
If you have travel plans, delay.
That being said a pregnant woman, needs to be super careful and needs to take a lot of rest if she is bleeding at any time during pregnancy.
9. Eating food with high sugar content if you have a yeast infection
Yeast infection is very common during pregnancy. Most pregnant women have experienced mild to severe yeast infection.
Eating sugar is like nourishing a garden having yeast infection. The best remedy to treat a yeast infection is to avoid sugar altogether for the time you are fully recovered. Stop consuming Juices, sweets, chocolates, fruits anything that has processed sugar in it. That being said, you can resume your love for sugar once the yeast infection is gone.
Meanwhile, eat plain yogurt as much as you can to treat the infection effectively.
10. Ignoring gum infection
Do you know one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms is, triggered gum or tooth infection? It is advised to treat the ongoing infection before getting pregnant because dental infections may lead to preterm labor if you are pregnant.
Practicing adequate oral hygiene during pregnancy is extremely important, especially if you have pre-existing dental issues. You must brush your teeth every night before going to bed, anyway.
Doctors advise antibiotics that are considered safe during pregnancy and as per mom’s history related to the safe medication.
Are you breastfeeding a toddler while being pregnant?
Experts advise not to breastfeed as it may trigger preterm Labor putting your unborn baby at risk. However in a few cases, some moms might have successful experiences of breastfeeding while being pregnant, still, doctors and midwives advise expectant moms to make safe choices when it is about the health of mom and a baby.
12. Eating raw or undercooked meat when you are pregnant
Ideally, pregnant women should not eat undercooked meat like poultry, fish. Undercooked eggs are also not advised for pregnant women. Always prefer fully cooked meat and anything but half fried eggs when it comes to safe eating for two. Undercooked meat has bacteria that is not considered safe for a pregnant woman to consume.
Wash produce thoroughly that you can consume raw. For instance, you must wash fruits and veggies like carrots, strawberries, blueberries, and celery, etc to ensure safe eating for mom and the baby.
Another safety measure, you should wear disposable gloves when you are handling meat or poultry. or wash hands thoroughly before and after handling meat. Try not to handle meat with bare hands of you have cuts or injuries on hand in order to keep yourself safe from bacteria.
13. Never be too busy to count baby kicks every day
When you are pregnant with baby number 1, you would be extra vigilant to notice everything about your baby and her movements. But, sadly when it is about baby number 2 or baby #3 or more, we are too busy to notice or do a kick count.
It is very important to do a kick count every day. Babies are sleeping in the womb for the most part about 20 hours, thus, it is just a four hours window when you have to feel your baby moving. However, if you think the baby is not moving enough, try to eat something sweet or cold and you should be able to get a kick count.
Have you just found out, you are pregnant? And you are looking for some pregnancy announcement ideas for your loved ones, especially your husband and your family.
The best part about the first baby pregnancy announcement is to see a priceless reaction to the news. That’s the most exciting part of having a baby.
Here are some cute little ideas I want to share with my readers. Irrespective of what gender you are carrying, this announcement fun is more about having a baby.
You know your loved ones more than anyone, so you can choose what is the best suitable way to break the news about your pregnancy.
However, you can still pick a few ideas for gender reveal.
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Pregnancy announcement ideas for husband
1. First Pregnancy Test Surprise announcement
Well, the Pregnancy test is the most popular one, and most of us might have used that one only. You can leave it somewhere he would notice for sure, bathroom, sink, put it as a surprise in a box.
2. Put Baby shoe in his work or everyday shoe
If this is your first pregnancy announcement then this is going to be super exciting for dad-to-be. How about putting a newborn baby shoe in his everyday shoes. Well, who wouldn’t notice that? You can either record him on the camera or surprise him when you both are ready to leave for somewhere.
Choosing the right time of day depends on how your schedule works.
3. Hang baby onesie in his closet
Does your husband choose clothes from his closet every day? The best thing is to hand a baby onesie in his closet. How cute the first baby announcement is that!
You can surprise him by putting up your sonogram pictures on your fridge using fridge magnet clips.
7. First Baby sonogram frame announcement
Use a baby sonogram frame and put it in his surroundings where you think he is going to notice for sure. For instance, nightstand, breakfast table, dresser mirror, etc.
8. Using a letter Board for a pregnancy announcement
Letterboard is a wonderful thing to have in your home. It helps you start your day with a beautiful, positive message every day. Put up a cute pregnancy announcement on your letter board for your partner and cherish those beautiful memories.
9. Wear a T-shirt
You can get a cute pregnancy announcement shirt and wear it when your partner is going to be around. Sure, he notices what you are wearing.
10. Write baby’s name if you have decided for a while
If you have already been trying for a baby or planned a name for a long time the best thing to surprise him is to manually write a date or name on a baby onesie, card, letter board anywhere, you know he is going to notice.
You can get these personalized pillows to share the news with your husband, partner, grandparents. How on earth they are not going to love it.
If you have white or beige pillow covers at home, you can use them to write something cute about your pregnancy on the pillow cover. Or you can sew a lovely message.
14. Use an announcement note or card
Leave a note or card in your husband or partner’s car.
Choose a special day to announce your pregnancy, like a birthday or anniversary and use a cake topper with a pregnancy announcement to give your partner a memorable surprise.
Isn’t it fun to surprise him while playing UNO card game? Write a pregnancy announcement “we are having a baby” or I’m Pregnant, or “baby is on the way” on one of the blank cards.
Motherhood is a challenging phase of life. before giving birth women are all excited about holding a baby in their arms, looking at the joyful side of a journey. The journey from labor pains to childbirth is a life-changing event.
Counting babies kicks and most of all watching your baby moving in your third-trimester belly is one of the fondest memories of being pregnant.
Rest assured the joys of holding a baby are beautiful and you are going to have the most cherishable memories of all times.
Now you are ready to give birth and excited too, I highly recommend you should visit your hospital pre-birth and get yourself registered. This will save you a lot of time when you will be actually in labor and need immediate assistance.
Visit your hospital labor and delivery department to be well aware of the rooms and other formalities, you might have to take care of.
This is a very common question for first-time moms when you know it’s time to bring baby home.
Having all those excitement and butterflies in your belly; one fine day your time would come with real pains and probably with a gush of water.
When you know these are not Braxton hicks (false contractions) and you could actually time your pains at equal intervals. If your contractions are exactly at 20 minutes interval, maybe less or more, you need to pack up your hospital bag.
Well, as a matter of fact, these contractions interval may take days to shrink down to maybe 5 minutes or 3 minutes. Whenever you are able to time them for like 2 to 3 hours at the same interval, you need to call your doctor, nurse or a midwife at your hospital you are planning on to deliver.
If your water breaks, you need to call right away, even you do not feel any sort of contraction or pains.
Once you are at the hospital, you need to check in with all those bands with barcodes. These bands are going to stay on your wrist until you are staying at the hospital.
What happens in the labor room?
Nurses would take care of everything when you get there. If you have more frequent contractions, they would find out and provide immediate assistance. Your doctor or midwife is going to find out how much dilated you are by that time.
If your labor pains are not very frequent and you don’t seem to be dilated more than 2 cm, you might be sent back home.
If your baby is full-term at 39 weeks, you might want to discuss the option of Pitocin, a medicine to speed up the labor pains.
You can opt for epidural. Before that, you need to eat or drink whatever you want because once you get epidural you won’t be able to drink water even.
What happens in the surgery room in case you have scheduled a cesarean or emergency C-section?
If you have a scheduled C-section due to many reasons like baby’s position, multiple fetuses, health concerns, etc., chances are you have to get it in the morning. Thus, you have to make sure you should not have eaten at least 12 hours on the day of C-section. You have to be an empty stomach.
Eat well the night before and sleep better as you are already signing up for sleep deprivation motherhood brings. 🙂
Epidural or General Anesthesia
By any chance you end up having C-section, you most likely be given epidural (spinal) If not general anesthesia.
Nurses would make sure your area for the incision is shaved.
After that, they are going to apply medicine and all the surgical procedure you can expect.
Although doctors, surgeons, anesthesia staff, nurses, every concerned person would be in the surgery room. However, if you want your partner or husband to be in the surgery room, you can surely ask nurses.
They are going to provide the medicated clothes for him so that he can be with you inside the surgery room and you both could enjoy the birth of your baby.
What to expect right after Childbirth
You might be an expert by now for what happens in pregnancy and how to deal with those nauseous mornings, but getting to know what happens in the hospital right after birth is not too far now.
Curious to know or not – here the things you must need to know what happens after birth.
1. Apgar Evaluation
This is a necessary evaluation procedure done after birth. The purpose is to see if there are any medical concerns or not. Doctors measure five signs of the baby’s condition
Heart rate
Breathing
Reflexes
Activity and muscles tone
Skin color
Apgar evaluation score varies from 0 to 10. Babies who score 7 or more are considered healthy. Low Apgar score does not mean any necessary medical concerns.
Researchers say that in more than 98% of babies, quite often the Apgar score reaches 7 within 5 minutes of baby’s life as it is checked twice in the first 5 minutes of baby’s life after birth.
2. Vitamin K injection
Babies are born with vitamin K deficiency as it does not reach the placenta during pregnancy. Thus, doctors make sure that babies get vitamin K injection right after birth to make sure no bleeding in the brain or intestines could occur. Right after the birth baby is given vitamin K injection to help with blood to clot.
3. Antibiotic eye ointment
Your baby will be applied Erythromycin an eye antibiotic ointment to her eyes so that it does not cause an infection that could occur during delivery. Infections could occur due to sexually transmitted diseases, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
If you are concerned, babies can see through the ointment and it is not irritating for babies.
4. Oxygen saturation testing
This procedure is done to check for lower levels of oxygen in the baby’s bloodstream that might identify any significant yet rare heart defects. This is a needleless procedure involves placing a band-aid-like sensor on the baby’s right hand and right foot.
4. Baby Foot is printed
Your baby’s foot will be printed.
5. Identification Bands on wrists and legs
Your baby will also be wearing an identification band on with your name as a mother.
6. Skin to skin
Research has shown that an hour after birth is when your baby is very awake and alert and during that time and it is highly recommended when mother and baby has to be more on skin to skin.
7. Regulating the baby’s body temperature
Baby’s lose body heat fairly quickly, thus it is highly advisable to practice more and more skin to skin to regulate baby’s body temperature after birth.
8. Latching or Breastfeeding right after birth
As soon as your baby is done with all those requirements after birth, mothers are advised to start breastfeeding their babies right away, as this will help with the flow of milk supply for moms.
Breastfeeding has numerous benefits along with it helps the uterus to come back to its original size within 6 weeks.
9. Bonding with your baby
Right after birth, It is very normal to feel overjoyed to see your little bundle of happiness. Some mothers cannot feel that way which is normal too. Do not stress about bonding if you are not in that state of mind, because most of the time it is the effect of medicines as well.
However, dads would be happy to perform skin to skin if mom is having a surgical delivery.
In my both C section deliveries, at the time my first one was born I was in labor pains for three days, tired and exhausted, yet I just was super excited about bonding with my little guy. On the other hand, while with my second delivery, which was within 19 months, it took a while for me to feel normal again I was having extreme shoulder pain and my blood pressure dropped significantly. I just could not talk. And I could not hold her for a long time.
It is not advisable to hold your baby when you are not feeling normal about yourself. Bonding can weight but you as a healthy mother is more important.
Start skin to skin the moment you start feeling better and want to connect.
Nursing, latching, and feeding after childbirth
If you are a first-time mom, and you THINK that you KNOW how to breastfeed, do not stay in this misconception.
There is a big difference between knowing something and actually doing it.
Some babies do not know how to latch. They will learn slowly and gradually.
However, some babies are great at latching. They know suckle very well.
I would highly recommend first-time moms to consult a lactation specialist. Many hospitals in the US offer lactation classes which are super helpful.
Doctors would not allow you to go home if your baby is not having enough wet and dirty diapers. This means your baby is not having enough to eat.
The lactation consultants will visit you every day during your hospital stay and are there to help. Seek help, consult if you are struggling with breastfeeding.
Moms expect delayed milk supply as it takes time to settle in. However, babies are not going to eat too much in the beginning.
Colostrum is the thick form of milk that comes in before the milk supply. Colostrum is the most beneficial first baby food and sufficient for the early days of a baby’s life.
If you are not mentally or physically ready to take care of your baby, talk to your nurse about it. They are there to help. You can ask them to take your baby for the night and have her in the nursery room so you can sleep or rest for that night.
You can also tell them to bring the baby in for her feed or they could give formula if you have talked to your doctor about it.
Whatever you decide to feed your baby, remember FED IS THE BEST.
While you stay a the hospital nurses give you a chart to record about your baby eats, wee and poo schedule.
You have to feed every 2 hours or as per demand. The more you nurse the earlier and quick would be the milk supply.
Care providers want you to time baby’s eating, pee, and poo schedule to ensure baby is performing great after birth.
Baby’s First Poop
Baby’s first poo is called Meconium which is made of mucus, amniotic fluid and everything which baby has ingested while in the womb. Meconium is a black almost tar-like consistency.
Rarely, during normal delivery, babies tend to poo during the delivery process (while passing through the birth canal) which has to be monitored closely. It should not be swallowed as it could pose high risks.
Some babies poo within the first couple of days after birth. This first poo meconium is a good sign that means your baby’s digestive system is working just fine.
Colostrum, your first milk, will help meconium to excrete out of the baby’s body. It protects against infections and also acts as a laxative.
Well during your hospital stay doctors and nurses are going to closely monitor your baby’s health after birth.
Vital Signs test
Vital signs test is a baby’s hearing screening test.
This test is done before you leave the hospital. During this hearing screening, babies are monitored to respond to any sounds by using tiny earphones.
Some babies do not pass their test on their first attempt due to fluids in ears. There are very likely to pass the next day or so. In order to keep baby calm, the examiner might have to give sweet water (don’t worry, it’s just a drop) to have baby calm during the test.
Hearing problems are not very uncommon. If newborns by any chance do not pass the test, it would be helpful to treat any hearing defects earlier.
Physical weight check
Baby’s weight is monitored right at birth and then within the first few days after birth. It is very normal for babies to reduce weight during the first few days of their life.
It is normal for a baby to lose 7 to 10 percent of birth weight in the first couple of days after birth. If your baby keeps losing weight more than 10% of birth weight then you might want to consider supplementing.
Waiting for breastmilk supply is a great way to ensure healthy nutrition for your baby, BUT, if your baby is losing weight and you are struggling with milk supply, you should discuss your concerns about it with your doctor.
They measure the baby’s weight, height, and head circumference.
They are going to check how is your baby breathing.
Number of wet and dirty
To ensure how well your baby is eating, the number of wet diapers could depict. If your baby does not wee or have a wet diaper within 24 hours then your baby needs more nutrition.
Despite, your baby is losing weight after birth within limits even then the number of wet diapers confirms your baby is eating just fine.
If there are no wet diapers for more than 24 hours then you should be concerned.
Shots / vaccinations
If your baby has got a shot/vaccination, the hospital will provide you with a card and name of the vaccination with dates and everything that you need to know for a record.
Hep B vaccination
All Babies get the hepatitis B vaccine before leaving the hospital. HBV is a series of three different shots. All three of them will be received over the course of two years i.e. three times in 24 months.
Newborn Metabolic screening
This test is done by pricking your baby’s heel to take blood samples to rule out any signs of illness or diseases. This is done to make sure the baby does not have any disabilities, organ damage, etc.
First bath
The nurse is going to give the baby a bath. Wash baby’s hair and rest she sponge bath baby without having umbilical cord wet.
Additional tests for baby
Measuring bilirubin levels
Some, but not all, newborns require a bilirubin level check – a substance in the bloodstream responsible for causing jaundice.
Baby’s blood type test
Those babies who are born to women having Rh negative or O blood type must be tested. Other babies may get tested depending on the requirements and circumstances.
Other blood tests
Other tests are done to check blood sugar, blood counts, and blood cultures as per the circumstances.
Circumcision
Circumcision is the surgical procedure of removing foreskin on a baby boy’s penis.
Most but not all, boys get their penis circumcised before hospital discharge. Choosing this procedure could be personal or religious preference and could be scheduled even after discharge from the hospital.
In case you want to get it done for your baby boy, circumcision is widely practiced all over the world with many health benefits.
Always discuss its pros and cons with your doctor before you even decide to get it done for your baby boy.
Given the risks and concerns, this needs a lot of aftercare. Watch any signs of an infection. Keep the area dry and keep it covered with cotton gauze and a substantial amount of petroleum jelly on the wee-wee area.
This does not mean to get the process done right away. If you want your boy to get this done, you may want to do it in a couple of days after birth. The earlier the better as it heals pretty quickly within just a few days.
Nurses are going to guide you with care instructions.
I am Madiha, mom to two beautiful kids. Here you find helpful tips about pregnancy, postpartum, newborn care, toddlers, and product reviews. Join the tribe, and let’s grow together as moms. Enjoy having kids while they are little and more fun.
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I am Madiha, mom to two beautiful kids. Here you find helpful tips about pregnancy, postpartum, newborn care, toddlers, and product reviews. Join the tribe, and let’s grow together as moms. Enjoy having kids while they are little and more fun.