4: Get Informed

When I found out I was pregnant, I didn't know anything about having a baby.  I always felt a little awkward around babies; wasn't sure how to hold them comfortably or how to talk to them.  My sister in law gave me some pregnancy books that she had when she was pregnant and I also discovered helpful websites and apps to help me along the way.  Reading up on being pregnant and having a baby made me feel so much more confident on becoming a new momma.  Some of the experiences would have been so frightening if I didn't know what was going on.  Educating myself on current practices also helped me to recognize inaccurate advice when it was given and the knowledge to support my inexperienced hiney!  Although, some advice was simply outdated,  getting advice from every mom I spoke to became invaluable to me.  I absorbed everything like a sponge.  So my advice to you is to read up on all you can, listen to all advice offered, and do things that feel right to you.  Here are some of my favorite sources to help get you started:

What to Expect When You're Expecting Book This book is the pregnancy bible. I had it with me everywhere. Always had an answer for my questions.

What to Expect the First Year Book I read as much as I could before she was born.  Now, after her birth, I've been reading for the associated month.  Super helpful if your clueless..like I was.  Provides information for every month about your newborn for an entire year; feeding, development, questions and concerns.

Baby Center This website was also extremely helpful with both my pregnancy and her development.  They also have an app that tracked how big she was in the womb and had daily tips and interesting bits of information.  Loved the graphics of what she may look like and it also compared her weight and length to that of a piece of fruit or vegetable.  I also enjoyed sharing her progress with my friends and family on Facebook.  In addition, I recommend the following app for your growing baby and the birthing class app.  In fact, my husband and I did not go to an actual childbirth class (that would have been an hour and a half round trip, $100, 8 hour class!) but we did do the free two hour childbirth video by baby center right in the comfort of our living room.

Total Baby App I tried a few apps to help me keep track of breastfeeding and this one was my favorite and easy to use.  I use it everyday to know when her last feeding was, how long it was, and which breast it was.  It also has recording options for diaper changes and baths and you can even add your own recorder.

WebMD Baby I have this website at the top of my bookmark list and I also have the app.  Yes, I have used it and yes I'm glad it was there!  Of course, in case of an emergency always call 911 or consult with your pediatrician for non-emergency situations.

CPR This may be the most important thing for you to learn! Don't wait till its too late.  Baby center provides an illustrated guide and also provides sources to get actual training which I highly recommend! If you take away anything from this blog, have it be to train yourself on how to perform CPR and first aid for choking!

1: Start a Journal

When I found out I was pregnant back in December 2011, I bought a journal, a big one, to start jotting down my experiences and memories along the way. It would be best to keep up with it daily or weekly, or as things happen.  You don't want to get stuck after your precious bundle is born and trying to remember every detail about the appointment when you found out the sex, or when you felt that first kick. (Which is what I did!) But if you are like me, can't keep up with a journal to save your life, then at least jot the date/time and a short note in the back of the book to reference later when you do have time to write. Even utilizing a note app on your phone to jot down those reminders since most of us always have it with us.  We  would just stop functioning if, God forbid, we ever left our phones at home! You could also make notes in your planner to refer to. I ended up using all three of these methods.

For me, the journal is for my daughter, McKayla, to read one day about her mother's pregnancy, her birth and her raising. Then, perhaps, later down the road, pass the journal down to her to continue her life story and her pregnancy! (I'm getting emotional now!)

In addition to your writings, add pictures to the journal such as your belly, her ultrasound, her first 30 seconds in this world...

Keep in mind that when you choose a journal, stick with one that can go both ways. When I bought mine, I didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl.  Planahead Jumbo Journal is the one I got.  I figured it would would work ok for a girl or boy: