Search Results for: bad experience from my pregnancy and how you can avoid it

The Truth About Your Diet During Pregnancy

One of the assumptions I made about pregnancy prior to becoming pregnant is I’d have a diet-related Get out of Jail Free card.  I knew that there are certain foods it’s best to avoid, but I thought at least I’d have a free pass to eat, well, not quite as much as I wanted, but to feel a bit more guilt-free about evening ice cream binges. That turned out not to be the case at all.  First off, the whole “eating for two” thing isn’t true.  At most, you should eat for one and a quarter.  In addition to that, … Continue reading →

Ouch – Pregnancy Heartburn

If I had to choose which pregnancy symptom was the most uncomfortable or unpleasant for me, I would say that it was the heartburn. I’m almost getting heartburn right now just thinking about the heartburn that I experienced during both of my pregnancies. Unfortunately, many women experience heartburn during pregnancy. It is one of the most common pregnancy – related discomforts, with just about half of all pregnant women experiencing during one or more of their pregnancies. If you are suddenly feeling the burn, you may be wondering why. There are a couple of reasons why heartburn is so common … Continue reading →

The Lowdown on Postpartum Periods

I have a new item to add to the list of “Things That Happen Postpartum That No One Ever Talks About”. Seriously, there is an entire list of things that happen postpartum that simply do not get discussed by most people, most of the time. Since these things do not get discussed, they take you completely by surprise when they happen. How do I know this? I am currently working my way through one of them, and I am just beginning to understand it. I wish that someone had given me the lowdown on postpartum periods at some point before … Continue reading →

A Birth Story – Part One

One year ago today, I gave birth to my youngest son. It was not the birth that I had planned, but then again, I am not sure how many births actually do go according to plan. What actually happened was pretty much the opposite of what my husband and I had been planning for. If you are the type of person who enjoys reading about the experiences of other people during labor and delivery, read on. If you do not wish to read a birth story, check back here later in the week for a non – birth story post. … 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 →

Celebrity Births

I love hearing labor and delivery stories. Whether I’m talking to friends, relatives, or watching TLC’s “A Baby Story,” I can’t get enough of the different experiences women have. Some go all natural, some get an epidural the second they arrive at the hospital, and many fall in between. Some births are scheduled C-sections, some are induced, and some begin all on their own. Many women give birth in the hospital, while others opt to give birth at a birthing center, or even at home. I often find myself wondering, “What type of labors and deliveries do celebrities have?” There … Continue reading →

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Caregiver

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Whether you plan on giving birth with the assistance of an obstetrician, midwife or family practitioner, choosing your caregiver is an important decision. There are many different styles and methods of practice and stereotypes don’t always hold true. Not all obstetricians are eager to intervene no matter what and not all midwifes are sensitive, flexible and noninterventive. Ask friends for recommendations and then interview several caregivers before making your decision. Ask open ended questions to get unbiased answers. Follow up with vague answers and evaluate how comfortable you feel asking the caregiver questions when something is unclear. Pregnancy is full … Continue reading →

It’s High Anxiety Season Again!

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Here in the States, the Fourth of July (and the weeks surrounding) is a high anxiety time for pets — thanks to the fireworks. They’ve been setting off fireworks in my neighborhood for at least a week now, with the big day itself still to come. My dogs have been relatively mellow about the firecrackers so far — despite a bad experience in the past where they were thrown at us while we were walking. Perked ears, a little bit of barking and running to the windows… definitely not as bad as it has been. But for some pets, fireworks … Continue reading →

My Experience With Natural Childbirth, Part 1

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People are always shocked to hear that I had my son without any pain medication. Even the nurses who cared for me were surprised when I turned it down. My doctor made a remark about not remembering the last time he did a non-medicated delivery. Am I really that rare? To me, choosing not to use pain medication was an easy decision for many reasons. 1. I preferred to be fully alert during the entire process. 2. I did not want to risk being subjected to any side effects. 3. I did not want to expose my son to such … Continue reading →

Pregnancy After a Traumatic Birth

A traumatic birth experience can cause some women to resist getting pregnant again. Some women get over a bad birth experience quickly. Others suffer emotional distress for months or even years after the birth of their babies. When these women do get pregnant again, they worry right away that this time will be just like last time. If you are pregnant and your last birth was traumatic, you can heal and have a much different experience this time. The first step is to figure out exactly what was traumatic about the experience. Write down what was difficult about the birth … Continue reading →