Category Archives: Pregnancy

Those nine months from conception to birth will change your life forever. Learn more about the condition of pregnancy here at the Families.com Pregnancy Blog.

How Did You Know That You Were Pregnant?

One of the interesting things about pregnancy is that each woman has a slightly different set of symptoms that eventually lead her to realize that perhaps it might be time to go to the pharmacy and pick up a package of pregnancy tests. For example, with my first son, the defining moment when I had the actual thought that I could be pregnant was one morning when I was eating breakfast with my husband. For some reason, my coffee tasted absolutely revolting. I love, love, love the taste of coffee so that immediately got me to thinking that something was … Continue reading →

Got The Baby Budget Blues? Don’t Worry, You Have Options.

If you are wondering how you will ever get everything that you need for your baby on your budget, I would like to let you in on a little secret. The secret is this: babies really don’t need all that many things, and the things that they need the most are the things that can not be bought. We all know that babies need love, and plenty of it. Some of their other needs do involve equipment and or supplies, but there are various options that parents can choose from. For example, a baby needs a safe place to sleep. … Continue reading →

Make Ahead Meals Make Life After Baby Easier

If you happen to be nearing the end of your pregnancy and you are also in a mood to nest, one great thing that you can do to give yourself a head start for when your baby arrives is making and freezing some nutritious meals. Sure, there’s always the nursery to decorate and all of those adorable onesies to wash, fold, and put away but those may not take up all of your spare time. What’s more, once baby arrives, you are going to need to eat and you may as well have something healthy and easy to prepare on hand. … Continue reading →

Mental Preparation for Labor and Delivery

While it may be tempting to think of labor and delivery as a primarily physical experience, it is important that you do not underestimate the mind’s role in the process of birth. Mental preparation for the birth of your baby is important, and preparing yourself for success can help you to have a smoother labor and delivery. Here are a few things that you can do to mentally prepare yourself for the big day. Read positive birth stories. When I was pregnant, I used to avoid hearing birth stories because many of the ones that I had initially heard were … Continue reading →

Two Strategies for Saving Money on Baby Items

As you make a list of all of the things that you will need for your new baby, you may become overwhelmed. It might seem as though there is no way that you will be able to afford all of the things that you think you will need to take care of your baby. Fortunately, there are ways that you can bring down the cost of caring for your baby. One way to trim expenses is to think carefully about what items you absolutely must have for your new baby. If you really sit down and think about it, baby … Continue reading →

Can Men Really Experience Pregnancy Symptoms?

When you are experiencing painful or annoying pregnancy symptoms like heartburn and cravings, you might wish that your husband or partner would also experience those symptoms so that they might understand how you feel. Did you know that your husband or partner may actually be feeling some of the symptoms of pregnancy along with you? The French call it “couvade syndrome”, but it is more commonly referred to as “sympathetic pregnancy” and most fathers to be experience it to some degree. The variety of pregnancy related symptoms that men can experience alongside their pregnant partners is quite wide. This is … Continue reading →

What’s The Deal With Pregnancy Weight Gain

One topic that can be both confusing and agonizing for pregnant women is the topic of weight gain. Not only do doctors and midwives sometimes differ on the advice that they dole out regarding how much gain to aim for, they differ in how they handle situations where their patients gain too much weight or do not gain enough weight. Now, consider that all of your friends and family have different opinions and experiences with the topic of pregnancy weight gain which they are all too happy to share with you whether you like it or not. Top it all … Continue reading →

Preparing for Your Home Birth

When you plan to have your baby at home, part of preparing yourself for the birth of your baby includes preparing your home so that you have a safe and comfortable place to give birth. As your pregnancy progresses, why not gather up everything that you will need and place it in the area where you would like your birth to take place. The biggest item that you will need is the birthing tub, if you would like to have a water birth. Tubs can be purchased or rented, so ask your midwives about what options there are in your … Continue reading →

A Beginner’s Guide to Bed Rest

Did you know that one out of every five mothers will be prescribed bed rest during her pregnancy? Since there is a chance that you may have to become familiar with bed rest, here are some basics to get you started. First of all, let’s talk about what bed rest is. Bed rest can mean anything from complete and total confinement to one’s bed for twenty four hours a day to taking time to lay down for an hour or so a couple of times a day. Make sure that your prenatal care provider is specific in telling you exactly … Continue reading →

Water Birth

When I was pregnant with my first son, part of my prenatal care included attending childbirth classes at the birthing center where Dylan was going to be born. During one of the classes, we toured the birthing center and one of the midwives showed us all of the things that were available for us to use during labor and delivery. While bouncing around on a birthing ball sounded interesting and the birthing stool looked like it could certainly be effective, the thing that I remember most about my birthing center tour was the birthing tub. As soon as I saw … Continue reading →