6.05.2011

Surviving Pregnancy, Sense of Humor in Tact

Utthita Parsvakonasana, with baby bump. 
A few suggestions for expectant mothers....

1. Pick the right partner. This may or may not be the person who knocked you up. A few gems my husband has come up with: "Poor you" (in response to any complaint, groan or sigh... immediately, I know I have his sympathy, and I can move on). "Honey, from behind you don't look pregnant at all!" Make sure your partner says this to you at least twice a week, and mean it.

2. Disregard all criticisms regarding your eating/drinking/exercise habits, your choices about what kind of labor/delivery you intend to have and all other well-meaning but unsolicited pieces of advice you receive. Especially if said advice comes from someone who's never been pregnant before or is a supermodel. Only you and your caregiver have a right to make decisions about what is best for your pregnancy.

3. On that note, blame everything on your caregivers' suggestions.... "My doctor is insisting that I nap at least an hour a day," "My doula said ice cream is really good for me," or "My midwife recommended a half glass of wine every now and again to help me sleep" will silence the loudest critic.

4. Decide that your job is to remain relatively stress-free. Let your doctor panic about the unusual test results or unclear ultrasound reading. Let your partner worry about hospital routes and car seats. Let your family figure out amongst themselves who gets to visit the baby first. Your one task is to grow a healthy baby, which is hard to do when you are anxious.

5. Remember: there is no one right way to do anything, including this. Besides abstaining from drugs, smoking and heavy drinking, there are no absolutes on how to have a healthy pregnancy. Eat well, take a walk every now and again, sleep as much as you can and let go of everything else.

Here are some things I have relied on for education, entertainment or comfort...

Books: Birthing From Within by Pam England and Rob Horowitz
            Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
                    ~These books are honest about childbirth without inducing fear.
    
Beauty:
Laura Mercier Fresh Fig Bubble Bath and Lotion
~Terribly expensive, but the light scent won't irritate sensitive pregnant noses. So luxurious!
Bobbi Brown Luminous Moisturizing Foundation
~Combat skin changes and dryness, and fake a pregnant glow.
L'Occitane Verbena Cooling Deoderant Stick
~Free of alcohol, parabens and aluminum salts, with a light scent and lasts all day.

Clothing:
Gap Maternity Leggings and Support Camis
~No uncomfortable over-the-belly panel or underwires to deal with.
Maxi Dresses and Tunics from Anthropologie
~Forego maternity wear. Go up a size or two, and shop the sale section for the best deals.
Wedges 
~Comfortable, supportive and cute. I get most of my shoes from DSW or Zappos.com.

Food: 
Marie's Donuts in Sacramento
~On Freeport Ave., seriously the best donuts in the world. My favorite: the chocolate bars
Sacramento Sourdough Bread
~Again, a Sacramento favorite of mine. I'll buy a loaf and carry it home on the plane!
Fresh Fruit
~Right now, I can't get enough watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple and grapes.
Pickles
~Obviously. We like Claussen Kosher Dill Halves (they are in the refrigerated section)
Sparkling Water with Lemon, Lime or Juice
~We bought a SodaStream.... best investment ever! Saves money and is eco-friendly too!

Stores: 
A Mother's Haven (Encino, CA)
~Wonderful classes and baby boutique.
Babies 'R' Us
~Simply because they have "expectant mother parking".
The Green Cradle (Sherman Oaks, CA)
~Organic products for mom, baby and nursery. Lovely customer service.


Best wishes for a safe and easy delivery for my fellow pregnant ladies! All moms/almost moms: please feel free to leave other suggestions in the comment section on your favorite pregnancy remedies... I have six weeks to go and would welcome your recommendations!




          

7 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Oh, you're giving me such a lovely flashback to my happily pregnant days. My food craving was for milk -- I drank glass after glass, and haven't touched it at all since giving birth. And I practically lived at Mother's Haven for the first couple of years. We met some kids at Kindermusik who are still Isaac's close friends, 8 years later.

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  3. Nice post Kiera. First pregnancy my craving was lemonade and rootbeer floats...august baby and it was a hot sumer. Second pregnancy, I craved fruit and veggies. Third pregnancy, I craved peace and quite from the previous two children. ha ha ha

    Most important thing to remember is to do what is best for you and your baby. I totally second the Marie's Doughnuts! even when you aren't pregnant.

    Take Care Kiera!

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  4. my due date was june 2nd dr induced me 2 weeks earlier cause my blood pressure was high i informed her that i thought i had toxemia she said no that was at 35 wks i got admitted to the hospital got induced on the 19th had my baby on the 20th emergency csection which i didnt want right before i had my csection dr informed me i had toxemia i did everything right when i was pregnant now my incesion got infected now i have to wear a wound vac my baby boy is 2wks i day old his name is ethan he is fine i wish you the best just wanted to share what i went through keep a eye on your swelling and blood pressure usuually happens wks 35 and 36 take care

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  5. Kiera
    I ADORED being pregnant, so I say enjoy this wonderful time.
    There was a book I loved. And I read it at the end of my pregnancy - in the hospital - on bed rest. Yes, I still felt wonderful too) it was; I had a baby, a breakdown and a much needed Margarita by Heather Armstrong. Hysterical! !!! Check it out. Good luck to You! !!!!

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  6. The thing I remember most people, both mothers and not, was to sleep when the baby sleeps. Unfortunately that didn't always work well. I wasn't always tired when she slept.

    The best piece of advice I can give, is if you have someone over to help those first few days/weeks, let them do everything around the house. I felt bad with baby #1 letting my mom do all the dishes/laundry etc. But boy did I regret doing too much to soon. With #2, I let whoever do whatever they were willing and spent most of my time healing, resting, and taking care of baby.

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  7. Hi :) I just found your blog!
    thank you for note number 4. I'm at week six now, and am shocked at how fast this time had flown by. I'm so anxious to see her face, to watch her personality shine instead of just feeling it.

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