Congratulations, first-time moms-to-be! The first pregnancy is always confusing but exciting. Every pregnancy is a new experience for the body. Everything in your body is changing fast and rapidly and you are all over the internet scouring for pregnancy tips for first time moms.
Many women need to prepare for the changes that happen both in their bodies and in life.
It is a journey filled with surprises, hormones, and the occasional new and shocking moments.
Many women need to prepare for the changes that happen both in their bodies and in life.
While no one is ever fully prepared for it, it helps to know what to expect so that you are ready to deal with it when the time comes.
And it just so happens that I have experienced it all, so you don’t have to guess.
Pregnancy tips for first time moms
Pregnancy tips for first time moms online is so contradictory.
It’s a wild, wild web out there!
While the internet can be your friend, it’s entertaining but not always reliable.
So when in doubt about anything, consult your doctor! Here are some actionable pregnancy tips for first time moms.
Letting the world know about the pregnancy
The first trimester is always delicate!
Keep your exciting news hush-hush, especially during the early days.
Why? Because science says so!
Your body has just started adapting to hosting a new creature and growing an entirely new organ, and the embryo is not fully attached to the uterine wall.
There is a heightened risk of miscarriage and complications.
The sad point is that pregnancy is not a smooth journey.
While no one plans for bad things to happen to the baby, they just might.
There are no hard and fast rules about when you should announce your pregnancy.
But I recommend keeping it a secret, especially for the first three months.
Share the news when you’re ready – no pressure, all joy!
You can’t just put anything in your mouth.
If there is something known to avoid during pregnancy, it is best to avoid it.
Some are clear no-nos, but there’s a gray area that puts the fifty-shades novel to shame.
A good place to start would be to pay more attention to foods you know are healthy and recommended.
If you need clarification on something you should avoid, confirm it first with our OB.
Here are some foods that will not go well for you and your baby.
- Seafood High in Mercury
- Raw Seafood
- Raw or undercooked Meat, Poultry, and Eggs
- Unpasteurized Foods
- Unwashed Produce
- Excess Caffeine
- Processed Foods
- Alcohol
- Additives such as nitrates
Eat for One, Not Two
You might feel like it sometimes, but contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to devour the fridge to feed that little person growing in you.
Scientifically, 300 extra calories are enough for both you and the baby.
Pregnant moms should consider this, especially with the gravity of cravings for unhealthy foods.
Do not shy away from eating healthy amounts of food to avoid weight gain; the body will still do what it will do regardless.
Tip: Stay hydrated.
Take as much liquids as your body can hold.
Being well hydrated helps regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells, and keep your organs and the baby functioning properly.
Dealing with nausea and heightened smell
Nothing is fun or comfortable about pregnancy symptoms.
Morning sickness is more like all-day sickness!
The symptoms are the strongest during the first weeks of the pregnancy due to the hormonal changes that affect the entire body.
Although they might be different with everyone and every pregnancy, some of the common symptoms are breast tenderness, mood fluctuations, nausea, heartburn, constipation, heightened smells, extreme fatigue, cravings and dislike of certain foods, frequent urination and leg cramps.
However, the most severe ones that might run throughout the entire pregnancy are heightened smell and nausea with vomiting.
Ginger, chamomile, vitamin B6 and or acupuncture are your saviors against nausea’s evil schemes.
Exercise and rest
Exercise during pregnancy isn’t about becoming a gymnastic or squeezing into spandex.
It’s about staying active, fit, and healthy.
Being active and fit during pregnancy makes it easier to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain and helps you better cope with labor.
Exercises are not dangerous for your pregnancy.
Research shows a reduction in complications when giving birth for women who exercise.
That does not mean that all exercises during pregnancy are safe.
It also won’t help you achieve an hourglass figure.
Rule number one: Don’t exhaust yourself. You should be able to hold a conversation while at it without being breathless. Rule number two: No spandex. Ever.
Some of the pointers of exercises to avoid are:
- Exercises lying flat on your back exert pressure from your growing uterus on a vein that takes blood back to your heart and might disrupt much-needed blood flow.
- Exercising in a hot and humid room, particularly during the first trimester.
- Strenuous abdominal crunches should also be avoided to allow flexibility in the rectus abdominis.
- Contact sports that put you at risk of getting hit in the abdomen.
Your vaginal care
Your lady parts are on a regimen during pregnancy.
The bacterial load on your vagina may increase because of the change in vaginal pH and the various hormonal changes happening to your body.
Maintaining vaginal hygiene is important as it helps reduce unwanted infections and problems such as terrible rash, an unbearable itch, a foul smell, weird discharge, lumps and bumps.
The last thing you want is to deal with an itchy rash someplace you can barely reach.
Some of the best practices to keep hygienic involve wearing breathable clothes and cotton panties, trimming your pubic hair, and keeping your vagina clean and dry.
Be careful with any OTC lactic acid you buy.
You should expect changes in your vagina after giving birth, such as dryness, painful sex, and perineal pain.
It might feel stretchy for a few days after birth but quickly regains elasticity within six weeks.
Some Kegel and pelvic floor exercises help with fastening the process.
If you had an episiotomy (an incision made on your vagina to enlarge the opening) while giving birth, extra vaginal care such as squirting yourself with warm salty water or soaking in a bath helps in the recovery of the wounds.
Postpartum bleeding
Bleeding after vaginal birth is normal but only in certain amounts that are considered healthy.
Vaginal delivery will be followed by heavy, dark red bleeding that is likely to pass some clots for the first few days.
The bleeding will eventually slow down after a few days and turn pinkish-brown.
After about a week, it becomes whitish-yellow. By six weeks, any bleeding should have stopped.
While at the hospital, after giving birth, they will provide maternity pads that are heavy and comfortable.
It is important to stock up on those before your due date for your comfort at home.
Postpartum bleeding should not be mistaken for menstrual periods, as it only lasts days after giving birth.
Sexual activity during pregnancy and after giving birth
Your sex drive is dependent on the change of hormones and emotions caused by pregnancy.
It can be extreme to either end, which is completely normal.
To counter the misconception going around, having sex during pregnancy does not cause a miscarriage.
They occur because the fetus is not developing normally.
The amniotic fluid protects your baby in the uterus.
Sexual activity will not harm your baby, provided there are no prior complications.
Having sex during pregnancy does not prevent you from contracting STIs, which might be fatal for both you and the baby.
If you are sexually active through the trimesters with a partner who might be infected with an STI, use protection.
However, after giving birth, you should allow your body some healing time before reengaging in any sexual activities.
This is more important if you have sutures on your vagina from a cut while giving birth that requires it to heal out completely.
Your sexual organs may feel sore for a few weeks anyway, and your mind is occupied with the baby, so sexual activity will not be among your priorities.
Doctors recommend a waiting period of up to 6 weeks.
Most couples resume sexual interactions within the first year of their baby’s life.
Ovulation and menstruation
It isn’t easy to estimate when you will start ovulating again after giving birth.
The timeline is unique for everyone.
Sometimes, some moms get pregnant almost immediately after giving birth, while others might take months.
You can start ovulating even before your menstrual periods are back.
Unless you are planning on having another baby months after the first one, it is important to have birth control measures in place for when you feel ready to get back at it.
Getting pregnant immediately after giving birth increases the chance of complications with the pregnancy as your body is not properly healed and ready to nurture another baby at full term.
However, this can be discussed with your OB for professional advice.
Tracking the pregnancy
This is probably one of the most exciting things throughout the pregnancy: keeping tabs on how far along you are.
You want everything ready by a particular time, take cute bump photoshoots, prepare the nursery, pack the hospital bag, etc., all at the right time.
Check out the pregnancy tracker below.
Ultrasounds provide a more accurate due date than manually counting the days.
Prenatal visits also help keep track of how well you are coming along and address any problems that might arise.
You should schedule your first visit at least 12 weeks into the pregnancy and then in consistent intervals.
It helps to have a tracking app, planners and trackers to help keep tabs on your body changes.
I did not take too many photos of my pregnancy and never kept a journal, and now, years later, I feel like I lost out on documenting probably the best memories of my life.
I made that mistake, so you will not have to do it. Start documenting as much as you can as soon as you can.
Things to look out for during the pregnancy
- Severe cramping
- High fever above 38 degrees
- Smelly vaginal discharge
- Painful or blood-stained urination
- Vaginal bleeding
- Extreme vomiting
- Extreme dizziness
Giving birth
Labor might come as early as a few weeks before or after your due date.
Preterm babies can be a result of the mother’s health conditions or the number of babies carried during the pregnancy.
If you have a plan or preferences for how your midwife should handle your labor, you should write a birth plan.
Birth plans are like blueprints for your birth experience.
It should include any information of your choice regarding the birth process, such as whom you want present in the room as you give birth, if you need any pain medication such as epidurals, how and where you would like to give birth, etc.
A birth plan shouldn’t be a set of commandments on a stone tablet because anything can happen in the maternity room.
It is best to leave out some wriggle room in case anything needs to be changed. Keep it flexible; life’s more fun with surprises.
Signs of labor
There are different signs of labor, such as having a show, where a bloody stained mucus plug comes out of your vagina, water breaking, constipation and diarrhea, and contractions.
It is best to be on the lookout for these signs as you get closer to your due date so you will know when to grab your hospital bag. They might not all happen during the same pregnancy.
But when you are fully dilated and in labor, you will know.
Breastfeeding
I always admired having to breastfeed, especially with the cute little eyes staring right at the mother and the tiny cute hands holding the “meal.”
To me, it was the most natural and physical bond a mom could have with a baby.
It was one of the things I looked forward to with my baby.
Your breasts start getting sore at the very first weeks of pregnancy, and take that through the entire period.
They might start leaking a clear fluid, colostrum, during pregnancy, which is normal.
They also get veiny and hard in the third trimester and during breastfeeding.
After giving birth, there is no specified time for breast milk to come out. Everyone has their unique timelines.
It is the magical bonding experience that comes with sore nipples and potential discomfort.
If the baby does not have a perfect latch during breastfeeding, your nipples get sore and tender and might crack up.
Although there are some supplements and creams to soothe the pain, it gets uncomfortable to breastfeed.
However, breastmilk is the best food for your baby as it builds up their immune system, providing the required nutrients for healthy growth and development.
You’re also protected from different types of cancer, diabetes and heart disease, and it is a great source of confidence for mothers.
Most pregnancy tips for first time moms leave out that babies should receive ten µg of vitamin D daily from birth.
If your baby is on formula, this dosage will not be needed as it is already added to the infant formula.
It’s a learning curve that might take time for you and the baby to ace, but it is worth every struggle.
If, for some reason, you are not in a position to breastfeed your baby, you need not fret.
There is a high-quality formula that you can use for your baby.
How do you know if your baby is getting enough milk from breastfeeding?
During the first few weeks of having your baby, they will want to breastfeed up to over eight times in 24 hours.
The more you breastfeed, the more milk your body can produce, and the faster your baby will regain any weight lost in the first few days of their life.
A well-fed baby will fill six or more diapers within 24 hours by the sixth day and are often pooping.
Provided you are taking enough liquids and keeping hydrated, your body’s milk production should be able to adjust to the baby’s demand.
What to avoid when breastfeeding
A lactating mom should be careful about their diet as most of it is not filtered out in the milk.
Drugs such as alcohol and marijuana’s THC can transfer through the breast milk and can affect your baby’s growth and development.
Your baby might also become drowsy or have difficulty latching while breastfeeding.
Some mothers pump and throw away the milk after drinking or using certain drugs.
While it might help with some medications and drugs, it doesn’t work with others.
The THC in marijuana, for example, accumulates and is stored in fat cells, as well as your breast milk, slowly releasing over time.
For mothers using heavy marijuana, studies have shown traces in the breastmilk up to 6 weeks after use.
Similar to the pregnancy period, you should avoid all the drugs altogether.
If you have to take any medication, ensure it is prescribed by a doctor who is aware of your breastfeeding situation.
Postnatal life
Get ready for postpartum life – a new chapter with its challenges.
Sleepless nights, less “me” time, and social life taking a sabbatical.
The time you spend carrying your baby takes out a huge chunk of your life.
While a lot may have changed in your social life and body through the pregnancy, your baby’s first year demands even more from you. There are a lot of sleepless nights and hospital visits.
It will be more baby time and less time for you.
Without a need to sugarcoat it, your social life drastically changes.
Nap times are your new happy hours.
Without intentionally planning out your day-to-day life, you can easily lose yourself or fall into depression at this stage. But hey, it takes a village, right?
Accept help when offered.
Some ugly truths about pregnancy
Most of these I discovered for myself.
Just because there is some unlovely truth about pregnancy doesn’t make the journey worth taking.
These are not to discourage you but to point out some things no one wants to discuss.
- Weird ultrasound pics. Your baby will look like a weird creature in the ultrasounds, but they will soon grow into adorable obsessions.
- The labor contractions end as soon as the baby and placenta are out.
- The cervical exams are NOT fun, especially when everything feels sore and sensitive.
- Perfect maternity clothes are almost non-existent.
- In addition to the pregnancy discomforts and nausea comes constipation, there is an accompaniment of hemorrhoids.
- Braxton hicks are fun but uncomfortable, and it only gets worse with time.
- You might not realize at the moment if you have postpartum or prenatal depression and, therefore, not get the necessary help when you need it the most.
The beauty of pregnancy
The pregnancy journey might have some ugly side, but if you ask any mother, including me, it is the most beautiful one I have been through.
It would be unfair if I finished the pregnancy tips for first time moms without mentioning the best parts of my pregnancy and motherhood that I found intriguing.
- Finding the best name for your baby might be hard, but eventually, everyone must adapt to whichever name you choose.
- You might not know when labor begins, but you will not need a map to know when you are in active labor.
- There is some special magic in being a mom; you can almost always tell what your baby needs, even without them verbalizing it.
- You will miss your pregnant body. Not necessarily the extra pounds, but the big belly and the belly kicks. Document the journey – pics, journals, the whole shebang. Future, you will high-five the present for the memories.
- People are extra nice to you during your pregnancy and after birth. Enjoy the niceness as much as you can.
My Take away
Pregnancy brain – real or just an excuse?
Either way, embrace the mental fog with grace.
As said earlier, there is much contradicting information on pregnancy tips for first time moms.
Although most of it is true, the credibility of the information is not always guaranteed.
The small part you are unsure about could land your pregnancy in trouble.
The internet only offers suggestions; take all your questions to your doctor.
A qualified specialist is in the best place to take care of you and guide you through the process.
Talk to your doctor about any concerns with your body or the baby.
However, the internet might be helpful with certain aspects surrounding the pregnancy, such as:
- What to pack in your hospital bag
- Pregnancy tips for first time moms for every trimester
- The best equipment to get for your baby
- The interaction between pets and babies
Pregnancy is wild, often unpredictable, but an undeniably incredible experience.
Trust your instincts, and savor each moment.
You’re not just growing a baby; you’re unleashing the amazing human being within.
So, cape up, future mom, you’re in for a great experience!
Remember: Embrace the weird, cherish the wonderful.