16 Things Mums Told Us They Wished They'd Known When Pregnant

There are so many surprises that come with having a baby, but what are the most important tips that women should be told in pregnancy to help prepare them?
We found out what our members wished they had been told during pregnancy, about what to expect after having their baby.
The response was over 110 ideas, ranging from useful tips on coping with a newborn to incredibly honest emotions like anger, love and depression. We've included a selection below to help prepare other pregnant women for life as a new mum:

1. Babies don't poop everyday but you also shouldn't panic if they have a day where they use half a bag of nappies.
2. You lose all dignity in labour and won't ever be a prude again!
3. Little boys need their manhood pointing down in their nappies, otherwise they can pee out of the top of them.
4. No matter how many books you read, you'll never be ready for a baby.
5. "This may sound stupid, but no one told me that you have to actually deliver the afterbirth as if it were another baby."
6. "Even when LO starts to sleep for longer periods, you don't as you can't help but check on them."
7. Sometimes they cry because they want to be left alone; you don't need to be entertaining them constantly, occasionally they would just prefer some quiet time.
8. Newborns can have very erratic breathing: fast, shallow and loud one minute and then soft and deep the next.
9. It can be normal for a baby to projectile vomit (exorcist style) once or twice.
10. "Nobody told me you had to dry between their toes." Check the folds in their armpits and neck too.
11. Even though it is the women who give birth, the men will moan about being tired.
12. There is an awful smell when your waters break.
13. Don't worry too much about dressing your baby in its best clothes just for going to the shops. If you wrap them in a snow suit and blankets in the pram, nobody sees the outfit.
14. Don't buy bibs that go over your baby's head without undoing. They are difficult to get off without tipping the food back over your baby's head.
15. Winding a newborn by bouncing them over your shoulder can actually cause more wind. Instead, keep the baby still and pat them on the back.
16. Oh, and enjoy every cotton pickin minute of it as the baby days are over soooo very quickly

To find out the rest of the tips including colic, mother-in-laws and bathing after labour, as well as loads of other information about pregnancy, visit http://www.emmasdiary.co.uk
The views expressed here are those of mums on the Emma's Diary website. These views do not reflect the RCGP and Emma's Diary editorial staff

Pregnancy Hormones and the Need to Sleep and Eat in the Hormonal Pregnant Mum

Pregnancy hormones love manipulating a pregnant mum's brain, sleep, body and life. The guilty steroidal culprits for mum's moody behavior are estrogen and progesterone - otherwise known as the woman's "reproductive steroids." These steroids, (pregnancy hormones), are responsible for conception, and follow baby's development from beginning to end. Both mum's behavior and health, and baby's behavior and health, will succumb to the affects of these hormones over the following nine months.
The hormone of all hormones during pregnancy is referred to as HCG. (Otherwise known as human chorionic gonadotropin.) The increase in this pregnancy hormone is a great example of the hormonal changes that occur within a woman's body during pregnancy. During the first week of pregnancy, HCG levels might only be 0-5 mIU/ml. By the ninth month, HCG levels can be over 117,000 mIU/ml. Many medical researchers speculate that the behavior of this pregnancy hormone is responsible for mum's morning sickness. The pregnancy hormone behavior of progesterone has also been implicated in facilitating mum's morning sickness, since this hormone affects the digestive tract and stomach acids. Logically, mum's morning sickness could also be due to the fact that she had a gallon of pickle flavored ice cream the night before.
There are many other pregnancy hormones that change the behavior of the pregnant mum's body and moods. Estrogen is not just one steroid, it has three womanly categories. Non-pregnant women start out with "estradiol." "Estrioal" is the reigning estrogen hormone in pregnant women. Another estrogen hormone, estrone, is reserved for menopausal women. (So "hormonal mum" can start her hormonal moods all over again.) The pregnancy hormone and estrogen estrioal is produced by the placenta, and just like HCG, starts off at low levels in the first trimester of pregnancy - but then heightens to a resounding culmination of hormones by the end of the third trimester.
Estrogen levels are very important for a healthy baby, but they may play with mum's emotions. The central nervous system has estrogen receptors that are concentrated in the same area that controls our emotions. Estrogen treatment is used for post-partum blues and menopausal women going through depression because of their reduced estrogen levels. Estrogen treatment is also known to be effective in helping menopausal women to get a good night's rest. The behavior of estrogen hormones when used as a treatment for sleep would indicate that higher levels of estrogen may affect a pregnant mum's sleep cycles.
Recent 2009 studies published in the journal Sleep also indicate that increased estrogen levels in pregnant women may be responsible for the prevalence of the sleeping disorder Restless Leg Syndrome in pregnant women, particularly during their third trimester when estrogen levels are at their peak and Restless Leg Syndrome is more likely to occur. Of course, mum's need for sleep is only partially due to hormones. A pregnant mum's body has to work double time when she's carrying around extra weight and feeling nauseous and dizzy while the baby is sapping out all of mum's nutrients. The best thing you can do for a moody hormonal pregnant mum is let her sleep and rest her body so she has the strength to get through the baby's first nine months.
Pregnancy hormone behavior affects the behavior of a pregnant mum. Baby's body and mum's body are connected. Mum will feel baby's changing hormones, and baby will feel mum's changing hormones. The escalation of hormones during pregnancy is necessary to protect baby and mum - but these same hormones will also often result in a hormonal, tired and emotional mum. Pregnancy hormone behavior needs to be understood so mum's behavior can be understood. If the changing behavior of hormones is too much to understand, then just let mum be her hormonal self and let her sleep whenever she can. She'll explain it all to you in just about nine months.
Katherine is a mother of two beautiful girls, a devoted student of personal development and a successful businesswoman in the direct sales industry. To find out more about how you can earn a great income, make friends for life, spend more time with your family, help people everyday and do this all while working from home, visit my website at Change Your Future Now

Pregnant Women Deserve Special Christmas Gifts

Looking for Christmas gifts for a pregnant woman can be really difficult. It does not make sense to buy them clothes as they will not fit for a very extensive time and alcohol is not suitable. You may wish to buy something that is extraordinary yet ideal for someone who is pregnant. So here for people who would like to buy Christmas gifts for a lady who is expecting are some excellent present ideas that might assist you to make her day special.
A really remarkable yet fun gift is a belly casting gear. This has everything you require to create a plaster cast of the woman's belly. These are a wonderful reminder to the entire family of beforehand the baby was born. So if you are searching for a gift with a turn consider these kits.
Also you would possibly like to treat somebody who is pregnant to something that assists them to relax a little bit. A pregnancy massage is great for that and might be carried out in the consolation of the lady's own home. What may be better than receiving Christmas presents like this? Or if the mum to be enjoys relaxing smells, an aroma therapy kit created for pregnancy will be supreme.
To present Christmas gifts that will generate treasured memories a baby foot and hand casting kit is magnificent. The kit has everything required to produce plaster casts of baby's feet and hands. These could then be placed in a frame or displayed in a different way, which forms a beautiful keepsake that can be enjoyed by everybody.
Next amazing gift for an expectant lady is a day out at a spa. These are the kind of Christmas presents that will offer total rest and relaxation. Something pregnancy women crave, exceptionally in their last months. Decide on a spa that is near to the lays home and inform them in advance that you are searching for a pregnancy package as there are particular treatments and vital oils that cannot be used for the period of pregnancy.
Also you can look for Christmas gifts for after the birth. In this case, a silver finger print charm or necklace is an exclusive and special way to celebrate the birth of the baby. These can be created any time after the birth and offer a truly magnificent gift idea for any mum pregnant or otherwise.
This article just suggested a few Christmas Gift Ideas for pregnant women. If you are still wondering what you can give as a gift for this special celebration, please visit Gifts & Wishes, online gift shop, where you will find a wide range of quality gifts for all occasions.
Tamara Vasilevna Brown

Nutrition For Pregnancy - Things a Mum-to-Be Must Know!

Good nutrition during pregnancy is of the utmost importance for your own health as well as the health of your baby. Your tiny, still being formed, child is depending on you to provide it with all it needs to develop normally. To give them the best start in life, and all the nutrients and goodness that they need, you need to know what you should eat during pregnancy, and what foods you should avoid.
Firstly, it is good to realise that good nutrition is important for your pregnancy even before you actually fall pregnant. If you are already eating a healthy, well balanced diet, you will only need to make some slight changes to meet the nutritional requirements of pregnancy. If you are not, there will be more changes for you to implement to ensure you are giving your baby what it needs.
Do not think when you are pregnant that you need to eat for two. This is a well known comment, but one that is misleading. You can eat additional calories per day, but don't take this too far and eat as much as you like! The advice from the experts is that expectant mothers should eat an extra 300 calories per day. These extra calories should be added to your diet by incorporating healthy snacks which provide the nutrients needed by you and the baby.
Six things you must eat during your pregnancy:
1. Foods which are good sources of VIT B and FIBER. Examples of this is: brown rice, oatmeal and multigrain bread.
2. Foods rich in CALCIUM, for example: milk and milk products, sesame seeds, almonds, calcium fortified juices and cereals
3. Foods which contain FOLATE, such as green leafy vegetables, peanuts, eggs, cheese, fish, potatoes and oranges
4. Foods rich in PROTEIN; ie, fish, chicken, meat, eggs, dairy products and nuts
5. Foods containing VIT C such as citrus fruit and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli and Brussels sprouts
6. Foods with FOLIC ACID, for example dried beans, peas, lentils, orange juice, oranges, dark leafy vegetables, whole grains, soy nuts, avocados, broccoli, asparagus.
Six things to eat only in Moderation during your pregnancy:
1. Sugary Foods
2. Salty Foods
3. Processed foods
4. Alcohol
5. Pre-packaged lunch meats
6. Caffeine
Six things to avoid completely while pregnant:
1. Raw Fish
2. Deli Salads
3. Cold cooked foods such as chicken and roast beef
4. Lots of garlic
5. Spicy food
6. Unpasteurized soft cheeses
There are more things that could be added to each list, but if you manage to abide by these 6 item lists, you will be doing great! Good nutrition for pregnancy is of utmost importance and it is something you can do now for your baby.
Find out more on nutrition for pregnancy and heaps more information all mums-to-be want to know to look after bubs and themselves!

Pre-Term Labour - What Every Pregnant Mum Should Know

When you have contractions prior to week 37 of your pregnancy, it is called pre-term labour. Normally, a healthy pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks, and the earlier your baby is born, the higher the risk for complications.
If you take good care of yourself while expecting, you may be able to prevent early labour. Thanks to advances in modern medicine, many babies that are born early can go on to lead healthy, normal lives. Others are not so lucky and might go on to have learning disabilities or behaviour problems. Babies that are born very early may struggle with underdeveloped organs and life threatening breathing difficulties. Some mums have pre-term labour for unknown reasons while others are known to be at high risk. Some things that contribute to early labour are drinking alcohol, smoking, drug abuse, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, disorders of the reproductive system, previous miscarriages, pregnancy with multiples, and stressful life events.
To lessen your risk of pre-term labour, you should get proper and regular prenatal care so your progress and baby's health can be monitored by a doctor. In addition, you should take prenatal vitamins and eat a healthy diet so your baby gets enough calcium, folic acid, iron, and protein.

Follow your doctor's advice about physical activity. Regular activity is healthy and may help ward off constipation when you are pregnant, but if you are having problems, your doctor may want you to cut back on your work hours or even take up bed rest. Keep an eye on your mental and emotional health as well. Eliminate as much stress as possible while you are pregnant. Learn to ask for help if you need it and allow yourself plenty of quiet time.

If this is your first pregnancy, you may not be sure what labour feels like, especially since you might feel Braxton Hicks, or false labour pains. If you have any concerns at all, you should seek medical advice. If you have bleeding, pain, or cramps, call your doctor right away. You may also experience spotting, watery vaginal discharge, backache, pressure in the pelvic area and contractions.
Your symptoms may not be an immediate concern to your doctor or he might decide to hospitalise you for monitoring. You could be given medications to try and stop the contractions. In some cases, pre-term labour cannot be stopped and it might even be risky to your health or your baby's health to try and do so. If you are past the week 34 mark, your baby's lungs should be well developed enough to withstand an early delivery. If your baby is younger, your doctor may be more aggressive at trying to stop the labour. It is a matter of individual circumstances.
If you have your baby early, that means you are at a higher risk of pre-term labour with your next pregnancy so you should work closely with your doctor to determine your risk factors and monitor for early warning signs of labour. Do all you can to keep yourself healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally when you are pregnant, as the health of your baby depends on it.
Charlotte Wilson has been writing about pregnancy and being pregnant for over 10 years. For further information visit http://www.emmasdiary.co.uk/