Search Results for: pregnancy

10 Weird Pregnancy Symptoms No One Tells You About

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10 Weird Pregnancy Symptoms that no one tells you about. Pregnancy causes all kinds of changes to our bodies, and affects each woman differently. Check out these 10 weird symptoms that some women experience.

When you see a pregnant woman in a TV show or movie, they always seem to have the same symptoms, don’t they? We see them throw up, feel exhausted, act crabby, and complain about swollen feet. It all seems pretty standard. The first thing that surprised me about my first pregnancy was that I never threw up! (well, until I was in labor anyway.) After that came a whole slew of weird symptoms that I figured out were caused by being pregnant. I learned that every woman handles pregnancy differently. Even more than that, every pregnancy is different. My second pregnancy was very different than my first even though they were just a couple of years apart. There is such a huge range of things that could happen because of being pregnant – some more surprising than others. Read on for 10 weird pregnancy symptoms no one tells you about. read more

6 Ways to Prepare for Breastfeeding During Pregnancy

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Being prepared to start your breastfeeding journey will help set you up for success. 6 ways to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy. #pregnant #newmom #breastfeeding

Did you all know that there is a whole week every year dedicated to celebrate breastfeeding? Yep, August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week! In honor of world breastfeeding week, I thought it would be beneficial to talk about something very important to expecting moms – how to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy. Breastfeeding is a topic that people around the world get together to celebrate. There has been plenty of evidence in recent years that supports the fact that breastmilk is the best and most natural way to feed a baby. Don’t be deceived if you are a new mom. Just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean that it’s easy. Breastfeeding is hard work, and for many moms, there is a learning curve in the beginning. Not every breastfeeding journey is long and “successful” (which is ok too!), but there are plenty of ways to set yourself up for success. Check out these 6 ways to prepare for  breastfeeding during pregnancy.  read more

8 Moves to Work Your Abs During Pregnancy

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Keeping your core strong during pregnancy will help with back pain, waddling, child birth, and recovering after baby is born. Check out these 8 moves to work your abs during pregnancy. #fitpregnancy #pregnancy #pregnant #fitmom #prenatalexercise

Having a happy, healthy pregnancy is every expecting mama’s number one goal, right? Well, I would hope so at least. Many of us are focused on staying in shape through pregnancy with the end goal of getting back into shape quickly after baby is born. The truth is that keeping up your health and fitness during pregnancy will help your pregnancy itself to go more smoothly! Keeping your core strengthened and engaged will prevent (or at least help) back pain, lessen the pregnancy waddle, improve your balance, and help when the time comes to deliver baby. The trouble is that your abs are now shaped differently and need to be worked in different ways. Everyone’s comfort level and exercise style is different, but here are a few suggestions. Keep reading for 8 moves to work your abs during pregnancy. read more

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness: Our Story

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Did you know that 15-20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage? October is pregnancy and infant loss awareness month, and it's time to tell our stories. #pregnancyloss #infantloss #miscarriage

It seems like there’s a national month or day for everything now, doesn’t it? At some point they all start to feel like someone just made them up yesterday. I was surprised to learn that national Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month was started by Ronald Reagan. This topic has been on the verge of making itself known since the 1980’s. Even still, it’s something that we don’t know how to talk about. How do we make something so personal a part of casual conversation? How do we prepare young men and women for such a devastating possibility without taking the joy out of growing their family? It’s a hard concept to normalize because it has so many different meanings to so many different people.  read more

Using Essential Oils During Pregnancy (Guest Post!)

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When used correctly, essential oils can be great for relieving pregnancy symptoms...but how do you know what is safe? Check out this post for more info. #pregnancy #newmom #essentialoils

There are so many great benefits to using essential oils. Research is getting more and more accessible, and the use of oils is becoming more common – including among pregnant women. During pregnancy, many women are more cautious than normal about what we put into our bodies. Essential oils can be a great alternative to chemicals and medicines that should be avoided while pregnant. As with anything else, it is important that you do your research before introducing new things to your body. With proper research and caution, it is possible to safely use essential oils to help relieve some of the most common pregnancy symptoms. Keep reading for some great advice from Ruth – a mom of 4, RN, and wellness advocate with doTerra – about how to safely use essential oils during pregnancy. read more

Pregnancy Fitness Timeline

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 When I got pregnant, I was a 24-year-old fitness junky. I was spending at least 4-7 hours per week doing Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, the rowing machine, ballet class, and whatever other activities kept me moving. Like most new moms, I wondered how my fitness routine would change while I was pregnant and how much I would be able to handle after baby was born. read more

The Best Settings for Spectra S1 or Spectra S2 Breast Pump

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The Spectra S1 and S2 breast pumps are mom favorites! Finding the best settings can have a bit of a learning curve. The best settings for Spectra breast pump. Tips for Spectra breast pump. Spectra S1, Spectra S2

When it comes to breastfeeding, there are so many things for a new mom to learn. If you are going to be spending time away from your baby, then pumping breast milk is an important aspect to learn about. The Spectra S1 and S2 breast pumps favorite choices among moms. With multiple modes and settings, the Spectra pumps allow for each mom to customize her pumping sessions to meet her personal needs at the moment. It can be a bit overwhelming to begin with, as finding the right settings for you can take a bit of work. Check out this post for some suggestions for pumping with your Spectra breast pump and a suggested method that many moms consider to be the best settings for Spectra S1 or S2 breast pump.  read more

10 Ways to Budget for Maternity Leave

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How to budget for maternity leave so that you can afford to take some time off with your new baby.

When it comes to growing your family, there are a lot of things that go into the planning process! We’ve all heard the saying “having a baby changes everything.” It is so cliche, but I also don’t think that truer words have ever been spoken. Along with everything else in your home, having a baby will change your household finances. After the medical bill of pregnancy and birth, the first big expense of bringing a baby home could be taking some time off of work. There are several things that you can do to plan for the cost of taking maternity leave. Start saving up now with these 10 tips on how to budget for maternity leave.  read more

How Much Does it Cost to Have a Baby?

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How much does it cost to have a baby? Adding a little one to your home will have a huge impact on your family's finances. Check out this post to help answer the question - how much does it cost to have a baby? #newmom #newbaby #budget #expecting

Deciding when to add to your family is a huge decision that includes so many factors! For many families, one of the biggest questions comes down to finances – Can we afford to have a baby? How much does it cost to have a baby? The initial medical costs aside, adding a baby to the family will come with many recurring costs. If you are not a parent, it can be hard to know how having a baby will affect your family’s finances. Let’s take a look at the real costs of adding a baby to your household and try to answer the question – How much does it cost to have a baby? read more

What is the Best Age Gap Between Siblings?

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Deciding when to add another child to your family is always a big decision! So what is the best age gap between siblings? #momlife #siblings #newbaby #familyplanning

 Before we had our first baby, my husband and I always wanted to have two children close together. He has a sister a year younger than he is and I have 4 younger siblings who are all around 2 years apart. As adults, we love having siblings close in age, and wanted that for our own children. I think the reality of parenting hit him harder than he expected. I noticed that in conversation, the phrase “when we have another baby…” became “IF we have another baby.” We clearly weren’t ready to have another one soon after our first was born, but I wasn’t convinced that we wanted our son to be an only child. This got me wondering – What is the best age gap between siblings? read more