Preparing Your Home & Heart (Pregnancy): Rocket Parenting, #1

By Brenda Shaw

Becoming a parent is one of life's most rewarding, yet daunting, experiences. Even before your baby is born, every parent wants to ensure that their child will enjoy the best possible welcome to this world, and will go on to enjoy a long, happy and healthy life. 

However, even for those who have already had a child, knowing what is best for your baby can be mostly guesswork. There is a plethora of information on the subject, from many sources. Unfortunately, although much of the literature on pregnancy/child-raising does contain useful advice, the majority of these sources also contain information that is either incorrect, anecdotal, or subjective. 

So, how can we tell fact from fiction? 

In this book, we will answer all your questions, and more. Through extensive research, we have compiled only the facts, from reputable sources and studies. Then, utilizing our personal parenting experience, we compiled this extensive data in a way that is clear, relevant and concise. Our helpful navigation index makes this book a useful tool for future reference, as well as an informative read from start to finish. 

In this first book, we cover all the aspects that one must prepare for during pregnancy. From staying healthy, to preparing your home for the newest member of your family; everything you need to know is within these pages. Allowing you to enjoy your pregnancy, worry-free, knowing that you are prepared for one of life's greatest adventures - becoming a parent!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Easy Sunday Publishing
• Release date: Feb 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781523723584

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 Brenda Shaw

All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Images used under license from Shutterstock.com

Cover design by Vanessa Mendozzi – www.vanessamendozzidesign.com

ISBN: 987-1-5237-2358-4

www.RocketParenting.com

Congratulations!

Finding out you are pregnant is absolutely momentous occasion. You are about to experience one of the most precious joys in life and there is so much to think about and do. From the moment you find out you are expecting, a million thoughts will begin running through your mind. This book will help you prepare your heart and home for your new little one by providing advice and giving you a lot of things to think about.

Everyone finds out that they are expecting at different times. If it was planned, you may have been taking tests long before your hormones would show on a pregnancy test. If this was a sweet surprise, you may have found out much later. On average, women discover that they are pregnant two or three weeks past conception. Many see a missed period as the first sign, others feel physically different, and some even just feel pregnant.

If you are reading this, you have probably already confirmed pregnancy and are looking for the best place to start informing yourself. We are confident that you will find the information in this book helpful as you begin to embark on this exciting stage of your life.

contents

Sharing the news

Preparing Your Finances

Healthy Moms

Preparing Your Home

Researching Birth Options

Baby Showers

Support Groups

Packing a Hospital Bag

Preparing Those Around You

Assessing your Feeding Options

Assessing your Diapering Options

CHAPTER 1

Sharing the news

Typical Timeline for Announcements

You are probably overrun with emotions and bursting at the seams to talk to someone—to share the news, to get advice, and to get answers. When preparing to share the news, you may want to consider the timeline for announcements, how you will share the news, and when and how to tell your employer.

First Doctors Visit

Although a false positive on a home pregnancy test is very rare, the first step for many women is to call their OBGYN. If you do not yet have a doctor selected, you will want to do so immediately to begin your prenatal care. You can switch at any time in your pregnancy, but many women like to see the same doctor throughout their pregnancy to receive consistent care. You will form a very important relationship with your doctor.

Your doctor can confirm pregnancy using a more reliable blood test and will likely schedule you for a visit at around eight weeks. If you have a few days or even a few weeks to wait for your appointment, don’t be afraid to start doing research, writing down questions you may have for the doctor, or even calling the doctor if you have any immediate questions or concerns. Do not wait to call the doctor if you have experienced symptoms of vaginal bleeding, severe nausea or vomiting, or abnormal abdominal pain.

During your appointment, your doctor will ask questions about your health and provide you with a lot of valuable information, including your predicted due date. This will be calculated off of the first day of your last menstrual period or, if known, your date of conception. Don’t be surprised if it looks more like ten months away. Remember, pregnancy is actually forty weeks.

The doctor will talk to you about your health history, including your menstrual cycles, any previous pregnancies, gynecological issues, allergies, past surgeries, family medical history, smoking and drinking habits, drug use, and genetic and birth defect history of you and your spouse. To develop a good understanding of your care needs, the doctor may do a thorough physical, a pelvic exam (possibly Pap smear), a check for sexually transmitted diseases, test for urinary track infections, check for anemia, and identify your blood type. If you are taking any medications, it is important to discuss these with your doctor to make sure they do not have any negative side effects for pregnant women.

It is unlikely you will have any ultrasounds at your first appointment. Your baby, even at week seven is only the size of a blueberry. Although your little one will grow by leaps and bounds, they are less than half an inch until about week eight.

The days of waiting for a call from the doctor to confirm pregnancy are long gone. You will find out if you are indeed pregnant at the doctor. The next step will be deciding when and how to announce your big news.

Reasons to Announce Early

Many consider announcing pregnancy before the ceremonial twelve-week mark to be taboo. Some people are bursting at the seams with the initial exhilaration and waste no time in telling the world they are expecting. Others would have rather waited, but their bodies had other ideas.

There is not a right or wrong to announce pregnancy. If you want to shout it from the room tops the day you find out, there are likely many friends and family that will be excited to celebrate with you. In fact, if you didn’t announce right away, they might even be sad to know that you kept it from them for so long! There are, however, times when it is helpful for you announce early for physical reasons. Many women experience fatigue and nausea in the first trimester, causing concern for those around them. Sharing your news may alleviate the concern that you are sick and help them understand how to help you. Even if you are not showing signs, such as sickness, you may feel tired and receive grace from those around you if they understand your situation. Finally, some women announce early for social reasons. Your friends may wonder why you are skipping that glass of wine on a night out and you might find that to be the perfect time to tell them.

Reasons to Delay Announcing

Like most pregnancy decisions, you should go in the direction that makes you most comfortable. Many women wait to announce their pregnancies for numerous reasons. The main reason that women wait to announce is the prevalence of loss in the first trimester. Your risk of miscarriage dramatically decreases around the twelve-week mark1. Moreover, many doctors conduct the first ultrasound around twelve weeks. This not only confirms a healthy, viable pregnancy, but also provides mothers with their first glimpse of