Okay, so I got a little OCD about packing “the bag.” In my quest to create the perfect hospital bag, I did not skimp on the contents of it. I located several what-to-pack-in-your-hospital-bag lists online and in magazines, compared them to one another, asked family and friends for advice on what to make sure not [...]

Have you ever heard someone say, “Finally, I can eat as much as I want since I am eating for two!” This statement is definitely not true. A pregnant woman actually needs no more than an additional 300 calories per day. Even more important is the value of calories consumed. Eating lots of empty calories [...]

Have you started looking at maternity clothes yet? If so, your reaction might be something like, ”You’ve got to be kidding!” When I was first starting to find my pre-preggo clothes just a tad uncomfortable, I was absolutely shocked to find out how few stores in my area even had a maternity section, and when [...]

Morning sickness can be described as an “annoying byproduct of a healthy pregnancy, as pregnant women and their embryos carry out a tug of war over the body’s resources.” While the so-called “morning sickness” can actually occur any time of day (or night), this pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting is most common during the first trimester [...]

This is the home stretch! Your due date is within sight, and every added discomfort just means you’re getting closer to the day when you’ll get to hold your baby in your arms. If the wait has seemed long so far, you’ll probably feel like this trimester lasts forever. But don’t worry: It won’t. That [...]

This mid section of your pregnancy is an exciting time for you and your baby. As exciting as your first trimester of pregnancy was, this second trimester is what some women call the “glory days” of pregnancy. Your due date is still several weeks away, but your new set of symptoms will likely mean that [...]

Before you were pregnant, you probably heard people refer to the parts of pregnancy as “trimesters.” Just like the typical school year is divided into two segments, called semesters, the three trimesters of pregnancy have fairly distinct characteristics—but no grading periods! Whether you find yourself anticipating the end of symptoms you’re experiencing or the next [...]

If you’re a generally healthy woman with no medical training, your pregnancy will probably mean spending more time in doctors’ offices and the hospital this year than you have the rest of your life, combined! That thought may make you feel uncomfortable and intimidated. I know that it did to me. When you take charge [...]