Pregnancy is a fun and exhilarating stage in a woman’s life. It’s a journey that’s filled with a mixture of emotions such as fear, worry, anxiety, joy, and excitement. Once you learn that you’re expecting, maintaining a healthy pregnancy becomes a top priority, and researching all things motherhood starts to take up all your free time – which is understandable.
As a mom-to-be, you want to make this journey as smooth as possible for yourself and the baby. To help you do just that, here’s a list of things you can expect when you’re expecting.
You will be very emotional
From the second you find out you’re expecting to the moment you’re in the delivery room, pregnancy is pretty much a roller coaster of emotions. And it doesn’t stop there. Once your little one is born and you finally arrive home, you may experience a range of emotions. These can range from joy and hypersensitivity to fear and even anger sometimes. You may also find yourself worrying a lot which may lead to sleepless nights. And then there’s doubt – the feeling of inadequacy that starts to creep up on new moms. You may have trouble breastfeeding your child or maybe you’re having a hard time putting your baby to sleep.
The thing is, things never go as easily or smoothly like they do when we’re planning them in our minds. And that’s okay. The sooner you realize these feelings are common, the better off you’ll be.
You will want to learn everything you can about pregnancy
Whether you’re a first-time mom or a new mom, it’s impossible to resist the urge to look up everything. From the symptoms that you’re having to the size of your baby at each and every stage, moms-to-be want to learn everything related to pregnancy.
Sometimes, this will mean joining mom groups and forums to hear what other, more experienced moms have to say. Other times, this will mean researching procedures such as cord blood banking and looking for reputable cord blood banks in your area that will help you secure your little one’s future health. Then, there will be times when you’ll catch yourself learning more about postpartum nutrition and Googling “best breastfeeding techniques”. We can’t blame you – just make sure that it doesn’t turn into an obsession. And, whatever information you’re looking for, make sure you’re getting it from reputable sources you can trust.
Your body is going to change a lot
Photo by Matilda Wormwood from Pexels
Unless you’re an exception to the rule, you need to prepare yourself for the fact that you’re going to gain some significant weight during your pregnancy journey. During those long nine months, you will experience a range of symptoms, from backaches to morning sickness to swollen veins. You’ll also notice a difference in your skin, hair, and nails, and your breasts may get more tender and fuller. While fuller breasts may come as a welcome change, the same can not be said for larger feet. Some women report an increase in one entire shoe size during their pregnancy journey, with some of them experiencing swelling.
All these changes occur because the hormones in your body are working together to help your baby grow and develop. Maintaining healthy habits such as exercising regularly, eating healthy, and getting lots of sleep can help moms-to-be combat some of the pregnancy symptoms and stay fit during pregnancy as well as post-delivery.
You will need to start wearing maternity clothes
Because your body will begin to expand significantly, you will need to get your hands on some flattering maternity clothes. Now, it’s important to note that not all women start wearing maternity clothes at the same time during their pregnancy. Some may start wearing maternity clothes at 10 weeks while others may wait until the 16th week. That said, there are a couple of tell-tale signs that you need to go shopping. Some of them include feeling bloated all the time and stretchy and elastic clothing becoming your new favorites.
Other than knowing when you also want to know where and how to buy maternity clothing. This will depend on a couple of factors such as the season of the year and how your body changes. Your safest bet would be to buy two sets of maternity clothing for the first and second half of pregnancy. Invest in staples, getting 3-5 maternity T-shirts, 2-3 dresses, one comfy maternity jeans, and one basic black leggings. Finally, make sure to get comfortable but stylish undergarments. These will set the tone for your maternity outfits and make styling your baby bump child’s play.
Wrapping up
Entering the world of motherhood is an exciting process, and learning everything there is to know can help you tremendously. With these couple of tips in mind, you’ll manage to prepare yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally for your pregnancy journey and welcome your little bundle of joy ready.
