Making the Most of Your Pregnancy
Forty weeks, three trimesters, 10 fingers and 10 toes. Whether your pregnancy seems to fly by or it feels like you’ve been pregnant forever, when you make the most of your pregnancy, you will create some positive memories and move forward into labor, delivery and parenthood with a greater sense of calm and confidence. “Some women absolutely love being pregnant and some really struggle with it,” said Dr. Jennifer Smolinski. “Either way, when you take some time to think about what kind of mother you’d like to be, you can start to incorporate those qualities into your pregnancy. Making the most of your pregnancy also means making the most of yourself in this major life stage.” The following tips can help you make the most of your pregnancy:
Take pictures. You don’t have to post a weekly belly photo on Facebook if that’s not your style, but taking regular photos will be a special memento for your child and a way for you to connect back to all of those crazy stages. Some women also like to make a belly cast of their stomach, to create a special ritual or ceremony with friends, or to recognize the specialness of this time in some other meaningful way.
Ask questions. That’s what we’re here for, and we promise that your questions won’t faze us. We are happy to share information, to help prepare you for labor and delivery, and to offer any feedback or follow-up that we can to make your pregnancy make comfortable. Friends, family and other moms can also be great resources.
Do something for yourself. Regularly. Once you have kids, this time will be harder to find, so it’s important to take time now to do things that you enjoy. It can be as simple as a short walk, seeing a matinee or getting a pedicure.
Filter. People love to share birth stories and parenting stories, and you might love to hear them – or not. Feel free to let others know that you’re trying to focus on your pregnancy or filter out the details that aren’t useful to you right now. Also beware of over-Googling – while there is great information available online, you can always get overwhelmed in the morass of opinions and details. You don’t have to love being pregnant to make the most of your pregnancy. Take a little time to prepare, to notice and to appreciate each day and you will be well on your way.
