About Pregnancy & Childbirth: 5 Reasons to Track Your Menstrual Cycle

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

5 Reasons to Track Your Menstrual Cycle Nov 27th 2011, 08:34 There are plenty of reasons to track a lot of things in our lives.  Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with all that I need to pay attention to every day.  Though tracking your menstrual cycle has many practical applications to your life, even when you aren't trying to get pregnant. Do you keep track? Related: 5 Reasons to Track Your Menstrual Cycle How do you track your menstrual cycle? Menstrual Cycle Basics Ways to Track Your Menstrual Cycle Apps for Tracking Your Menstrual Cycle Master Charts for Fertility Tracking Follow me on Twitter | Connect with me on Facebook Photo © Dreamstime 5 Reasons to Track Your Menstrual Cycle originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, November 27th, 2011 at 08:34:19. Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: The Last Thanksgiving Before Baby

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

The Last Thanksgiving Before Baby Nov 24th 2011, 08:15 I remember very clearly that Thanksgiving twenty years ago when I was 38 weeks pregnant and some change.  It was a quiet day.  My husband and I made a small feast and enjoyed it in peace and quiet.  We spent much of the day in reflection about, now only how thankful we were for our healthy baby-to-be, but thinking about how our lives were about to radically change. I can't even begin to articulate that change to you.  You can talk about sleepless nights, but it doesn't capture the quality of exhaustion that you feel as a new parent.  I can talk about the depth of love that you can feel for your newborn baby, but how do you describe the smell of the back of a newborn's head or the feel of the soft fuzzy hair on your lips?  There isn't anything else like it. So today, as you're sitting here waiting for your bundle of joy, be that next week, next year or even if your baby is a mere sparkle in your eye, sit back and take a minute to reflect on the pure joy about to head your way.  Think about where you've been to get to where you are today and how you plan to get to where you're going. Have an amazingly wonderful Thanksgiving! And leave me a comment about what you're reflecting on today... Related: 101 Ways to Spend the Last Days of Pregnancy Baby Care Basics Class New Baby Diaper Chart Photo © iStockPhoto The Last Thanksgiving Before Baby originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Thursday, November 24th, 2011 at 08:15:47. Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Tips for Pregnant Travelers

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Tips for Pregnant Travelers Nov 22nd 2011, 09:33 Since Thanksgiving is coming up this weekend, you might be considering doing some traveling.  That means that you will need to consider the fact that you're pregnant. Depending on what stage of pregnancy you're in, it might limit how far you travel away from home, or how you feel while traveling.  (Word to the wise, morning sickness and car sickness = not good.) So where are you going this weekend and how has pregnancy changed your travel plans? Related: Tip for Pregnant Travelers Comfortable Car Trips in Pregnancy Readers Share: Travel Tips in Pregnancy Air Travel in Pregnancy Airplane Travel with Baby Photo © bertys30 - Fotolia.com Tips for Pregnant Travelers originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 at 09:33:12. Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Thank Your Childbirth Educator

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Thank Your Childbirth Educator Nov 22nd 2011, 08:05 A few years ago the StoryCorps sound booth was in my state.  My husband and I actually went and participated.  I interviewed him about pregnancy, pregnancy loss and becoming a father.  It was a really positive experience, very intimate and special. The Friday after Thanksgiving has been, for the last four years, their National Day of Listening.  I've often encouraged women to participate in the program.  This year they are once again doing the National Day of Listening, but with a thankful theme - for teachers.  I'd like to encourage you to include your childbirth educators in that category.  So consider reaching out to a childbirth educator who touched your life. If you'd like to do it via an official StoryCorps way, consider tweeting with: @storycorps #thankateacher or with instructions at their website. Related: Birth Stories Birth Guide Share Your Birth Story Photo © Scott Olson/Staff /Getty Images Thank Your Childbirth Educator originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 at 08:05:52. Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Thanksgiving Foods to Avoid in Pregnancy

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Thanksgiving Foods to Avoid in Pregnancy Nov 21st 2011, 08:59 Look, I know pregnancy can be a real kill joy in the whole list of don'ts, particularly when it comes to eating.  I really try very hard to keep a positive focus, but I also know that when it comes to Thanksgiving, the foods are supreme!  Who doesn't sit and actually dream of a few dishes here and there that only show up on this one day of the year?  Before you head out to eat with the family, keep this short list of Thanksgiving foods to avoid in mind. Related: Thanksgiving Foods to Avoid Surviving a Party While Pregnant The Newly Non-Drinking Girl's Guide to Pregnancy Alcohol & Pregnancy Facts Breastfeeding & Alcohol Photo © Tammy Thanksgiving Foods to Avoid in Pregnancy originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, November 21st, 2011 at 08:59:08. Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Elimination Communication (EC)

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Elimination Communication (EC) Nov 20th 2011, 08:54 When I was first thinking about cloth diapers, I thought that I had really expanded my mind as a parent.  The more I learned the more I realized, there was a whole wide world of cloth diapers and products that I hadn't thought about.  That's when I found out about elimination communication or EC. EC is also called infant or baby potty training and involves following your baby's cues about needing to use the bathroom.  This can lead to far fewer diapers or even a diaper free baby very quickly for some families.  Though to be successful you need to start as soon as possible after your baby is born.  Some parents even say that you can start up until about the three to four month range.  Either way, it's something to think about starting in pregnancy whenever possible. Have you ever heard of elimination communication?  Have you tried it?  Are you considering it? Related: Elimination Communication (EC) Readers Share: Have you considered infant potty training? Before You Buy Diapers Photo © Miniimpressions | Dreamstime.com Elimination Communication (EC) originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, November 20th, 2011 at 08:54:12. Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Cleaning for Baby

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Cleaning for Baby Nov 19th 2011, 10:57 With all the holiday craziness upon us, I know that the drive to get the house clean is an important one.  When I'm pregnant this is even worse than the holidays.  But how do you go from a cluttered environment where your house work is a very low priority to a house where it's safe to crawl around?  I call this baby proofing by broom. With my first baby I realized that I'd need to get my stuff up and away from baby and perhaps think about sweeping more often.  What I failed to realize were two things: I needed a system to keep myself on track. There would be even less time to do house work. This is where I started looking online for information on how to clean my house faster and in a more organized manner.  Which lead me to several housekeeping type systems and plans.  This included: About Housekeeping: I loved the schedules that came in daily, weekly, monthly etc.  This really allowed me to invest the time that I had into the project.  I also enjoyed the 15 minute cleaning by room category. Flylady: This offers daily schedules that are emailed, called missions.  You can get a sneak preview for the week if that's more your style.  Flylady also offers a special Cruising Through the Holidays to keep from getting overwhelmed. Also see: Flying While Pregnant and Flying with Baby Motivated Moms: Is a bit less interactive but very simple and basic.  It has a calendar page that you print out, or use their app to remind you to do it.  There is a small fee for this one but the simplicity and lack of email clutter may be helpful. One Year to an Organized Life with Baby: This book helps from starting in pregnancy and going through the first weeks of baby's life to stay on top of not only your home, but your pregnancy. My husband hates these systems and plans.  So now we've worked it out where he does the same household contributions each week and special things that he prefers.  For example, he likes to cook, so he gets to clean out the fridge. So what are you using to help you keep up with the housekeeping, laundry, etc.?  Do you use a system or did you just figure out what worked best? Related: Nesting Before Birth Readers Share: Did you have a burst of energy before labor? One Year to an Organized Life with Baby Photo © iStockphoto Cleaning for Baby originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Saturday, November 19th, 2011 at 10:57:22. Permalink | Comment | Email this

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions