Now you have found out you are pregnant and come through the first trimester you will be wanting to be organised. We do recommend that you start thinking ahead. It is a woman’s natural maternal instinct, unless you are super chilled of course and want to roll with it until the last few months. That may also be because you are working up until the last minute but little things prepared for in advance are easy to achieve.
Make a birth plan – this is your birth plan. It is a journal of what you would like to happen during your labour and after the birth. This is a very personal process to discuss with your birthing partner. You do not have to create a birth plan but, if you would like one, your midwife will be able to help. Do not feel pressure to do one, not everyone chooses to create a birth plan but it is worth considering how you want to proceed and your midwife or Maternity Professional can help you with this.
Be open and flexible…..Talking about your choices gives you the opportunity to ask questions about labour, pain relief, etc. There are choices of labour but sometimes this is dependent on where you live and the facilities close to you. Whether you would like a home birth or hospital birth. Take every opportunity to discuss your plan with your birthing partner. Remember it is good to have choices, when we have choices we can choose what is right for us.
Nurture, really nurture YOU! Your body will be going through changes and it is so important to think about you. And do not forget your mental and physical wellbeing. You could find and research a reputable pregnancy masseuse (friends recommendations are a good place to get advice too) and treat yourself to a massage. You might consider pregnancy yoga and pregnancy pilates which are not only very relaxing but also help to keep you supple. Again ensure you research out reputable instructors (friends recommendations can be invaluable).
If you are wanting to capture some of your pregnancy memories there are some lovely ways of doing that. There are companies that do bump casting (yes I know how amazing – I wish I had known about this 25 years ago during my first pregnancy). They are then decorated in different ways depending on each company and what they offer. I have known some clients to showcase the cast in their homes as you would a piece of art. A pregnancy photo shoot with a specialised photographer can help capture your pregnancy memories to look back on also as a family. These are the months you may not capture your bump and look back post birth wishing you had…it is just another option to think about.
I bet you are deciding if you should find out the sex of your baby or if you should wait and find out the sex at birth? Remember there is no right or wrong, do what suits you and your family unit. When I hear people say to our clients ‘Oh you cannot find out the sex during a scan it will spoil the surprise!’ I am always thinking ‘spoil the surprise?’ But we are so blessed to be pregnant with these little humans that is the biggest surprise. Being pregnant and finding out can be just as wonderful as it is for some clients who choose not to find out.
Look out for our next blog where we discuss equipment for the nursery, baby and you.
Katie-Jane x