First of all, congratulations mama! Whether you were trying forever to get pregnant, or caught totally by surprise, we promise you’re about to embark on the most amazing adventure of your whole life. But that leaves the question, what do you do now? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Below you’ll find some of the most important things you need to know, and do, to take care of yourself, and the beautiful baby growing inside of you!
Prenatal Vitamins & Watching What You Eat
The first thing you should be doing right away to ensure the health of yu and your baby is to begin taking a prenatal vitamin. There are a ton out there, so find the one that works best for you, not only for your wants and needs, but also find a vitamin that has ingredients that you trust and won’t make you nauseous. As an added tip, if you do find that you have consistent day nausea you can try taking your prenatal vitamin at night, there’s no rule that you have to take your vitamins in the morning! Additionally, you’ll need to start watching what you eat.
Everything that you consume, baby is now consuming as well. If you need tips on finding the best prenatal vitamin for you and guidance as far as what you can and can’t eat during pregnancy, we’ve linked a few great reads for you below.
- Baby List’s Best Prenatal Vitamins of 2021
- Healthline Parenthood: The Best Prenatal Vitamins for a Healthy Pregnancy
- What To Expect: Food To Avoid During Pregnancy
Find An OB-GYN
Maybe you already have an OB-GYN (short for obstetrician-gynecologist) that you know and trust and have been using forever. If you don’t, now is the time to find one. An OB-GYN will be the doctor that does your check ups throughout pregnancy (spoiler alert, there are A LOT of check ups) and as long as everything goes accordingly they will be the one that delivers your baby as well. If you don’t already have an OB-GYN, then we have some tips for you when it comes to choosing one.
- Don’t be afraid to be picky. Feel free to interview multiple doctors and ask questions that matter to you. Ask about their experience, their views on how you want to give birth, and anything else you want to know.
- Find someone you trust. Trusting your OB-GYN is crucial to a smooth and stress free pregnancy and delivery. Make sure that your doctor is someone you feel comfortable asking anything to and trusting their feedback.
- Ask questions. Take the time to check review sites, join online forums for expectant moms to chat with each other, ask friends who have had babies already, and whatever else makes you feel comfortable. Don’t feel pressured to go with the first doctor you talk to, or the one your family member or friend says you have to use. Go with your gut and make the best decision for you and baby.
Pregnancy Resources
There are so many resources available for pregnant women today that didn’t used to exist, so feel confident that everything you need is out there. There are baby books, baby apps, baby websites, and so much more! We’ve linked a few of our favorites below, feel free to research what you feel most comfortable with and go from there. Pregnancy resources are great for understanding the changes happening with your body, knowing the rate that baby is growing and even learning what parts of your baby’s body is growing based on where you are in your pregnancy.
- Parents: How Big Is My Baby This Week?
- Byrdie: These Pregnancy Apps Will Make Your Birth Journey Much Easier
- Bumb Boxes Subscription Service for Expectant Moms
There are also some really great apps out there that will help you track your pregnancy, the health of your baby, your health, and more. We’ve listed a few of the ones with the highest reviews below, you can find them on the Apple App Store or Google Play depending on which device you use.
- What To Expect
- Pregnancy +
- Pregnancy Tracker - BabyCenter
- The Bump - Pregnancy Tracker
Take Pictures!
Last, but certainly not least, document your pregnancy. It may feel uncomfortable to take photos of your growing belly, but we promise one day you will wish you had them. You can set up a selfie photo or ask your significant other, family member or friend to snap pictures of you at each milestone (typically each week of pregnancy) so that you can remember how you looked and felt at the time. Etsy has some great options for cute photo props to help document the details of each monthly milestone, or you can find a cute letter board on Amazon to switch up what you want to say each month. You’ll love when your tiny baby is old enough to ask about when they were in your stomach, and you actually have photos to show them!
As always, we’re here as a resource for any questions. At Sparkling Mama our entire company is based on the goal of helping expectant mom’s maintain their sparkle throughout pregnancy. Don’t hesitate to reach out, and keep sparkling, mama!