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Note: This is my opinion on what you should do when you find out you are pregnant. It is how I feel, and I feel strongly about it. I know others will either agree or disagree, and that is fine, but it doesn’t change my experiences or my thoughts. So please be courteous about what you comment.

The second you find out you are pregnant, a lot of things can run through your mind.

“We are going to be parents!”
“Oh my gosh, we are going to be parents!”
“We are going to have a CHILD.”
“I am going to get so huge.”
“It’s going to cost so much money.”
“I’ve never diapered a baby before.”
“But we are going to be parents!”
“What in the world do we do now???”

Don’t worry! I am here to tell you some helpful tips and things to do once you find out you are pregnant! During my first pregnancy, I was just so full of excitement that I didn’t think about some of these things. But after being pregnant three times and having three babies, I’ve realized that there are several things that you’ll want to do as soon as you find out you are pregnant, and then throughout pregnancy.

14 Things to Do When You Find Out You Are Pregnant

1. Decide when to announce your pregnancy

I always wait to announce my pregnancies publicly until the second trimester. I think family is okay to tell, but it can be smart not to tell the whole world until after the first trimester is over.

Yes, it’s hard not to tell your friends as soon as you find out you are pregnant, but try not to post it to Facebook just yet. One of my biggest fears is having to go back and tell people that something has happened and you have had a miscarriage. The baby is most vulnerable during the first 12 weeks you are pregnant, and after the first trimester, the chance of a miscarriage drops dramatically (down to 10-15% of all known pregnancies).

Everyone is different any you may decide to tell people as soon as you find out, but think about where your support system lies in the small chance that something does happen. If you want to read more about why I think you should wait, you can read this post about why I wait until the second trimester to tell people I’m pregnant.

2. Document your pregnancy

One of the best ways to do this is to use a pregnancy journal. There are tons of cute ones on Amazon, and my friend Aubrey recently published her own pregnancy journal (it’s beautiful!). The best ones ask questions about each week or month, and provide lots of places for you to write down how you’re feeling, what you’re craving, or changes you’ve been experiencing.

It might seem silly if you aren’t pregnant, but there’s a lot of stuff that happens and it is fun to write it all down! Plus, then you can go back during subsequent pregnancies and compare! You’ll be amazed at how different pregnancies can be even in the same person! And if you’re not a big writer, try taking pictures to document your growth! (Here are some cute ideas for documenting your pregnancy in photos.)

3. Take lots of pictures

This sort of goes along with documenting your pregnancy, but it is really fun to take lots of pictures. You can do weekly pictures or monthly pictures. With all of my pregnancies, I took a picture every two or three weeks. It’s fun to see how you grow, and you can even get creative with a little sign or use your computer to put in text.

This also makes it so you can compare what you looked like with different pregnancies, and you can see how much sooner and bigger you are the second time around! And get Dad and other kids involved, too. There are lots of cute pictures I have seen on Pinterest with kids kissing their mom’s belly or with couple maternity shoots. Just take lots of pictures!

4. Check your medications to see if you can still take them

I had some allergy medications that I was taking before I got pregnant the first time and after my first appointment, my doctor recommended not taking them anymore. Some things like ibuprofen shouldn’t be taken during pregnancy either, so you may want to consider switching to Tylenol for any headaches or cramps that get severe. There are other things that you shouldn’t take during pregnancy, too, so check with your doctor in your first prenatal visit to find out what you need to be careful of. It’s much better to be safe than sorry!

5. Take a before picture

With my first pregnancy, I took a “one month” picture as soon as we found out we were having a baby. Then with my second pregnancy, I took a “five week” picture. It was fun to see how much different I looked, and then to compare the before picture with a picture from right before my baby was born.

“That will make you feel bad,” you say. No. Trust me. It will be fun to compare and see how pregnancy changes your body! And while not everyone may think this is funny, it was crazy to see where I had gained that 50 pounds. With my daughter, I only gained 35 pounds, and you can tell in the pictures below that most of the weight gain was in my belly and not in my face and butt like it was the first time!

6. Use lotion early and everywhere

During my first pregnancy, my skin decided that it was going to have stretch marks all over. And I mean all over. My chest, my thighs, my butt, and yes, my stomach. So as soon as I started seeing those little lines I started slathering on Palmer’s Cocoa Butter and Palmer’s Tummy Butter. And while I still had the stretch marks, I think it definitely helped me not to get them as bad as they could have been.

So, my advice would be to use lotion early and everywhere, because you don’t know where you are going to get those stretch marks, especially if it is your first pregnancy. You will go through a lot of it and it’s not the cheapest stuff, but it really is worth it!

7. Find a workout plan and stick to it

Not only is it important to workout when you aren’t pregnant, it is important to stay healthy and workout while you are pregnant! Your body is going through a lot of changes and you want to keep it healthy. When I was pregnant the first time I used the stretches and exercises in the What to Expect When You’re Expecting book and I did them every day. They helped me stay flexible and I think especially the ones that strengthen your pelvic floor helped me have a really fast delivery.

The second time I did a combination of the Gaiam Fit Plan for Pregnancy and Blogilates. I felt great and I felt strong. I did a combination of cardio and strength training and stretching, which will help you stay healthy as long as you aren’t eating too much.

And make sure you have all the pregnancy workout essentials you need, too!

8. Shop around for maternity clothes.

I have found that my favorite places to buy maternity clothes are Target and Old Navy. They have cute clothes other places, too, but Target and Old Navy are both affordable and cute, and you can try them on in the store, which is helpful since not all pregnancy bodies are the same!

You don’t want to spend a lot of money on maternity clothes because you don’t get to wear them all the time. But at the same time, you still want to look cute and show off that bump. The Liz Lange line at Target is my favorite for maternity clothes. I pretty much want all of their dresses, and the tops I got from there are my favorite of all my maternity shirts. I also really like PinkBlush Maternity‘s maternity clothes!

Pants are a little bit harder, because they usually just come in small, medium, or large and I have yet to find ones that are long enough. I’ve had success at Old Navy, but only because I was able to order long ones. Try on a bunch and if you still can’t find any that are perfect, just remember that you only have to wear them for a few months!

9. Start taking a prenatal vitamin.

You may already be taking one if you were trying to get pregnant, but if you aren’t, start now. They’re jam-packed with lots of good things your baby needs to get a head start on life. Folic acid, iron, and calcium are especially important. Prenatal vitamins are not only important for your baby, but they are important for you since your baby is zapping up all those vitamins that you would normally get. So, you need extra, and that is where a prenatal vitamin comes in.

As soon as you find out you’re pregnant, get some! And you can even buy giant bottles that will last all of pregnancy, so that’s fantastic. And if taking a pill isn’t your thing, now they have gummy vitamins that I’m assuming are delicious and a lot easier to take. You really have no excuse to get your baby those extra good vitamins and minerals they need while growing!

10. Research baby products

Especially the big things like strollers, car seats, and cribs. One of my favorite places to look (not necessarily buy) is Amazon. They have such a wide selection of items, and they have tons of great, helpful reviews for each product. The reviews are SUPER helpful when you’re trying to find something you’ll like! You should also ask any moms with babies who have recently bought things and see what they like and don’t like. They may even let you come check out their favorite items!

Once you do have a few in mind that you feel good about, try and see them in person at the store. I mean really, you have nine months to find these things and you obviously want the best for your child. And the second time around you will already have a lot of the bigger things and won’t have to look again (plus, you won’t have time). You can read about the best baby products we ever purchased here and the best list of baby essentials here.

11. Make a list of what to do before and after your baby is born.

This was super helpful to me because it helped me feel more prepared before my first was born, and then I knew exactly what I needed to do after he was born.

Lucky for you, I have compiled a few lists and they’re some of my most popular posts. They’re the things that I did, and they were super helpful. Check them out so you can be prepared (did anyone else just sing that like Scar from “The Lion King?”).

There is a list of “25 Things to Do Before Your Baby is Born,” “15 More Things to Do Before Your Baby is Born,” “17 Things to Do Before Your Second Baby is Born,” and “15 Things to Do After Your Baby is Born.” Trust me, a lot of good info there. And you don’t have to use all of it, but they’ll give you a head start!

12. Write things down throughout your pregnancy

This can be questions for your doctor, feelings you are having about being a parent, or stories about the firsts (when you first found out, first felt baby, first heard the heartbeat). These are special things and there’s usually a place in the baby book for at least important dates and how you felt when you found out you were pregnant (or you can write it all in a memory journal for your child!), so you will want to make sure you remember! And since pregnancy is notorious for making you forgetful, writing down things will help you solve that problem (especially the questions for your doctor thing)!

Pregnancy is weird and you can easily question the things that are happening with your body. And since you probably don’t want to call the doctor every day, write those questions down and bring them to your next appointment. Super handy to have them right there in front of you when the doctor asks, “Do you have any questions for me?”

13. Download an app to follow along

Now I haven’t been pregnant for three years, so I’m not super in the loop here, but I personally love the apps where each week they tell you how big your baby is in terms of fruit. My two favorites from my pregnancies have been the “What To Expect Pregnancy” app and the “Baby Bump Pregnancy” app.

The “What To Expect Pregnancy” app is really nice because you have access to daily tips, weekly updates, and discussion boards for people who are having babies in the same month as you. And it’s exciting to have it right there on your phone every week so you don’t have to go looking it up. Even if you aren’t big on reading books at least you get some tips this way!

14. Read as much as you can

When I was pregnant with my first I pretty much read everything I could get my hands on about babies and pregnancy. I read “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and “The Happiest Baby on the Block” and then a few other books that were about the same thing.

Especially if it’s your first baby or you haven’t been around babies much, you want to get as much information as you can about how to be healthy and help keep them healthy and growing and happy, right? Fortunately for me I love to read, so this wasn’t hard, but even if you aren’t a big reader (which, if you got through all my previous tips you may be), it’s different when it’s about trying to raise a child.

And side note, if you aren’t a big reader, you can try listening to podcasts about pregnancy!

I’ve also written a pregnancy book, “Preggers,” that’s a less medical, fun, helpful guide to pregnancy! Parenting can be scary stuff, especially when you are first starting out and have no idea what you are doing. So go pick up a book and start learning all you can, because it really does help!

So congratulations on being pregnant, and don’t worry! You have eight months (depending on when you are reading this) to prepare for your new little bundle of joy. Yes, it can be scary to find out you are pregnant, but being a parent is the best (especially being a mom!). Work on some of these things to do when you find out you are pregnant, get excited, and don’t worry! Good luck!!

This post was originally published on April 28, 2014.

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One year ago today, I published my pregnancy book, Preggers. It was a long process, took a lot of hard work, and it was 100% worth it.

Since today is the anniversary of my book’s publication (and coincidentally my oldest son‘s SIXTH birthday!), and because March is National Reading Month, I thought it would be fun to write a post featuring the best books to read during pregnancy! 

There are TONS of pregnancy books out there, and lots of them didn’t make my list. I tried to pick a wide variety of books that have great reviews, I’ve loved myself, or I’ve heard recommended several times. They aren’t all for everybody (depending on if you’re planning on a natural birth or a medicated birth), but hopefully, you’ll find a book on this list that speaks to you! 

1. Preggers. Of course I’m kicking it off with my own guide to pregnancy! Preggers is NOT your mother’s guide to pregnancy. It ranges from trying to get pregnant all the way up to labor and delivery. It’s informative without being overwhelming or too medical, and it will make you laugh, cry, and feel like someone else actually understands what you’re going through. It’s bright pink, awesome, and definitely worth checking out! 

2. What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Another classic. It’s great for learning about what’s going on with your body and your baby. I liked following along with it each month with my first pregnancy. It also has answers to a lot of common questions and talks about labor and delivery. 

3. 50 Things to Do Before You Deliver. This book is written by my friend Jill Krause of Baby Rabies, and it’s a great book to help moms prepare for the arrival of their baby. It’s really easy to read and has cute pictures. Jill is a pregnancy genius, so of course, her book is fabulous! Plus it was published around the same time as mine! 

4. Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. If you’re worried about the actual birth part, this one is perfect for you. I’ve heard this book recommended over and over again. It’s filled with birth stories and information on the birth process. It’s focused on natural birth, but even if that’s not what you’re planning, it’s still a great way to prepare for childbirth!

5. The Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy. A book I haven’t read, but I have heard good things about it. The tagline is “or everything your doctor won’t tell you.” It’s written like it’d be written to a best friend and is filled with things you’re too scared or embarrassed to ask about. A practical and funny book for moms-to-be! 

6. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. The Mayo Clinic is a very well-known and respected name in medicine, so you know the Mayo Clinic’s pregnancy book is going to be full of helpful information about pregnancy! It has week-by-week updates on baby’s growth and month-by-month changes for mom, a 40-week pregnancy calendar, a symptoms guide, and a review of important pregnancy decisions. A great read if you want a book more on the medical side of things! 

7. The Sh!t No One Tells You About Pregnancy. The fourth book in Dawn Dais’ “The Sh!t No One Tells You” series came out in 2017, and it’s all about what pregnancy is REALLY like. It’s blunt and very honest and doesn’t cover a ton on the medical side, so if you’re looking for a medical book, don’t get this one. It’s a great book for preparing yourself for the realities of parenthood! 

8. Birth Without Fear. This book actually just came out yesterday, but I’ve listened to January Harsche on a few podcasts and I’m sure her books is a great resource for pregnant mamas. It’s described as “an honest, positive, and passionate message of empowerment surrounding everything that involves having a baby. It’s a guide that fills in the considerable cracks in the information available to women and families when they’re preparing to welcome a child–covering care provider choices, medical freedom, birth options, breastfeeding, intimacy, postpartum depression, and much more.” If I have another baby, I’ll definitely be picking up a copy! 

9. The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth. If you’re planning on a very natural pregnancy and childbirth experience, this one is for you! It’s written by Genevieve Howland, writer of the pregnancy and parenting blog Mama Natural. The book “demystifies” natural pregnancy and goes through pregnancy week-by-week, which as a pregnant person I always appreciated. This probably isn’t for everyone, but if you’re on the holisitic side, I’m sure you’ll love it!

Pregnancy is a special, magical, uncomfortable, confusing, crazy time of a woman’s life. Fortunately, there are lots of great pregnancy books to help you through the joys and miseries that come along with growing a baby. Hopefully this list of books to read during pregnancy was helpful and taught you about a few new pregnancy books to read, and if you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment and let me know! 

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The week after we got back from my husband’s medical school graduation, I took a pregnancy test and found out we were going to have another baby. We were happy with the two kids we had, had just moved to Texas and bought our first house, and were not planning on having another baby for quite a while. My sister had been trying to get pregnant for over a year, we had been actively preventing getting pregnant, and yet here I was with a baby growing in my belly.

I had an incredibly difficult time accepting that we were going to have another baby, let alone feeling excited about his arrival. It didn’t seem fair, we weren’t ready, we had other plans, we had just moved across the country, my husband was about to start a demanding new job, we already had two kids under four, I was already busy, and on and on. There were lots of reasons why we had a hard time feeling joy about our surprise pregnancy.

That’s what I want to talk about today. This post is for people who find themselves pregnant and are struggling with feeling excited about that baby. I’ve been there, it’s incredibly hard, and I hope that if you’re in that situation, these ways to cope with a surprise pregnancy will help you feel a little more peace about what’s coming.

1. Try to accept that it’s happening. If you’re actively preventing pregnancy or it wasn’t at all on your radar, finding out you’re pregnant can be hard to believe. But whether you believe it or not, it’s happening, and you better come to terms with it fast. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll be able to figure out what to do and how to best prepare yourself and your lives.

2. Make a plan. The next step is to figure out what comes next. Decide what you need to do for yourself and your baby (here are 14 suggestions) and make a plan. That might include what you’re going to do financially, with your job, or with schooling. One thing that helped me was to decide where we were going to have our baby sleep when the time came (since we had just moved into a new house and had other plans for that room).

3. Don’t give up on the plan you had before. Just because you’re having a baby doesn’t mean you can’t run a half marathon or get your degree or a promotion at work. Despite what a lot of people think, children are absolutely not the end of your dreams. You might have to get a little creative in achieving your dreams and the plans you had before, but you can absolutely still do them with a baby on your hip. Pregnancy is not the end of your life, it’s the miraculous beginning of another’s

4. Remember you’re not the only one who’s experienced a surprise pregnancy. Besides me (because as much as I love our youngest, he was definitely a surprise), there are thousands of other mamas out there who have had surprise pregnancies and carried on with their lives. I’m sure you can find a message board on a website like whattoexpect.com or thebump.com, and there are also several books written about surprise pregnancies (like Tiny Blue Lines or A Bump in Life). They might help you find some peace knowing you’re not alone.

5. Accept that you might just need some time before you feel happy about it. Guys, if you’re not thrilled right away, it’s okay. That doesn’t mean that you won’t love your baby or be excited to meet him when the time comes. Sometimes it takes a while for the excitement to kick in. That’s 100% okay, so don’t feel bad about it.

6. Focus on the positives. Besides the obvious one (there’s a human growing in your belly!), try and look at the positives of having a baby. They’re adorable, they smell good, you can snuggle them, you get to dress them in tiny clothes, you get to see what a 1/2 you and 1/2 your spouse/boyfriend/baby daddy looks like, you get to become a mother (the best job in the world, and that’s a fact, not an opinion), and your body is creating a tiny little life! Pick just one positive and try to focus on that. It will help remind you why having a baby is something to be celebrated, not dreaded.

7. Feel the feels. Yes, you should try to look on the bright side and accept that it’s happening, but it’s also good to just feel those feelings. Let yourself feel stressed out or upset or scared or unsure. Feel them, acknowledge them, and then work through them. You don’t have to pretend to be excited when you’re not.

8. Express yourself. Whether that means writing down how you feel, telling your husband or mom or sister, expressing how you feel and being honest about it will help. Sometimes it just takes saying it out loud to help you to be able to breathe again.

9. Get an ultrasound. One of the first things you should do when you find out you’re pregnant is schedule a doctor’s appointment. They won’t always offer an ultrasound, but it helps you be able to accept and realize your pregnancy is real when you see that tiny little dot that’s a baby on the screen.

10. Look at baby clothes, baby shoes, and nursery decorations. Baby things are stupid cute, and looking at them can help you feel a little more excited about having a baby to buy them for. Some of my personal favorite places to shop for babies are Lulu and Roo and Sweet N Swag.

11. Try meditation. If you’ve never done a meditation before, it might sound dumb, but this is one thing that I did that really helped me calm my anxiety when I was pregnant with my third baby. I tried to find the actual meditation I used but couldn’t, but I’m pretty sure I just searched “pregnancy meditation” on the podcast app and found one that was a few minutes long. It focused on being grateful for a healthy baby and visualizing a healthy pregnancy.

Don’t feel guilty if your first instinct isn’t to jump up and down. That’s not everyone’s first reaction. Sometimes instead of celebrating you cry on the floor of the bathroom and wonder what you’re going to do. That’s okay. You have eight more months to get excited and prepare to bring a tiny little person into the world (and that tiny little person is going to be incredible, just like our tiny little surprise is!). Hopefully these eleven suggestions on how to cope with a surprise pregnancy will help you feel a little more grounded and ready for your soon-to-be baby. And of course, congratulations, mama! Babies are the best!

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Today I am so, so excited to share with you guys all the details about “Preggers,” MY BOOK!

What is “Preggers” about?

First of all, you’re probably wondering what “Preggers” is about. “Preggers” is a straightforward, informative, candid, relatable, laugh out loud guide to pregnancy, from trying to get pregnant all the way up to labor and delivery. I included some of my popular (updated) blog posts in the book, but most of “Preggers” is new content. There aren’t very many (if any) pregnancy books that are actually fun to read and still informative, and the ones that are informative have way too much information and are too medical (at least in my opinion). I wanted “Preggers” to be funny, helpful, and honest, and I wanted it to cover everything you could possibly think about that is related to pregnancy. I didn’t want it to be overwhelming, and I wanted to make sure that it was actually useful and had good tips in it. I wanted pregnant mamas to read it and be like “that’s exactly how I feel!” I wanted to prepare them for what to expect, and help them know that there are a lot of weird and totally normal things that happen during pregnancy, and they aren’t the only ones who experience them (like vaginal varicosities!). I also wanted it to be helpful whether you’re a first-time mom, or a third-time mom, and there really is something for everyone to enjoy in “Preggers.”

A little history…

In August 2015 my husband was in Texas for the month and I was driving with Little J and Little A from Idaho to Utah to visit my sister. I was listening to my favorite podcast all about pregnancy, Pregnancy Perfect, and the thought came to me that I should write a book. I’d been blogging all about pregnancy and babies for two years, so I knew I would want it to be about pregnancy, but that was about it. I dismissed the idea (because it was crazy) and tried to move on. But I couldn’t get the thought out of my head!

In January 2016 I decided to go for it. I sat down at a little table in our rental house in Rochester, Minnesota and made an outline. I decided how to split the book up, and then got to work on an outline. I wrote the section headings on different pieces of paper and then wrote down different topics for each of those sections. Eventually, I had ten pages of notes and I was all set to go!

Over the next few months I began writing, and I got through the introduction and first two sections. In May 2016 we moved from Idaho to Texas, my husband graduated from medical school, and at the end of the month, we found out I was pregnant with baby #3! I lost all motivation to do anything with that pregnancy, and my book got put on the backburner.

Little R was born in January 2017, and life with three kids under four provided little time to write. We moved again in July 2017 to Minnesota, and I decided that it was time to get moving on my book. My husband’s schedule was a lot less rigorous for a few months, and he took the kids to the park and to the movies several times so that I could have some uninterrupted time to write.

In October 2017 I finished the first draft. I went back through, made some changes and a lot of edits, and then decided it was ready for other people to test-read. I knew I loved my book, but I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just me! My best friend, sister, and two more friends read it, made some edits, and reviewed it for me, and then I went through again and made MORE edits! In December 2017 I sent the book to my editor (one of my college roommates!) and she finished it and sent it back in early January 2018. One more big edit and “Preggers” was officially done!

I should also mention that I knew very early on what the title was going to be, and what I wanted the cover to look like. When I was pregnant with Little R, I painted a big wooden board bright pink and had a good friend come over and take some pictures of my pregnant belly kneeling on the grass in front of it. I used that picture and designed the front and back covers as soon as I knew how many pages my book was going to be (because it determines how big the spine is going to be!).

Since I am self-publishing “Preggers,” there has also been a lot of formatting and designing that I’ve had to do, as well as more businessy (yes, businessy) things like filing a copyright, getting a Library of Congress number, and getting the ISBN numbers. It’s a lot of work to self-publish a book, but I wanted to be 100% in control of all the little details, and it’s paid off!

When and where can I get it?

“Preggers” is available in an ebook and as a paperback book, and it will be published on March 6th, 2018. March 6th is my oldest child’s birthday, and he’s the reason I started my blog, the reason I fell in love with motherhood, and the reason I am where I am today. He has no idea, but I owe him a lot. So he will forever share a birthday with my book!

You can preorder “Preggers” now over at www.PreggersTheBook.com, and if you order before March 6th, you can get the paperback version for 50% off! I wanted to do that as a special thank you to everyone who has supported me and followed this long journey!

I’m also hosting an amazing new mama giveaway with a few friends for a paperback copy and some of the best mom and baby items from my favorite stores (like Sweet N Swag, DockATot, Tubby Todd, and Bamboobies, just to name a few). Make sure you’re following me on Instagram because the giveaway is happening the week of March 6th and you definitely won’t want to miss it!

Thank you!

I’ve worked so hard to get to this point, and while my hard work isn’t over yet, it has already 100% been worth it! I am so grateful to everyone who has helped me, who has read my blog over the years, and who has supported me as I’ve worked to achieve this goal! I have had some serious blessings along the way and lots of answered prayers to make this dream a reality. My ultimate goal is to get my book into a national bookstore, so here’s to that (I’m coming for you, Barnes and Noble). But for real, every copy I sell means so much to me! I am so, so excited, so grateful for everyone who has already ordered their copy, and I can’t wait for everyone to read my book! Thank you!

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Morning sickness: two words guaranteed to make any pregnant woman groan. Even if you’re lucky and you never actually throw up during pregnancy, chances are you’ve at least felt nauseous during the first trimester, or even during the second.

Morning sickness makes it hard to function normally, and if you don’t know how to manage it, you’re going to struggle! Today I put together a helpful morning sickness survival kit for a friend of mine, and I wanted to share it with you! It makes a great gift, or if you’re the one suffering from morning sickness, just add everything to your grocery list!

1. Gatorade. I don’t know if color matters a ton, but I’ve heard not to try red Gatorade, and I’ve also heard that the blue Gatorade is like magic (my mom swears it helps her migraines). Gatorade will help replenish electrolytes and keep you hydrated. Taking small sips of it really helps when you can’t keep anything else down!

2. An ice cube tray. Another thing I tried when I was pregnant was making Gatorade ice cubes. I’ve also heard you can try making ice cubes with lemon juice!

3. Lemon drops. Sucking on lemons can help soothe your stomach, and lemon drops always worked for me!

4. Ginger ale. Ginger is another food that can help soothe your stomach, so try drinking small sips of ginger ale! I always had some on hand with my third pregnancy!

5. Ginger or peppermint tea. Again, ginger helps soothe your stomach, and so does peppermint. If you’re having a hard time keeping anything in your stomach you want to make sure you don’t get dehydrated, so drinking these flavors as tea can help!

6. Crackers. I always kept crackers on my nightstand and would have a few bites before going to bed at night, and then a few bites before getting out of bed in the morning. That way my stomach had a little something in it and it helped me not get nauseous immediately after waking up.

7. Mints. Another easy way to soothe a queasy stomach.

8. IZZE Sparkling Clementine. Since citrus can help ease your stomach, drink some citrus-flavored sparkling juice. I love Izze Sparkling Clementine flavor! Again, small sips!

9. Hair ties. As much as you hope that you’re not going to throw up, sometimes you will, and you don’t want your hair getting in the way!

Having the right things on hand to help you treat morning sickness is super important in the beginning of pregnancy. Hopefully this post was helpful if you’re the one dealing with morning sickness, and if not, hopefully it will help you put together a thoughtful gift for a mama-to-be!

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When I was pregnant with my first baby, my husband and I registered for all the things. We had so much fun picking out clothes, pacifiers, bottles, a bassinet, a bouncer, and all of the cute little things you need for a baby. Once our little guy was born and started growing out of things, we saved them, and when the time came for baby #2, we had a lot of what we already needed. But there were still lots of things we needed to buy for our second baby!

People might tell you that it’s not worth it to create a baby registry for your second baby, but it absolutely is! There are lots of benefits to registering, especially if you do it with Amazon Baby Registry. Today I’m going to share a helpful list of things to register for with your second baby, and why it’s worth it to register for your second baby.

1. A double stroller. If you’ve got kids within a few years of age, you’re definitely going to want a double stroller. And since they can be a little on the expensive side, adding one to your registry is the way to go. I don’t like my double stroller, so I’m recommending the City Select stroller with the second seat. I’ve tried it out and it’s ah-mazing. Plus I have like 10 friends who love theirs. It’s like the Cadillac of strollers.

2. Diapers. One obvious thing you can’t reuse with your second thing are diapers, so adding them to your registry is a must! Babies go through so many diapers (it’s RIDICULOUS), so getting other people to buy them for you is very helpful! We personally really love Pampers and have used them with all three babies.

3. Wipes. Going right along with the diapers, you’re going to need wipes, and a lot of them! Make sure you add wipes to your registry, too! Babies are messy!

4. Baby wash and lotion. I have always made sure to add baby wash and lotion to my baby registries (even with my third baby), and I am so glad I did, because it’s something that we can always use at our house!

5. A second baby monitor camera. When our second baby was born, our son was just 18-months-old, so we still wanted a baby monitor in his room, too. Amazon has lots of baby monitors to choose from, and a lot of them have extra cameras you can add so you can have cameras in two rooms and still only use one parent monitor. And if the extra camera for your monitor isn’t available on Amazon, their baby registry allows you to add it from another site with their universal registry feature. Which is great, because you can make just one registry and have it all in one place! And even now that we have three, we still find all kinds of ways to use our baby monitor! They’re awesome!

6. White bodysuits. Even with my amazing secret for removing blowout stains, I still had a few white bodysuits that got trashed with our first baby. And since those are kind of a staple when you’ve got a baby, it’s nice to have a few on hand. So if you are in the same boat as me and need some crisp, new, white bodysuits, add them to your registry! They make for great outfits for monthly photos!

7. Diaper pail bags. If you have a diaper pail, register for some refill bags. I didn’t get a diaper pail until our third baby, but it has been revolutionary. And since these are another thing you can’t reuse, adding them to your registry is a great way to get more!

8. Diaper rash cream. Diaper rash cream is one of those things that you don’t think about buying until it’s too late and your baby already has a rash. And since I don’t think you can ever have too many tubes of diaper rash cream, adding a few tubes to your registry is a great idea!

Now why should you create a registry for your second baby? Hopefully I’ve already convinced you, but there are also a few benefits even if you don’t have a baby shower. Besides the fact that registering is super fun, it’s also a great way to keep track of what you need to get for your second baby (like the stuff on the list above!). Another reason to register for your second baby is that when you register is that when you register with Amazon Baby Registry (and you’re a Prime member), you get a free welcome box with full, travel and sample size products for parents-to-be and baby! Who doesn’t want free samples!? Amazon Baby Registry also offers a completion discount. Sixty days before your due date, Amazon gives you a 10% off discount (or 15% off if you are a Prime member) for select items that are left on your registry. So again, even if you don’t have a baby shower, it’s a great way to get a discount on the things that you need for your second baby. It’s so worth it to register!

Registering for your second baby is completely worth it, and now you know what things to register for with your second baby! Not to brag or anything, but I feel pretty confident in my list since I’ve had three babies and have reused a lot of stuff. There are just some things you can’t reuse, and registering for them is a great way to make sure you get everything you need before your baby is born! Having a second baby is crazy at first, but it really is amazing, so good luck, mamas!

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People always talk about how amazing pregnancy is for women and the incredible (and not so incredible) things women get to experience when they’re pregnant. Well let me remind you that she did not get that way by herself, and she is not the only one waiting for a baby!

Your husband can also play a big role in your pregnancy. They may not have to pee in a cup every month at OB visits or get stretch marks all over their belly, but they definitely are a part of your pregnancy. A lot of people focus all on the pregnant woman and forget about the husband, but daddies want to be a part of the pregnancy, too!

I asked a few of my mama friends and today I am sharing ten fun ways to involve your husband in your pregnancy!

Ways to Involve Your Husband in Your Pregnancy

1. Let him come to appointments with you, or record the heartbeat if he isn’t able to make it.

My husband has rarely been able to come to appointments (except for ultrasounds), but that is a great way to help him feel involved. Those appointments make the pregnancy feel a little more real, especially when you get to hear baby’s heartbeat!

If he’s not able to make it, record the heartbeat on your phone and play it back for him later. He’ll appreciate it!

2. Let him know when the baby is moving so he can feel baby kick.

It might be a while before baby is big enough that you can feel him from the outside, but when you can, let your husband know so he can feel baby move, too! I still remember the first time my husband felt our first baby move! It’s a special moment!

3. Take maternity pictures together.

I have seen some beautiful maternity pictures where couples have both been in the shot, and I love the idea of getting your husband involved in your maternity shoot. We took a few pictures together with out first baby, and I still love looking back on them!

4. Build things like the crib or swing together.

One of my favorite things to do with my husband when I’m pregnant is get things ready. The first time we put the crib together was so fun! And setting up the pack n’ play, the bouncer, and the swing together was fun, too! Even setting up the double stroller (once we were pregnant with baby #2) was an adventure!

5. Register together.

If you thought registering for your wedding was fun, just wait until you register for your baby! Diapers, baby monitors, blankets, tiny little outfits. It’s a blast. And depending on where you register, you’ll probably get a few goodies, too!

6. Have him rub belly butter on your stretching belly.

One of my friends suggested this, and I think it’s a great idea. Plus he might get to feel baby kick when he does it!

7. Ask him to massage any sore areas.

Another suggestion from my mama friends, and I love it! Especially towards the end of pregnancy when everything hurts!

8. Gift him a new dad kit.

When I was pregnant with our first I made my husband a new dad kit, and he loved it! It was full of little things to help him in his new role as a daddy!

9. Throw a gender reveal party together, or invite husbands to the baby shower.

Now that gender reveals are basically all the rage (yeah, I’m 80), a gender reveal party is a great way to celebrate your baby together! Or you can even invite husbands to your baby shower and let them do their own thing (grill burgers on the deck?) while the ladies hang out and talk about labor and breastfeeding. Plus that way he can open baby shower gifts with you!

10. Take classes together at the hospital.

Another great way to involve your husband in your pregnancy is to go take a baby basics class or childbirth class together at the hospital. We went to one when I was pregnant with our first and it was so helpful to learn all about car seats, bathing, diapering, and swaddling. If you haven’t been around babies much, I highly recommend it!

There are lots of ways to involve your husband in your pregnancy, and I am a big advocate of making him feel like he’s a part of your pregnancy, too. Like I said, you didn’t get that way on your own, and he’s excited to meet your little wee one just like you are! So try a few (or all!) of these things, and congratulations! Your baby will be here before you know it!

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Finding out you are pregnant for the first time can be scary, exciting, overwhelming, intimidating, and thrilling. When we found out I was pregnant with our first baby I cried because I was so grateful and full of joy. I immediately started reading all I could about the don’ts and the do’s of pregnancy so I could have a healthy pregnancy and make sure I was ready when it was time to have our baby.

I wrote a post last year all about the don’ts of pregnancy, and it took a lot of heat. People were commenting and saying I was wrong and that I was just trying to scare pregnant women and make them panic and worry unnecessarily. Please. I am doing no such thing. When I first found out I was pregnant, I wanted to know everything I should and shouldn’t do that was recommended by doctors. And that’s where these posts come from! So don’t take this the wrong way and panic because you haven’t started a prenatal vitamin yet or because you have no idea what your health insurance says about prenatal care. This list is to help you have a healthy pregnancy and prepare for the birth of your baby!

• Do exercise. It doesn’t need to be intense, but stay active.
• Do eat well. A balanced diet will help prevent unnecessary weight gain and help you get the nutrients you need for pregnancy.
• Do get sleep. While you can! Pregnancy is not the time to be staying up late.
• Do enjoy pregnancy. It’s such a miracle.
• Do allow yourself to not enjoy pregnancy. Sometimes it sucks and that’s okay.
• Do write down special moments. Keep a pregnancy journal or start a journal for your unborn baby.
• Do take pictures. Document that growing baby bump, mama!
• Do get prenatal care. I’m not even going to explain this one.
• Do be open with your doctor. If you have a question or are uncomfortable with something, let them know. You won’t solve the problem if you don’t share it with them.
• Do check with your doctor to make sure the medicines you are taking are alright to take during pregnancy. Sometimes they aren’t, so just check!
• Do listen to your friends. Sometimes they give good advice. Sometimes.
• Do what you want. Don’t feel pressured to do what your friends did during their pregnancies.
• Do relax. It’s a good habit to get into, and what better time to de-stress than during pregnancy?
• Do take a prenatal vitamin. You need extra vitamins and minerals to help your baby grow and a prenatal will help you get them.
• Do study your health insurance. Figure out what is covered with prenatal care and delivery. Make sure you know what you’ll end up paying for before you get a big bill.
• Do start budgeting for baby. Babies cost a lot of money, so start setting aside some money now!
• Do drink lots of water. Getting dehydrated during pregnancy is the worst.
• Do get a pair of maternity pants and a few maternity shirts. It’s worth it.
• Do research baby products before buying them. Buying something because it “looks safe” probably isn’t the best route.
• Do get a flu shot. If you’re pregnant during flu season!
• Do monitor your weight. Just don’t obsess about it.
• Do ask for help. If you need something done but shouldn’t do it because you’re pregnant, ask for help!
• Do get your teeth cleaned at the dentist. Pregnant women have a higher chance of getting gingivitis.
• Do get your baby’s nursery ready! Easily one of my favorite parts of pregnancy.
• Do make sure you know how to install your baby’s car seat AND how to buckle them in safely. A lot of people do it wrong.
• Do involve your husband in your pregnancy. After all, he’s part of the reason you’re pregnant!
• Do kegels. Trust me. If you want to learn more about the why and how of kegels, check out this page.
• Do have a baby shower. Babies need a lot of things and having a shower is a great way to get some of those things!

Pregnancy is an amazing and horrifying nine months, and you can definitely choose to make the best of it or not. I don’t think any of the things on this list are bad or very hard, and having a baby is definitely worth sacrificing small things anyway!

Let me know if there’s anything you think I should add to the list! I’d love to hear your “do’s of pregnancy!”

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Anyone who has ever been pregnant knows that staying healthy during pregnancy presents its own set of challenges. Not only do you have to worry about your own health, but you have to think about the health of your growing baby. Things like sleep, calories, and nutrients like calcium need to be increased, and you may even have to eliminate some bad habits. It can be overwhelming whether it’s your first time being pregnant or even your third!

The good news is that it’s also easy to take care of yourself and have a healthy pregnancy, as long as you have the right tools to help you along the way. Today I have put together a “Healthy Pregnancy” gift basket that would make a great gift for a friend who has just announced her pregnancy! It includes things to help you get the nutrients you need during pregnancy, as well as things to keep your body feeling its best!

1. Water bottle. Getting enough water is important even when you’re not pregnant, and you especially don’t want to get dehydrated during pregnancy. It can lead to headaches, nausea, and in the third trimester, preterm labor. A new water bottle is a great reminder for a newly pregnant woman to drink enough water!

2. Foot soak. It’s widely known that during pregnancy, your feet swell up. Soaking your feet in warm water with an herbal salt soak mixed in will not only help relax you, but will feel good on those aching feet!

3. Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews. Did you know that the majority of women are calcium deficient, and that many prenatal vitamins provide only 20-30% of the recommended daily amount of calcium for women who are pregnant? Your baby needs calcium to develop healthy teeth, bones, muscles, and heart. If you aren’t getting enough calcium in your diet, your baby’s calcium needs will be met by taking calcium from your own bones, putting your own bone health at risk.

4. Lotion for stretch marks. I have gotten new stretch marks with each of my pregnancies, and one thing that I have used to help minimize them each time is cocoa butter lotion. No, it doesn’t really make you have a “healthy” pregnancy, but it certainly helps you take care of your body. Plus anything that smells like chocolate is fabulous in my book!

5. Sleep mask. Pregnant women need extra sleep, and I thought it would be fun to remind the receiver of your gift to get more sleep! Sometimes getting a good night’s sleep during pregnancy is hard, and blocking out any extra light and making things extra dark can help!

6. A cookbook with recipes for a healthy pregnancy. Personally, the thing I struggle with the most during pregnancy is eating healthy. During the second trimester you need about 300 more calories per day, and during the third trimester you need about 500 more calories per day. It can be hard not to use those calories on treats that might be delicious, but don’t give you any nutritional value. Gifting a cookbook specifically for pregnancy is a great way to help someone who is pregnant fill up on healthy foods that will give their baby the proper nutrients, like iron, vitamin D, folic acid, and iodine.

7. Stress-relief body wash. Life is full of stress and worry, and if you add in growing a baby on top of that, yikes! Treat your pregnant friend and give her a special body wash that contains lavender or eucalyptus to help her relax. It will help her feel better and help remind her just to breathe and enjoy her pregnancy.

Staying healthy and taking care of yourself and your baby during pregnancy doesn’t have to be hard, as long as you are purposefully making good choices!

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This is a sponsored post written for Vicks Humidifiers. I was compensated and provided complimentary products for this post. All opinions are my own.

My family almost never gets sick. And when we do, it’s very brief, symptoms are very mild, and the sickness usually doesn’t spread to anyone else in the family.

But this winter has been a completely different story. It started with my kids getting sick, and then my husband, and then me. And it lasted for a few weeks before it finally went away. Cold and flu season can be rough, especially when you’re pregnant. Since you can’t use a lot of over-the-counter medications, it’s harder to find comfort and relief from those awful sickness symptoms.

Luckily I’ve found a few amazing things that have seriously saved me, and now I want to pass that information on and tell you how to survive cold and flu season during pregnancy!

How to prevent the cold and flu when you’re pregnant:

First of all, let’s talk about how to prevent the cold and flu when you’re pregnant. Since your immune system is lowered, you might be at a higher risk to get sick. So learning how to properly prevent catching a cold or the flu is a must. Wash your hands more, drink plenty of fluids, get enough sleep, and try to reduce stress. Definitely get a flu shot, and try using a humidity monitor in your home.

Never heard of a humidity monitor? I actually hadn’t either until recently, but our Vicks® Humidity Monitor has been super helpful. In the winter, humidity levels can drop as low as 10%, which is actually drier than the Sahara Desert. Using a humidity monitor can help you maintain an indoor humidity level between 40-60%, and when you do, that can help reduce the survival of flu viruses on surfaces and in the air. Which in turn, helps prevent your pregnant sick from getting sick!

Now let’s talk about those pesky sickness symptoms and how to deal with them once you do get sick.

How to deal with a stuffy, runny nose:

Since congestion is already a common symptom of pregnancy, when you’re sick it will probably be worse. And because it’s no fun having a dry, chapped nose, I make sure to use Puffs Plus® Lotion. That little dab of lotion helps a lot to calm the most sensitive skin through a cold, flu, or allergies (which are also worse during pregnancy, ugh!).

Another thing I rely on when dealing with a stuffy nose are nasal strips. They help open up your sinuses when you need it the most. Using a humidifier with Vicks® VapoPads is also super helpful to relieve a stuffy, runny nose. Not only do you get the benefits of the humidifier, but the soothing menthol and eucalyptus oil vapors from the VapoPads help provide relief from congestion.

How to deal with a sore throat:

When I was sick last month, the symptom that lasted the longest was my sore throat, so I got very good at figuring out how to treat it. One thing that really helped was using throat lozenges that had menthol in them. I always kept a few on my nightstand just in case I needed one in the middle of the night. Propping myself up with an extra pillow also helped since it helped my sinuses drain a little better. It was a little hard to get used to, but it did help with my sore throat at night. And as gross as this one sounds, gargling with warm salt water also helped because it helped kill germs in my throat. One more thing that helped was drinking hot water with honey and lemon in it. The lemon helps clear away mucus and the honey helps soothe your throat. Plus all of these are pregnancy-safe remedies and they really helped!

How to deal with a cough:

The biggest thing that helps when you’re pregnant and have a cough is using a humidifier. We have the Vicks® Mini Filter Free Cool Mist Humidifier, and it really makes a difference. Because it helps raise the humidity levels in your home (or maintain them), it helps provide temporary relief from coughing (especially when combined with one of the VapoPads!). I love that you can actually see the mist coming out, and since it’s a filter free humidifier, it is very easy to keep clean. The Vicks® Mini Filter Free Cool Mist Humidifier is available at Walmart.com here.

I also really like using Vicks® VapoRub™ Topical Ointment to help relieve cough symptoms. It has eucalyptus oil, menthol, and  camphor in it, which in my opinion is a fabulous combination when you are sick. The medicated vapors smell so good and help me breathe deeply, and when you put it on your chest and throat, it can temporarily relive your cough.

Of course being propped up and avoiding laying completely flat also helps when you have a cough! And if it gets really bad (like wheezy-sounding), sitting in the bathroom while the hot shower runs and creates steam also helps and is safe for pregnancy!

How to deal with a fever:

One thing my mom used to always do when we were little was put a cold, wet washcloth on our foreheads when we had fevers, and it’s a great way to deal with a fever during pregnancy, too. Drinking lots of fluids, resting, and not wearing too many layers will also help reduce your fever.

We also use our Vicks® SmartTemp™ Wireless Thermometer to track our family’s temperatures. It has a free downloadable app that goes with it and it makes it super easy to take and track temperatures. My favorite thing about it is that it only takes 8 seconds to read your temperature. It also has professional accuracy, so it’s way better than a lot of basic thermometers we’ve used in the past. Tracking your temperature is important when you have aren’t feeling well, and this thermometer definitely helps.

Hopefully now you know how to survive cold and flu season during pregnancy! Because those pesky sickness symptoms don’t have to keep you down, even when you’re pregnant. And thanks to Vicks, preventing them, treating them, and finding comfort is simple!

The post How to Survive Cold and Flu Season During Pregnancy appeared first on Life With My Littles.