So i recently found out that i am having a baby! i have no idea what to do... i am so excited, in awe, and scared at the same time..i know it will be hard and i we are no where near ready for this but i love my boyfriend more than anything and the fact that we are making a little life as a reflection of us is something so beautiful...a most beautiful miracle...our baby will be raised on pure love.... but i am 18 and i dont know the first thing about being pregnant so if anyone has any tips please let me know... any advice welcomed and fully appreciated.. if you have any pretty names let me know too! much love brothers and sisters PEACE
names hmm do u know if it'll be a boy or girl? as for advice.. i dont know what i'd say except no advice can fully prepare u so, just take it 1 prob at a time.. when ya need alittle advice on a particular issue post about it..but asking for general advice on pregnancy is sure to result in way too much info
RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! Research homebirth, birth center birth, medicines and interventions used in hospitals, the mortality rates comparing all, tour a hospital, interview doctors and midwifes. Find out all about the process of labour and delivery, what is necessary, and what isn't. Look into what state medical insurance you can get, what it covers, and what you want from your birth (natural, hospital, midwife, doctor, etc). Start saving for cloth diapers now, if you go that route. It's a big investment, but it's worth it because you;ll spend so much less than if you go disposable, it;s better for babies bums, and it'll save the environment. If you're on a super tight budget, get 2-4 dozen chinese or indian pre-folds with snappis and diaper wraps or rubber pants. Before birth, talk to Le Leche League, go to a meeting, prepare yourself and your boyfriend for the physical and mental commitment of breastfeeding. Know your facts, donate the formula samples that you'll get, don't let anyone buy you bottles, don't use pacifiers or give supplements in the first weeks. Look into co-sleeping, baby-wearing, vaccination safety and any other thing you hear about that seems interesting to you. Don't take advice you don't *feel* is best for you and your baby. Just about pregnancy, take 800mg of Folic Acid every day. Look into the brewer diet for pregnancy health and wellness, up your water intake, reduce your stress level, go for long, slow walks, and enjoy it. It passes quickly. Books to look into: Milk, Money, Madness (a little bit of light reading) The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by LLL The Attachment Parenting Book by Dr. Sears The Pregnancy Book by Dr. Sears Spiritual Midwifery by Ina Gaskin congrats. It's a long, crazy ride, but it's so amazing.
Congrats! Yeah, what the other mamas said. We've had an influx of beautiful new babies on the site of late. I'm in baby Paradise! Look at the books HippyFreak suggested. Also, The Baby Book by Sears and Sears is a good book to have. It's one of my favorites. I wish I had had it when my older kids were born. (I have kids between the ages of 20 and 7.) Finding out as much as you can about the birth process, how pregnancy works, how to take care of yourself, how to breastfeed, how to take care of and Attach to your baby is Key to Mama-ing. The mamas here are very supportive. Take a look around Hip Forums, read the Guidlines, look at the "Stickey" in the forums you like (they are the threads at the top of each forum that applies to that particular forum) and have a good time. Peace, Maggie
all of dr sears books are good to read, especially the first time around. He also has a website, I think it's www.askdrsears.com Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is another one I always give to my friends when they become pregnant. It's a lot easier to swallow than Spiritual Midwifery, IMO, less out there, IYKWIM. I'd have to disagree with Womanly Art, though, that book only made me feel inadequate when things did not go as planned. You can cloth diaper for nearly nothing, if you know what you are looking for. Try thrift stores. I found diaper covers for 25cents a piece!! I made some diapers out of cotton t-shirts and longjohns, bought some used prefolds, there are lots of options out there. But even if you buy everything new, it's still less expensive than disposable diapers, and not really much more work. CONGRATS!!! You are in for one incredible adventure after another. Your life will never be the same ever again.
Congratulations! I'm 19 and pretty recently found out I was pregnant as well. One thing I would tell you is just to take it slowly and really appreciate everything that is happening. I am already amazed at how quickly it is going by. I feel like I just found out yesterday! It's kind of sad. But anyway, the people here have so much advice, they are amazing. If you want to chat PM me, maybe I could be of some help.
Enjoy being pregnant, first of all. Even though you'll love your baby, you'll miss being pregnant. I know I do. Decide what kind of birth you want to have. At home, at a hospital, water birth....do you want to use meds? Make a birth plan. Read The Baby Book. It's a great book to read. If you plan to use disposable diapers, buy some now....preemies, newborns, and some size 1s and let them air out, incase your baby has sensitive skin. Or, if you're planning to use cloth diapers, start looking for good brands and save money for them and buy them. You can never have enough diapers. That's all you'll need to buy for now, unless you're not having a baby shower. I bought all kinds of clothes and got all kinds of clothes at my showers....now I have a TON of 0-3 month clothes and no bigger sizes. So, if you DO want to buy a few clothes....sleepers and whatnot, buy big. Take your Folic Acid! Baby needs it to be healthy. Apply for all the help you can get. WIC, medical card (If you don't have other insurance). Get to the HD and make your appointments, and keep them.
