Birth of a Baby Wholesale NCAA Basketball Jerseys , Birth of a Parent Family Articles | August 19, 2004 So you?re ... ... Your life is about to change in ways you might find ... (and we?re not even talking about the ... of your once slim ... to ... most com
So you?re pregnant? Congratulations! Your life is about to change in ways you might find unthinkable (and we?re not even talking about the surrender of your once slim waistline to proportions most comparable to that of a Dr. Suess character). Pregnancy is the beginning of a new life for a baby, but also a new life for you as a parent. If this is your first baby, you may be filled with an endless list of questions and concerns. If you?re a veteran of the labor and delivery room, you?ve got a better idea of what to expect, yet every pregnancy Wholesale NCAA Hockey Jerseys , like every mother and child, is different.
Making Choices
While pregnancy and birth have physiologically been the same since the beginning of time, your options as a pregnant woman today are greater than at any previous time in history. After confirming your pregnancy, your first (and arguably most important) decision to be made is choice of caregiver. While traditionally in the U.S., maternal care has been provided through obstetrical physicians and hospital births, there is a growing movement towards return to low intervention Wholesale NCAA Football Jerseys , midwife-assisted births. How do you know which is right for you? Consider what is most important to your birth experience (always remembering that birth is anything but predictable and flexibility is vital). Are you interested in birthing naturally, without the aid of drugs or invasive procedures? Would you rather give birth at home or in a birthing center as opposed to a hospital? A midwife may be the right choice for you. Conversely, if you know up front you?ll want an epidural at the first sign of labor pain you?ll probably find the anesthesiologist at your local hospital to be your best friend. Keep in mind, each choice has its pros and cons and it?s up to you to weigh which option is the best for your needs. If you give birth at home and have complications, you?ll need to be transported to the hospital. Epidurals may provide excellent pain relief (or not), but have potentially serious Wholesale Baseball Jerseys , although rare, side effects. Some birthing centers will not accept a mother attempting vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC). Being an educated consumer in your pregnancy will allow the best possible birth experience and beginning for your new baby.
Planning for Baby
Somewhere around middle to late pregnancy (usually about the time you can no longer see your toes because of your protruding middle), you?ll want to start making accommodations at home for your babies expected arrival. If this is your first, trust yourself to the care of an experienced mommy friend who can prevent ?New Mother Shopping Syndrome,? i.e., going to Babies ?R Us and spending an exorbitant amount of money on baby paraphernalia that Wholesale Basketball Jerseys , not only do you not need, but you will never use. Yes, the mommy bear that emits sounds of the womb is cute. No, your baby will not be fooled. This is the time to cultivate self control, which will particularly come in handy when your precious baby has become a 16-year old who has just wrecked the family car.
Babies actually need very little in the way of gear for the first few months of life. If you?re planning to family bed, you can skip the nursery furniture altogether. Some good choices of useful items include a five-point harness infant car seat Wholesale Hockey Jerseys , a quality hospital grade breast pump if you?re planning to breastfeed (Medela is the gold star standard), and plenty of Onesies for sleep and play. A baby sling is also useful for helping mom get things done around the house while still meeting the babies need to be held, and also for discreet public breastfeeding. Skip the infant carrier, which can only be used for about six months, at which point you?ll have to purchase a regular car seat anyway. Also unnecessary are baby toys, gyms Wholesale Football Jerseys , etc., which will not be of interest to the infant until they are at least six months.