Top 5 Things I learned during my first pregnancy.

My first pregnancy was one of the most exciting times of my life. Waiting for that first appointment to hear the heartbeat, finding out the gender, being so excited each ultrasound to get a chance to see sweet baby, feeling those baby movements and kicks were memories I will always cherish forever. However, with that excitement, I also remember lots of anxiety and fear hoping everything was okay and wondering how our lives would change. Here are the top 5 things I learned from my first pregnancy.

It’s okay to rest.

This was a hard one for me because I’m normally the type of person doing 5 things at once and always on the go. Experiencing that pregnancy exhaustion was like nothing I had ever felt before (especially in the first trimester). Not feeling like my normal energetic self was a hard adjustment but I finally realized this is just a chapter in my life. I wasn’t always going to feel like this and my body was telling me what it needed- REST! I took on fewer commitments and asked for help when I needed it.

Google is not your friend

I was the worst at looking up every single pregnancy symptom I had and getting anxiety from the google results. I tried to avoid it but it was so easy and always there. My husband and I would have an ongoing joke any time I felt something weird saying “no google”. I finally started reaching out to other moms and my doctor versus relying on Mr. Google for my answers and that relieved a lot of my anxiety. Finding out what they experienced and how they felt during their pregnancy was not only informative but a huge relief.

Trust your instincts

I had a relatively healthy and routine pregnancy until the last couple of weeks. I started to sense something was off immediately and I’m glad that I pushed the doctors to keep checking because I ended up being induced early for placenta issues. When it comes to you and the baby’s health you should never feel like you are being the “new mom” when bringing up anything that feels off. You know your body and you will know when something changes. Make that doctor appt to get double-checked. Don’t hesitate.

Include the hubby

This was an important one we worked really hard at in our family. I wanted my husband to be a part of the process as much as possible. I think it’s important to realize your body is changing and you’re dealing with new exciting/scary things but your partner is also on this journey too. Even though he might not have the pregnancy symptoms his life is also changing. Including them in the small and big decisions can go along way.

Things can change FAST.

I’m all for having a birth plan but with some flexibility. The OB we chose was a practice that had about 7 rotating doctors. Even though I had favorites I knew I wouldn’t know until the day of who we would have. That was hard to grasp at first as a new mom (and the planner in me) however I knew we would be in good hands with all of those doctors. I also ended up being induced on short notice at 38 weeks given the circumstances in my third trimester so our birth plan pretty much went out the window. You don’t know what those last couple days will look like but keeping you and baby healthy should always be at the top of that birth plan. Leave flexibility for everything else.

-Stella