How to Stay at Ease during Your First Pregnancy

Pregnancy for a first-time mother can be a pretty awesome yet daunting idea. The thought that a person is growing inside you can be quite overwhelming sometimes, especially if you don’t know what’s really going on. It helps to know what to expect in your pregnancy week by week, as this will help you be attuned to, and hopefully more accepting of, the changes happening your body. At the same time, if there are any unusual symptoms going on, you will immediately be able to tell and consult with your doctor as soon as possible.

Here are few things that most soon-to-be mothers usually want to know about their pregnancy on a weekly basis:

1.Weight Gain to Expect

Yes, it is the most natural and obvious thing to expect some weight gain while you are pregnant. You probably already know that. The uncertainty lies in how much you are expected to gain. This value is estimated usually based on your height and weight before pregnancy—values used to get your Body Mass Index or BMI. This BMI value will tell you what BMI classification you belong to. Knowing this classification will then determine the estimated weight gain expected for your BMI classification. Ideally, you should stick to this weight gain range since gaining too much and too little can cause some untoward effects in your body and the baby’s.

2.Growth and Development of the Baby

The whole 9 months of your pregnancy is an event you don’t get to experience frequently, so you may want to get really involved in this. One way of doing so is by knowing what’s really going on inside of you. Your doctor will most likely request occasional visits at the start of pregnancy, the frequency of which will only increase if there are some problems in the pregnancy. Your obstetrician will try to “visualize” the baby using an ultrasound device—and again, this is not frequently done at the beginning unless the doctor warrants it.

Other than visits to the doctor, you can actually learn about the development of your baby week by week using pregnancy books, online sites, and mother-and-baby magazines as references. We live in an age where information is right at your fingertips, just waiting for you to reach out and grab it. But, of course, you need to make sure you are getting the right kind of information, so validate the references’ credentials first before absorbing everything that’s being said.

3.What to Expect during Labor and Delivery

Now, this is the climax of this wonderful, miraculous phase in your life. This is the pinnacle towards which you are moving, and once overcome, you get the best reward of all—your baby in your arms! You’ve probably heard plenty of stories, both great and horrible, regarding this final stage in your pregnancy, so try not to listen to both unless they are told in an objective manner. All you need to know is how you should prepare for it. Some questions you will most likely ask are: Are Lamaze classes really necessary? What should I put in the hospital bag? What foods or drinks should I avoid/eat more? What are symptoms that tell me I’m undergoing labor? These questions can readily be answered by your doctor, but you can read more about it in your spare time.

Just like in most situations in life, it really helps to be informed about the whole process because it makes everything much easier to handle when you know what to expect. There are now online sites you can visit to guide you through your pregnancy on a weekly basis (see week by week pregnancy development in ivillage.co.uk). Of course, nothing beats having regular check-ups with your doctor, so make sure never to miss the appointments he or she makes for you.