Hello people of the blogosphere,
I spent some time these last few mornings visiting other
blogs about pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, and I loved
reading about people’s personal experiences. I found everything from labor and
delivery nurses, to first time moms, to moms who are “pros” after having had 5
or more babies, to expectant and new dads. Birth is such a personal,
transformative event, that these personal stories richly add to our
understanding and joy of it. And while we of course want you to read our blog, be encouraged to “shop around” to find all the
information you need to make decisions that are best for you, your family, and
your coming baby.
But before asking you to share some of your personal
pregnancy and childbirth experiences with us, I want to share a few of the
fascinating and fun things I learned that may ring true with your experiences
or inspire you to learn more. Here are some of my favorite tidbits:
1.)
Most of us have heard of (or actually experienced) odd and
intense pregnancy cravings, but do you know just how odd they can get?
According to a 2008 study reported by the BBC, some pregnant women experience
picaundefineda craving for nonfood items. Specifically, they found that 31% of the
women they studied experienced pica during their pregnancies. Pica cravings can
include things like coal, mud, plaster, soap, and even matches. Talk about a
hazard! The cause of pica is mysterious, though many blame hormonal changes or
missing nutrients in one’s diet.
http://www.fitpregnancy.com/blog/news/You-Want-to-Eat-What-89958932.html
2.)
And what about those cravings for pickles we always here
about? Well, here is a new way to satisfy that sour need! Check out Bob’s
Pickle Popsundefinedpopsicles made from pickle juice that help regulate blood sugar. I
must confess, this was a special finding for me, because I often take a few
chugs from the pickle jar after the pickles are gone, because nothing satisfies
that tart, salty craving like pickle juice.
http://bobspicklepops.com/
3.)
I found a list of 29 ways to induce labor at home on one
blogger’s page. Of course nature will take its course and babies should come
when they are good and ready, but there are some non-invasive ways to get
things started if you just want to see that baby come! A few to consider are
swinging on a swing, eating pineapple, galloping, and going on a really bumpy
car ride (visit the website for all 29 ways).
http://www.hisboyscanswim.com/2498/29-ways-to-induce-labor-at-home-naturally
4.)
In the same blog mentioned above, mother and father to be
diligently took pictures every week of mom’s expanding belly, from 11-40 weeks.
They even posted one postpartum belly shot that mom could use to start tracking
her weight loss after the baby came.
http://www.hisboyscanswim.com/about/growing-pregnant-belly-week-by-week
5.)
As I can imagine, finding maternity clothes that are
affordable and make you feel good might be challenging! And that is for
everyday clothes, let alone special occasions. The blogger at this site gives a
little advice on how to shop for special events as your body continues to
change, and as she herself gears up for “wedding season.” She suggests waiting
2-3 weeks before the event so your body does not have too much time to change.
Did you know that some maternity stores have fake baby bumps that will help you
gauge what your body might look like when it gets a little larger to help you
try on clothes?
http://pregnancy.families.com/blog/what-to-wear-wedding-season
6.)
In a blog about what the author considers the top ten
milestones of being pregnant and having a baby, she mentions something that
immediately rang true for me, even though I do not have children and am not
pregnant. She lists finding out you are pregnant as the number one milestone
and mentions the range of responses women might have. At the very end, she says
that some women (and I would add expectant dads and partners, too) immediately
start scheming fun and exciting ways to share the news. Believe it or not, I
have already begun some of this brainstorming myself…even though pregnancy is
while off for my fiancé and I (hopefully). This is especially true since we are
hoping to teach in Russia for several years after we graduate from college;
even though we would rather not have our first baby out of country, we all know
pregnancy can be entirely sporadic! So just in case that happens, we need to
come up with an exciting way to tell our friends and family back home. J
http://pregnancy.families.com/blog/top-ten-pregnancy-milestones-part-2
So those are some of my favorites, but there are lots more
out there. While not all of what I listed above has a personal story to them,
some of them do, and many more exist on the Internet. I would have loved
sharing personal experiences with you in my blogs so far, but as I have
mentioned on several occasions now, I am not a mom, so I have no extremely
relevant experiences to draw from. But you probably do! And we would love to
hear about what pregnancy and birth were like for you seekers of
mother-friendly care! So tell us about a part of your story in a commentundefinedit
just might catch someone’s eye and inspire us all.