5 Tips for Soon-to-Be Mothers

If you’re expecting a child in the near future, you might feel overwhelmed with the massive amount of information that’s available about what you should know as a soon-to-be parent. You’ve surely heard stories from family members about what pregnancy and childbirth was like for them, but that was decades ago. It’s 2021 and science and technology has evolved tremendously over the past several years in the United States alone.

Everything from the use of ultrasounds to the level of care available for expecting mothers has evolved and will continue to evolve in the future. We are going to go over some of the best tips for soon-to-be mothers so you can have some peace of mind during this process.

1. Know your rights in labor and delivery.

Many women follow orders given by medical staff without questioning them during their stay at the hospital before, during, and after childbirth. There might be some protocols that are specific to the hospital you are staying in, but the bottom line is that you have many legal rights you might not be aware of that could help you in following your original birth plan.

If you have specific requests, such as delaying the umbilical cord from being cut early to help with your baby’s blood flow, or skin-to-skin contact with your baby immediately following its departure from your birth canal, you have every right to voice these things during your stay.

Unfortunately, the risk of birth injury isn’t as uncommon as you might believe it to be. Each year many hospital births result in things such as fetal distress, brain damage, shoulder dystocia, and even cerebral palsy or other serious injuries for you and your child during the birthing process.

If you want to stay ahead of the game, it might be wise to do a quick Google search for a local attorney, such as”birth injury lawyer in Chicago” to help you understand your legal options if you were to experience medical carelessness or negligence by your obstetrician or other medical professionals present during childbirth. Medical negligence is nothing to be taken lightly and there are several ways to find an experienced birth injury attorney and law firm in your area and get a free consultation.

2. Stay active and eat healthy.

One of the best ways to have a healthy pregnancy is to continue light to moderate exercise during the entire nine months you’re expecting, unless your primary care provider advises otherwise due to any preexisting conditions you might have.

Walking, light aerobic exercise, and prenatal yoga are great places to start if you’re unsure of how to implement an exercise routine into your pregnancy. There are several resources online to help get you started on your exercise journey such as Step Fitness Online (stepfitnessonline.com). There are also trainers that specialize in prenatal exercise if you want to get started with an expert and have help every step of the way.

3. Get an ultrasound machine.

Technology has evolved so much over the past several years when it comes to giving expecting mothers peace of mind while they are growing a child. Many mothers swear by purchasing a personal ultrasound to help track the growth of their baby over the nine month course. These small ultrasound machines are portable, flexible, and give you the ability to upload the data and images to your smart devices and the cloud in a timely manner. The portability of these machines is revolutionary and most users report having a great experience over the lifetime of their subscription.

It might be wise to check with your healthcare provider before you purchase this device so you can both be on the same page when it comes to monitoring the health of your baby.

4. Don’t compare your pregnancy to others.

Everyone’s pregnancy looks different. While some women experience dreadful nausea that seems to last the entire nine months, others don’t report having any symptoms of morning sickness. Unless you are worried about the health of your baby or yourself, it’s important to remember there is a wide range of symptom severity among every expecting mother.

5. Plan for everything you will need ahead of time.

From getting the nursery finished to signing your newborn up for daycare if you plan to go back to work in the near future, it’s important to get these things out of the way early. It might be a good idea to make a big list of everything you want done before you give birth and check it daily to see what you can get done and what you can’t.

Don’t worry if you don’t get to everything by the time the big day comes. There’s only so much you can do in nine months and either way your baby will have everything it needs when he or she is brought back to a loving home and safe environment.