Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

Is it just me, or does nine months actually last longer when you’re pregnant?  From the second you see the double blue lines on the pregnancy test, time just creeps by.  It’s especially hard during the first trimester.  Your due date is two whole seasons away, after all.  You’re not showing yet, so buying maternity clothes is a little premature.  You think about the baby all the time and would love to talk about it with someone, but your friends’ eyes start to glaze over after a few minutes of baby-centered conversation.  You may not have even told friends and family the exciting news yet.  Even the ObGyn doesn’t want to see you for a whole month.  So what’s a girl to do with all that pent-up excitement?

The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do right now to help pass the time.  Even if you’re plenty busy with work, activities, and life in general, it’s still fun to do something baby related. 

Journaling
One of the best ways to relieve the pre-baby excitement jitters is to write down your thoughts and feelings.  Choosing the journal is half the fun.  There are tons of pregnancy journals and blank books on the market with every look and feel imaginable.  You can fill in the blanks and add pictures, or just stick to writing paragraph entries. 

Starting a Pregnancy & Baby Showcase on our website is another great way to keep your writing, photos, videos, and milestones in one place.  Once you’ve chosen a medium, be sure to add entries at least every week.  Things change fast when you’re pregnant!  Believe it or not, after this is all over, you’ll actually look back to see when you started having morning sickness, or how long your hemorrhoids lasted.  You’ll never get the chance to record the experience of being pregnant with this baby again!

Virtual Decorating
You may not be quite ready to install the crib and hang pink or blue curtains yet, but now is a great time to look for nursery décor inspiration.  Grab a friend and hit the baby stores to see what the latest trends are.  No impulse buying, though.  There is still plenty of time to change your mind, and pregnant women are known for being fickle.  Tell yourself, and all the sales associates, that you’re just shopping.  You might take your camera along to capture your favorite designs.  If you’d rather not go out on the town, internet shopping is actually more convenient and offers a wider variety of ideas.  Just be sure to put the printouts or pictures in a notebook for future reference. 

Plan Announcements
Choosing birth announcements can be a lot of fun, but it can also be overwhelming if you wait to make that decision after the baby comes.  Now is a good time to collect samples of announcements from friends, family, internet catalogs, and even photographers’ websites.  Make a list of your favorites and start thinking about whether you want to have them made or if you want to make them yourself.  If you’re going to make them, this is a good time to collect the materials.  If you choose to order them or have a photographer make them, be sure to check on the pricing.  You don’t want to end up spending the kid’s college fund on his birth announcements.

Watch Baby TV
Whether you’re normally a TV junkie or not, there’s something about being pregnant that makes you want to watch those shows that follow new parents through the labor and delivery process.  They’re slightly cheesy and pretty predictable, but go ahead and give into the urge to watch them anyway.  A word of advice, though - stick to the programs that all have happy endings.  The edgier dramas that feature a different prenatal problem every episode will just give you something new to worry about every day.  Stick with the ones that have sappy music and canned dialogue, and rest assured that the desire to watch them will pass once the baby comes.

Research the Fun Stuff
Okay, so research isn’t usually something you do for fun.  But when you’re growing a new little person inside of you, it’s exciting to find information about what might lie ahead.  That’s probably why the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting has been popular for so long.  It’s reassuring to see that the changes in your body are normal, and it’s fun to see the illustrations of what the baby looks like each month.  Some newer books have chapters for each week, which is even better for those of us who crave new information as often as possible.  Of course, the internet is the largest source of information.  You might even discover a message board or discussion group to join for hours of “prego” sharing and commiserating.

Tackle the Not-So-Fun Stuff
This is a great time to make a list of the things you need to do before the baby comes.  It will be much harder to accomplish even the simplest tasks once you have a new, little dictator in the house.  Whether you need to clear out a room for the nursery, organize your own closet, or call to sign up for labor and delivery classes, there’s no time like the present to get things done.  If you start now and complete one task at a time, you’ll be more than ready by the time the big day arrives. 

Pamper Yourself
Life with a baby is the most rewarding experience ever, but it comes with a price.  Most of us don’t realize what a price we’re paying until we look in the mirror and realize we haven’t had a haircut, a manicure, or new clothes in months.  Most new moms would agree that you’re doing great to just get a shower every morning.  So use your time alone wisely.  Catch up on your reading, get that pedicure you’ve been putting off, and by all means, sleep a lot.  Uninterrupted sleep is a luxury you’ll miss soon!

Of course, the most important thing to remember is to take it easy and just enjoy your new life.  Things may not feel much different yet, but they will soon.  You’re about to be a mommy, and that is the best job you’ll ever have!