Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

And you thought the learning curve was steep with your first baby! When you add another child to your family, it throws everything out of balance for a while, and both you and your older child will have to make some adjustments. You’ll all have to prepare for more noise, more chaos, and more love. And if you have a blended family, you may need some special tools. If you’re about to embark on the journey of raising more than one child, the tips and tricks of the experienced moms below may help make that trek a little smoother.

It’s what got you into this predicament. But now that you’re pregnant, sex can morph from a wonderful part of your marriage into an area of misunderstanding, hurt feelings, and frustration. With emotions already running high during pregnancy and post-partum, couples need to feel connected more than ever. And if you’re able to maintain a romantic and physical bond, it will make this period in your life even sweeter. Here are some tips from women who’ve been there.

A misconception regarding sex and a pregnant mother is that a pregnant woman has no desire for sex, and that female orgasms are dangerous in some way or another.  Another misconception about intercourse during pregnancy is that the unborn can hear or is otherwise aware of the act. The truth is, the baby is completely protected by the amniotic sac, and the penis will not hurt or come near the baby at all.

It’s normal for expectant parents to feel uncomfortable and anxious about sex during pregnancy because of fears that the unborn baby might somehow be injured or that the mother is experiencing a medical condition that makes her body weak. These are common misconceptions and fears, but unless there are complications with the pregnancy that will make sex dangerous or add a high risk of miscarriage or preterm birth, there is no reason to behave any differently about sex during pregnancy.

What it is about a pregnant belly that makes you a target for unsolicited advice?  Have you noticed that moms-to-be are bombarded by “helpful” comments from every well meaning co-worker, neighbor, and relative?  Even complete strangers feel free to give you their opinions when you’re about to have a baby.

People feel comfortable saying things to pregnant women that they would never say otherwise.  Maybe they think that pregnant women and new moms are tender, motherly, friendly, and therefore open to random comments from everybody and their dog?  I don’t know, but it’s definitely an issue every mother has to deal with from the day she starts wearing maternity clothes.  I’ll never forget the lady who told me she thought I was just bloated because it was “that time of the month” when I was four months pregnant and first announced that I was expecting.  I was her child’s teacher.  Who says something like that to their child’s teacher?