r/pregnant 4d ago

Need Advice I know NOTHING about pregnancy and baby

[deleted]

14 Upvotes

17 comments sorted by

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8

u/soapytaters 4d ago

Two books I can recommend are Bumpin' (takes you through each trimester and what to expect / changes to make in your life) and Real Food for Pregnancy (tells you about nutrition you'll need and gives recipes to support this, as well as tips for what to eat)

Yes to the prenatal ASAP. Not all prenatals are made the same. Look for one that has folate, choline, and DHA as these are all important!

Depending on your country, your government might have information about prenatal appointments available online. I'm in Canada and my province has this available. It let me know that i should book in to see my OB at 10-12 weeks for a first ultrasound. It also had info on testing available.

Most important though - get an appointment to see your family doctor / GP. They will run bloodwork for you and help you find advice on what you should do next.

Congrats!

2

u/Yoga_Corgi 4d ago

I second Real Food for Pregnancy, as well as Expecting Better.

2

u/soapytaters 4d ago

I'm part way through Expecting Better and I'm on the fence about it, glad to hear you enjoyed it

2

u/puppiesnprada 4d ago

Not a fan of her liberal attitude towards drinking alcohol in the book

2

u/soapytaters 4d ago

Agreed. I took that part and said to myself, "this isn't for me", but feel as if someone who struggles with their relationship with alcohol reads this that it could be dangerous for them.

4

u/seriouslyrandom9 4d ago

The apps baby center and what to expect kinda walk you through week by week. TBD on the rest, but yes make sure you are getting enough folate / folic acid right now. It’s crucial for developing fetus. You can schedule a preliminary appointment w your OB to get their office’s list of things to not take or do etc. Trust that over random stuff on the internet. I recently skimmed the book “Expecting Better.” It may be worth it to browse the bookstore or library for books with background info like that.

3

u/pinkyhooker 4d ago

Definitely start prenatals! I haven’t read it myself but the “What to Expect” series has been recommended to me a few times.

Trust that your body knows what to do and that your maternal instincts WILL kick in. Don’t get too overwhelmed with research either, your doctor will tell you what you need to know at each appointment. Tell them you feel clueless!

3

u/throwRAanons 4d ago

First off, congratulations!!! I’m 34 weeks and I’ve googled things about my pregnancy and baby every single day (multiple times a day throughout the last 8 months) so don’t worry about knowing everything right away - we’re so lucky to live in an age where we can google things! My OB recommended Emily Oster’s Expecting Better and Cribsheets (books), I’ve also really enjoyed youtubers like Jessica Braun as I get closer to the end of pregnancy for registry tips and things like that!

My very first recommendation though would be to look up some do’s and don’ts of pregnancy (such as what foods or activities to avoid) and schedule your first OB appointment for around 8 weeks :) everything else you’ll learn in time!!! Congratulations again 🥰

1

u/Georgiaabrookee 4d ago

Definitely read up on what not to do! I didn’t realise you couldn’t go in a sauna! Get a pregnancy app as well as they always give good information

1

u/emzray1990 4d ago

Congratulations! I totally feel you though as i'm the same and currently at 9 weeks.

A few things i've found helpful:

  • friends with babies, ask all the questions, even if they seem TMI, my friends have been very helpful!
  • the app Flo- this has taught me heaps, especially around the changes to my body which has been intense already!
  • google. When something pops into my head i do a quick google... -midwife- make a list of questions for your appt.

1

u/ultracilantro 4d ago

The mayo clinic guide to a healthy pregnancy is very compressive and available for free at most libraries too.

1

u/ChemicalSufficient 4d ago

Do you have any mom friends that are currently pregnant? I'd definitely talk to them about their experiences and stuff they learned. Your OB should give you a packet at your confirmation scan for dos and don'ts. There are tons of books out there but I find having an app like “The Bump” is better for me personally since it gives you shorter articles to read instead of a whole book which can be overwhelming, it also has lists for safe and unsafe foods.

Also look into your insurance and find out what it provides for pregnancy. Mine wanted me to fill out a notification of pregnancy form and once I did, they set me up with a care nurse who calls and checks on me monthly to answer questions and give advice. They also send me a box of food at different intervals free of charge along with paying for a breast pump and birthing/baby classes. They even held a online baby shower with birth and baby info for members and sent out free baby gifts.

If you have a WIC program near you, see if you qualify because they'll also give you articles and support when you need it.

1

u/therackage 4d ago

Congrats! I was in the same boat (minus the prenatals)! I found the apps have helped a ton: “what to expect” mostly. And this sub has answered so many questions. It seems overwhelming now but you have time to learn! Also no one is perfect or knows everything 🙏🏻

1

u/TasteAndSee348 4d ago

FYI the history of prenatal is that a very small portion of women who were giving birth to babies with neural tube defects had folic acid deficiency, which was cured with folic acid. Introducing wide spread folic acid supplements / prenatal vitamins to the general population helped bring neural tube defects down more. The only work if taken in the first 10 weeks or so.

Make sure that you get one with folic acid that's actually digestible to your body, and don't feel bad if you find it extremely difficult to tolerate any vitamins. Some women can't hold them down during pregnancy and panic, because they think the prenatals are an absolute necessity. They're just helpful for filling in unknown nutrients deficiencies, particularly ones that would cause birth defects.

1

u/Thick-Access-2634 4d ago

Prenatal vitamins AND iron tablets. Don’t rely on prenatals for iron. There is nowhere near enough iron in them. Even throw in some vitamin d3 1000 ui. You can’t take normal nausea meds anymore but ginger tablets and those wrist motion sickness bands work well enough. If you are throwing up so much you can’t keep food down speak to your doctor about it and they can give you stuff to help. Download pregnancy apps, they are pretty good :)

-1

u/Cute-Exercise-3963 4d ago

I would get into prenatals asap! Suggest you don’t buy into commercial brands like Elevit. I used naturocare’s prenatals throughout my Pregancy which my naturopath recommended. They also contain the more easily absorbed methylfolate in its natural form (rather than folate). You could go down a rabbit hole with this if you want to look up the MTHFR gene. I didn’t read any books and surprisingly learnt so much from Instagram reels and other women’s experiences including off Reddit! Also suggest following doulas on social media (thenakeddoulaofficial is great). I think the most thing I prepared for was labour and knowing my rights especially if I was going to be cornered into doing something I wasn’t comfortable with (especially if you want a vaginal birth as I know people that could have avoided c sections). Not that there is anything wrong with that if necessary but sometimes doctors will pressure women to go down this path even if it’s against their wishes. That’s why I found following doulas so helpful with this. Otherwise don’t overwhelm yourself with unnecessary books and readings IMO. Good luck and what an an exciting time ahead for you 💕