Tips for Pregnant Women From a Recently Pregnant Woman

• Every pregnancy is different so don’t panic when yours isn’t progressing just like your friend’s or when your friends’ advice doesn’t work for you.  I needed a heating pad and a back massager to get through pregnancy.  Other people will swear by special pillows or something like that.  Try stuff out and see what works for you.
• Be flexible.  I really wanted a natural birth, but it didn’t turn out that way.  And that’s all right.  Keep in mind that it doesn’t always go like you think it will and make sure you’re okay with that.
• Don’t stress about packing your hospital bag.  In fact, fill it with clothes for your partner to wear because you will likely stay in your hospital gown. (Mine was a cute nursing gown with pink flowers not the typical open backed gown you might think.  A friend who visited me in the hospital actually complimented me on it thinking that it was mine from home.)
• The first few days of nursing will be difficult.  Just know that going in.  Bring a nursing pillow with you to the hospital, and don’t be afraid to call a nurse to help you every single time.  Have a pump ahead of time in case you are advised to supplement nursing with expressed milk as I was.  Also, expressing milk will allow you the peace of mind that your baby is actually getting milk.
• On a similar note, rooming-in with the baby is ideal, but don’t be afraid to put the baby in the nursery if you need to sleep for a couple of hours.  It was absolutely necessary for us.
• Accept all gifts and hand-me-downs graciously even if they aren’t what you think you’ll use.  You never know what your baby will want.