What to eat

It's important to eat a variety of foods including:
Plenty of fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or a glass of juice). Aim for at least five portions per day. Starchy foods like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes they'll help give you the extra energy you'll need.

Fibre, found in wholegrain bread, breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, pulses, fruit and vegetables. After childbirth, some women experience bowel problems
and find constipation particularly painful, fibre helps with both of these.

Protein such as lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs and pulses.

Fish at least twice a week.

Dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yoghurt, these contain calcium and are a good source of protein.

What to avoid

Eating fish is good for your health and the development of your baby. Avoid more than two portions of oily fish a week. Oily fish includes fresh tuna(not canned), mackerel, sardines and trout. Avoid eating more than one portion of shark, swordfish or marlin a week, because of the levels of mercury in these fish, (women who are pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, should avoid these altogether). If you think that some foods that you eat are affecting your baby, consult your health professional.

Remember breastfeeding is best for baby for a mother's milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development.

For detailed information on breastfeeding visit The Breastfeeding Bible.

Most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do formula. Breast milk has agents (called antibodies) in it to help protect infants from bacteria and viruses and to help them fight off infection and disease. Human milk straight from the breast is always sterile.

For More Information On Nutrition During Pregnancy visit Babies Worldwide.

What abut peanuts?

Peanuts are a common causes of food allergy, affecting about 1% of people, and peanut allergy can cause severe reactions. Your baby may be at higher risk of developing a peanut allergy if you, the baby's father, brothers or sisters have a food allergy or other allergic conditions such as hayfever, asthma and/or eczema. Don't give peanuts or peanut products to children who are at higher risk before they are three years old.

How much to eat and drink

Most women's bodies are very efficient at making breast milk - which provides
all the nutrients a baby needs for healthy development in the first months
of life - so you don't need to eat for two. But it's important that you eat a healthy balanced diet.

Remember breastfeeding is best for mom Breastfeeding saves times and money. You do not have to purchase, measure, and mix formula, and there are no bottles to warm in the middle of the night.

Breastfeeding also helps a mother bond with her baby. Physical contact is important to newborns and can help them feel more secure, warm and comforted.

Nursing uses up extra calories, making it easier to lose the pounds gained from pregnancy. It also helps the uterus to get back to its original size more quickly and lessens any bleeding a woman may have after giving birth. Breastfeeding also may lower the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Find out more about breastfeeding at: The Breastfeeding Bible.

When breastfeeding you need to drink as much as possible. If you feel thirsty, this means you're already dehydrated. If your urine is dark and has a strong smell, this is also a sign that you are not drinking enough. Keep a drink by your side before you settle down to breastfeed, like water, milk or fruit juice.

See our Baby Food Recipes For 6 Months And Over brought to you by Babies Worldwide

There were little twin boys in a mother's womb and after a while they became aware of each other and they became aware of the cord. They decided, as they were chatting among themselves, that their mother must love them very much because she was sharing her very own life with them.

After a while they became aware of some changes in themselves, like little nails coming etc., and they asked themselves, 'What's this...what's happening?' And one of them said, 'we're going to be born.'

The other one said, 'Born! I don't want to be born, I want to stay where I am.'

'Well, you can't stay where you are, you have to be born.'

'Ah, I don't want to! How do you know there's any life after this? Did you ever see anybody who was ever born?'

The other twin said, 'no, but there, there must be..'

And the first one said, 'how do you know there's a mother anyhow...I bet you we only invented her for our own security.'

And here you have the two of them arguing. One of them is already a little atheist and the other a man of faith. Put it another way, means the child of faith has proof of nothing. For if you had the proof you wouldn't need faith.

So, eventually they know it's time, it's safe and they are born. And they open their eyes, and they look at each other, and they look up at the face of their mother, and then they look at each other again, as if to say, 'Weren't we foolish? Surely this is something marvellous, and we could never have understood this!'

Shop everything you need for pregnancy, baby and toddler products at the BabyCenter Store.

There are two things certain: expecting a baby is an exciting time, especially if it is your first one and secondly you are going to be very, very busy. There is the crib to be bought, rooms to be childproofed and of course decorating the nursery.

Let's talk nursery. First things first, get the tape out and get exact measurements; you'll not remember them so write them down. Better still make a scale drawing of the room marking in the location of closets, windows and doors. If you printer doubles up as a photocopier make six copies and keep the original safe. If you already have nursery furniture cut out pieces of paper to represent the furniture and then you can rearrange them on the paper to see what works best.

If you haven't got the furniture yet then take your drawing along with you to help choose pieces that will fit into the nursery. You might be surprised at the suggestions a salesperson can make if you show them your plan.

Now let's talk money! It would be great to give baby the best of everything, all those cute little extras, but be practical you only have a limited budget. Don't go near a store without knowing your budget. If you do you may walk away with plenty of nice looking baby goods but you'll also walk away with a debt you can do without.

If you know what you want then why not buy online quite often goods purchased online are considerably cheaper and you have a much larger range to choose from. SEE BABY AMAZON BELOW, OR TRY EBAY. If you are going to have to go into debt then consider a small personal loan it works out cheaper than the credit card.

When shopping for nursery furniture, try to find pieces that will "grow" with your child. Many cribs can be converted into toddler beds and even twin beds as you child grows. They may be a more expensive at the start, but they will save you money later on. And if you are having a baby shower then be sure to register for furniture, bedding and other nursery items.

Do you know babies gender? Then you may want to choose a theme that has a gender preference. If you do not know the baby's gender, or if you simply prefer, white, ivory, soft yellow and mint green are popular colours for nurseries.

A last thought don't forget your own comfort if you can afford it splash out on a rocking chair. You will be spending quite some time there often in the early hours of the morning. Believe me it is nicer to sit in a rocking chair trying to reassure baby than walking the floor.

Like it or not you'll have to make changes to your home. Are you planning to co-sleep with the baby or are you planning a separate room for it. If space permits we recommend having a separate room for your new baby, even if the new baby is going to be sleeping with the new parents for the first couple of months. That's where most of us men come in handy, I mean doing the decorating.

A baby crib, some toys, a place to put all the baby's clothes, a few shelves for lotions, creams, diaper wipes, etc near to the changing table really are a must.

On the car front don't forget that a baby chair is essential - get it now before baby arrives home from hospital.

If you've had previous babies before, you probably don't need too many new baby clothes. New babies outgrow their clothes terribly fast and it'd be a waste of money to splurge on new clothes. You can get hand-me-downs from nieces and nephews too, if you want. What you should probably get are blankets, sweaters, coats, and clothes for going out. At home, your new baby's not going to mind old clothes. In fact, it's a fact that your new baby is probably going to like wearing the old clothes better than the new clothes.

If this is your first baby don't forget the feeding utensils like baby bowls, breast pump for mum (if she's planning to pump breast milk for the new baby at work), baby bottles, cloth nappies, diapers, baby wipes, lotions, shampoo, bath gels, towels, baby blankets, baby bedding, bibs, stroller, etc.
It is a fact that we dads tend to overdo it on the worry front. If this is your first time around try and not get to excited or to worried enjoy the experience. It really is a great privilege been a dad - and it is super exciting first time around. If you have any difficulties you can always ask a friend or another family member for some unbiased advice.

One final word, and it really is most important, if you have any concerns at all about your baby's health, ANY CONCERNS, see your doctor or health care worker straight away - your baby is unique.

This article was brought to you courtesy of Babies Worldwide an online resource for new and expectant mothers. Babies Worldwide is part of worldwide-infomedia services

Would you like to work at home and be with your baby growing up? Holly Mann done it, so can you Click GO

I've received a number of emails recently from new mums telling me that they have set up blogs to announce the birth of their baby and to keep it as a sort of online dairy - and a great idea it is. Don't say anything but I've told them all their baby is the cutest :) I've also noticed a number of these blogs online - some I must say better than others.

If you are at all interested in starting a blog a good place to begin is with Blogger it's free and you could have one up and running in about ten minutes. I would suggest that even though Blogger is completely free you should think of how you can make some money from it.

My own mentor Holly Mann explains how anyone can make a living via the web. Holly's earnings went from $0 to $12,000 per month is just 4 months