Life (in the making) Through a Lens!
Pregnancy is an exciting and often liberating time in life, although it can also be a bit overwhelming and scary too.
During my own three pregnancies I craved information. I desperately wanted to discover what stage of development my baby had reached and what changes were going on with my own body.
I got through volumes of books - before the end of the first trimester! Then, when each of my babies arrived, I didn't get time to read anything for months...
So, although this lens will focus on pregnancy, it will also have a little bit about breastfeeding too! Hence the title!
Considering that we spend 9 months nourishing our unborn baby, it make sense to me to try to continue with this when the baby arrives. Rather than waiting until your baby is born to decide whether or not to breastfeed, I think it's best to be armed with the facts beforehand - when you have time to absorb and digest the info!
Since having my own children I've become a strong advocate of breastfeeding and I have a website devoted to advising and supporting breastfeeding and expectant mums, www.BreastFeedingMums.com. I also have a blog detailing my own busy breastfeeding life - BreastFeedingMums Blog!
I have a few ideas for articles which I will post over the next few weeks and it will grow from there, I hope!
Enjoy my lens and please sign my GuestBook to let me know about your pregnancy/breastfeeding experiences!
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Please add your opinion to our poll!
Preparing for Pregnancy
Getting Pregnant
Think about whether there are any hereditary medical or family conditions that need to be considered before you get pregnant.
Contraception
If you have been using any form of contraception you will obviously need to stop!
You are most likely to conceive if you have intercourse around 5 days before you ovulate.
Lifestyle Changes
Both potential mums and dads should take extra care of their diet and lifestyle when they are considering having a baby.
If either or both of you smoke or drink, you should ideally cease altogether or at the very least cut down drastically.
Dietary Changes
Improve your diet. It is important to build up a good store of vitamins and minerals before you get pregnant and during your pregnancy, both for the health and development of your baby and for breastfeeding.
Body Weight
Even if you are not yet pregnant, you still risk high blood pressure and diabetes if you are overweight.
Stress
Stress can be detrimental to both mother and baby as it can cause high blood pressure and even spontaneous labour in some cases.
Caffeine
It is generally believed that moderate caffeine consumption is fine. Try to cut down if you drink a lot of coffee or other caffeine-rich drinks, especially in the early weeks.
Folic Acid/ Folate
Women are often advised to take 400 micrograms of folic acid supplements from twelve weeks pre-pregnancy until twelve weeks into the pregnancy.
Hazards at Work
Some working environments can lead to fertility problems or even pose a risk to the developing baby. Workplaces that may be a risk include those that work with some chemicals, X-rays, lead and anaesthetic gases.
Think carefully about the new life you will be bringing into the world, make the necessary changes to your lifestyle and diet and then at least you know you are giving your longed-for baby the very best chances of developing into a healthy human being.
This is an edited version of Preparing for Pregnancy by Sinead Hoben. Visit http://www.breastfeedingmums.com for the full article.
Early Pregnancy Symptoms
14 Signs of Pregnancy
· Nausea/ Vomiting
"Morning Sickness" can occur very early on in pregnancy, even before you realise that you are pregnant.
· Enhanced Sense of Smell and Taste
Common foodstuffs, such as tea, coffee and toast, can trigger nausea.
· Frequent Urination
This can happen as early as 1 week into the pregnancy.
· Breast Tenderness
Breasts and nipples enlarge and become extremely tender very early on in pregnancy.
· Tiredness
You may feel absolutely exhausted very early on in pregnancy and throughout the first trimester.
· Missed Period
For most women this can be the first indication that they are pregnant.
· Light Bleeding/ Spotting
About 8-10 days after ovulation some women experience some light bleeding which coincides with the time a period was due.
· Dizziness/ Fainting
Because pregnancy affects the sense of taste and smell, lots of pregnant women avoid food and skip meals. This causes low blood sugar levels which can lead to dizzy spells and fainting.
· Constipation
Pregnancy hormones slow down your metabolism and this can lead to constipation.
· Irritability
With lots of pregnancy hormones raging through your body, as well as coping with sickness and tiredness, is it any wonder pregnant women get easily irritated during early pregnancy?
· Heartburn/ Indigestion
Although heartburn and indigestion are usually associated with the later stages of pregnancy, they can also occur early on for some women.
· Changes in Complexion
You might notice your skin breaks out in spots as a result of all the pregnancy hormones coursing through your body, but this often settles down by the second trimester!
· Increased Cervical Mucous
Many pregnant women notice that they pass more cervical mucous than normal and that it is thick and white.
· Weight Loss
You may lose weight during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, considering that most women try to eat more healthily, cut out alcohol and eat less due to a decreased appetite, it is completely normal!
This is an edited version of Early Pregnancy Symptoms by Sinead Hoben. Visit http://www.breastfeedingmums.com for the full article.
Pregnancy in the News
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byPregnancy List
- Lovely Lavender Bubble Bath/Essential Oil
Fluffy Towels
Comfy Pyjamas
Big Cosy Slippers
V-shaped Cushion
Relaxing Music
Scrunchies
Big Hospital Bag/Nappy Changing Bag
Soothing Face Cream
Maternity Bras/Nursing Bras
Nursing Pads for last few weeks of Pregnancy
Belt Extenders
Elasticated Waistbands
Sweets/ Dry Biscuits/ Ginger
Pregnancy Vitamins
Lots of Fresh Fruit/ Veg
Camera/ Camcorder
Breastfeeding Influences
Little Babies and their Mommas will Love...
- Little Babies Online Store
- Little Babies - The Online Parent and Baby Store full of cute products!
Pregnancy Stuff on Amazon
The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 07/19/2008)
The Nursing Mother's Companion: Revised Edition
Amazon Price: $13.18 (as of 07/19/2008)
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Seventh Revised Edition (La Leche League International Book)
Amazon Price: $12.24 (as of 07/19/2008)
The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Gentle Ways to Stop Bedtime Battles and Improve Your Childs Sleep (Pantley)
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 07/19/2008)
Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 07/19/2008)
Blogs I Love!
Find out how other mums are coping with motherhood!
If you know of any others that should be here let me know and I'll have a look!
- Testing the Waters
- Save the Cake! A friend and I were talking about how horrific it would be to fall, trip etc.. while holding your baby. Well, it happened to me.
- Mama Knows Breast
- Mama Knows Breast: Adventures in Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding123.com
- When Mothering magazine ran a contest to design an international breastfeeding icon, over 500 entries poured in from the design and natural family living communities. The contest was inspired by the image of a ba
- Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog
- The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog: support and community for breastfeeding families.
- The Lactivist Blog
- You Know What Happens When You Assume...
One of the lessons I learned with my first daughter is that no matter how pro-breastfeeding you are, you can NEVER make assumptions - Mamac-ta.com
- Most moms can't wait for their babies to start calling them Mommy. Me? I wasn't looking forward to it. Now "Mama" on the other hand, couldn't come fast enough...
- Officially a Mom
- When you get that notion, put your backfield in motion. Officially a Mom Putting that Backfield in Motion since 2003
- Milliners Dream
- Interesting blog covering the many hats a woman must wear throughtout her day to day life!
- Booby Juice
- All about breastfeeding and other things baby!
Links to Lenses I Like!
- Jackie Lee's Breastfeeding Resource Center
- Lots of great advice and tips to help mums breastfeed successfully.
- Breastfeed Your Baby
- Written by a full-time mum, this link has some lovely personal advice to help get you started.
- Pregnancy Reading List
- A personal selection of pregnancy books to start you on a great learning curve!
- Help Me Make Breastfeeding Normal Again
- Written by a breastfeeding mum, this lens has some interesting articles and excellent links to other sites.
- Pregnancy, Birth, and Baby: The Best of Squidoo for Parents-to-Be and New Parents
- Pregnancy, Birth, and Baby: The Best of Squidoo for Parents-to-Be and New Parents
Morning Sickness in Pregnancy
Coping with the Much-Dreaded Morning Sickness
Whilst some women merely feel a little off-colour, other women actually vomit and some are so ill they end up hospitalised.
Here are a few tips to help you cope with the sickness:
Eat little and often. An empty stomach can make you feel worse;
Try keeping dry crackers or biscuits nearby (in a bedside drawer and in your handbag and glove compartment of your car) - especially useful if you feel sick when you are away from home.
A packet of mints, gum or hard sweets to suck on can help keep the metallic taste in your mouth at bay.
Avoid strong smells eg perfume, cooking smells.
Eat slowly.
Take deep slow breaths if you feel ill and try to distract yourself from thinking you will be sick.
For the majority of women the end of the first trimester means the end of the sickness.
If you cannot keep anything down, even water, speak to your GP or health care provider.
Links to My Articles
Articles by Me!
- Preparing for Pregnancy
- Get yourself in tip-top condition before you get pregnant!
- Early Pregnancy Symptoms
- Are you pregnant?
- Breastfeeding Benefits for Baby
- Why breastfeeding is good for your baby.
- Breastfeeding Benefits for Mum
- Why breastfeeding is good for you.
- Preparing for Breastfeeding
- Think about breastfeeding before the baby arrives.
- How to Breastfeed
- Want to breastfeed? Here's how to do it...
- A Picture of Perfection
- A humorous look at getting family photos taken.
- And To All A Goodnight!
- What to do when baby won't go to sleep!
- Bathing a Newborn Baby
- Baby's home, so now what? Here are some bath-time tips...
- The Family Bed
- Have a giggle with this little story about sharing your bed with your little one!
Soothing Pregnancy Music
Some Lovely Music To Help You Relax During Pregnancy, Labour and Birth!
Links to My Sites
Find out About My Other Sites!
- BreastFeedingMums.com
- BreastFeedingMums.com is my first venture onto the world wide web. This site offers lots of pregnancy and breastfeeding information and advice, from articles to mums' own stories, questions and answers to shopping!
- BreastFeedingMums Blog
- This is my blog which traces the development of BreastFeedingMums.com and it is also where I discuss things I am interested in and things that annoy me!
- BookMums
- Are you constantly searching for books your children will love? Well, this is where I review and recommend books that my own children enjoy!
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Links
Some Sites You Might Like!
- BreastFeedingMums.com
- BreastFeedingMums.com is my own breastfeeding website. As a breastfeeding mum myself, I want to help educate women, especially pregnant women, about the benefits of breastfeeding, both for their own health and for their babies.
I wrote most of the articles myself and added some by Dr jack Newman, a world renowned Breastfeeding expert.
I don't want to just push breastfeeding on women but want to help them choose whether or not to breastfeed by presenting them with facts.
BreastFeedingMums.com contain lots of pregnancy and breastfeeding articles addressing such areas as preparing for pregnancy, early pregnancy symptoms right through to extended breastfeeding and weaning tips.
If you do try to breastfeed I would love you to pop by and share your breastfeeding stories or just to sign the guestbook!! - BreastFeedingMums Blog
- This is my blog where I generally rant and rave a bit about being a busy mum, my website, and other things that interest me.
- Pregnancy.org
- As the name suggests, this organisation offers a wealth of information about pregnancy from pre-conception right through to birth and beyond!
- Parenting.ivillage
- This site has some amazing articles about pregnancy and you can join their forums and get involved in discussions. A great resource for expectant, new and not so new parents!
- La Leche League
- An international breastfeeding site for breastfeeding mums and pregnant women wanting information.
- Association of Breastfeeding Mothers
- A UK charity providing free telephone and internet support for breastfeeding mums and those women interested in breastfeeding. Also offers training courses for women considering becoming breastfeeding counsellors.
- www.CheckYourBoobies.org
- Check Your Boobies - a site reminding women how and when to carry out self-examinations.
- Breastfeeding-Art.com
- Beautifully original art pictures and products... Treat yourself to a browse!
Hospital Bags
Things to Pack for the Big Day!
- Labour Bag:
Birth Plan
Night-dress/T-shirt
Dressing Gown
Slippers
TENS Machine, if providing your own
Super absorbant Sanitary Towels
Relaxing Music/ Favourite CD
Photo of your other children/ neices or nephews - very useful during pushing to remind you what the end result will be!
Mirror - if you want to see baby's head crowning!
Baby-gro
Nappy
Baby Blanket
Camera/Camcorder - Spare batteries & film if required!
Mobile Phone/ Money for Public Phone
Bottled Water
Snacks for Partner
Mum's Hospital Bag:
Dressing Gown
Nightdresses/Pyjamas
Slippers
Disposable Underwear
Sanitary Pads Super Absorbant
Nursing Bras
Facecloth
Showergel/Bubble Bath
Shampoo/Conditioner
Make up
Cleanser
Facial Tissues
Deodorant
Fresh Towels
Going Home Clothes & Shoes
Baby's Bag:
Babygros
Nappies
Cotton Wool/ Unscented Baby Wipes
Hooded Towels
Vests
Bibs
Scratch Mittens
Hat
Cardigan
Baby Bubble Bath
Going Home Outfit
Have I Missed Anything?
Successful Breastfeeding - Prepare Yourself!
A few tips to help you succeed.
To stand the best chance of successfully breastfeeding, pregnant women need to prepare during their pregnancy.Successful breastfeeding results from careful planning.
Being committed to breastfeeding, but not placing too much pressure on oneself, can work wonders!
The following will certainly aid you in your breastfeeding experience:
Join a Breastfeeding Support Group to chat to new and experienced breastfeeding mums.
Observe how each baby is put on the breast.
Look at how different mums hold their babies. Getting the right position is essential to avoid early problems.
Also ask for advice about breastfeeding friendly shops and changing facilities!
Read books, magazines or online articles, to find out as much as you can about breastfeeding successfully.
Get measured for a nursing bra when you are around 38 weeks pregnant. Also purchase a couple of night-time nursing bras.
To get breastfeeding off to a good start, feed your baby within one hour of birth.
Nursing pads are essential for absorbing leaks and avoiding embarrassing stains!
Nursing shells can be very useful on nights out, as they will catch leaks. Or you can use them during breastfeeding to collect milk from the breast not being used, storing the milk for later use.
Nipple Creams can help soothe sore nipples.
Front-opening or Nursing Nightdresses or Pyjamas can make it easier to breastfeed at night.
Loose-fitting tops can be comfortable during the day. Try layering so that your back is not exposed when you are feeding. Or use a poncho or wrap if you feel anxious about breastfeeding in front of other people.
A Breast-pump is a fantastic investment as it can be used to collect milk for bottle feeds, making up first solids or when you are away from the baby to prevent engorgement or ease mastitis. Ask other mums to recommend one they liked.
A V-shaped Cushion can make breastfeeding more comfortable as it offers good support for mum's back. Or a Nursing Pillow can be used to raise the baby up to a more comfortable height for mum.
A Steriliser is a compact way to keep baby utensils and breast-pump attachments clean and sterile.
Some mums find a Gliding chair very useful, particularly for night feeds.
If you are well prepared for breastfeeding there is no reason why you should not succeed.
This is an edited version of an article I wrote for my website. Visit www.BreastFeedingMums.com to view the full version.
Motherhood on YouTube
Sometimes motherhood can be funny, other times plain hard work!
Baby Stuff!
Find Out What Other People Are Saying!
Breastfeeding Celebs!
- Tori Amos
Pamela Anderson
Anita Baker
Laura Bush
Cindy Crawford
Princess Diana
Gloria Estevan
Jodie Foster
Melanie Griffith
Jerry Hall
Faith Hill
Katie Holmes (partner of Tom Cruise)
Kate Hudson
Angelina Jolie
Catherine Zita-Jones
Madonna
Penny Lancaster
Heather Mills McCartney
Elle McPherson
Demi Moore
Jada Pinkett-Smith
Julia Roberts
Jane Seymour
Keely Shaye-Smith
Cybil Shephard
Meryl Streep
Rita Wilson
Roseanne
Pregnancy and Baby Stuff on CafePress
I Make Milk Women's Tank Top
Nursing mothers have the greatest super power around..... making milk! Be proud of your abilities with this fun saying! It comes on many great products!
Sit in bathroom Jr. Spaghetti Tank
Let the world know that you breastfeed and you're proud of it. Our funny and cute tees are sure to make you laugh out loud! We have a wide variety of shirts, so please be sure to check out our store!
Reader Feedback
Your Experience Counts!
I'd love if you would share some of your pregnancy and breastfeeding experiences with me! I'd particularly like to know when you realised you might be pregnant, how you felt when you got the results and, if you considered breastfeeding, how your early experiences with breastfeeding went!
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herbie66
Welcome to the 'Pregnancy and Baby' Group Posted June 12, 2008 |
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Joie
Wonderful lens! Did you know that breast milk from the mother of a preemie is different from other mothers' breast milk? It's richer in all the special things preemies need to thrive. Isn't that beautiful? Posted January 24, 2008 |
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beth_kiley
Wow, this is a fantastic resource on breastfeeding. My area of focus is helping women get pregnant and also tips on inducing labor when that becomes necessary. Posted August 31, 2007 |
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alsationlover
I didn't know I was pregnant until i missed the first period and then off i shot to Boots to get an accurate pregnancy test. I was terrified when it confirmed it, but now we've got our beautiful little boy, it was all worth it Posted August 28, 2007 |
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BabyFirstYear
Breastfeed our baby is the best one.Breastfeed are the best food with the high immunity for our baby need.great share on your lense. Posted July 20, 2007 |
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Gail_Faulkner
Hi Nice job, Great lens, I have a lens you may find complementry Baby products Gail Posted June 02, 2007 |
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daoine
Excellent lens! Posted May 09, 2007 |
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flaminglacer
Squid Angel Star! Posted May 03, 2007 |
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TommyL
i think your lens is very informative. it provides useful information which is beneficial especially for new mums. as for breastfeeding - well, it should be practiced by all mums as it creates a really special bond between mum and baby. it does wonders for both baby and mum. Posted March 19, 2007 |
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momof7
Thanks for joining the Squidoo Breastfeeding Support Group! Your lens is a great addition; I see you put a lot of time and work into it for the benefit of your readers. I like your choice of Flickr pictures, and what nice idea for a poll. Great job. Posted February 27, 2007 |
