9 Tips For 9 Months, Cymplified!

Whenever I go out and hear babies wail, whenever I walk down the supermarket aisles with shelves and shelves of formula milk and diapers, I heave a sigh of relief that I am through with the stage where my kids would cry and I had to look for clues pointing me to the culprit. These days, I know what’s bothering them because they could verbalize it, even my youngest.

Whenever I go out and see chubby babies whose necks are hidden by their pudgy cheeks, whenever I see photos online of toothless smiles, sausage-like arms and little legs with multiple folds, a tiny feeling of longing would tug at my heart and make me miss the times my children were wee ones.

I would also be brought back to the time I was still carrying them in me. Two of my favorite parts of being pregnant was stroking my enormous belly in a circular motion and feeling the movement of a growing life. It’s amazing what a woman’s body could do!

This body that carries the “bun-in-the-oven” needs to be taken care of during the months that the baby is developing. I am thankful to God that I have given birth to healthy babies. This is with lots of prayers and a few things that worked for me during pregnancy.

I wish to share my 9 tips for 9 months to lovely ladies who are infanticipating at the moment.

1. As soon as you discover you are pregnant, visit the Ob/Gyn. Then, do so regularly. Faithfully take your prenatal vitamins. Get recommended prenatal tests.
2. Speaking of Ob/Gyn, always consult your doctor before doing anything strenuous or eating something you are unsure of. Always ask the doctor’s advice for any drug you plan to take. Is it safe for pregnant women? For example, there is an anti-nausea drug that treats morning sickness, even though the FDA does not approve the drug for that application. But, its side effects can severely increase the risk of birth defects like cleft palate and heart defects.
3. Listen to your body, and your baby. Rest when you need to. Eat when you feel hunger pangs. There was one time I made a big bowl of macaroni salad to consume whenever I get hungry. Get lots of sleep since it would be elusive in the last trimester. At least for me! I had a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep. It’s also your chance to get lots of Z’s before the baby arrives.
4. Avoid propping your weight on your arm with your hand flat on a surface for an extended period of time. When I was pregnant with my first, I fell asleep in the car in that position and woke up with carpal tunnel syndrome. It is a very painful condition. I’m glad it went away after I gave birth or else surgical measure must be taken.
5. While my belly was growing, it became very itchy. I would recommend using organic lotions like the one from Human Nature brand. Being pregnant makes me paranoid of the products I slather on. I guess it’s in preparation to be a paranoid mom. Haha! Check with your doctor to be sure it’s safe.
6. Decide if you are going to breastfeed or not. If yes, have a birth plan in place, attend breastfeeding classes, and go shopping! Shop for nursing essentials like nursing bras, nursing wear, nipple shields, nipple cream, breastfeeding pillow, etc.
7. Accept and even embrace the changes to your body. It’s easy to feel down about yourself while pregnant since you cannot move like you used to or you’re as big as a ref. But, be positive! Negative feelings can adversely affect your baby. Do remember that you are beautiful. Every curve is proof that there’s a miracle growing inside of you.
8. Have conversations with more experienced mommies. Mommies whom you can trust, whom you know will not judge, whose parenting styles you could relate to. Listening to their experiences helps you know what to expect.
9. Enjoy! Enjoy the journey! Enjoy the anticipation! Write down moments. Have a maternity shoot. While pregnant with my youngest, I asked my husband to take some photos of me a day before I go to the hospital for my scheduled C-section. I wanted it because it would have been the last time I carry my baby in my tummy.

Mothers, what other tips or tricks would you like to share?

To my expectant readers, have a happy and healthy pregnancy!