Baby Basics

pro life…pro choice

Monique Wilson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:53:28 +0000

I was on Arizona State’s Tempe campus today, and as I walked by Hayden Lawn (by the library) there was a row of about six tables with information about pregnancy. It caught me off guard at first because they had replicas of the different stages of the baby(in the womb). There was a fetus as small as my finger! So that was the inspiration for today’s blog.

This is by no means a pro abortion or pro life blog. I believe that is a personal decision. I also believe that a woman should be armed with the knowledge to make well informed choices about what is best for her body. You will never know what you will do in any given situation unless you are up against the wall. No one should push their ideals or beliefs on anyone, especially when it comes to something as important as bringing life into this world.

With that said, I also believe that having the ability to bring a child into this world is a scary, exciting, beautiful gift. In an ideal world we wait until the time is absolutely perfect (finances, living situation, etc.) but ha! Welcome to the real world.

A baby changes everything, yes. But life, as far as I see it, has a much deeper meaning when you realise that you are now completely responsible for the life of someone else. Don’t think that once your baby comes your life is going to end. And do not sit around for nine months just eating and sleeping. If you have a job, work as long as your body will allow it, without over doing it.

My friend Michelle worked upon till the night before the baby came (she was a week early). Nicole worked until about eight months and I took my final exam a week or so before my son was born.

There is a kind of re-newed energy that you get when you realise what is going on inside of you. Yes, we were tired at times, and very emotional all the time. To me it was like the more we did before the baby came, the better we thought life would be. Michelle decided to go back to school, Trinti is now two; Nicole is finishing up the first part of her nursing program, Zoe is 16-months; and I have a year and a half left at ASU, Matthew is 21-months.

My point here is don’t be discouraged! Life doesn’t really end, at least not completely

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing easy about it. The point is that despite how you might be feeling now, there is a wonderful world waiting on the arrival of your child. And this birth is going to, if it hasn’t already, light a fire inside of you. So go ahead and do all the things you can and be that SUPER MOM! To the world!

May the Lord bless you and your unborn child…Love and Happiness

<>tamlaMonique

Morning Sickness, evenings and midnight too…

Monique Wilson — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:29:55 +0000

One of the worse things about being pregnant, besides the constant urge to visit the restroom every five minuets, is the morning sickness.

On top of the bloated feeling, constant fatigue and the big appetite, there is nausea. As unpleasant as it is, it’s a completely natural part of your pregnancy. In fact, doctors will tell you that this means that your placenta is developing properly.

All women experience morning sickness, however many may experience vomiting along with the nausea while others will not. For me, I would get nauseous quite often, especially if I was hungry. But I only threw-up only once or twice. So knowing that, I made sure not to wait too long to eat.

I also found the sucking/eating ice or a Popsicle worked wonders.

Another thing that seems to help is ginger in any form. That is tea, candy, cookies and my personal favorite Ginger Ale (caffeine-free of course). If that doesn’t help try drinking milk or orange juice. My doctor said I could have Tums, but I shied away from any and all medications. But according to her, it’s safe and all it really is, is calcium–something that your baby needs lots of.

My friend Nicole, poor thing, vomited quite frequent during her pregnancy. She noted that whenever she took too long to eat, she would be in for a horrible rest of the day. She would throw up after eating, and it would continue all day.

I also think that eating plays a big role, so be sure to always have something healthy to snack on, until you can get a proper meal (and don’t over eat). But on the other hand, the smell of certain foods drove me crazy. So stay away from certain smells if you find that it is making you more nauseous.

Now don’t be fooled, morning sickness can happen anytime of the day, morning, noon or night. But for many women, these symptoms of upset stomach and vomiting only last through the first trimester. However, some women experience it up until four to six months. Very few women continue vomiting throughout the entire pregnancy.

If you are having a hard time with this all-day, anytime-of -the-day sickness, you can try Preggi Pops. It’s a ginger-based candy, specially formulated to help ease the pangs of morning sickness.

If your are constantly vomiting and unable to keep any food down, call your doctor at once it could be a serious condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum. In this case your baby may not be getting enough nutrients that he/she needs to thrive.

On the other hand, if you don’t not experience morning sickness, do not be alarmed. As long as you are eating healthy and seeing your doctor as needed, you should be fine.

Until next time…Peace, Love and Happiness

<>tamlaMonique

First Pregnancy pt. 2

Monique Wilson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:19:13 +0000

Here is a list of things to do(start doing) right away:
1. Find a good doctor if you don’t already have one. You will develop a very close relationship with him/her and it needs to be someone you feel comfortable with. You will need medical attention and advice as soon as possible, since the first trimester tends to be where most miscarriages occur.
2. If you don’t already have health insurance–Get It! This will save you a lot from the headache later on. Try signing up for government assistance, there is nothing wrong with getting help that can and will make your life easier.
3. Start taking some over-the-counter( at Walmart,Target, CVS) pre-natal vitamins until you are able to get the prescribed one. Just make sure you get a supplement to go along with it.
4. Get in the habit of having fruits and vegetables at every meal and doing light cardio exercises, such as house chores, that keeps your heart rate pumping. The better your heart pumps, the more blood and oxygen flows to your baby.
5. Subscribe to a pregnancy magazine such as American Baby, and visit the Enfamil and Gerber websites, if you sign up you get a bunch of coupons and samples.
6. And lastly, get monthly updates to learn how your baby develops in your tummy and what you should expect to experience each month, when you sign up at American Pregnancy. There is even a due date calculator. It’s a very informative way to bond with your baby while understand the changes that your body is going through.

From this point on I want you to surround yourself with positivity. Pick up a hobby such as writing(think of a diary to give to the baby later on in life), knitting or photography. Be sure to invest in a camera so that you can document from this point forward.

Until next time…Love and Happiness

<>Monique

First Pregnancy pt. 1

Monique Wilson — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:57:51 +0000

Okay, so the result of your pregnancy test has finally cleared up all the doubts that you’ve had, congratulations!

Now your body and mind are being engulfed with numerous emotions. Your happy, sad, anxious, eager, fearful, nauseous and hungry all at once. It’s okay to have all these feelings. But I want you to understand that you are about to embark on one of the most life-changing episodes of your life. And that is not meant to scare you, but to excite you.

First things, first, go ahead and cry, whether it be tears of joy, becuase this is what you wanted, or tears of fear because this wasn’t planned, but you’ve accepted it.

Let’s be real, a baby changes everything, and the sooner you realise that being pregnant is truly a blessing, and that you are about to be responsible for the life of a precious being, the better.

Take a look at yourself in the mirror, go head and place your hand on your stomach–it’s time to start bonding with your little bubba!

Be prepared to go through a wealth of emotions as your body changes and grows. Things will develop slowly at first, or it might appear so because your bump is more like a lump. But there are many miraculous things happening inside of you. You are going to experience some serious fatigue, but that comes with the territory, just be sure to get as much rest as you can.

It’s time to cut any bad habits that you may have, such as smoking or drinking, and start taking care of yourself. We have all seen the commercials and know the facts that smoking and drinking can seriously harm your growing fetus. Just don’t do it. It’s not cute and it’s not healthy. Point blank. You are going to be a mom, that means you will have to change your lifestyle and make sacrifices and give up some things that you are accustom to. If you are a drinker/smoker, there has never been a better time to quit.

Be sure that your are only engaging in habits that will help your develop as well as possible. That means eating right (include as fruits and vegetables, protein and calcium) and getting as much vitamins and nutrients as possible. And lots of water–that’s a must. From this point on, it will be you and your bundle. Everything that goes in your body passes on to bubba. Everything!

Be sure to check back regularly for new updates, until next time–Love and Happiness!

<> Monique