I suppose it goes without saying this whole pregnancy thing is a bit scary.

We will be bringing home a tiny human...soon.

First you fear the cost of bringing a child into this world, then you fear what the little person is going to do to cramp your life style and then as a woman, I feared what he or she would do to my body.

After careful consideration...

We decided it would all be worth it. 

Then the second set of fears set in. It became, "Will the baby make it through the first few months? Will our family be supportive when we tell them? Am I eating right and exercising the proper amount?"

Now closer to the end, I worry is she kicking enough, is she getting the nutrients she needs via the placenta, when will she decide to enter the world, will I be able to breastfeed and have the natural birth I desire and my largest concern, will we be good parents.

I am certain that no matter if it is your first child or your sixth, there will be some level of anxiety that will accompany the birth. 

I will also have family coming to stay with us in the beginning to help me get through the first few weeks.

I have included some things I have gathered from past experience, advice from my loved ones and from what I have recently read that are slowly helping ease my mind below...

Baby Care

These helpful tips (and more) were found at: http://www.nymomsworld.com/baby-and-pregnancy/102-newborn-care.html

• Umbilical cord: Keep the area dry. There is no need to use any alcohol or clean it in any way.Just leave it alone. Keep the diaper rolled down so that it is open to the air. It usually falls off 1-2 weeks after birth. When it does fall off, it might bleed slightly or produce some thick yellow stuff. Don’t worry, that is normal. Just wipe it away with a dry paper towel. All parents hate the way the umbilical cord looks as it is drying up and falling off-you are not alone. You have to think of it as hair and nails, it is attached to the body, but it does not have nerve endings. It doesn’t hurt the baby at all, so you don’t have to be afraid to touch it.

• Bathing: A warm wet washcloth, every 2-3 days, is all you need until the cord falls off. Newborn’s skin is very dry and flaky. There is no need to use anything on the skin other than water and Vaseline, until the umbilical cord falls off.

• Nails: Newborn’s nails grow very quickly.Using an emery board to file the nails is safer than using infant scissors or clippers.

• Hiccups and sneezing: Both occur frequently in the newborn period, are normal and don’t require treatment. You can feed the child as they have the hiccups without any problem. Sneezing does not mean the child is getting sick or has seasonal allergies-it is a normal behavior for the age group.

• 
  
• 
  

• Sterilizing: YOU DO NOT NEED TO STERILIZE ANYTHING AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BOIL WATER.  Just wash everything the way you do the dishes you eat off of-hot water and soap or top shelf of dishwasher.

• Dressing: The same amount of clothing that you feel comfortable wearing is what your baby should wear. Put on as many layers as make sense, counting the blankets, and then touch the baby’s chest after being in that environment after 10-15 minutes.

• Temperature: Keep the temperature in your home at what you would have kept it at before the baby arrived

• Going Outside/ Visitors: You want the number of people that are close to and touch the baby to be minimal due to risk of infection. Limit visitors to only very close family and friends. Make sure everyone washes their hands before touching the baby. Other children should get into the habit of touching the baby’s feet rather than their hands or face. Stay away from large crowded enclosed places like malls, supermarkets and restaurants until the baby is at least 8 weeks of age.

• Sleep: The baby should only sleep on the back.

You mean to tell me that newborns don't just sleep and eat?

Apparently not

The womb is loud. The baby will have difficulty adjusting.  Luckily, our house is never quiet.

We will need to get her on a proper sleep schedule once she is born. As of now, she sleeps most of the day and is awake and active at night. One way to help her sleep is to provide her with some white noise. So far I have followed a few playlists on Spotify and we were given some great gifts at the shower that should help with this.

Here are two of my favorites:

  1. Fisher- Price Ocean Wonders Gentle Waves Musical Mobile

• Classical music option includes music from bach, beethoven and mozart

• Ocean sounds

 2. Rock A Bye Baby- Lullaby Renditions of The Beatles

• Features lullaby renditions of some of my favorite songs: Yesterday, Hey Jude, Yellow Submarine, Across the Universe, etc. 

In order to help her get on the right sleep schedule, I have also read that you can help the baby to nap when you recognize they are tired. Our family also gifted us some great items to help in this area too!

Here are two of my favorites:

1. Summer Infant Swaddleme Adjustable Infant Wrap

• Product Description: Wrap baby securely for a safer, better sleep. Extra soft, adjustable wings provide a perfect snug fit even for wiggly babies. Secure design creates a cozy, womb-like feeling for baby and prevents the startle reflex that can wake up your infant. Designed with leading safe-sleep experts, SwaddleMe is trusted by parents around the globe.

2. Baby K'tan Baby Carrier

• Product Description: Ready-to-wear wrap that keeps your infant or toddler safe and cozy, while supporting your back.

Everything I read on breastfeeding says it is hard.

I am OK with that. From what I understand the benefits far outweigh the challenge. 

"Breast-fed babies have a lower risk of developing illnesses such as stomach viruses and ear infections. Children who are breast-fed are also less likely to develop allergies or become obese, and the method appears to have positive correlation with a child’s brain and neurological development. Moms can benefit too — those who breastfeed and keep it up for at least several months may reduce their risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Risk of postpartum depression decreases, too."*Read more at http://www.symptomfind.com/nutrition-supplements/foods-avoid-while-breastfeeding/#YX7yitMdc5y6BAmf.99

Nutrition during pregnancy is not dramatically different from what you should be focusing on during the breast feeding period. 

• You should always continue to take your prenatal vitamins, as they will assure that you are supplying all of the necessary vitamins and minerals to your newborn baby. 

• The best way to assure your adequate nutrition, is to eat a variety of foods from each of the food groups.

• Staying hydrated is also important and includes drinking six to eight cups of water, juice or milk per day.

• Try to drink only small amounts of caffeinated beverages.

• Keep in mind that fast drops in weight loss can negatively affect your milk supply.

• Warning: Certain diets, like those that increase protein and limit carbohydrates, can be harmful because of contaminants that may enter your milk supply due to your changing metabolism. Always aim for a safe weight loss of about one pound per week, incorporating both nutrition and exercise into your program.

*Check out these helpful articles for more tips:

•  http://www.babycenter.com/0_diet-for-a-healthy-breastfeeding-mom_3565.bc?page=1
• http://www.breastfeedingplace.com/top-12-best-foods-to-eat-while-breastfeeding/

Breast-feeding is based on supply and demand. The more you breast-feed your baby — or pump — the more milk your breasts will produce.

Again thanks to my family, I have a fancy breast pump to utilize as well;

We were given a Medela pump that has great reviews and it can often be reimbursed by your insurance companies.

• Medela Pump In Style Advanced is a daily use breastpump designed for moms who pump several times a day.  All Pump In Style Advanced breast pumps offer portable convenience for discreet pumping anywhere.

This helpful mom on Pinterest shared the following pumping schedule that I plan to try out:

• http://www.naptimetales.com/2013/09/pumping-schedule.html

Well this is just a small portion of it for now. It is getting late and I need to eat something. As I mentioned before tired AND hungry make me VERY cranky.