Looking for the best pregnancy tips for first time moms? Here are thirty pregnancy tips that will help you have a smooth and enjoyable pregnancy!
Let’s be honest, your first pregnancy can be equally exciting and nerve wracking if you don’t know what to expect. You will probably question everything from what to do in the first trimester, foods to avoid during pregnancy, why you can’t sleep during pregnancy and how to prevent stretch marks. And it’s totally normal!
If you want to avoid the overwhelm and learn a few new things, try implementing and understanding these pregnancy tips for first time moms. They touch on so many pregnancy essentials that will be important over the next nine months.
This post is all about pregnancy tips for new moms.
Pregnancy Tips for First Time Moms
1. Take a prenatal everyday
This is so so so important! Prenatal vitamins are critically important during pregnancy and provide essential nutrients for the development of your baby. Folic acid, calcium and iron are among many important nutrients included in prenatals.
2. Avoid alcohol and certain foods
During pregnancy, there are certain foods you will need to avoid such as high mercury fish, high levels of caffeine, raw seafood and sushi, and unpasteurized cheeses. It’s important to be aware of potentially harmful foods but there’s no need to freak out. You can view a complete list of foods to avoid during pregnancy here.
3. Stay hydrated
It is so important for you to stay hydrated during pregnancy (and even when you are not). You will actually need MORE water when pregnant so you can form the amniotic fluid, produce extra blood, build new tissue, carry nutrients, keep your digestion flowing and eliminate wastes and toxins.
4. Get some rest
Your body is doing some hard work growing that little baby and it’s normal for you to feel more tired, especially in the first trimester.
If this is your first baby then REALLY soak up the sleep and try not to stress. Sleep might be harder to come by as you progress in your pregnancy and there’s no shame in going to bed at 7pm if you need it.
Now is not the time to stress over all the things you could/should be doing. You should notice a major jump in your energy once you get to the second trimester of pregnancy and that’s really when you’ll want to go into nesting mode to get everything ready for baby!
Related: Everything You Need To Know About First Trimester Growth During Pregnancy
5. Check your medications
Confirm with your doctor that you can continue taking over the counter medicine and any supplements. Even ibuprofen should be avoided as it is known to increase the risk of miscarriage and damage to fetal blood vessels.
Just like with food, there are certain household things to avoid in early pregnancy and tasks that should be avoided. These include changing the litter box, moving furniture or lifting heavy objects, using chemical cleaning products or pesticides, climbing or balancing, and excessive bending or standing.
You can read about the most important household chores to avoid in early pregnancy here.
7. Buy maternity clothes – including shoes!
Your body grows and changes so rapidly during pregnancy so it’s never too early to start buying maternity clothes.
If this is your first pregnancy, you should be able to get away with your normal shirts well into the second trimester of pregnancy but pants are a different story.
You shouldn’t expect a bump for a while but bloating can happen out of nowhere in the first trimester of pregnancy. Maternity pants are extremely helpful and no one will even know you’re wearing them! It’s a win win.
Your feet may also grow as your bump grows – it’s crazy! You can expect some swelling in your feet and you may need to go up in size as you progress in pregnancy. But some moms (me included) report their feet growing about a half size during pregnancy and staying that size after birth. Regardless, it is important to wear comfortable, non restrictive shoes during pregnancy.
Related: 11 Weird But Normal First Trimester Body Changes
8. Start a baby registry early
This might seem like a task that can be completed later in pregnancy but I’m all about being proactive.
Starting your baby registry in the first trimester gives you plenty of time to add exactly what you want and also talk to your friends about the essentials you really need for your baby.
Here are 37 Baby Essentials You Need In The First 3 Months.
9. Let go of expectations
This is one of my absolute favorite pregnancy tips for first time moms. No matter how much you plan and do your research, your body is going to take the lead. The best thing you can do is do your best to enjoy your pregnancy and really listen to your body.
Rest when you’re tired, be active when you can, and do your best to eat balanced meals but at the end of the day, not having any expectations might just be the greatest thing!
10. Document the journey
It might seem weird at first to take pictures of your growing stomach but you will be so happy to look back on pictures and see your progression. And you might even miss your bump after you give birth.
Pictures probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking “what to do after positive pregnancy test” but it’s a really fun one. Plus it’s pretty amazing how much growth can happen from week to week!
11. Check your insurance benefits
This is a good time to verify your coverage and benefits. Having a baby can be a huge expense between all of the prenatal care, tests and actually giving birth, so it’s always a good idea to get a handle on the finances upfront.
Plus if you are planning to breastfeed, many insurance providers cover the cost of a breast pump (which isn’t cheap!) so it’s definitely worth checking out. Aeroflow Breast Pumps makes it SO easy to see what you qualify for and actually order your pump!
12. Eat well balanced meals
Pregnancy comes with its fair share of first trimester nausea, food aversions and exhaustion but it is possible to eat healthy pregnancy meals to help you feel your best during all three trimesters!
Sometimes new moms complicate pregnancy meals and think they need to be eating insanely “clean” and get every single nutrient they possibly can but only gain the minimum amount of pregnancy weight. On the other hand, this is not a time to go crazy and overdue it either.
Finding a good balance of eating when you’re hungry and making sure it is a good balance of foods will serve you extremely well during pregnancy.
13. Accept that you will gain weight
This is one of a few pregnancy tips for first time moms that can be hard to accept… You can try all you want to minimize weight gain, but know that gaining weight is a necessary and important part of pregnancy. Your doctor will help you determine a healthy targeted weight gain but overall, you WILL gain weight and that is good.
14. Modify your exercise routine
Exercise is so beneficial to you and baby! If you were already an active person, then keep it up! If you weren’t as active pre-pregnancy then now is the time to start some light activity such as walking.
The key here is to perform moderate activity and listen to your body. Now is not the time to take up running or another strenuous routine and if something doesn’t feel good then you should absolutely stop and either modify or skip it entirely.
Also, a good rule of thumb is to cut out the ab exercises and by the second trimester you should not be doing any movements while laying on your back.
There are tons of prenatal workout out there but this is my favorite program!
Please talk to your doctor about your current routine and see what he/she feels is appropriate now that you are pregnant and as you progress through pregnancy.
15. Start talking about baby names early.
It’s never too early to start thinking about baby names. You can basically expect your husband to not like some of the names you love and vice versa so it will take some time to really settle on a name.
I recommend keeping a list of boy and girl names in your phone that you can easily add to or delete as you discuss them.
16. Download a pregnancy app
This is one of my favorite pregnancy tips for new moms. If there is one thing I did every single day during pregnancy, it was checking my favorite pregnancy app. There are so many pregnancy stages that you go through in nine months. Plus, I was extremely interested in knowing about all of the baby development happening too.
Pregnancy apps break down your pregnancy week by week, help you identify symptoms of pregnancy that you might be experiencing and provide you tons of support during pregnancy.
Most pregnancy apps include:
- An overview of how big your baby is and updates on the week of pregnancy you’re in
- A planner with suggested appointments to make, upcoming tests and screenings, and a weekly to do list
- Countdown to baby’s arrival / update with how far along you are in pregnancy
- Daily tips and articles to read
- How far along in the pregnancy you are
Related: 4 Pregnancy Apps New Moms Need to Download
17. Prepare a few freezer meals before baby arrives
It’s never ever too early to start thinking about freezer meals for new moms! The initial postpartum period can get a little crazy – so once you’re in your third trimester of pregnancy, it’s a good idea to start thinking ahead.
Freezer meals are one of my favorite tips for new moms and can really set you up for success in your early postpartum journey. You can read about all of my tips and tricks here.
18. Start talking about baby names early
This can be fun but stressful so start talking about it as soon as you can! You might love a name but your husband hates it or vice versa so start tossing out names and create a list to keep track of them all.
19. Make a birth plan
You don’t need to have anything set in stone but it’s a good idea to start thinking about what kind of experience you want for your baby’s birth. It is important to recognize that things may always go according to plan but it is helpful for you to envision how a few key parts of your birth will go.
Things to consider include:
- Who will be in the delivery room with you?
- Will you get an epidural?
- What friends or family (if any) do you want to visit in the hospital or when you return home?
- Is there a certain type of music you want playing while you deliver?
20. Take a birth class
Now is the time to start educating yourself on labor and delivery. Your doctor may recommend a birth class to you otherwise you can check to see what your hospital has to offer or find something online.
It might seem like birth is a long way off but it will be here before you know it so it is good to be prepared!
21. Get off of Google
Yep I said it. This is one of my pregnancy tips for new moms that you probably won’t read many other places. Your doctor is an amazing resource throughout your entire pregnancy. While a blog like this can be extremely helpful during the pregnancy and postpartum periods, any specific medical questions or concerns should be directed towards your doctor.
22. Buy a pregnancy pillow
Pregnancy and sleep doing always go well together… So if you’re having trouble sleeping, you’re not alone.
But sleep is an essential part of prenatal care so it is important to do what you can to improve your quality of sleep. In many cases, a pregnancy pillow can dramatically help with pregnancy symptoms and make sleeping much more comfortable and enjoyable.
Unlike regular pillows, pregnancy pillows are specifically designed to provide extra support in the places most commonly affected by your growing belly (and baby).
Pregnancy pillows can:
- Help you adjust positions more easily
- Keep your neck, back and hips aligned while you sleep
- Help with hip pain by keeping your legs parallel to each other
- Improve your circulation
- Help aid common pregnancy symptoms such as heartburn, nasal congestion and leg cramps
- Prevent you from accidentally rolling onto your back while sleeping
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Pregnancy and Sleep
23. Pack a hospital bag a few weeks early
It’s always a good idea to pack your hospital bag a few weeks before your due date because you just don’t know when your little one will make an appearance. When the day comes, all you have to do is throw your bag in the car and head out to the hospital!
24. Make a pre baby bucket list
Now is the time to do anything you want to do before the baby arrives. Your stomach will not be too large at the beginning of the trimester plus you should have much more energy than in the first or third trimesters.
25. Enjoy date nights
This is one of my big pregnancy tips for first time moms that I highly recommend to all expectant parents. Let’s face it, things will change dramatically with a newborn. You will eventually get back to time alone but for the first few weeks, you will be focused on everything baby. So pregnancy is the best time to soak up all of the one on one time with your spouse.
26. Rethink your spa routine
Pregnant women should avoid saunas or hot tubs where it is easy to get overheated. It is important to avoid certain essential oils and herbal remedies too. Make sure you do your research and/or make sure your massage therapist is aware of your pregnancy.
27. Educate yourself about the postpartum period
For some reason, the postpartum period or fourth trimester of pregnancy isn’t talked about much. But in reality, it’s a time of so much change with a new baby,postpartum mental health changes and postpartum recovery. Having an idea of what to expect from the postpartum period can be extremely helpful in setting expectations and helping you adjust to your new normal.
28. Learn about baby sleep
I am so so so glad baby sleep classes exist. Did you know babies are born not knowing the difference between night and day? Or that they don’t just magically sleep through the night? Baby sleep classes can be so helpful in teaching you how to recognize sleepy cues, learn how to teach your baby to fall asleep on his own, calming techniques and so much more.
This specific class changed the baby sleep game for my family.
29. Know when to call the doctor
It’s important to have a basic understanding of when you should call your doctor if something feels off during pregnancy and especially as you get closer and closer to your due date. This can take away some first time mom anxiety and provide you with some added confidence as you navigate pregnancy.
30. It’s ok if you don’t enjoy pregnancy
Pregnancy isn’t for everyone. Some women love it while others don’t find it very enjoyable. Just know that whichever side of the spectrum is ok, even if it is the unenjoyable side.
Social media has a way of glorifying just about everything but there’s no denying that pregnancy is hard. It can be hard on your body and your mind and the unknown about labor can stir up a lot of worry and anxiety. But it can also be amazing feeling the kicks and knowing your baby is safe inside of you.
Either way, know that pregnancy doesn’t last forever and you will get through this!
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