Everything You Need to Know at the Start of Your Pregnancy

All the things I wish I knew at the start of my pregnancy.

Finding out you are pregnant is a moment filled with so many emotions. For you it might have been filled with excitement, fear, or a lot of nerves.

If this is your first pregnancy, you may not know what to expect. It is hard to know what is ahead of you if it’s something you have never been through before, so here are a few things you can expect now that you are pregnant.

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Every Pregnancy is Different

A healthy pregnancy can mean something different for everyone. Some pregnant women may gain more than others and still have a perfectly healthy pregnancy, according to what their body needs.

Some women may have a little more energy than others, some may be more nauseous than others.

Even two different pregnancies for the same woman can be totally different!

That is why it’s important to not compare your experience to other moms. You will hear a lot of other women telling their experiences, good and bad. While you may or may not find this helpful, whatever you hear does not mean it will be your experience.

Everyone Will Have An Opinion

It is important to recognize right from the start of your pregnancy journey and into motherhood who’s advice you would like to take.

Even then, you can take advice and decide for yourself what you feel is best for you and your baby in every aspect of motherhood journey.

Everyone will always have an opinion about everything and while most people mean well, you have to recognize the people who’s opinion you actually value and who’s you don’t.

In most circumstances it’s a not necessarily a bad idea to try different things, but always stick with what works best for you and your family!

Find Your Village Now

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and you really only understand this when you have children.

People in history used to live close to families and they would have whole communities raising all their children together.

It’s not really like that these days, at least not in North America. People may not lives close to their families, and sometimes different priorities means different friends.

That being said, it is still important to find those people who will support you and love your children like their own, for your mental health and for the benefit of your children. The more love the better!

And if you don’t have a village, just know you are doing your best and give yourself lots of grace, mama.

Keep an Open Mind

Of course it’s okay to have an idea for how you would like things to go, in terms of child birth, breastfeeding or bottle feeding, sleep situations and screen time.

That being said, things rarely go the way you want them to, or imagine they will. It’s always a good idea to have a loose plan, where things can change and adapt if they need to.

Know Your Options

What goes along with having an open mind is knowing what your options are.

Ask lots of questions! Take a pregnancy and/or child birthing class. There are so many different options when it comes to where and how to labor, where and how to give birth, breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or some combination of the two and so much more.

Do some research, talk to a trusted professional, close friends and family, take your time deciding and go with your gut! And always remember you can change your mind.

Babies Really Do Not Need Much

During your first pregnancy, there are so many things you think you need but won’t actually end up using. It is easy to get caught up in everything you think you need, not really know at first what babies will actually need. It’s exciting!

Your essentials may be different from what others felt they could not live without.

This is actually a great subject to talk to other moms about. That way you can find out what worked and what was a waste of money, before you go spending your own.

All Your Feelings About Pregnancy Are Valid

Some women love being pregnant. Some absolutely hate it.

Whatever your feelings about pregnancy, it is not an easy thing for any women to go through. Some have easier pregnancies than others and that makes a world of difference.

I personally loved my first pregnancy, but my second was not as smooth sailing.

Just know, whatever you are feeling is completely valid! It will not last forever, and that is such a bitter sweet thing that will come up again and again as a mother.

You Are More Capable Than You Realize

However your pregnancy is going, you are such a strong and capable woman! Our bodies know exactly what they are doing, and that is such an incredible thing.

It’s easy to forget how incredible it really is. How amazing are we, that we can grow a whole human being!?

There will be moments where you feel like you can’t do it anymore.

There will be moments where you feel like superwomen.

There will be times where you feel so alone, but there is another mama not far from you, rocking her baby for the second, third or fourth time at 3 am just like you.

These moments may come and go in a matter of minutes! But no matter what, you are strong, you are capable, you will get through even when you feel like you can’t.

You are amazing!