As you can imagine, I’ve been doing a lot of reading–both online and offline–with respect to the testing issue but also just pregnancy in general, since I was pretty much clueless til now!
Online, the chat-room at BabyCenter.com has been really helpful.
(Though I will say, the images of other women at 15 weeks like me look soooooo different than I do … some look 6 months pregnant already; some have pretty flat stomachs. It’s amazing how varying these tummies are — further proof that no two pregnancies are the same–even for the same woman).
I also get a weekly update (such as this one for anyone interested) from BabyCenter.com, which helps explain what’s going at X week of pregnancy. And Google, FitPregnancy.com, and Parents.com have also been great resources.
Prior to getting pregnant, I’d read (and reviewed) Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? . I loved it then and remember thinking: I will need to re-read this when the time comes. And you can bet I will be pulling it out again!
My best friend sent me an amazing book, Great Expectations, which a friend of ours gave her when she was pregnant. It’s been an amazing resource over the past few months. I love how it explains every step of your pregnancy (week-by-week), how big the baby is, changes in your body, etc. … it’s like the pregnancy Bible and I’m loving it. We can read it chronologically or skip ahead; it’s the perfect book!
I also like how it explains the X lbs that are attributed to the following: blood volume, uterus, breasts, placenta, the baby, extra fat, etc. — hence the recommendation of gaining X lbs in pregnancy. When you see it spelled out that way, it paints a really good description of what’s happening inside your body, which is especially good to know in the beginning when you just look (and feel!) pudgy but don’t really have anything to “show” (i.e., now!) – your blood volume is doubling, your uterus is growing, etc. It’s absolutely fascinating!
Another good friend gave me The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy, which was another phenomenal read. Hilarious, straight-forward, and awesome. I totally recommend it to anyone even thinking of starting a family. The author is a hoot and when I say she keeps it real, I mean she keeps it REAL! This is the stuff your doctor won’t tell you about but your girlfriends will — for better or worse 😉
The ONLY thing I didn’t like about it was what the author basically says she knows she’ll get flamed for (and she’s fine with it, thankyouverymuch) : she recommends NOT exercising throughout pregnancy and not putting any “extra stress”on your baby. I’m sorry but I (and my OB) whole-heartedly disagree with this.
As I said yesterday, in the beginning I had zero energy for exercise–and who knows how I’ll feel when I am carrying around extra weight and more tired in the third trimester–but for me, keeping up with my fitness (as best I can, for as long as I can) is going to be an integral part in keeping my sanity while I’m not in control of my body. I’m not over-exerting myself; I’m not training for a marathon (though some women do, which I personally think it’s nutso!) and if a little cardio, walking, and/or biking make me feel good and energized when I’m otherwise feeling blah … and aren’t harming my baby … why wouldn’t I?!
Obviously, if I get to the point where I’m struggling, I’ll cut back even more … but for now, keeping my heart in good shape is very important to me. And from what I read/hear, being fit during pregnancy is good for your body, as well as after the baby is born.
Anyway, the bottom line is, there is TONS of information to read out there, and I think what I’m learning (so far) is that what’s right for one person isn’t necessarily right for someone else … and that is OK!!
How about you? Do you tend to dive into Websites and books when in a new life stage, or work through it on your own?
Let There Be Light 
Another great book (for when the time comes) is “The Best Birth.” It goes through all the different options you might have during childbirth and explains them all in a non-judgemental way. I didn’t take any childbirth classes, but reading that book really helped prepare me for labor (to the extent that you can prepare, which you really can’t. 🙂
Babycenter is great, but sometimes it’s so easy to compare/contrast yourself with other women (e.g. she only gained X lbs?? or she felt her baby move at 16 weeks??) so you have to keep reminding yourself that everyone’s pregnancy is SO different!
I’ll have to check that one out, Alison! I’m scared to DEATH of labor … but I’ll save that for another post!!
Yea, I totally agree–sometimes I read people’s stuff and for a minute, second-guess myself but then get a grip on reality, recognizing no two pregnancies are the same. Also, women who this is their 2nd, 3rd baby tend to gain earlier but most women seem to even out re: total gain. Trying hard not to compare/contrast!
I totally dove into tons of reading when I got pregnant. I looooved those weekly pregnancy updates telling me what was going on with the baby and my body that week. (Now they’re updating telling me what the baby “should” be up to this week, which is still fun.)
I was continually so annoyed by people who were telling me to sit down all the time. I was like, “I’m pregnant, not disabled” – and considering I generally felt great and naturally gained little weight, I was fine with my regular activity level. It’s such a holdover from that whole “delicate condition” idea which is really just so passe now.
Aw I didn’t know it continues! Kind of like going from The Knot to The Nest 😉 Only with child 🙂
I haven’t gotten much of that yet (not showing and few people know), but I have gotten it from relatives asking me to make sure I “take it easy.” um, this girl doesn’t know how to do that! Obvi, I won’t put Baby H in jeopardy by any means, but I also am not some little frail thing, either. I’m not showing yet so I am not getting special treatment (though at home L is doing much more than even usual — and he did a ton even before — and isn’t asking me to do anything strenuous at all which is good b/c I HATE yard-work 😉 So in that case, I wouldn’t mind pulling the preggo card!
It mostly came from aunts and grandmothers (so people who knew earlier than coworkers)… I know they meant well but I was like, “Seriously? I have two jobs and go to grad school and you expect me to sit still for the next 9 months?” LOL
People kept telling me to enjoy having the hubby do everything and I was like, “Um, did anyone tell him he’s supposed to be doing stuff? I’m still doing everything.” LOL But it was nothing big deal – I only made him carry the laundry sometimes, that was it. I tried to pull the preggo card sometimes but then he’d be like, “But didn’t you just carry the groceries yesterday?” LOL It’s hard when you’re known for being stubbornly self-sufficient.
LOL Candice — so true! And it isn’t a bad thing to be “stubbornly self-sufficient” — it makes us real women 😉
I read up on anything that is going on with me. I want to be really informed. And usually doctors appreciate it instead of just saying “I take a small blue pill” or “I feel off”. It helps them help me better.
At 32.5 weeks I’m still working out 2x/week with my trainer – and plan to until I hit 37 weeks at least! I feel comfortable with him b/c he’s concentrating on maintaining my muscle tone that I worked so hard at building over the few years, and he adjusted my routines so that I’m putting less stress on my abs and back. It really does make me feel fantastic! I did let cardio go to the wayside, especially in the recent heat, and need to pick it up again…bad me! Glad you’re feeling well!
Great to know and mazel to you on keeping up your routine–that is supposed to help so much with respect to staying fit during pregnancy and helping take it off after.