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Week 28 until your baby's birth, around 40 weeks, is the last stretch until you meet your baby. This episode covers everything you need to know to navigate the third trimester. Your baby is going through many changes this trimester to prepare for life outside your womb. This trimester can be challenging as your belly keeps growing, and you have some new symptoms resulting from carrying more weight...

Weeks 13 to 27 of your pregnancy tend to be the favorite period for many expecting moms. This episode covers everything you need to know to navigate the second trimester. Your belly will start showing, and you will be able to feel your baby kicking. By this point, morning sickness should be subsiding. You have adjusted to many lifestyle changes to have a healthy pregnancy. Your moods and emotions...

The first 12 weeks of your pregnancy are the most significant adjustment period. This episode covers everything you need to know to navigate the first trimester. Your baby is building organs and structures. You will experience some physical and emotional symptoms of pregnancy. Understanding common first trimester symptoms can help you cope with some of the uncomfortable side effects of pregnancy....

There are over 3.6 million babies born every year in the United States alone. That creates a big market for companies that sell products geared toward new parents. Companies make everything you could imagine a new parent could use. This massive industry is estimated to reach over $225 billion in 2022. Preparing for a new baby makes it easy to get caught up in the consumerism of thinking you need e...

If you are pregnant and are expecting gifts, there are several reasons you should consider a baby registry. A registry helps friends and family know what you need and want. Without a registry, you will end up with items you do not need that you cannot return or exchange. A registry eliminates duplicates because once someone buys an item, the list updates to show someone purchased it. There are als...

The tradition of baby showers as we know them today began in the 1930s. The term "shower" comes from showering the expecting mother with gifts. Baby showers are so much more than presents. A baby shower is a celebration of becoming a mother and the new baby joining your family. You can choose to celebrate with all the prim and proper of a traditional baby shower, or you can opt for a get-together...

A babymoon is a vacation expecting parents take before their baby is born. This is a relatively newer tradition with no strict rules. The point is to set aside time to enjoy yourself with your partner before your baby arrives. That could mean an all-inclusive resort on a tropical island, or it could be a day-long adventure in your city. This episode has tips for planning your babymoon to help you...

Most aspects of having a baby rest solely on the mother. One of the biggest things I hear from partners during pregnancy, labor, and after their baby arrives is that they don't know what to do. They feel useless and like they can't help. Or they feel like there is nothing for them to do. There are so many things partners, and dads can do to support mom and baby. This episode gives you a solid idea...

One of the first things you do when you find out you are pregnant is to determine your due date. This date rules everything about your pregnancy, from your prenatal care to the timing of your baby shower. This is also the most common question from friends, family, and strangers. As you get close to your due date, there can be a lot of anxiety, especially if your due date comes and goes and you are...

Once you see the positive result on your pregnancy test, you are sure to have a crazy mix of emotions. You are probably excited, nervous, and maybe a little freaked out. Finding out you are expecting a baby can change your life instantly. It can be overwhelming to think about the amount of information you need to consume and what you need to do before your baby arrives. If you take it one step at...

A birth plan is your plan of how you envision your birth and what happens directly following the birth of your baby. A birth plan is much more than a piece of paper you hand to your care provider. It is the process you go through to prepare for the birth experience you want. This process will lay the foundation for you to be prepared for the scenario in which everything goes exactly as planned and...

A birth plan is much more than a piece of paper you hand to your care provider. A birth plan is a process you go through to prepare for the birth experience you want. This process will lay the foundation for you to be prepared for the scenario in which everything goes as intended and for what should happen if things do not go as planned. While parents write a birth plan and go into labor with the...

Dates are the fruit of the date palm tree. While dates are high in sugar, they also contain nutrients like fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron, and vitamin B6. There are many claims about the health benefits of eating dates. Among the many claims is that dates can naturally induce labor and make labor shorter. Sounds pretty great, right? Thankfully, several studies are available to examine these cla...

Protein does more than build muscle mass. Protein is necessary to structure, function, and regulate virtually all tissues in your body. You can imagine that you need protein for yourself and your growing baby during pregnancy. While there is a Recommended Daily Allowance for protein during pregnancy, some research shows the RDA is underestimated and varies based on the stage of pregnancy. Suppleme...

Many studies demonstrate the benefits of yoga during pregnancy, from reducing time in labor to improving newborn outcomes. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that modified yoga is one of the safest exercises for pregnant women. ACOG also cautions against specific poses and hot yoga. As with examining any activity, there is nuance to determining what activities are safe....

Research has firmly established strength and resistance training benefits for your physical and mental health. Lifting weights may be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about strength training. This can also include using resistance bands, kettlebells, and body-weight exercises like pushups, pull-ups, or squats. Even activities like plyometrics and yoga can be considered strength tra...

Cardio is any workout in which you elevate your heart rate. Many exercises fall under the umbrella of cardio. This includes walking, hiking, running, biking, rowing or elliptical machines, dancing, playing sports, or HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Activities like jumping jacks, burpees, and jumping rope are also cardio workouts. There is a large body of evidence to support cardiovascular...

Regular exercise during pregnancy can decrease your risk of complications like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean birth and promote a healthy weight gain. Working out can also ease common pregnancy symptoms like constipation and back pain. In addition, living an active lifestyle will improve your physical and mental health in the short and long term. This episode is an overview of ex...

Your body will go through a more significant transformation during pregnancy than in any other period of your life. Although building and growing a human is an amazing feat, not everyone is thrilled about the involved physical changes. There is evidence that women commonly experience body dissatisfaction during and after pregnancy. This can range from having negative thoughts to struggling with bo...

Your doctor or midwife will monitor your weight as a metric of your health during pregnancy. Excessive weight gain or not gaining enough weight during pregnancy is associated with newborns' low and high birth weights, preterm delivery, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, cesarean birth, and postpartum hemorrhage. Your risk for these complications is lower if you gain a healthy amount of weight dur...

The growing body of research on sleep demonstrates the absolute necessity of sleep for every biological function. Your body goes through significant changes during pregnancy and while recovering from birth and breastfeeding. One of the best interventions for your health, recovery and the health of your baby is to get good sleep. Unfortunately, these life stages also come with challenges to your sl...

The growing body of research on sleep demonstrates the absolute necessity of sleep for every biological function. This includes learning, memory, brain function, mental health, appetite regulation, immune system function, metabolic function, the health of your gut microbiome, even your cardiovascular health. It is well established in the scientific literature that sleep is a critical component for...

This article examines your care team during your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Your primary care provider is the cornerstone of your prenatal care and birth experience. In addition to your doctor or midwife, many other types of practitioners can play a role in your care. This article will help you understand each professional's role in your care, differentiate between different professional ce...

Staying hydrated is crucial to help your overall health. Water makes up around 60% of your total body weight, and every cell in your body needs water to function. Staying hydrated helps you regulate body temperature, aids in digestion, transporting nutrients and oxygen to cells, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste. These processes are also crucial during pregnancy for your baby, and you hav...

Taking a high-quality prenatal vitamin is one of the easiest things you can do to ensure you have all of the vitamins and nutrients you and your baby need during pregnancy. You have an increased need for specific nutrients during pregnancy, and it is challenging to meet these requirements with your diet alone. There are many choices when it comes to selecting a prenatal vitamin. How do you know wh...