How To Prepare For The Birth Of Your Child Essay, Research Paper
1. Record the beginning date of your last menstrual cycle. Try to remember if it
was a cycle
consistent with the pattern of your regular cycles. Was it a heavier or lighter
blood flow than usual? Was it
late? Did it last as long as your usual cycles? What are your symptoms of
pregnancy? Have you had sexual
intercourse lately, or has it been five years? Keep this information in a place
where you can access it
quickly.
2. Call your doctor. I would suggest skipping your physician, and
calling your gynecologist
immediately. The doctor will schedule an appointment for you to have a pregnancy
test. At this
appointment you will be given a urine test. If the results are positive for
pregnancy, you will receive an
extensive internal exam. If they aren?t, you need more help than I cangive you!
The doctor will take
cultures of your tissue to test for infections and sexually transmitted
diseases. You will be given a rough
estimate of how far along the pregnancy is. You will be counseled on the
results, and every option you have
regarding pregnancy. If you decide to carry the child to term, 9 months, your
doctor will give you a bottle
of pre-natal vitamins. Schedule and attend all future pre-natal appointments,
and avoid the excessive usage
of ultrasounds. If you have other doctors appointments, make sure they know you
are pregnant. Some tests
and medications are dangerous to an unborn child.
3. Consider all alternatives, such as delivery, abortion, and adoption,
and make a decision. If you
decide to carry the child full term, continue on to the following steps. If you
do not choose to, arrange an
appointment with your doctor for further counseling. Make sure you have the
means to pay for the options
you choose. You will either need a very rich husband, or medical insurance.
4. Take one vitamin, given to you by the doctor, every morning until the
end of your pregnancy. If
they make you puke, try taking them at a different times of the day. If they
still make you sick, call your
doctor. Your doctor will tell you to switch to a multi-vitamin from the store.
you will need to change your diet to make sure you are receiving all the
vitamins you need. Your doctor
may require blood tests to make sure.
5. Prepare yourself emotionally. You need to change your personal habits
and lifestyle based on the
knowledge that your unborn child is defenseless, and needs to be placed as first
priority. Smoking, drinking
alcohol, taking drugs, consuming excessive amounts of caffeine, and other such
habits should be stopped.
Situations that may cause distress need to be avoided also. You need to realize
that soon you will not have
the body of a supermodel, but you will be beutiful and radiant in other ways.
The radiance may be due, in
part, to the apple juice and milk you will be slugging down.
6. Start a journal to your child. This increases the bond between a
mother and child. This will help
you realize more rapidly that there is an actual human being growing inside you.
Write about important
events that are happening during your pregnancy. Who is the president? What are
the fashion trends of the
times? Apologize for the dirty jokes it may have overheard twenty minutes ago.
This may be useful later in
the child?s life. Tell your baby what it feels like when you lay in bed waiting
to count it?s fingers and toes.
7. Take care of your body. Eat healthy foods and drink a lot of fluids.
Some vitamins create
constipation. To avoid hemorrhoids, take stool softeners with them. Drinking
milk is a wonderful source of
calcium, but if you are starting to look like Fat Aunt Sally and you?re only one
month along, switch to 1%
or skim milk. If you are experiencing morning sickness, start eating small
healthy meals frequently, instead
of three large meals every day. An empty stomach adds to the nausea. Avoid
greasy foods, and foods that
may give you heartburn. Heartburn is very common with pregnancy. Elevate your
legs higher than the level
of your heart as much as you can throughout the day, balanced with time spent
walking around. This will
decrease the likelihood of vericos veins in your legs due to poor circulation.
Exorcise regularly. Do not over
exert yourself, but try stretching and strengthening your leg and mid-body
muscles. This will also help with
controlling your weight gain. If you are having trouble sleeping at night, prop
pillows under your legs, and
back. Sleep in an upright position if possible, to help with breathing. Do not
sleep on your stomach after
your first trimester. Apply cocoa butter, vitamin e, or other skin softening
products several times each day.
This should be amply spread all over your body, to decrease stretch marks, and
combat all other skin
problems due to your hormonal changes. The texture of your hair may change as
well. Experiment with
new shampoos and conditioners until you have desired results. Perming and dying
hair, contrary to belief, is
safe, however they may not hold as usual due to your changes. The chemicals do
not seep into your scalp,
however breathing in the fumes might not be appropriate.
8. Avoid danger. Fumes from hair permanents, nail polish removers, and
perfume can be harmful,
and sometimes create nausea. Do not go on rides at amusement parks. Stay away
from Jacuzzis, hot tubs,
and saunas. They are breeding grounds for bacteria, and the temperatures can
sometimes be detrimental to
your baby?s health. Consult your doctor about the proper usage of seat belts
during pregnancy. Start taking
showers if you usually take baths. Some women have a hard time maneuvering in a
tub with added weight,
and get stuck. Apply something onto the bottom of your shower to avoid
accidents. Consult your doctor on
the amount of weight you should be lifting. I wouldn?t lift over twenty pounds
after your first trimester. If
you feel any pains, unusual discomfort, or bleeding, call your doctor
immediately.
9. Invest in proper clothing. Your body will be growing rapidly, and you
will need clothes that can
grow with you. Do not wear clothes that will cut circulation or apply pressure
on your stomach. Some
women consider wearing back braces if they are experiencing pains due to the
extra weight and odd
proportioning. Wear a sturdy bra to prevent stretch marks and discomfort from
growing breasts. Most
women will choose a sports bra until their later pregnancy when it may be very
difficult to put on or
remove such bras. Comfortable, cushioned sneakers work well for distributing and
carrying extra weight.
They will also benefit you if you are having back pains.
10. Stimulate your child. Shine flashlights on your stomach. Listen to
soothing noises, such as
classical music. If you have headphones, place them around your stomach if you
can, so your child can
hear it more clearly. Sometimes they will respond to the music in later months
by dancing around in your
belly. Placing an empty cup on your stomach, and watching it move around, is a
good indicator.
11. Read a book about what to expect during pregnancy. This will inform
you if you have any
questions or concerns. Get a book that shows pictures of a growing fetus in
every stage of pregnancy. This
will help you to know how the child came to be from a tiny egg. Find answers to
questions such as ?When
you are supposed to feel the baby moving inside you??. You will know that the
child is most likely healthy
if it is behaving in consistency with the book. Results may differ slightly.
Consult your doctor if you are
concerned with differences from the book.
12. Without imposing, remind your loved ones that you are pregnant on
occasion. Nine months can
be a very long time. Sometimes the novelty of pregnancy wears off for others,
and they forget important
aspects such as mood swings and how much sleep you will be needing.
13. Begin nesting. Clean and disinfect your house. Make sure the newborn
has a clean and secure
environment to come home to. The baby will need a place to sleep, clothes to
wear, and food, if you choose
not to breast feed. If you are planning on having a nursery made for the child,
make sure it is painted and
furnished significantly before it?s arrival. Stocking up on necessities for the
first year of the baby?s life is
very helpful as well. Extra clothes, diapers, wipes, formula, powders, creams,
and shampoos are good
examples.
14. Pick out a suitable name for your child. Take into consideration
family names, the child?s
predicted personality, or simply choose from a book of baby names. I was very
tempted to name my son
after a soccer player. He loved to kick, especially my ribcage when I was
sleeping. The child will need a
name for obvious reasons, as well as for applying for social security cards and
insurance purposes.
15. Make important decisions about the day of delivery in advance. You
may not be in the right
state of mind to do so later. Who will be in the delivery room with you? Do you
want medication or a
natural birth? Who are you inviting to the hospital, and what are there phone
numbers? Will you
breastfeed? Pack your hospital bag. Put in it things such as your baby?s first
outfit, diapers, bottles and
blankets. You may want to include money for the child?s first pictures, if they
are offered, and gas for your
vehicle. In this day and age, it might be useful to equip yourself and/or loved
ones with a cell phone or
beeper for when you start labor. Pack a camera with working batteries and film.
Make sure your
identification and list of phone numbers are handy when it is time to go to the
hospital. Know the route to
the hospital fairly well, and have a car seat ready for the ride, newbons can be
slippery!