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.

If these changes do not work,

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!