Be Pregnant

First-Trimester Feelings

THE FIRST TRIMESTER CAN FEEL IMPERSONAL BECAUSE YOU’RE EXCITED THERE’S SOMEONE IN THERE, BUT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO KEEP IT A SECRET IN CASE SOMETHING GOES WRONG. IT MIGHT FEEL UNFAIR THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT A SECRET AS THOUGH IT’S SHAMEFUL. DESPITE SOCIAL NORMS, YOU SHOULD DO WHATEVER FEELS RIGHT FOR YOU.

PREGNANCY POLARIZATION

THERE ARE LOTS OF PRECONCEIVED (PUN INTENDED) NOTIONS WHEN PEOPLE SEE THAT BUMP. IT’S LIKE YOU’RE EITHER THE PERFECT PREGNANT LADY OR THE OPPOSITE. EVEN WHEN PEOPLE ASK HOW YOU’RE DOING, AND YOU ARE POTENTIALLY IN GREATER AND GREATER PAIN EACH DAY, IT’S LIKE YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY HOW YOU REALLY FEEL. JEEZ! NO ONE CAN TELL YOU HOW YOU SHOULD FEEL, NO MATTER WHETHER YOU HAVE A TINY BABY INSIDE YOU OR NOT! THERE IS NO WRONG WAY TO BE PREGNANT.

SOMETHING THAT MAY HAPPEN…

Midwife/Doctor/Doula

CHOOSING YOUR MEDICAL TEAM

ONCE YOU KNOW YOU’RE PREGNANT YOU CAN SCHEDULE YOUR FIRST DOCTOR APPOINTMENT, BUT YOU WON’T GO IN UNTIL YOU’RE ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS ALONG. NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT YOUR BIRTH TEAM AND BIRTH LOCATION.

Midwife

GENERALLY RECOMMENDED WHEN:

YOU’RE HEALTHY

IT’S A SINGLETON (YES, THIS IS A REAL TERM FOR HAVING ONE BABY!)

YOU’RE YOUNGER

YOU WANT A MIDWIFE

A MIDWIFE IS A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WHOSE MAIN FUNCTION IS HELPING HEALTHY WOMEN DURING LABOR, DELIVERY, AND POSTPARTUM.

THE STRANGE NAME COMES FROM OLD ENGLISH, MEANING “WITH WOMAN” OR SOMEONE WHO IS LITERALLY WITH A WOMAN DURING CHILDBIRTH. MIDWIVES ARE GENERALLY THOUGHT TO USE LESS INTRUSIVE METHODS AND TO BE ABLE TO GIVE MORE INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION TO THE PATIENT DURING LABOR.

Doctor

GENERALLY RECOMMENDED WHEN:

YOU HAVE COMPLICATIONS

IT’S MULTIPLES

YOU’RE OLDER

YOU WANT OR NEED A C-SECTION

YOU WANT A DOCTOR

JUST LIKE MIDWIVES, AN OBSTETRICIAN-GYNECOLOGIST CAN TAKE CARE OF A PREGNANT WOMAN THROUGH PREGNANCY, BIRTH, AND POSTPARTUM. UNLIKE MIDWIVES, OB-GYNS ARE ABLE TO USE FORCEPS AND VACUUMS AS WELL AS OPERATE TO ASSIST DELIVERY.

Doula

WHAT’S THEIR DEAL?

ON TOP OF CHOOSING EITHER A MIDWIFE OR AN OB-GYN TO DELIVER YOUR BABY, YOU CAN HIRE A DOULA TO HELP AS WELL. MOST INSURANCE WON’T COVER DOULAS, WHICH IS A SHAME SINCE THEY TEND TO PROVIDE IMPORTANT SUPPORT. THE NEXT PAGE TELLS YOU MORE ABOUT WHAT DOULAS DO AND DON’T DO. (WOW, TRY SAYING THAT TEN TIMES FAST.)

Doula dos

DO GENERALLY SUPPORT YOU IN WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO FOR THE BIRTH

DO HELP YOU MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS FOR YOU THROUGH INFORMED CHOICES DURING THE BIRTH

DO HELP CREATE A PEACEFUL AND CALM ATMOSPHERE (IF THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT!) DURING BIRTH

DO HELP YOU THINK THROUGH A BIRTH PLAN IF YOU CHOOSE TO CREATE ONE (MORE ON THIS HERE)

DO HELP YOUR BIRTH BE THE BEST ONE IT CAN BE

DO HELP SUPPORT YOUR PARTNER AS WELL DURING LABOR

DO HELP YOU FEEL HEARD AND RESPECTED DURING YOUR BABY’S BIRTH

Doula don’ts

DON’T SPEAK FOR YOU (THEY WILL ONLY HELP YOU ASK QUESTIONS)

DON’T PUSH YOU TO GIVE BIRTH UNMEDICALLY (OR SOME OTHER WAY THAT YOU WOULDN’T WANT)

DON’T REPLACE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

ALL KINDS OF PREGNANCIES

NO TWO PREGNANCIES ARE THE SAME—NOT EVEN FOR THE SAME WOMAN. MANY START OFF WITH FACTORS THAT WILL CHANGE PREGNANCIES FROM THE BEGINNING. SOME FACTORS CHANGE THE CARE YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE.

WHAT BRINGS US ALL TOGETHER IS THE MAGICAL JOURNEY OF CREATING A LITERAL HUMAN INSIDE OF OURSELVES. WOMEN ARE AMAZING.

PRENATAL VISITS

PART OF THE MIDWIFE’S OR OB-GYN’S ROLE WILL BE TO ADMINISTER YOUR PRENATAL PHYSICAL CHECKS ALONG WITH YOUR NURSES. THESE WILL LIKELY HAPPEN MONTHLY AT FIRST, THEN BIWEEKLY, THEN WEEKLY. IT’S HONESTLY A LOT OF APPOINTMENTS. HOWEVER, PRENATAL CARE IS SUPER IMPORTANT FOR DIAGNOSING VERY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS SO THAT PROPER STEPS CAN BE TAKEN TO KEEP MOM AND BABY HEALTHY. CONDITIONS LIKE PREECLAMPSIA AND GESTATIONAL DIABETES CAN BE VERY SERIOUS AND CAN GO ON UNDETECTED IF NOT FOR THESE CHECKS.

CHOOSING YOUR BIRTH LOCATION

GOES HAND IN HAND WITH CHOOSING A MIDWIFE OR OB-GYN

AT A HOSPITAL: THIS IS THE DEFAULT OPTION FOR MOST, WITH ABOUT 98% OF BIRTHS HAPPENING IN HOSPITALS. SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A HOSPITAL:

IS IT COVERED BY YOUR INSURANCE?

IS IT CLOSE BY?

WHAT LEVEL¹ NICU DOES IT HAVE?

WHAT SORT OF STATISTICS CAN YOU FIND ON IT? (EXAMPLES: C-SECTION RATE, EPIDURAL RATE, PERCENT OF BABIES IN NICU)

DOES IT FEEL RIGHT?

NOT AT A HOSPITAL: ALTHOUGH ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF BIRTHS HAPPEN EITHER AT HOME OR AT A BIRTHING CENTER, THE PERCENTAGE HAS INCREASED RECENTLY. LACK OF COVERAGE FROM INSURANCE IS ONE REASON WOMEN DO NOT CHOOSE THIS OPTION. ALSO, SOME STATES DON’T HAVE ENOUGH BIRTHING CENTERS TO REALLY CONSIDER IT AN OPTION. BIRTHING CENTERS TEND TO HAVE MORE COMFORTABLE FURNITURE AND BATHTUBS TO LABOR IN. HOWEVER, THEY LACK SOME GEAR THAT HOSPITALS HAVE FULL ACCESS TO (NICU OR OPERATING ROOM).

PREGNANCY APPS

YOUR MEDICAL TEAM SHOULD PROVIDE BASIC INFO, BUT MANY PEOPLE CHOOSE APPS TO TRACK BABY’S DAILY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. WEIRD THING IS, MY APP SAID MY BABY WAS THE SIZE OF A TOMATO ONE WEEK, THEN THE SIZE OF A CUCUMBER THE NEXT! MUST BE A GIANT TOMATO.… PREGNANCY APPS ARE FUN TO MAKE FUN OF BUT, HEY, SOME OF THE INFO ON THERE IS REALLY INTERESTING.