What to Expect When You are Expecting

My husband and I are blessed with 3 lovely and healthy kids. My pregnancies were not entirely uneventful but thank God that my babies were delivered safely and healthily. I've been thinking about writing and sharing my experiences with moms-to-be. Why not?

Having a baby is a big decision. When Ryan was conceived, I was just married - naively thinking that babies don't come that easily - so why worry yet. Young and career minded, pregnancy came as a shock - and guess what? My first thought was 'How am I gonna tell my boss?!!'. My doctor was so surprised and said why would I ever be concerned about telling the boss. I should be happy and announcing the good news to my hubby and family. Haha! Those were the days!

I didn't have many people to consult. My mums and aunts forgot about their experiences. My friends were still unmarried or were just getting there. I was a bit in a limbo. What to expect? Are the things that I feel, the sickness, the cramps normal? When do I raise alarm? I asked some mummy colleagues and I was refered to my gynae for my 1st appointment.

The next thing I did was to buy a book. Since my mom and aunts forgot, I have to turn to books. And this I'd recommend to moms-to-be : 'WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU ARE EXPECTING' by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee Hathaway B.S.N. The book basically helped me through my pregnancies. Knowing that those feelings, the tiny aches and pains etc etc were just part and parcel of pregnancy was really a great relief. Believe me, preggy moms worry and think alot. Or maybe it was just me ;)

What else to do. Check out the web. Sign up for pregnancy newsletters eg. from http://www.whattoexpect.com/what-to-expect/landing-page.aspx. Join forums and chat with moms - I'm with the Mead Johnson AMN forum. Most importantly, share with your husband :)