Your Pregnancy

Your Pregnancy

BabyLife is all about life with your baby and learning how your baby is changing and will change through the early years developmental stages. Start here to explore all aspects of your activities of daily living whilst pregnant, then work through each stage as they come to find out what you need to know, when you need to know it. Click on each of the below tabs to start exploring through each aspect of your life which will be changing. The aim of this information is for you to life your best life through your pregnancy and early years of parenting.

So for now, if you are here because you are pregnant, this calls for a big congratulations to you on your pregnancy! You're officially growing a baby. Your one person, has become two, and it is an exciting time holding and nurturing your baby in your amazing body. A woman's body is unique and amazing indeed! 

You may be wondering what you will be in for through this pregnancy and beyond. Many books and online resources will tell you week to week what to expect, but before that, marvel at the fact that you created a new life and it lives inside you. It is yours and whatever you do, now until you birth your baby, the two of you are experiencing together. Luckily making a baby is a slow process that gives you plenty of time to prepare, relax, have patience, and look after yourself. 

Everyone's experience of pregnancy is unique, and every pregnancy is different. Your body is going through so many simultaneous changes without you needing to think about it. With this, your body's senses seem to be heightened, and your awareness is drawn inward. Your brain is remodelling to strengthen your emotional centres, preparing you for caring for your baby. These changes are your body's and nature's way of putting your baby's well-being and growth first, giving them the best start in life.

Most of your body changes are only temporary in the scheme of your life, but your mind and spirit will be changed forever. The personal growth you experience is all part of your transformation, your rite of passage into motherhood, and your evolution. This is why life will never be the same again. Embrace your new purpose because you’re about to be the most important person in the world to your baby. The feeling will be mutual.

It’s the time to nourish and look after your body like never before. Look to eat a wide range of foods, reduce your exposure to environmental chemicals, and nurture your mind, body, and spirit. Take this time to prepare your home, mindset, and lifestyle to welcome your baby into your world. You will need to learn new skills, including birthing skills, breastfeeding skills, and safely set up the various baby equipment. There's a lot to learn, but you've got time. You've got this.  

Thank you for sticking with me to get this far! Do you believe the sayings, 'You are what you eat' and 'You only get out what you put in'?

What you choose to put into your body influences your body and life in many ways. Apart from needing food for energy, it is now understood that your microbiota is influenced by what you eat and can influence what you choose to eat. 

It is never too early to start improving your diet and lifestyle. From 3 months (up to ideally six months) before getting pregnant, you and your partner can prepare your body to improve your diet, health and energy levels. This is especially worthwhile for women to improve the health of the egg/s, placenta, and the womb's lining. As a pregnant woman, your body will prioritise nutrients for your baby, so having a store of nutrients in your body from a consistent nutrient-dense diet will protect your health and that of your baby over the long term.

As your breasts prepare for breastfeeding, so can you by forming realistic expectations of the effort and time it takes to learn the skill of breastfeeding with your baby and forming a plan for success

Many traditional cultures believe that the pregnant body is in a hotter state, which means that colder foods are tolerated well. The postpartum body then moves into a colder state, needing warm foods and drinks, including broths, to promote good health. Regardless of if you eat hot or cold foods, during each stage of pregnancy is the time to focus on nutrients, the quality of your food sources, and preparing and storing your food to reduce your intake and exposure to toxins.

Your food and activity levels form a cycle of energy in and out that can easily get out of balance. Your body will tell you what it needs. Slow down, listen and follow as best you can.

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Eating For Each Pregnancy Stage
Eating For Each Pregnancy Stage

Your pregnancy goes through phases, each with different challenges and perks. Your growing body can affect how you feel about eating. It's easy but not very helpful to worry about putting on too much or not enough weight. During pregnancy is not the time to go to extremes with your dietary intake by either limiting your food intake or taking creative licence to eat what... Read More

Preparing yourself for breastfeeding
Preparing yourself for breastfeeding

Breastmilk is sometimes respectfully referred to as 'liquid gold'. There are still components of breastmilk that are being discovered by researchers. So far, we know that breastmilk is nutrition (catered for your baby's gender and growth needs), hormones, immune components (antibodies and anti-inflammatories), over 700 species of microbes, and human milk oligosacch... Read More

The Wonderful World of our Microbiome
The Wonderful World of our Microbiome

Is your body just your body? It may be much more.  Your microbiome comprises up to 1000 different species of bacteria, yeasts (fungi) and viruses living throughout and on your body. Some 1970s estimates of human cells' ratio to bacteria placed the ratio at 10 bacteria to every 1 human cell, revised numbers indicate this may be much closer to 1:1. The actual nu... Read More

During any time in your life, sleep is an important activity for your immune system and overall health and vitality. Sleep, rest, and relaxation is easy, enjoyable, refreshing, energising and free.

Even though we all know it is important, other things are often prioritised above the need for sleep. You wouldn't spend at least a third of your life sleeping if it weren't an essential activity. We know that sleep is important because of the higher incidence of health problems in people who treat sleep as an optional activity and don't get enough sleep. This is true in pregnancy, since getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night is a stillbirth risk factor.

There are so many important functions that your body and mind does automatically and subconsciously during sleep. Sleep aids in a strong immune system, hormone regulation & stress reduction. During sleep, the garbage or waste cells are cleared from the brain and body through the lymphatic system. Sleep helps balance the hormones cortisol, serotonin, and melatonin and promotes clearer thinking and enhanced brain function. It's amazing how much we are 'doing' when we sleep.

During pregnancy, your body prepares for motherhood and devotes a large amount of energy towards growing and protecting your baby. In early pregnancy, raised levels of progesterone can make you drowsy and also disturb your sleep. You are also preparing your body and mindset for birthing & motherhood with changes to the brain, breasts and pelvis - all this is especially tiring.

Towards the end of your pregnancy, it can become harder to get comfortable in bed to have a good night’s sleep. It is important to learn the safer and more supported positions you can sleep in. Other sleep stealers can be heartburn, joint laxity/pelvic/lower back pain, restless legs, cramps (thought to be caused by low levels of calcium and potassium), snoring, baby movements and needing to go to the toilet. It is also common to have vivid and strange dreams related to hormones, anxiety, and excitement about the pending life change. 

Pregnancy is a great time to make changes to your life, routines and sleep environment to improve sleep for your sake and your baby's as they grow. Now is the time to consider where and how you would like to set up a sleep surface for your baby for their first months and then in the future.  Knowing how to prepare your mind and body for sleep can not only benefit you, but the benefits flow onto your children with you becoming the role model and teacher, promoting sleep for your growing baby. 

 

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Setting up your bedroom for sleep
Setting up your bedroom for sleep

When you have prepared your body and mind for sleep, and are ready to sleep, you want your bedroom environment to support falling asleep, staying asleep and sleeping well. The need for quality sleep amongst new parents can become a desperate situation due to the differences between infant sleep and adult sleep. Therefore, setting up the bedroom environment for the primary purpose of bet... Read More

Preparing for sleep
Preparing for sleep

When you have day/night routines which support better sleep, your days are more productive, balanced and enjoyable. These same principles apply to your baby once their circadian rhythm starts to strengthen at around 3-4 months old. If you can control your bedtime, start preparing your body well before that time and try to get to bed around the same time every night or earlier if you ... Read More

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" (WHO).

For the most part, healthcare services are set up to help restore people to a healthy state or manage symptoms when disease or infirmity are acutely or chronically present. Health services are a great resource to help you when things aren't right, to understand symptoms, gain a diagnosis and find out about and access treatment options. Primary healthcare services including doctors, nurses and allied health services can work alongside complementary or alternative therapy services to restore you back to health and then help you with advice to maintain your health. 

True health is the result of finding your balance. You are the one in charge of managing your health and wellbeing by the choices you make every day. Every activity we do in life affects our health somehow, what we eat, drink, sleep, work & leisure pursuits, social interactions, how we care for our bodies etc. An excess of anything, or an absence of any essential elements will throw you out of balance and if you don't correct, will lead towards disease or infirmity. It is up to you to check in with yourself, learn about your body, mind and spirit to adjust course to re-balance when needed. 

Although pregnancy does not make a woman 'infirm' in itself, growing a baby is complex work which causes any number of symptoms and the need to access maternity care services. The monitoring that occurs throughout your pregnancy helps identify when symptoms or test results fall outside the normal range and may require further testing or treatment. Visits with health care professionals also serve to prepare you for the birthing experience.

The process of growing a baby is so complex that there are still things we don't understand or comprehend about the entire process. Without any conscious thought, our body can make a baby. On both ends of the spectrum, some people have so little pregnancy symptoms that they can in rare cases go through entire pregnancies without knowing they are pregnant (can you imagine?!). Others have such extreme symptoms such as hyperemesis gravidarum that they are practically disabled during their pregnancy. For most, their body shape changes are gradual but dramatic: body fat increases, your uterus grows and pushes on your abdominal organs, your skin stretches, & your breasts prepare for breastfeeding typically growing 1-2 cup sizes. It will be worth taking time to get to know what changes the average pregnant body experiences.

As you go along your pregnancy journey, expectant Dads face much uncertainty around how relationships will change and their transition into fatherhood. They would benefit from being included in any antenatal or birthing preparation classes, as well as accessing Dad specific support and resources.

This is such an important time to focus on your health and change your lifestyle towards healthy habits. It is also a time of great learning, preparation and choices. There will be so many decisions you make along the way based on the knowledge you have at the time. As you learn more, you can make different choices. It is an evolution as you become a parent and start to develop competence along the way. There are no perfect parents, just loving parents trying to do the best for their children. 

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Maternity Care Choices
Maternity Care Choices

Making the choice of health care provider needs to happen in the early days of your pregnancy. It may be worth doing your research to weigh up the options available to you in your area and ensure you can book into your preferred model of care provider. This might take some consideration if you are in a large city with multiple hospitals, birthing units, obstetricians and maternity ... Read More

Pregnancy symptoms and changes
Pregnancy symptoms and changes

When you become pregnant, one thing which becomes clear is how much energy goes into making a baby. In saying that, once that egg and sperm decide to work together, a kind of magic happens where a new life and energy is created. This starts a chain reaction of creation with complex chemistry, physics and biological processes that we may never fully understand because they happen unconsc... Read More

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Broadly speaking, personal hygiene covers many of the fundamental self-care activities you perform in your daily routines to maintain a healthy body. 

During pregnancy, looking after your own health and wellbeing becomes a top priority for the sake of your baby. It is also a challenge in that you need to change some habits to meet your changing body's needs. Pregnancy is the perfect time to set yourself up in routines, including self-care practices that are quick, effective, and will work with your baby in tow. 

It is a great time to take stock of the products you use on your body and in your environment. If in doubt about a product's safety or anything in your environment, take the precautionary approach - don't use it, throw it out, wear personal protective equipment, or get someone else to handle it. For example, hand hygiene practices aim to clean your body to reduce your exposure to potentially harmful/disease-causing pathogens. Unfortunately, using antibacterial and antimicrobial products in 'the fight against germs' can interfere with and undermine your skin's natural balance of bacteria. The overuse of these products has resulted in the emerging problems of antibiotic resistance and increased asthma and allergies (especially in children). Like anything in nature, a balance needs to be achieved by finding ways to reduce your exposure to anything potentially harmful whilst supporting and strengthening your body's natural defence mechanisms.

Check out the following related topics to find out what you need to know (including tips)...

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Home-Based Hygiene Tips
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Why do we worry so much about keeping our house clean, clutter-free, ventilated, with fresh sheets on the bed, and follow food safety advice? It's all so exhausting!  The core belief driving us is that these activities improve our indoor environment's quality and health-promoting qualities and remove anything that could make us or our babies... Read More

Looking After Your Skin
Looking After Your Skin

It is easy to overlook our skin as an important indicator of our inner health, yet we instinctively find clear, radiant skin attractive and beautiful.  Your skin is your main barrier between you and the outside world. The other main barrier between your body and the outside world is your gut lining within your digestive system. There are a lot of parallels&nb... Read More

Looking after your hair
Looking after your hair

When it comes to your hair washing routine, during pregnancy is a great time to try new things, like more natural hair care products and to play around with simplifying your routine. During pregnancy, your hair goes through changes including getting thicker, it may get curlier or straighter and there's more of it because it stays in the growth phase for longer and doesn't shed a... Read More

Mouth Hygiene Tips
Mouth Hygiene Tips

When you think of mouth hygiene, you can do a number of other things to maintain good mouth hygiene and mouth health over and above the standard teeth brushing. During pregnancy, your mouth is affected by hormonal and immune changes, which benefits from special care and attention. One effective method of reducing the bacteria that cause bad breath and plaque, is to use a to... Read More

Caring for Your Lady Parts
Caring for Your Lady Parts

If you never thought much of your monthly cycles before wanting to have children, there's nothing like being pregnant to begin to appreciate what being a woman really means. It is also a great time to get acquainted with your lady parts and how they work.  For women, down there includes 3 openings, the urethra which connects to the bladder, the vulva which connects to t... Read More

There may be both your work responsibilities and your most important job, preparing to become a parent. There’s a lot to do in preparing your mind, body, lifestyle and home for a healthy pregnancy and your new baby life. This is a time to think and be realistic about how your life will change when your baby arrives and start to do things that boost your happiness and health. You could be learning new skills to prepare for parenting, such as learning how to photograph children (very similar to pet photography), so you can capture all the precious moments. It is also a time to do the mental preparation for becoming a parent by reflecting on your own upbringing and getting clear on your family's core values.

You will naturally enter a strong nesting phase during your second and third trimesters to get your home in order ready to welcome your baby. This is a great time for a declutter and simplifying your life to make physical and mental space for your baby. You will be looking around your house and outdoor spaces with fresh eyes evaluating everything and every space for family friendliness, safety, and hazards. Kidsafe has a great resource for parents, a Home Safety Checklist for every room in the house and outside. It will serve you well to get comfortable with regularly going through your things to decide what to have within reach, store away, give away, sell or throw as you will be doing a lot of this as your baby progresses through each stage. 

If you are thinking about what playthings to buy your baby and feeling overwhelmed, check out the book Retro Baby: Cut Back on All the Gear and Boost Your Baby's Development with More than 100 Time-tested Activities

To get yourself ready for getting out and about with baby, make sure to get yourself a comfortable and easy to use nappy bag. Explore the range at The Stork Nest, Amazon Au, or the Baby Bunting eBay Store.

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Birthing Preparation
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Preparing your family spaces for baby
Preparing your family spaces for baby

Your living areas will need to serve multiple functions for all members of the family - for play, activities, entertainment, relaxation, comfort, reading, talking, and exercise. As your family grows, the range and type of activities engaged within this space will evolve. The important first step is to look at if it is safe for a small baby, can be easily adapted, and if it supports participa... Read More

Parenting Preparation & Skill Development
Parenting Preparation & Skill Development

It's easy to get wrapped up in preparing for the birth when it is such a significant event, that sometimes the more long term situation of becoming a parent gets overlooked. The birth of your baby triggers a series of changes in your life. No preparation will match the experience, but it can help with expectations. Your baby's birth is your birth as a parent, it is a shared ex... Read More

Nature Play for Everyone
Nature Play for Everyone

Have you ever felt energised when in natural environments, then experienced the come-down when you go indoors? If yes, you have experienced first-hand the health and wellbeing benefits of doing activity in nature or just being in any natural environment. It doesn't matter how old you are, the benefits are universal. During pregnancy is an especially great time to realise these benefi... Read More

Feel-Good Activities for Pregnancy & Beyond
Feel-Good Activities for Pregnancy & Beyond

A healthy circadian rhythm relies on a balance throughout your day of physical activity, mental activity, relaxation and rest. Making a baby takes a lot of energy, so it is important to pack food and water to have on hand for whatever you are doing and wherever you go. This is a habit you will continue once you become a parent - you won't want to get stuck out... Read More

Health & Lifestyle Choices
Health & Lifestyle Choices

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Planning for a Return to Paid Work
Planning for a Return to Paid Work

Making a plan around returning to work after a maternity leave period has two distinct phases. The first occurs during your pregnancy when you are applying for maternity leave or making preparations for your leave (known as a 'confinement' date). The other is when it is time to make preparations for returning to work in the months leading up to your planned return to work d... Read More

Once your belly starts to show, you might notice your skinny jeans just aren't going all the way around you anymore and your short tops just aren't covering your new curves the way they should. 

Changes in your body shape will ultimately prompt you to look through your wardrobe to see what is going to stretch with you and accommodate your growing curves, what needs to be put to the back of the wardrobe for now, and what items of clothing you will need to get to serve you through each stage.

A good fit is important not just for your comfort, but also for your health. When you notice that your clothing is putting pressure on your bump and areas of your skin causing red marks, these are signs that the free circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids are being affected. Check your skin after removing your clothes using mirrors for hard to see areas. If there are red marks, look at looser options next time with what you already own or it could be shopping time. Check out the range at Soon MaternityeBay & Amazon Au

It can be so exciting picking out cute tiny clothes as you prepare for your baby to arrive. Seeing those tiny socks and outfits make everything seem real, that your baby will be shortly fitting into those impossibly tiny clothes. To find out more about choosing baby clothes, check out the next stage's information in the 'Clothes' tab.

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Maternity Clothes - what to wear?
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Baby clothes storage ideas
Baby clothes storage ideas

Baby clothes are tiny but there can be so many of them in so many different sizes and for different seasons. When you receive hand-me-down clothes plus you are gifted clothes, then you also purchase clothes, it doesn't take long before the overwhelm can set in and you are wondering where to start to get organised. Baby clothes sizes can be confusing at first so that is ... Read More

Some of the biggest ticket items that you will buy for your baby are those that help you carry or drive your baby from place to place.

Doing your homework and really considering what is going to best suit your family's needs will pay off in the end. Products that fit your needs have the potential to make transporting your baby around your local area, shopping centre or when travelling, that much easier. You may even find yourself buying more than one type of pram, carrier or car seat over the course of your pregnancy and early parenting years, so knowing what you are looking for will ultimately save you time and money. 

It can be very exciting during the second half of your pregnancy to explore and buy a pram or stroller, car seat and a carrier. When you buy the pram or car seat, suddenly it seems real that your baby is almost here.  

There are many ways to transport your baby, so you need to be realistic with yourself about where you will want to be taking your baby, for how long and how often. 

There are many possible methods for transporting your baby short distances and long distances. Look for products which fit your lifestyle, what your body can manage to push/carry/lift, local environments, and where else you will need to take your baby. You can use any combination of the following at different times:

carrying (in arms/sling/carrier) - Carrying your baby has many benefits for both you and your baby. Using a long piece of fabric to wrap your baby onto your body is a traditional practice for good reason. There are lots of carrier and sling options available to give you a hands-free option for walking around with your baby. It is worth investing in at least one of these. See our Discover Baby Carriers & Baby Carrier Buying Guide from the next age stage onwards.

car or public transportation - To travel in a car, you will need a child car seat. If you plan on taking your baby home from the hospital in a car, the seat needs to be installed well before your estimated due date. For travelling on public transportation, a small to medium-sized pram and/or carrier can be great options.

Pram or stroller For your newborn, you may want to get a pram or pram/stroller combination which is has a bassinet lay flat style space for your baby to sleep in and face you. Pram/stroller combination seats can be converted when your baby outgrows the lay-flat seat, into a more upright seat. Once they are over 6 months old, they can sit up in a stroller seat and can safely ride in a jogging stroller. When it comes to looking around and choosing what is going to suit you, it all gets very confusing because there are so many brands and so many models available. You need to know what you want and need before you can begin to narrow down your search. 

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Pram/stroller buying guide
Pram/stroller buying guide

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Choosing a Convertible Car Seat
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Child Car Seat Buying Guide
Child Car Seat Buying Guide

In most areas of Australia, car travel is an essential part of life. No matter where you live, chances are your baby will be travelling in a car at some point in time. When they do, you need to know how to keep them safe.  For expectant and new parents, choosing the first child car seat can be one of the first big purchases for your baby. For new parents, the first car trip is especi... Read More