You may think it is a waste of your precious time, going to those hospital-sponsored prenatal classes. After all, childbirth is natural and you do not need anyone to teach you what women have been doing naturally since the dawn of time.

But what if you were to learn something that would make this experience a bit less scary or a tad more comfortable? Would you consider prenatal classes then?

Prenatal classes do not mean someone is telling you how it is all done, but instead is informing you of the birthing options you may have at your hospital. You will learn about different types of birthing and may, in turn, be more inclined to write up your own birth plan, in which you will give to the obstetrician when you go into the hospital to deliver.

Knowledge is power. Prenatal classes will give you the power to make a more educated decision about your desires for the big day. Your instructor will help you put together your birth plan, which tells your obstetrician what you would like your birth experience to be. This is not to say that you will get what you wish for necessarily, as emergencies and the well being of both, yourself and your baby, supersede your comfort and/or wishes. If you write down, however, that you would prefer to avoid an episiotomy, have a preference regarding an epidural or any other wish that can be honored, your doctor will now be aware of it, and most likely will respect it.

You may even make some new mommy friends at these classes, ones who have a due date close to yours. It is always nice to have someone there who really knows what you are going through, and Hubby, as much as he will try, will never know what it is really like. You may make friends for the long run – women, whom you will be raising your kids with, getting advice from, etc.

You may not realize it, but it can be easy to get caught up in your daily routine and forget that you are carrying another tiny human inside. Life is busy and staying on top of it all (work, your partner, friends, household chores, etc.) takes much of your time and energy. You were always able to handle it before and you see no reason why your home or social life should suffer now. When you have reached your third trimester, you must start thinking like a very pregnant woman and cut yourself some slack.

Your home does not have to be spotless, or if it does, getting someone to help (your husband or hired help) is not a crime when you are that pregnant. Eating out sometimes rather than having to cook every day should be an option. Leaving the laundry for tomorrow is not the end of the world.

While pregnancy is not an illness, overdoing it may lead to complications, which you can easily avoid. At this point in your pregnancy you should not stand on your legs for too long without a break. The weight of the pregnancy causes extra stress on your body. If you cannot avoid standing for long periods of time, when possible put your legs up and let your body rest.

By now your body may already be signaling to you when you need to slow down and rest. And while you may think, “it is only 6 / 7 / 8 pm,” your body is telling you it needs the rest because it is not only busy with your daily activities, but also working on the development of your baby non stop. In other words, if you are tired, take a break, rest, let your energy rejuvenate. Your top priority right now should be taking care of yourself and your unborn child. Everything else can wait until tomorrow.

You will soon be busy with your little one and will not get much time to rest. Take this opportunity, before your pregnancy is over, to rest up when you can. Later, it will most likely be harder to find the time for it.

You may think this would be easier, after all, you have been through it before and know all there is to know. Well, that’s not quite right. You may be surprised to find out that your second pregnancy will be different than your first and that you still have new experiences coming your way.

First you should recognize that each pregnancy is unique, even for the same woman; just like every child is unique and has his own personality, within the same family. Each fetus grows at his own pace and starts to develop his own persona from within. This may mean that one pregnancy will feel more active, kicking-wise, than the other and/or your body will respond differently.

The second time around you may find that you are more tired. Don’t forget that during your first pregnancy you had no one, but yourself to care for. Remember that time when you could rest as much as you wanted?  No such luck this time… you are now a mother and your little one(s) depends on you. Running after your child(ren) can be exhausting, especially now that you are pregnant.

It seems that since your body has already experienced changing and adjusting, to accommodate for a pregnancy, it would know what to do, but it can still surprise you with each new pregnancy. It really depends on how fit you were going into each pregnancy, how much time passed between pregnancies and if you are having multiples or experiencing a high risk pregnancy. Any difference in the circumstances can affect how your body will handle it this time around.

Try to set aside time to rest, our body needs it. Make sure you eat right, both you and your baby’s development depends on it. Personal time is important for you to recharge, being a mother and being pregnant only means it is harder to make the time, but not that it is no longer needed.

When you are pregnant your body and mind work somewhat differently than when you are not. Your mind may be occupied with the health and development of the baby, life changes to come after childbirth or fears of the unknown. Your body is also busy, growing your little one and providing for his development, which takes a lot of energy and nutrients from your body.

One of the changes in your daily routine caused by pregnancy is usually manifested at night, when you are laying down and ready for a much needed good night’s sleep. You will find that throughout your pregnancy sleep becomes harder and rarer. Maybe it is nature, designed to prepare us for sleepless nights after the birth, but the fact is, when you need it most, sleep becomes harder to get.

Night time urination is usually the first cause of sleepless nights during pregnancy. Next are the dreams, which may be caused by fears, concerns and other thoughts that come with becoming a parent.  Veteran moms also report strange dreams during pregnancy, so you are not free of these in subsequent pregnancies.

As the pregnancy progresses, and your weight and belly grow, you will find that you cannot sleep on your back or belly comfortably anymore. It is also suggested that you completely refrain from sleeping on your back after the 20^th week.

Some woman suffer from hip pain, and wake up repeatedly due to it, or experience pain when rolling over, which can be challenging to do. Further along in your pregnancy you may find it hard to get out of bed at all and may need to devise strategies to get yourself up. Funny as it may sound it is not pleasant and may be frustrating, at times. But you can find comfort in the fact that it is all temporary (until the next pregnancy) and will go away after childbirth.

Believe it or not, but Hubby may find it hard to sleep too, during your pregnancy. Whether or not you used to snore, before the pregnancy, you are likely to do so now, especially during the third trimester. Snoring during pregnancy happens due to an increase in the amount of blood in your body and blood vessel expansion, which leads to swollen nasal membranes. You may also suffer from sleep apnea, which much like the other night discomforts, will dissolve after childbirth.

If you are feeling that your memory is betraying you during your pregnancy, you are not imagining things. Research shows that elevated hormone levels during pregnancy affect the brain and can cause forgetfulness.

Forgetfulness is most common in the first and third trimesters. If you think about it, it actually makes sense: during the first trimester your thoughts are occupied by many factors. You may worry about the health of your baby, the future of your family and how your lives will change, the pregnancy and how it will affect your body and so on. In your third trimester you will be anxious to meet your unborn baby and may be worrying or even fearing the near birth. You may also be exhausted if you have had trouble sleeping or discomfort carrying the baby weight. It is only logical that your mind is ‘not all there’ when it comes to other matters.

Forgetfulness during pregnancy is more evident with new tasks, such as trying to memorize new information. It will be harder to memorize new information while pregnant, but old information will not be forgotten.

To overcome this obstacle, come up with strategies to help you remember what is important. Do not be hard on yourself when you cannot remember something, like a phone number or a task you where just about to do. Instead, make yourself a list of your tasks or carry your phone book with you in your purse. Find ways to make your life easier while you go through this temporary phase of forgetfulness.

It may also be a cue that you are asking too much of yourself. After all, you are pregnant, and whenever possible, you should give yourself a break or try to slow things down. Prioritize and realize you cannot do it all, even if you really want to. You do not have to wash all the new baby clothes you have received or paint the nursery, today. Remember that your health affects your baby’s health directly. And while it may not feel like it, this pregnancy is only temporary.

An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy outside the uterus. When an embryo implants in the fallopian tubes, ovary or another abdominal organ other than the uterus, it is considered an ectopic pregnancy. This condition is life threatening and requires emergency treatment.

Chances for an ectopic pregnancy are around 2%.

Symptoms include:

• Light vaginal bleeding.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Lower abdominal pain.
• Sharp abdominal cramps.
• Pain on one side of the body, or around the hip.
• Dizziness or weakness.
• Pain in the shoulder, neck, or rectum.
• HCG levels do not double.

An ectopic pregnancy can occur because of a damaged fallopian tube. In this case the fertilized egg may not be able to make its way to the uterus and implant in the fallopian tube or elsewhere, instead. Another reason for such a pregnancy is due to scar tissue build up in the fallopian tube that the egg gets caught on.

Other causes for an ectopic pregnancy include:

• Use of an  IUD at the time of conception.
• History of pelvic inflammatory disease.
• Sexually-transmitted diseases.
• Congenital abnormality of the fallopian tube.
• History of pelvic surgery.
• History of ectopic pregnancy.
• Unsuccessful tubal ligation (surgical sterilization) or tubal ligation reversal.
• Fertility drugs.
• Infertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).
• Smoking.

If you have had an ectopic pregnancy, you can still have a healthy pregnancy! Speak to your healthcare provider about your risks and chances with regard to conception and how to carry a healthy pregnancy to term after having had an ectopic pregnancy.

About 70% of new moms experience some form, or another, of baby blues. They are caused by a sudden shift in hormone levels after childbirth and are perfectly normal. Other factors that may trigger the baby blues include: a feeling of anxiety caused by the new responsibility of having a newborn, fatigue and lack of sleep that comes from being a new mother and even frustration over breastfeeding difficulties or other problems.

Though baby blues are normal and common and usually disappear on their own, there is no reason to just accept them. If you want to chase them away sooner, ease the symptoms and/or feel better faster.

Beating the baby blues may be easier than you may think. Try the following to get back to your old self sooner:

You will be surprised what exercising regularly can do for your mood (and your body.) Wait with exercising, until after your postpartum doctor appointment (usually six weeks after childbirth) and ask your doctor if it is okay to resume physical activity.

Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. If you are nursing you will find that you need this well balanced diet more than you ever did.

Join a support group for new mothers. It is always nice, and can be helpful, to know people in the same situation as you. You may make new friends and learn a trick or two to make your new lifestyle easier to handle.

Make time daily for something you enjoy! While you are a mother now, you are still a woman and it is important to make time for yourself. If it is hard to make the time, take a look at your priorities and change them, if need be. You will thank yourself for it!

Give yourself a change of scenery by meeting with a friend for a cup of coffee or enjoy an evening out with your partner. Parenting does not mean life is over, just different. Still you need to nurture your relationships in order to be the best mother you can be.

Divide the parenting responsibilities between you and your spouse so you do not feel like you are doing everything by yourself. This does not mean you have to divide everything equally, after all, your Hubby cannot breastfeed, but there are many things that you can both do and Dad needs time to bond too.

Yes, there are traditional do’s and do not’s to planning a baby shower. There are specifics for who should and should not throw or plan the shower (the expecting couple and/or their family should NOT be planning it, so it doesn’t look like they are asking for presents.) There are books and websites about baby shower activities and decorations, but do you really have to be restricted by rules? This is strictly up to you; after all, it is YOUR shower, isn’t it?

And why shouldn’t you have it your way? So tell whoever throws you this event what you want; if you are into games or not, where you would prefer it to be (at home, outdoors, a restaurant?) and when. It will be a great help for them too, something to start with, rather than having to come up with everything themselves. Just remember not to take over too much… sit back and relax at your party.

Traditionally baby showers are for the expecting moms only, but who is to say you cannot have a shower for both expecting Mom and Dad? Remember, this is your celebration.

There is no ‘best’ time to have a baby shower. It is usually held before the baby is born, in order to help the new parents get ready for the baby. After the shower, the expecting couple will know what they still need to purchase, in preparation for the arrival of their baby.

Invite whoever you would like to be at your party. It can be a large event or an intimate gathering. It is all up to you – guest list included.

Should you have a baby shower for your second child, third child…? This is also your choice. Why not celebrate every child’s beginning? It may be different than your first shower, since you will know what you want, or need from experience.

Happy Baby Shower!