When I first fell pregnant I didn't have a clue what my body was about to go through and what I should/shouldn't do, eat, buy or anything! I am so lucky and have a big sister who knows everything about babies and gives me lots of advice however I have been speaking to other preggo ladies recently who don't have that support system around them. This post is to help those in need of some advice on their pregnancy or how to care for a baby and these are all the avenues I explored to gain all my information!
Resources for baby information
Your Midwife - This will most likely be the first contact you have when you find out you are pregnant. You'll have a booking appointment where you will be weighed and measured, you will discuss health and medical history and fill out a billion forms! At this point your midwife should ask you if you want to discuss any aspects of the pregnancy that you aren't sure about.. This is when I turned around and said "UMMM EVERYTHING!!". My midwife was great and told me the basics of what I should and shouldn't eat and activities that I can still continue in. She also outlined roughly when I should make appointments to see midwifes or GPs for the whole pregnancy which was amazing
Bounty Packs - You should received a Bounty Pack at your booking appointment. It is jam packed full of information, samples and coupons and I loved mine! It comes with a really factual book which has a week by week page explaining what's going on with you and your baby and has loads of useful advice. You are also entitled to receive 3 more packs during pregnancy and after the birth
Bounty Website - It was in my Bounty Pack that I discovered the Bounty Website! I now have this saved as a fave on my Ipad and look at it on a daily basis. It is fantastic for information but also has some great deals on baby related products and even holidays! I have used it a good handful of times for purchases for Baby H! I also have the Bounty App on my Iphone and spend every Saturday morning reading my weekly update :)
NHS Website - I constantly use the NHS website when I am out and about and I'm not quite sure if I should be eating something. It came in particularly handy at a recent trip to Café Rouge where I really fancied Muscles and Camembert and wasn't sure if I could eat either.. it turns out as long as both are piping hot and well cooked then you can indulge in them as much as you like! Its also really good for checking what medicines are ok to take
What to Expect Books - There are tons of baby books out there but I don't think you can get better than the What to Expect series. I mentioned both books that I have here and here and I cannot recommend them enough! They really are the bible when it comes to pregnancy and babies
Connecting with other mums
Bounty Website Community - I joined the Bounty website forum pretty early on in my pregnancy and I am so glad I did. It is full of mums in all sorts of situations, some with so many years of experience and knowledge and some just like me who are first time mummy's! It is catergorised so well and its great to join a group according to your due date (my group is Due in November, come and say hi if you are on there!!) or you can join a group/discussion according to your problem or situation. I have found it one of THE best ways to connect with other mums and to get a little guidance in what I should be doing in the pregnancy. I have also had advice on bleeding, baby names and what to buy all of which were really helpful
Twitter - Following baby care brands and support networks on Twitter is another great way to connect with other parents. Its also a good way to get your blog noticed if you have one of those, and you can enter loads of competitions via Tweeting too! (Follow me on twitter if you like Lucie_xoxo)
Bloglovin - I have found some of my favourite Pregnancy/Parenting blogs via Bloglovin and I have made some great friends already through it!
Instagram - Its amazing what a little hashtagging can do! I post a lot of my blog updates on here so that my friends and family can read them but I get people from all over the place "liking" my pictures and reading my blog through it as I will always hashtag them! I now follow a whole bunch of other #preggo ladies or parents of little ones and its a great way to keep up to date with their progress as well as your own
I hope this helps and first time mums who don't really know where to start when it comes to being pregnant or having a baby!
Do you have any useful tips for first time mums??
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