What advice would you give to a new mother?

I’m newly pregnant and it has come to a complete surprise. My first pregnancy and would really just like some advice on foods to stay away from and foods that are very beneficial! I’d mostly just love a list of foods to stay clear of. Or just any activities in general. When searching, I discovered you should even stay clear of taking very hot baths, which I was completely unaware of. Any and all advice is great. Thank you!

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Can’t eat deli meat or hot dogs

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No pate, can eat certain fish but on a limited amount, no sea food, eggs have to be cooked through unless they are lion stamped, fully cooked meat no medium rare. If you check the NHS website (if UK) it will give you a full list of to do and not to do with food, congratulations and take your vitamins!

I found this book really helpful. It made me feel like I was doing something “right” even in the very beginning. Good luck.

Keep active. That was my worst mistake

Eat your cravings except for the things you absolutely cannot have (raw fish, etc)! That’s my advice lol.

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Stay away from kitty litter

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Don’t excessively worry about what to do/not do. I did that and I put my body under so much stress I had to be put on bed rest at only 13 weeks (for 4 weeks) be watchful but don’t obsess over what you think is safe/not safe

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You cannot come into contact with cat poo or kitty litter,

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Congratulations!!

No sushi
No undercooked meat/eggs
No hot dogs or cured meats
No deli meat unless you heat it in the microwave to steaming before eating.
Only pasteurized cheeses.

Try to eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies and drink milk. But also indulge your cravings!! :blush:

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Your meat needs to be fully cooked. That one killed me because I lovvveeee steak done medium rare.

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Ask your obgyn about specific foods to avoid. You will get many crazy answers on here. You can definitely eat hot dogs just cook them. You can eat lunch meat, you’re supposed to heat it to kill any bacteria. I’ve never done that I just ate it cold I’ve had three children :woman_shrugging:t2: you can eat fish and seafood like shrimp and crab just make sure it is fully cooked. No raw fish and there is a list of some fish to avoid. Also ask for a list of safe meds. Nothing other than Tylenol in the first trimester. You can enjoy a warm bath just not so hot that you are overheated and sweating. Rest when you can and try not to stress so much!! Download a pregnancy app it will help tremendously! I’ve always used ovia it’s great info everyday and there’s a chat room with other moms for anonymous questions. Good luck and congratulations!

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A little bit of caffeine here and there won’t kill you, or your baby. I’m a hardcore caffeine addict, not coffee but like Diet Coke/Dr Pepper and I made myself absolutely ill with headaches from not drinking any soda my first pregnancy. My second pregnancy I was little iffy about drinking soda still so I did greatly cut back and my baby was born just fine. My third pregnancy I drank probably two to three cans of Diet Coke a day and what do you know, my baby is just perfect. Like I said, don’t go nuts with it, but don’t be afraid of a soda.

No raw fish or soft cheeses and no cleaning the kitty litter.

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Big NO to hot baths love

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Try to stay away from things that give you heartburn

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No pregnancy advice…that part sucks. But when it comes to babies, best piece of advice I ever got was…when baby is crying and you’ve done everything you can think of and nothing is working, put him in water (bath/pool) or take him outside. For me, this has worked approximately 95% of the time. :grin:

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Download a app that’s free, I use one and it tells me what medicine are safe and foods as well! It helps keep track of how many weeks and gives really helpful tips on everything! I’ve used it for all three of my pregnancy and love it! But everything above is helpful as well!

Get a list from your Dr. Recommendations literally change all the time. My kids are 17 mos apart. There’s foods I was told not to eat with her that were allowed with him & vise versa. Really weird how much difference those 9 mos made.

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Your OBGYN should give you a packet/ folder with a ton of info in it. It will have everything from safe/ unsafe OTC medications, food choices and what to expect at what stage of your pregnancy. I can tell you that recommendations change frequently… my 3 kiddos are 3.5 year apart and the booklets they give you has some changes. Don’t stress about food especially with food aversions in your future. Take your prenatals and ask your OB all the silly questions that’s what they are there for

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No or little carbs. A lot of water if you want to breast feed. No sodas.

You can eat whatever you want but raw fish, anything else make sure it’s cooked all the way, and any lunch meats make sure you heat up to kill any bacteria that may be on it.

Just had my first baby in December so I just went over this stuff with my mid wife.

Baths just can’t be hot. If it’s hot enough that your blood pressure rises thats when it causes issues with blood supply to baby

Stay away from raw meats, sea food and eggs
Deli meat should be heated before eating
Limit your caffeine intake but you don’t need to cut it out
Make sure dairy products are pasteurized
Fish high in mercury are a no

Most foods thats are a no is because they can contain certain bacteria and thats what is harmful.

Sweetie ,get the book What to expect when Your expecting . Lots of on/gym Doctors give them to their patience s.Good luck little Momma !

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Not food related…but make sure you walk as much as possible! I was on my feet constantly and I really believe it made labor much easier.

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Some of my favorite free baby apps: OviaPregnancy, The Bump, and BabyCenter. They all have lists of dos and donts

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Depends on your body as far as food. My first baby only wanted Arnis pizza. Could even go to the grocery store without getting sick. All 5 kids and I couldnt eat or even smell Roast beef. Lol

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Get as much sleep and alone time as you possibly can.

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Nothing unpasteurized

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Babies can tell the nutrients they need by color. So if your baby keep spitting out the green jar of baby food, get out the yellow or orange and they will eat it up.

Nothing too spicy later term
No Tumeric
Not too much white tea or green tea
No hot baths
No deli meats with preservatives and nitrates

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I don’t think there’s a ton of restrictions on food, but one of the restrictions I tried to be the most conscious of was caffeine intake!! Try to limit that, avoid raw fish, and limit deli meats. Above all, drink plenty of water! Like drink way more than you think you need :crazy_face:

You will forget about the sleepiness nights. Always back 4 pairs of clothes. It only get harder when they start to talk. Smell them lot cause they think that’s weird now.

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i was told with all three defenitaly not hot bath especially hot tubs, when have headaches take nothing . i have a 25 yr old down to 2 younger ones.i was told all this from my oldest down. and watch caffeine in take.

Mainly stay away from like sea food and lunch meat. If you ask your obgyn he can give you a more detailed list of do’s and dont’s and the reason why it says not to do those things.

Be as calm as possible. The release of cortisol into your blood is never good. Be informed but not afraid and put only pure food into your mouth!! Be mindful :heart:

Most cheese stay away but some cheese is good for you and baby, also if your not sure just google everything that’s what I did lol I suffered really bad lactic acid when ever I had the salad peppers and anything fizzy drink, make sure you cook your meats really well, and take pregnacare vitamin tablets daily, good luck

No eating radishes. Not sure why?

Drink water and exercise and drink more water

Cook all your meat thoroughly. Many food borne illnesses are devastating to an unborn baby. If you have a cat, have someone else change the litter as you can get toxoplasmosis which is bad for the baby. Drink water, and eat healthy when you can, but don’t deny your cravings.

No deli meat unless it has been microwaved until “steaming” that way any potential bacteria has been killed. No raw sushi or uncooked eggs. No unpasteurized cheeses.
Don’t know if anybody has mentioned, but no sleeping on your back after the first trimester. (You can probably go longer but I stopped after the first trimester to be safe) Definitely no hot baths or a heating pad on your belly. No ibuprofen but you can take Tylenol.
Congratulations momma! :heart:

Dietary restrictions should be discussed with your doctor, as things change rapidly. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was told to eat liver and avoid fish. When I was pregnant with my son, I was told fish is fine but avoid liver. Just better to see from your doc what’s approved and what isn’t.

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Vegetables and fruits of course would be best but it really depends on your cravings coz some do have. And fish that is rich in folic acid. Maternity milk would also help if you want. No alcoholic or caffeine and black colored sodas like coke.

Congratulations! Your doctor/midwife should give you a list of foods to avoid. My advice is not food related, but get a pack of diapers and/or wipes every week (or whenever you do your shopping). That way you are stocked up and you won’t have that cost all at once. Sleep as much as you can now cuz you won’t get much when baby comes. Have a station stocked with supplies (diapers, wipes, spare outfit, burp cloth) in the most used rooms so you don’t have to go far in case of poop explosions or spit up.

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I had it all… coffee, deli meat, junk food :yum: worked 12+ hour days 5 days a week up until the day before she was born. Had a cat too. Changed the litter like I always had. No changes :woman_shrugging:. Had a healthy baby girl :baby: :pregnant_woman: who’s 1.5 now :upside_down_face:.

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Get the app What to Expect! There’s also a community section that you can ask daily questions or just vent out your emotions pretty much anonymously :blush:

Pack a hospital bag early. I went into an appointment and ended up not leaving, I had an emergency c section. I was totally unprepared. Another thing I wish I did was journal. Post baby is a whole different life.

You will get different thing’s from different people…Best to speak with your doctor…
What one person did,another wouldn’t have done…
I worked, standing all shift,slept on my back,ate most thing’s unless the smell turned me off ect…

Adding tuna fish and deli meat to the list of foods Doctors will tell you not to eat. Stay away from fast/processed foods.

I hope you feel well.

I did a lot I wasn’t supposed to in the first several weeks, because I wasn’t aware I was pregnant… Seriously, ate a full can of tuna fish, rode roller coasters, jumped off a two story yacht into the ocean, sat in a hot tub, drank a little (and seriously … Not much) wine … Used neosenephrine throughout my pregnancy… And I had the most chill, easy going kid ever… Still is.

Enjoy every moment. Be you.
To your child, you are already perfect.

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Don’t clean the cat box and no raw sushi other than that I didn’t have anything I wasn’t supposed to do. A warm comfortable bath is just fine. Most OBs have a list of do’s and don’ts. Also ask about certain over the counter meds you can take, I know some are not good during pregnancy.

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Don’t stress , ask questions as you go along , you will get tired blood volume is double during pregnancy that’s why the old fashioned movies had women fainting lol announcing then a pregnancy , you may get cravings you may not, you may suffer morning sickness you may not, thrush is common in pregnancy, mood swings , boobs tender and lots of things your body is changing for hips may be tender as well as yr back , hair loss in some, skin pigmentation of a brown line down yr belly and sometimes pigmentation on yr face too much to list so as I said go along yr biz and if something you are not sure of happens jump on and ask .

No cleaning the cat box, make sure if you use chemicals it’s in a very ventilated space…same with dying your hair. No raw fish, undercooked meat or deli meats (unless deli meats are heated to steaming), no unpasteurized products, Tylenol is safe but steer clear from Advil or other OTC medication unless Doctor approved…no super hot baths, be careful with lifting and make sure to take your prenatal every day. I’d double check these with your OB because of course we aren’t Doctors. However, this is what I was told by mine :relaxed:

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If you plan to breastfeed it will be crucial to pay attention to the foods and beverages you consume to help with milk production. As for pregnancy stay away from caffeine Stay clear of to much sodium and raw fish. Other then that if you want it eat it. And it’s only a myth you are eating for 2, don’t over eat. Small meals/ snacks throughout the day. Over eating in one meal is terrible if you suffer from morning sickness.

No soft or stinky cheeses. No sushi. No undercooked eggs or meat. No deli meat/cheeses. Only 1 can of tuna a week.
No drugs/alcohol. You should take tylenol not advil. Very few cough/cold meds.
Not just no hot baths, no heated car seats for too long.
These are the strictest rules. I am pregnant with my second and with foods I always indulged in the deli meats and cheeses a bit.
Feel free to PM me if you have more questions :clap:

I’ve had 4 boys and ate/ drank what I wanted for the first 3 pregnancies my 4th one I had gestational diabetes so had to go on a specific diet but kept losing weight so doc gave the ok for me to eat what I wanted. Drink lots of water throughout the day otherwise you can get leg cramps while you sleep but if you’re use to working out go ahead and do it just don’t over do it no more than 20lbs

Don’t change your routines. If you regularly excercise keep doing so but modify for the pregnancy; your growing body and babe will thank as the months wane. Rest and eat a well balanced diet, limiting salt and sugar; drink lots of water. Take prenatals. Have healthy snacks (fruit, veggies, almonds, protein) on hand all the time. Keep almonds and saltines and water in your bedside table.

Listen to your practitioners, but do your research & be informed on pregnancy, labor & delivery, your rights as a patient. Have a plan and someone you trust (partner, sibling, parent, friend) aware of the plan so they can help advocate when the time comes if need be.

Take pictures the same time each month of your growing body even when you don’t feel pretty.

Limit your stressors. And take heed listening when people tell you negative pregnancy experiences. Every pregnancy and women’s experience is different. Good Luck Mama!!

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Mango is really good :heart: for the baby. Also, Grapefruit too unless you are on any medications.

Salmon is also a great fish to eat, as long as it is cooked well. I eat a lot of steak and ribeye due to working at Chilis and getting 50% off. I just order it Medium Well. :heart:

OMG! In Asia they eat all this stuff, work in the fields all day until they deliver - in the fields and go right on working. People get so wacked out over a natural process.

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Lots of green leafy veggies and broccoli too! They contain Folic Acid and are very beneficial to you and they baby. If you are unable to use prenatal vitamins (they made me sick), my doctors recommended the Flintstone vitamins lol.

Whole Foods prenatal.

My biggest things for me we’re no caffeine which was hard but great and also I started doing squats at 8 weeks and got up to doing 200 a day by the end and it helped with my labor soooo much! I would just do as many as I could when I woke up and before bed I always recommend to everyone and I know some friends who have sworn by it too!

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I ate pretty much whatever :joy: i am currently 23 weeks pregnant with my 2nd. I am a very active person. I do believe the more active you are the easier the labor and delivery will be. I had the easiest labor and delivery with my first daughter and I truly think it’s because I was pretty active the whole pregnancy. I love taking walks with my 20 month old. I worked up until my due date with my first and I still didn’t have her for another week. If you have any questions just ask your doctor :blush:

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You can have lunch meat, make sure it’s from a safe place. If you doubt it, heat it! Now Raw foods other than that eat! Eat what you can and when you can!

I was told to avoid, alcohol, soft cheeses, pate, anything containing raw egg.
Things may have changed, my last pregnancy was 22 years ago. Good luck and congratulations :blush:
Light excercise, rest, less stress, and healthy diet.

Just be careful how much you lift, no lunch/cold meats, take your prenatal vitamin every single day, take hot showers just not super hot (warm is ok) baths… get some sleep girl. Your body is working hard. Chores can wait. Sleep when you can! Congratulations!

I’m a bath person. I’ve had five children and bathed regularly with each pregnancy…no issues…

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Turmeric and ginger tea is great for nausea. Get a maternity pillow they are a good send! I walked the flights of stairs every day at work rather than taking the elevator and I credit that to a quick and easy delivery.

Also, I sell Usborne books and more so if you wanna throw a baby book bash (people get books for babys library) let me know. We can throw a fb party

There a guidelines you can find online but the best source of info will be your OB. Since it’s your first pregnancy they should give you a lot of information to read through. My my first I was given a folder filled with papers to read and 2 books and magazines. It was crazy the amount of info I got. But by the time I had my second half that info was obsolete.

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No soft cheeses. No deli meat unless heated to steaming. Fish high in mercury are a no. But things like salmon are ok in moderation and even good for you. No undercooked meats or eggs. (The no raw eggs part kills me because I want to eat raw cookie dough). Listen to your dr. Every dr is different. My family dr said I shouldn’t be on my anxiety meds while pregnant. My OB said stay on them and he even upped my dose a few times. That the stress of going off of them is worse for baby than the possible side effects. You got this mama. I’m currently 16 weeks pregnant with my second. And having horrible nausea.

Every woman over 40 right now wondering how they and their children survived pregnancy … just kidding. We’re not … different time … wish you well with your baby !

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No lunch meat… so no subway or anything like that… minimal shell fish, stay away from too much caffeine… very hot baths and showers, no cat boxes

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Make sure you dont drink anything unpasteurized like apple cider

I get being a first time mom and wanting advice and I was pregnant at 17 had my oldest at 18 he will be 17 this year but I honestly think if social media was what it is now and I asked this question and not saying you momma’s answer are not legit but I think I’d be so overwhelmed!

I ate everything :woman_facepalming:. Also, you can do anything you did before you were pregnant unless you are high risk for some reason

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If u ask ur doctor should give u a list thing to look at… but after 2 months i went fuck it and ate whatever the hell i wanted :woman_shrugging:

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Eat and and do what ever you want you know your own limits never ready any baby books and all 3 of my kids are fine

You can have any cheeses if you live in the US since the US requires pasteurization. You can also eat deli meats in moderation as long as they are heated to steaming before.

Look up the brewer diet! Best diet for pregnancy. It’s more important in the last 3 months but you can start building up to it now. Lots of protein and water! No alcohol, limited caffeine and sugar. No dollar coasters and other such activities. Don’t bend! Squat instead!

I got told to stay away from fish shrimp things of that due to high mercury foods

Everyone is going to shame you no matter what you do. Just ask your dr and listen to them and :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: congratulations.

They said no deli meat unless it’s heated up.

Sorry but for things like this u need to see a GP not Facebook doctors

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I loved the " what to expect when you are expecting" and you can always talk to your Dr about foods not to eat. My doctor was able to have a nutritionist call and talk to me.

Common sense and don’t let fear mongering scare you into having a god awful pregnancy.
If your body is craving something, have it.
If you follow the direction of every “don’t”, you are in for a rough time.
Make sure things are from a reputable source, cooked well and within expiry dates.
Don’t do drugs, drink to excess or over exert yourself.
Drink plenty of water, rest when you need it and celebrate every milestone with your partner.

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Nothing with red dye number 7 or caramel coloring. And do not clean the cat box.

Follow @TakingCaraBabies for sleep as Cara always says, “There is no better mama on the planet for your baby than you.”

Everyone will have opinions. Trust your instincts. Go to a doctor immediately if you feel postpartum depression. Ask for help if you need it. Say “no thank you” when you don’t need it. Breathe, listen to your body, and Google the rest. :heart:

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Tekirah Holdness this is a good read. :slight_smile:

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Get ALL the sleep you can NOW!!!

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just a few things on here x

Beware of over eating. Don’t indulge in the fatness. I ate everything under the sun when I was pregnant with my first, gained 60lbs. But I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy 8lb 12oz baby girl. That was 16 years ago and I still have the weight. Lol
Eat on the healthier side. Stay away from Tuna Fish, pasta and greasy foods. Stay active. Walk, walk and walk.

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I use the OviaPregnancy app and it has a spot where you can look up to see what foods are safe or unsafe to eat! It’s just one of the many perks of that app

Please talk to your Dr or a professional people in general will scare you with what they say but most things you can have occasionally. Never heard of the no pasta or greasy food mentioned above (obviously don’t eat a lot of them though) and i’ve had 3 children. Please just don’t let others scare you and try and enjoy your pregnancy. My baby is 4 now it goes so fast.

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Whatever you did pre pregnancy you can do during pregnancy. Your body is already used to it so its fine. Honestly don’t worry about being so strict on yourself. As long as your not doing drugs or drinking your pretty much safe. The reality is the “rules” are put in place because people don’t know how to research. For example lucnh meats, you can eat them while pregnant BUT don’t go to the deli counter at the grocery store or the prepackaged stuff. Go straight to an actual butcher and purchase lunch meats from there. My doctor was the most realistic doctor I have ever spoke with and she basically said most the guidelines are just put in place because people are lazy and won’t research it. Go with your cravings, like pickles for example chances are it’s your body saying it needs something that is in that food. Obviously don’t eat a bunch of fast food but try to add more fruits and veggies if you can. Don’t over think it tho it’s not that big of deal. I drank coffee and pop like it was my lifeline while preggo but I drank water too but oh well.

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Download ovia. That will help all your questions. Its got all the things. You can see how baby grows, symptoms and reasoning, what not to eat, ect. Its got recipe ideas and articles, its pretty helpful.

I worked the whole 9 months too my son was born and I was 39. One push and he came out try to walk and move around whenever you can. Drink plenty of water and get plenty of sleep.

Don’t eat poppy seed bagels the day before a doctors appointment…:joy:. Very early in my pregnancy I slammed poppy seed bagels (2 or 3, it was a craving and all I could stomach to eat at the time) the next day went to the drs, did the usual blood draw, pee in a cup, etc. I failed the drug test for opioids :woman_facepalming::woman_facepalming:

Just be mindful and do ur best. Sometimes it becomes too much and u stress over the littlest things. Eat a balanced diet, rest when ur tired, walk often, and stay hydrated. Congratulations! :confetti_ball:

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Get up slowly the bigger you get, and closer to your due date. The ligaments can pull and it can be uncomfortable/Ouchie

Walk lots even when you’re tired. Will help when it is time for delivery. Keep a container of tums with you. Heart burn is horrible. Invest in time of things you like to do and people who you enjoy hanging out with because it will be a while after the baby is born before you’re able to go out. Start stocking up on diapers and whipes now because you will use a bunch.

Stay away from cold cuts n hot dogs … some cheeses… pretzels w blue cheese helped my heart burn lol
I use to eat a lot of fruits … and a salad just to keep my energy up by your 3rd trimester you’ll most likely be exhausted everyday n over being pregnant lol God bless every pregnancy is different