HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE - PREGNANCY

Health editor Janice Kerr has invited Katie Moore to guest blog today about pregnancy and childbirth. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche.  If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26.  -- AP

Bringing Baby into the World

Pregnancy is a beautiful experience and from the moment a woman realizes she is pregnant until the day she goes into labor, her life is completely changed. For both first time moms and moms that already have children, labor shouldn’t be intimidating. Some simple preparation can help mothers remove fear of the unknown that can otherwise cause worry.

Immediately after a woman finds out she’s pregnant, she should call her doctor and set up an appointment. She should eat right, stay active and take care of herself as best she can. This promotes a healthier pregnancy, which can result in a healthier baby and a healthier delivery. As delivery day draws nearer, women can prepare by doing things like packing her hospital bag in advance and installing her infant car seat so she doesn’t have to worry about those things when labor begins.

Probably the simplest way all pregnant women can prepare for childbirth is by learning what signs to look for when labor begins. Once contractions start, she should time each one. She needs to know how long each lasts, the length of time between contractions and the pain on a scale of 1 to 10. Her doctor will need this information when she comes into the hospital to give birth.

Other things that are important regarding childbirth but that often fall to the back of a pregnant woman’s mind include things like cord blood banking and circumcision. Though these procedures are often done soon after birth, mothers should make a decision on these options well before delivery day. Also, women need to consider how many visitors they are comfortable having in their room and whether or not they want to ask their doctor to instill a visiting hours rule for her. Some moms can’t find it in them to ask their guests to leave and will ask their doctor to do it for them, so she doesn’t offend her loved ones.

Thanks for joining us today, Katie. Readers, want to share your pregnancy experiences? Post a comment for a chance to win a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP