Are you expecting a baby? While not everything has to be tackled all at once, it’s never too early to start thinking about household safety. From installing smoke alarms to anchoring furniture to preparing your pets, this post will help you prepare your house for your baby’s arrival.

Your first prenatal appointment usually falls somewhere between weeks six and twelve. It can sometimes feel like a long wait between finding out you’re pregnant and that first visit. Once you get it scheduled, this post has some things you can do to prepare for it.

Learn about urgent maternal warning signs (during and after pregnancy) and when to seek help from your care provider. This post also covers the signs of preterm labor and what to do.

This post has some ideas for discussions you can have with your partner prior to and during pregnancy. I also talk about some important truths when it comes to household equity.

Your body goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy. Exercise is recommended throughout all three trimesters and can help you adjust to these changes and avoid pain and dysfunction. But it’s important to understand which exercises are safe and which ones should be avoided. You’ll also want to be aware of symptoms that would indicate it’s time to stop exercising and contact your care provider.

Learn more about harmful exposures and other hazards at work and at home that can have a negative impact on pregnancy. It’s important to take action to avoid heavy lifting, pesticides, certain cleaning products, loud noise, and more, for a safe and healthy pregnancy.

Skin changes are a normal part of pregnancy for many people. In this post, learn all about stretch marks, cholasma, and linea nigra, as well as what to do.

Nausea and vomiting are common but challenging symptoms to manage during the first trimester of pregnancy. Although it’s called morning sickness, these symptoms can actually occur at any time during the day. This post contains some helpful management strategies to try, as well as when to seek medical care for a more severe form of nausea and vomiting called hyperemesis gravidarum.

Due dates get talked about a lot in pregnancy. It’s often the first question a pregnant person will get asked. While most babies are not actually born on their due date, it can still lead to a lot of frustration when that much-anticipated day comes and goes. Thinking of your due date as more of a reference point can be a really helpful mindset shift.

So many people wait until the second trimester to announce their pregnancy at work. It can be stressful to share this news. Plus, the risk of pregnancy loss is higher in the first trimester. But does it really benefit you to wait? Here are three reasons to consider telling your boss you’re pregnant as early as possible in your pregnancy.

We need a bit of a mindset shift when it comes to medical interventions. It’s not uncommon for people to have a negative association with them when it comes to birth. But, medical interventions themselves aren’t the problem. Let’s talk about what is.

A vision board is a collage designed to inspire and motivate. Creating one for birth and beyond could be a useful tool in your preparations. In this post, I talk more about vision boards, as well as how to use Pinterest to easily create one.

While you may not be going through pregnancy or giving birth, there are so many ways to be a savvy and supportive partner and nurturing parent. The twelve tips in this post will give you guidance and ideas on how.

You are the ultimate decision-maker when it comes to your baby, birth, and body. Obtaining informed consent prior to performing an exam or administering a medication or beginning a procedure is how your care provider honors and respects your right to bodily autonomy. This includes the right to refuse medical treatment and to say no. But there’s more to this conversation.

Cervical exams can provide very specific information on how far labor has progressed. When we want or need to limit or avoid cervical exams, however, there are some alternative methods. In this post we will explore the emotional signposts of first stage labor, what contractions can tell us, and more.

Check out some things to add to your to-do list before (or while) trying to conceive. From scheduling a preconception appointment to getting proactive about your fertility to focusing on health and wellness, it can be so beneficial to be proactive for preconception and pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the placenta forms to serve multiple functions before being birthed at the very end of the labor process. Typically examined and discarded as medical waste, you have other options for this amazing organ. This blog post contains five ideas: view, consume, create, bury, and donate.

Adequate amounts of folate help prevent neural tube defects, which are birth defects of the brain and spine. In addition to folate found naturally in foods, supplementing with folic acid (a synthetic form of folate) is widely recommended before and during pregnancy. Learn more about current recommendations and why they are being challenged by some. I also include five reasons to trust the current recommendations.

Affirmations are short, positive statements designed to challenge negative and unhelpful thoughts. Why use positive affirmations in pregnancy? Which types of affirmations are most effective? How can positive affirmations be incorporated into pregnancy? Get answers to these questions, as well as some ideas for affirmations to try.

Food safety is always important, but pregnancy increases our susceptibility to foodborne illness, like listeriosis and toxoplasmosis. Also, seafood is an amazing source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which is an important nutrient in pregnancy. At the same time, some seafood options are high in mercury content, which can negatively impact a developing fetus. In this post, learn all about preventing foodborne illness and choosing safe seafood options.