Something that is highly anticipated and can be incredibly exciting during pregnancy is the nesting instinct. This is a primal instinct that most if not all female mammals go through while preparing for their young, and can be seen in pregnant women as well.

For a pregnant woman nesting is an uncontrollable urge to clean and organize your house, while getting things ready for your baby. It can be as little as washing your baby’s clothes and bedding, to repainting your entire house because you all of a sudden don’t like the color theme you have. Some women will clean walls, baseboards, and door frames as an effort to make sure the house is clean. In some cases women who rarely have a “clean” house will be obsessed about having a spotless house.

It is believed that the act of nesting helps a woman feel more like she is in control. It can begin as early as the second trimester and last the duration of the pregnancy. The urge to have everything in “order” can wake a pregnant woman up at night, or keep her up all night while she completes her latest “project”. When the nesting instinct pops up at the end of pregnancy it can often signify the beginning of labor or that labor is just a couple of days away. It can take over the last hours of pregnancy with an urge to make sure everything is done and just right.

Nesting is normal and natural for a pregnant woman, even if her partner thinks she has gone insane when they find her bleaching down the kitchen cupboards at 3am. However, there are some precautions the pregnant woman should take.

Try To Avoid Paint Fumes
If you HAVE to have the nursery or house repainted at the last minute, try to get someone else to do the actual painting for you. Make sure you wear a mask when you are around the paint to minimize the paint fumes you breathe in.

Climbing On Furniture
When cleaning cupboards, reorganizing the closet and washing down your walls, try to stick to the areas you can reach without standing on a chair or climbing on other furniture. While you are pregnant your balance may be off, and you may fall or get light headed. If you keep your feet planted firmly on the floor then you won’t have to worry about an accident and the possibility of hurting yourself or your baby.

In The Garden
Most pregnant women know if they have a cat not to change the litter box as cat feces could harm the baby. However, you also must remember this and watch for feces and certain other pests you might find while gardening. In most cases anything you come in contact with will be safe, it is just best to take extra precautions.

Nesting can be a fun part of pregnancy for the pregnant woman, even if her husband doesn’t agree when his wife hands him a “honey-do” list and sends him out to pick up another roll of the wallpaper she used in the living room because she all of a sudden decided it would look great in the hall as well. When your partner roles his eyes because you are sending him out for supplies tell him it is all right, you will both be laughing about it in a year.

You probably remember the ease of your first baby. It was you and your partner, bringing home your newborn son or daughter and starting a new life with just the three of you. You had extended family, but the bonding that occurred was simple, problem free. However, now that you are having another baby you may be feeling some discontent from your previous child or children, or you may be worried about how they will react once the baby is born.

Kids have different opinions and reactions when their parents tell them that they are going to have a new baby brother or sister. Some kids are very excited, others get scared or act out at the prospect of having to share you with another child. Whether your children are excited or not, there are ways to make the transition smoother.

Depending on the age of your other children, you may want to have them in the delivery room with you, witnessing the birth. Some kids will be comfortable with this, others won’t. If they are old enough but do not want to be in, having them in the hospital so that they can visit you during labor, and see the baby immediately after he is born is a good way to help your older child bond with the new baby.

Some people choose to have a gift for their child from the new baby, especially if it is the first sibling. A gift that says “I love you”, or “The Best Big Brother/Big Sister”. This will help the bonding start between the siblings.

It is important to let your child hold the new baby as soon as possible so that they know this is real. Even if your child is young, letting them sit on the bed with you, while you hold the baby and letting them hold the babies hand, rub the babies head, or sing to the baby, will help him build a connection with this new person in his life.

Remember that no matter how excited your child seemed about this new sibling while you were pregnant, now that it is “real” the excitement might go away. Your child might become clingy. It is important that you let them know they are loved by making time to spend with just the two of you during the day, possibly while your newborn is napping. Your older child will adjust to this new baby over time. Just remember to have patience with him and everything will work out ok.

by Lee-Anne Robert

After 42 weeks of pregnancy, two days of undergoing inducement and physical stress on the baby, my daughter was delivered via an emergency C-section. Oh, it was music to my ears when my gynecologist arrived in my hospital room at 4:30 a.m. and told me they were going to do an emergency C-section. I must have been in shock or delirious! However, after going through a traumatic two days, I had had enough and I wanted to meet this precious baby who lived inside of me for 9+ months. The time came and I was wheeled to the operating room, and what a blessed event it was to see my sweet new baby girl!

I wasn’t prepared for the aftermath of a C-Section but I am so grateful that I had a great family who were there for me and helped me every step of the way.

1. Plan ahead. No one can predict whether or not you’ll need an emergency c-section. So prepare yourself with information.
2. Try not to be upset if you are told you have to undergo a C-section to deliver your baby. I know that many new parents are less than thrilled at the prospect and have anticipated a natural delivery. Plenty of women feel put down and feel less like a woman because they did not deliver their baby through the hard work of labour. I know it is emotionally hard. Truly, the main concern is you and your baby’s health and that is more important than how you delivered your baby.
3. Expect a brief hospital stay. My daughter and I were in the hospital for four days after the birth. If you require assistance at any time in caring for you or your baby, are uncomfortable due to the pain, or have any questions, do not be afraid to ask for help. There were times when I was too proud to press the buzzer to ask for assistance. But, believe me, their assistance is very much required, especially with the care of your newborn baby.
4. When the time comes and the nurses and/or doctors tell you to walk around, do try. It may be difficult but do try to do a little walking if and when possible. It helps to alleviate the stomach gases that are very much a part of the discomfort you feel after a C-section.
5. The day arrives when you and your newborn can finally go home. Enlist support! Ensure that you have family, friends or loved ones to assist you and, once again, do not be afraid to ask for help. Do not try to be supermom! I was fortunate to have a supportive family at home and could not imagine going through the recovery without them. It will take you 6 weeks to fully recuperate from a C-section, afterall, it is major surgery.
6. Do not pick up heavy items. Remember, you have just had surgery and your incision is in the healing process.
7. Ensure that you eat healthy and drink lots of water. This is important to ensure that your digestive systems returns to normal. Plenty of rest is vital for recuperation. Enjoy this period of relaxation because you have many years of motherhood to go!
8. Enjoy this special time with your new baby!

I survived my first C-section and 18 months after the birth of my daughter, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy via a scheduled C-section. The second C-section was easier. I am grateful to have two healthy children who are the joy of my life, irregardless of how I delivered them.

About The Author
Lee-Anne Robert, proud mother of two healthy young children and owner of Cuddles ‘n Gifts,
Copyright 2004 info@cuddlesngifts.net

by Danielle Hollister
BellaOnline

Although nothing anybody says can ever completely prepare a woman for the day she delivers her first baby, there are some simple suggestions that should help make this amazing experience a little bit easier.

First of all there are three very honest realities about childbirth that your doctor, mother, grandmother, and maybe even your best friend will probably not tell you.

1. Unless you have an exceptionally carefree attitude about life in general, you will be shocked if and when your water breaks.
2. Unless you have an extraordinary ability to see into the future, you will be scared to death during the first hour or so of labor.
3. Unless you have an extremely high tolerance for pain, you will feel excruciating, seemingly unending waves of pain.

These simple facts come from personal experience and are not intended to instill unnecessary fear. Each woman’s experience is different, so not all details will apply to everyone.

But if you take the time to consider options to prepare yourself for that big day, you may benefit by being as ready as anyone can possibly be for the consequences of childbirth.

Believe this much for sure, you will appreciate almost any helpful hints you can remember when you realize you’re going into labor. Most pregnant people will find the following recommendations valuable for reducing stress for you and your labor partner on the day you deliver your first baby.

1. Pack your bag to take to the hospital at least a month in advance. Nobody can positively predict your exact due date and your baby is actually the person who decides when your delivery will occur.
2. Make a checklist for what you want to take. You should definitely include: a mirror and your makeup bag (believe it or not when you’re not staring at that little miracle in your arms, you will want to look at yourself especially when the parade of visitors start marching into your hospital room); two or three nightgowns (preferably comfortable ones that provide optimal coverage of your post-pregnancy physique); a hair brush and hair dryer (every hospital has showers, soap, and towels); an outfit to wear home from the hospital (and don’t choose cute little pre-pregnancy clothes because nobody loses the weight they gained in nine months immediately after giving birth and it will only annoy you if you can’t fit into the only outfit you have to go home in)
3. Have a list of phone numbers of the people you can call anytime of the day or night for help. (Don’t even try to handle it alone – YOU WILL NEED AND WANT HELP when this exciting, emotional event begins to occur.)

There’s several signs that labor has started. Warning signals vary from woman to woman. Some people know what it is the second it hits them, while others may not recognize what’s happening for hours. Don’t expect the promises or predictions made by medical professionals or even experienced great-grandmothers to actually come true for you. In most cases some combination of destiny and mother nature determine the details of your long-awaited delivery. Some simple indicators that you’re going into labor range from a mild backache to piercing stabs of pain and vary from a feeling of general discomfort to an abrupt release of water.

Follow your instincts
If you don’t feel right, but you’re not screaming in pain, call your doctor. If something suddenly takes your breath away, makes you feel faint, breaks you down to the floor or wakes you in the middle of the night, forget the doctor, stay as calm as possible and call for whomever can come to help you the fastest.If your water does break in the stereotypical way, gushing uncontrollably all over the place, don’t freak out. Maintain your control as much as humanly possible at this point and realize you cannot stop this rushing release running like a river out of your body. You can keep putting towels between your legs to try to soak it up, but your shorts or sweatpants are still going to get wet.

Don’t worry about what other people will think about your dripping drawers when you get to the hospital. You’re about to deliver a baby -you’re not supposed to look calm, classy, elegant or graceful! Just concentrate on getting to the hospital safely. You may feel like you’re in the middle of an earthquake that will surely destroy the entire planet and assume everyone else will realize the urgency of this occasion. But they probably won’t react with any alarm because the reality is your world is the only place that has been hit by this tidal wave of emotional trauma.

What to expect when you get to the hospital…
To wait and wait some more; to fill out forms; to find yourself pacing the halls until they assign you to a room; to see other women in similar situations; to be told your doctor has been delayed; to scream at your labor partner when he forgets what to say and what not to say to try to make you feel better; to forget something on your checklist and to deal with the labor pain getting worse before it gets better.

What not to expect when you arrive at the hospital…
Everyone to accommodate you; everything to occur as you planned; any immediate results; everyone to be organized; your labor partner to be perfect; to find friendly faces among the other pregnant people; to hear your doctor tell you to start pushing your little miracle out as soon as he examines you; to get painkillers prescribed in mere minutes; and to be able to remember all the things you learned to try to prepare for this day.

Other Do’s and Don’t’s:
Do try to maintain your focus.

Do try to preserve your precious energy (You will need it especially if you happen to be one of those poor souls whose pregnancy just won’t end and your labor lasts for longer than a day or two)

Don’t hesitate to tell your doctor or nurses exactly how you feel.

Don’t hesitate to ask any question that pops into your head.

Do listen to what your doctor and nurses tell you.

Do listen to what your body is saying.

Do listen to what you’re feeling in your heart.

Do listen to what your labor partner is commanding you to do.

Don’t forget how long you waited for this day to arrive and how special this date will be to you forever.

Don’t forget how much you want this little baby to arrive healthy and what a blessing this tiny person will always be to you.

And finally trust your gut instincts, your doctor’s words of wisdom, your partner’s suggestions to soothe you and your ears when you hear the sound of your baby’s first cry announcing his official arrival into this world.

The rest of this incredible experience will probably proceed with no major problems, following the same intense, phenomenal pattern of the billions of births that occurred before the day of your delivery.

Believe it or not, no matter how much the pains of labor torture your pregnant body or how many hours the process takes before your first baby actually bounces into this world – you will forget about how much your killer contractions hurt and how time seemed to standstill as your labor lasted and lasted and lasted…

Also believe your life will never be the same from this day on. Your new job as a mommy will be the most rewarding, most exhausting, and most challenging career of your life. Nothing in the universe can begin to compete with the passion, love, and wonder you’ll experience as you watch this tiny person grow and you feel like he’s really your own heart and soul with little arms and legs.

Treasure every moment of the miracle of motherhood.

by Van Day

Giving that special someone a special gift can be very difficult. Depending on the situation and occasion, it can be a very tricky thing. You want to do the right thing, but if you’re not careful, it can backfire. As many have found out, you need to give this some considerable thought.

But everyone wants to give the “right” gift. What makes up a great gift?

In my experience, a great gift:

• Is truly unique, personal and creative;
• Demonstrates to the recipient the thoughtfulness and caring that went into securing the gift;
• Evokes emotions from the recipient whenever it is used, seen or thought about; and
• Makes the recipient truly feel special.

A great gift doesn’t necessarily have to cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to be great. But also understand that getting a gift that is cheap can show how much “you don’t care.” Before you start to shop and buy, also consider the following:

1. Who is the recipient? Is it your spouse, significant other, sibling, parents, relative, close friends, neighbor or business associate?
2. Next, what is the occasion? Holiday, birthday, anniversary, graduation, wedding, engagement, promotion, a “just because” occasion, or “I-need-to-get-out-of- the-doghouse-occasion?”
3. Be yourself. The gift is from you, so make sure it shows it. But be appropriate, and be sure the gift is something that the recipient will relate to and enjoy.
4. Try to avoid excessiveness. Simple gifts tend to also be very well received.
5. Don’t wait until the last minute. It only gives you too little time to get a great gift, and also shows how much you don’t care.

Being creative is a fantastic way to ensure getting the right gift. People love it when it’s obvious their gift required some imagination and creativity. So as you’re going through the “what do I get them” process, remember that a little bit of creativity, uniqueness and personalization will go a long, long way!

The true measure of a great gift will be seen in the eyes of the recipient when they get it. You’ll know it, you’ll feel it, and you’ll feel great yourself when you’ve given the “Great Gift”!

About The Author
Van Day is a renowned pianist and musician, and creator of “Piano Music 4 You.com .” “Piano Music 4 You” specializes in creating personalized, custom and unique CDs of piano music, created especially for each customer and all occasions. He can be reached at vanday@pianomusic4you.com.  www.pianomusic4you.com.

by Vivian Dee

How do one give the perfect gift? Ahh! Another occasion, another milestone…excitement is building, adrenaline is pumping; and off one goes shopping. But what should you get for a cousin’s birthday, another shirt, another bag or a perfume? Gift giving can be exciting and nerve wrecking as well. But when all is said and done. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of giving the perfect gift.

What can you do to ensure the celebrant and the gift are a perfect fit? Here are some tips on gift-giving. Prepare ahead of time. Mark it in your calendar and be alerted about few weeks before time. This will give you sometime to think your gift through. Know the celebrant, make sure you find out if; she or he has a special hobby or interest. Is he or she engage in a very physical strenuous job? Does she put in long hours at work? If so, would she appreciate a little extra pampering?

Remember all the little occasions worth celebrating and keep them in mind to help you get started. Special days can be a birthday or anniversaries of your milestones you have accumulated through life. Here are some milestones that are often overlooked but should be celebrated, birthdays, because we are too busy to celebrate, weight loss-because you are too scared of putting the weight back and celebrating maybe premature.

Long friendships, when you quit smoking for the first time or the second time or perhaps the third, getting a project done on time, a new home, seeing your one year old walk for the first time, passing an exam, just finished redecorating the house, landscaped the entire yard, change of season, or just because.

Be sure to add new milestones in your calendar as it happens. Celebrating can in fact make us feel better, rejuvenate and strengthen our relationships with friends and families. It gives us a feeling of accomplishments. It validates us as a person. It gives us a sense of purpose. It also increases job satisfaction. And when this cycle goes on, it makes us a happier person and happy people are strongly correlated with good health. So take time to be healthy!

About The Author
Vivian Dee is the owner of PurpleEgg LLC.

by Danna Henderson

When your child shows most of the signs of potty training readiness, you can start introducing him to the idea.

Potty Training Books, Videos, & DVDs
Potty training books, videos, and DVDs provide a great opportunity to introduce the potty to your child. Read a book as a bedtime story or watch a video together. Your child will surely have questions and be delighted when he finds a potty chair of his own!

Potty Chair or Seat
As you begin introducing the potty to your child, be sure to put a potty chair in the bathroom. Children love to imitate other family members and your child will probably sit on it when he sees you use the bathroom. After watching a potty training video or reading a potty training story, your child will have a pretty good idea what the potty is for.

Potty Training Doll
Dr. Phil recommends purchase an anatomically correct drink & wet doll for potty training. His method involves having your child teach the doll to use the potty, thereby learning himself!

Training Pants
Potty training pants facilitate potty training by enabling your child to feel that he is wet. Diapers draw the moisture away from your child’s skin so he can’t always tell that he has just peed. Training pants allow your child to feel the wetness while protecting everything else from leaks.

Potty Training Incentives
Rewards and incentives such as stickers, snacks, and certificates can be great potty training tools. They work especially well for children who understand the basics but need an incentive to stop what they are doing and sit on the potty.

Copyright © 2004 ZIP Baby. All Rights Reserved.

Danna Henderson
ZIP Baby
101 Convention Center Drive, Ste 700
Las Vegas, NV 89109
www.zipbaby.com

About The Author
Danna Henderson started ZIP Baby in order to provide parents with comprehensive potty training information as well as a large variety of potty training products. For more information about potty training, visit www.zipbaby.com.
info@zipbaby.com

You want to take the best pictures you can of your baby, of your family with your baby, of family vacations, first birthday parties, concerts in the park and more. There are a lot of things you can do to help your pictures exceed even your wildest dreams.

1. Prepare in advance.
Before you shoot, frame the background first through the viewfinder. Make the entire background, including corners and sides interesting. First frame the background and then place the subject.

2. Have patience.
Talk to your subjects and let them get comfortable with you. When they start to forget the camera is there, you can take more natural candid shots.

3. Avoid using the flash.
The light looks unnatural and washes out colors and facial features. If you’re using film, try 800-speed films, which are widely available and allow you to take sharp indoor photos without a flash.

4. Avoid the outdoors during the middle of the day.
Bright daylight is unflattering and washes out your subject. Instead try capturing your subject in the rich tones and long shadows at sunrise and sunset. If you must shoot during the day, move your subject into a shaded area out of direct sunlight.

5. Get closer.
Being too far away from your subject can take away from the uniqueness of your pictures. Often the key to giving a photo pizzazz is to move in and capture the details of your subject, leaving out extraneous things in the background.

6. Take night pictures.
Nighttime offers different lights and shadows that you can incorporate into your pictures to make them look unique. At night you can use flash, a street lamp or even holiday lights if they’re bright enough.

7. Ex-nay on the pose-ay.
Don’t have your subject pose. A picture caught in motion often makes a better and more memorable shot.

8. Have comfortable surroundings.
If your subjects have to pose, have them find a comfortable, natural position. Here’s when a little leaning or slouching is permitted. Standing straight can make unflattering lines and give boringness to your picture.

9. Use props.
If you’re taking a portrait, include a telling item in the picture. A favorite toy or rocking horse for a child’s picture, or a wedding picture in the background of a couple’s 50th Anniversary picture. The props will create conversation about your picture

10. Unfocus the background.
A background can tend to take away from your picture so try taking your picture with the background blurred and only your subject in focus.

If you are like most parents, you are convinced that your bouncing baby just does the cutest little things. It’s true. Babies make wonderful photo subjects and the latest digital point-and-shoot cameras provide parents with a great way to preserve the funny faces and first steps and share these memories with friends and family.

Keeping up with your baby can be quite a challenge. There are things you can do to make it easier.

Be Prepared
The Boy Scouts were right. Always have your digital camera out and ready to go with your batteries charged so you never miss a moment. Unexpected moments often make the best photos. Carry with you extra batteries. To save money invest in rechargeable batteries.

Teamwork Pays Off
One moment, baby is posed perfectly and the next, she’s crawling away! Babies are easily distracted, so have a relative or friend keep baby’s attention with a toy or noise while you capture the moment. Plan some of your pictures to be of your baby moving so that when she starts crawling away you can get the perfect shot.

See Eye-to-Eye with Baby
Don’t take photos from grown-up level. Instead, get down to baby’s level so that you can catch shots from a new perspective. Your pictures will turn out much better face to face than looking down.

Light of Your Life
Choose or use a camera with Scene Modes. Some digital cameras have pre-programmed settings to capture the perfect picture of baby under difficult situations such as dawn or dusk, bright sunlight or near darkness. Consider using filters on your camera in order to make it seem like a different time of day or to correct lighting problems.

May You Never See Red-Eye Again
Baby’s bright eyes are more likely to produce “red-eye” so try to choose and use a camera that has the In-Camera Red-Eye Fix feature to show your child’s true “baby blues.” If you can’t correct it when taking the picture, you can buy software programs that will allow you to correct it after you have uploaded the picture to your computer.

Family Affair
Baby might be the shining star these days, but don’t forget the rest of the family. Be sure to jump in some shots yourself even if you prefer not to have your picture taken. These are the days to remember and when your baby is 20 years old you will be happy that you have pictures of the two of you together from when he was younger.

Between family members, friends, and the photos that you snap yourself, you’ll certainly have an abundance of pictures to go through, organize and select for preparing your baby’s first photo album. Maybe you received a beautiful, hand-made book at your shower or have chosen one on your own, but whichever the case, you’ll want to make that first album as precious as the little bundle of joy in your arms.

And photo albums don’t have to be all about pictures. With so many new experiences about to occur for both you and your newborn, they’ll be lots of opportunities for collecting memorabilia to add to your baby’s album. And nothing is too silly, so if you adore it, include it.

Of course, the beginning is the easiest part. Starting with the very first photo taken of your baby – the hospital has already supplied you with what you need to get started – your sonogram picture, baby’s footprint, name tag bracelet, birth certificate, and even the receiving blanket your newborn was swaddled in. So your first page can incorporate all or parts of those things. For sentimental reasons, you may not want to snip that receiving blanket, but later on, a patch of the fabric placed on the birth page makes for a precious addition to your baby’s first photo album.

As we know, lots of babies are born lacking in the hair department. But once it does start to grow in and you give him or her their very first haircut, be sure to save part of those silken locks to add to the pages of your baby’s first photo album. For girls, you can also include a pretty bow they wore or their first barrette.

What about their first bowl of real cereal? Wouldn’t a few of those Cheerios be an adorable piece of memorabilia to include in baby’s first photo album? It may not mean much to your baby now, but once they’re old enough to realize what you’ve done it will surely bring a giggle and a smile when they see it, and the memory it has created for you is priceless.

First birthday photos, pieces of ribbon, and wrappings from the gifts they receive, even one of the candles from their first birthday cake are more creative ideas to add to your baby’s first photo album.

Pictures of the first day of nursery school, masterpieces they’ve created there or at home, first report cards and all of those other extraordinary firsts, are things that you’ll treasure throughout the years. As time goes on, growth and changes occur such as their first baby tooth is also something special that can be kept and cherished in your baby’s first photo album.

So include as many of the pictures and items you adore in your baby first photo album. Because it’s something that you will not only consider your most prized possession as time goes by, but you can also bet that your child will thank you for spending the time and devotion that made their first baby photo album so special.