10 Survival Tips For the Expecting Mom {52 Weeks of Blogging With A Purpose}

At the time of writing this post, I am 36 weeks pregnant...hopefully by the time this post goes live, I'll have my sweet girl in my arms, instead of my belly!! Either way, if you are an expecting mom reading this and wondering how you'll survive the pregnancy...believe me when I say, I understand completely. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing in many ways. There truly is nothing more beautiful than bringing a new baby into this world...but that doesn't mean that all parts of pregnancy are sunshine and roses. I am the first to admit that my body doesn't handle pregnancy so well. So what tips would I give to moms to be to make it through?

1. Start early. To be honest, I started shopping and preparing things for baby pretty well as soon as we found out that we were expecting baby #2...mostly small things and things that would work for either a boy or girl. But we also already had all the nursery furniture bought and put together before the first trimester was over! (We had bought it from a friend of my husband, or it probably wouldn't have been quite that soon!) You don't have to go quite that far of course, but it definitely helps to pick up things here and there. Personally, I'm easily stressed and I liked knowing that we weren't going to be rushed at the list minute to get everything we needed...or if baby decided to come early, that we wouldn't have it all together. It also meant we could stretch out the expenses over time, which has been really great too!!
2. Take all advice with a grain of salt. Even mine! It seems as soon as you become pregnant, the advice starts flowing in...most of it well intentioned of course but it can be overwhelming and contradictory! I always try to respectfully listen to any advice given, but at the end of the day it is your pregnancy, your baby, your decision. Do your own research and you will find what works best for you and your family!!
3. On the same note, be careful about searching Google as well... somehow it seems that every little pregnancy symptom can be a life or death situation on Google! I'm still an avid Google-r myself, so I'm really not saying not to Google at all, but again just be mindful of the source and try not to stress it too much! 
4. Trust your instincts. If you feel that something is not right, call your doctor. It's always better to be overly cautious...I'm pretty sure our doctors are used to it! This advice will follow through after baby arrives as well.
5. Consider joining an online mommy group. While I did not do this this time around, I did participate in a 'Due in' group when I was pregnant with my son and it truly helped me through the pregnancy. At the time I didn't have friends who'd had babies or were expecting, so it was great to have someone to turn to who was going through the same thing. It also introduced me to some great friends! Though our little ones are now six/turning six, we have remained in touch throughout the years!!
6. Drink your water. I know, I know...you've likely had that one drilled into you by the doctor as well, but truly it does make a huge difference!!
7. Maxi dresses are your friend...when it comes to maternity fashions, maxi dresses have definitely gotten me through this pregnancy. They're cute, comfortable and you don't have to worry about size nearly as much! And they'll work great after baby comes as well!!
8. Capture the memories! As you may already know, I'm a huge picture person. With my son, I didn't have a great camera and could not take weekly photos as I have this time around. It was a big regret with him, and I hate that I don't have those to look back on. Even if you keep them only for yourself and never once share, take those pictures- you won't regret it!
9. Try to enjoy it! Again, I know that pregnancy can take its toll on our bodies...morning sickness, back pain, swelling...all that not so fun stuff that goes along with it...but there are some pretty great things too, so try to focus on those things- the feeling of your little one kicking, the anticipation of baby's arrival, the baby shopping, having the excuse of eating for two... these are the things you might find yourself missing once baby has arrived!
10. Remember the light at the end of the tunnel. At the end of it all, we get to meet our precious babies...and while it may be difficult to reach that point and some days we may feel it will never end...it WILL and we will have a beautiful baby to show for it!
    
    

So perhaps these aren't anything new or life changing...perhaps not even vital to surviving pregnancy, but again, when it seems like pregnancy is never ending, just remember that in the end it will truly all be worth it!!