Childbirth & Pregnancy

So every time I'm pregnant, my husband and I try to decide if we'll find out the sex of the baby before the baby is born, usually at the regular mid-pregnancy ultrasound. Most of the time one of us wants to know and the other doesn't. Though we have both known, both not known and have had one know but not told the other... (How is that for variety?)

I find out I'm not alone in this situation, that many parents feel split. Though you wouldn't guess it from the stories out there of everyone who always finds out, or at least that's the way it seems. (Kind of like all the high school kids are having sex.) So don't panic if you're having trouble deciding what's right for your family.

Related:

• One Wants to Find Out the Sex, the Other Doesn't
• Telling Your Baby's Sex Via Ultrasound
• Boy Ultrasounds
• Girl Ultrasounds
• Sex Preference for Baby
• Girl or Boy
• Sex Selection
• 20 Weeks Ultrasounds

One wants to know the sex of the baby - one doesn't... originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Friday, July 30th, 2010 at 09:16:03.

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You might wonder why a clutter book is being reviewed at a pregnancy website, but let me tell you that much like unwanted advice, baby clutter creeps up without any warning. Take note of this well before baby! Don't worry I'm bringing you some help. Today, I bring you tips from the editor of unclutterer, Erin Rooney Doland, who is also the author of the book: Unclutter Your Life in One Week.

Erin agreed to give us some advice for decluttering before and with kids. I took questions on Twitter. So here we go:

Cleaning a room for baby - tips on a best approach?

A quick pass once a day is usually all you need -- Are the crib sheets clean? Does the changing table need to be restocked? Are there clean clothes that need to be put away? Is the dirty clothes hamper full? Are toys in their bins and books on their shelves? Does the floor need to be vacuumed? -- Any deep cleaning you do, like dusting or scrubbing, should be done with baby-safe products and most recommend that the baby not be in the room when you use them. Otherwise, keeping the baby's room clean thankfully is relatively simple compared to other areas of the house. Of course, all of this will change once your child is mobile and eager to make a mess all his own.

How do you decide where to give your give away piles to?  How long is too long to wait to give it away?  (Like waiting for a church yard sale.)

In my son's dresser we have a drawer that is only for outgrown clothes. If we go to put him in something and find that it's too small, we just fold up the item and drop it in the drawer. When the drawer is full of clothes, we pack them up and label the container with the clothes size (Newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months, etc.). I have a friend who is pregnant with a boy, so once I have packed up the items I give them to her the next time I see her. We do the same thing with toys -- once he has lost interest in a toy it goes straight into a giveaway bin. When the bin is full, I pass it along to my friend. And, we do the same thing with equipment he outgrows like the bouncy seat and swing. We have an understanding that if we choose to have more children, she'll give the stuff back to us. Baby clothing, equipment, and toys are used for such a small window of time that the stuff can rotate among three or four children before it starts showing any wear.

If you don't know anyone who is pregnant, and don't plan on having any more children, think of the Goodwill as your pregnant friend. When the bin is full, pack it up and pass it along to charity. There is no sense in waiting for a church yard sale or a similar event many months in the future because when those events roll around you'll have more than enough things in your outgrown drawer or no-longer-interesting toy bin at that time to donate.

If you'd like more information be sure to check out Erin's book and her amazing blog, including a section dedicated to babies.

More Thrifty Thursday from About.com Parenting:

• Score a Birthday Freebie
• Buy a Backpack, Get Your Money Back
• Free Kids' Fever and Pain Reducer
• Easy, Everyday Outdoor Play
• Save Money by Decluttering for Baby
• The Children's Place Discount Codes on Facebook

Preparing for Baby by Decluttering originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Thursday, July 29th, 2010 at 05:00:53.

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8 Weeks Pregnant with Baby Number Two
Wordless Wednesday Submissions

_{Photo © C. Pike}

Wordless Wednesday - Baby Bump 8 Weeks originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 at 09:25:15.

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As much as I loved my baby shower, I really, really treasured my blessing ways. I loved the sense of being with other women who were all supportive of the journey I was about to make into motherhood. I've rarely seen the sense of love, support and community seen that day in a baby shower. So if you're thinking about hosting a blessing way for your own, I've got some great ideas for you!

So what you will mostly likely need, includes:

• invitations, which should probably include information about what a blessing way is
• food, after all, what's a party without food?
• beads for a necklace or bracelet
• instructions to guests to bring a positive thought, blessing or poem with them to the party
• candles or other decorations

What else would you add to this list?

Related:

• Guide to Blessing Way Books and Products
• Hosting a Blessingway or Mother Blessing
• Baby Shower Guide

_{Photo © iStockPhoto}

Hosting a Great Blessing Way originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 at 09:18:16.

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Recently a friend had decided to switch OBs in her pregnancy.  When she switched she had her medical records sent over to the new OB's office.  They actually sent them to her by mistake and she was just going to hand carry them to her next appointment.  She called me and asked if she should read them, like it was a big secret what was on them.  I explained that the medical records were not a secret and that she had every right to look at them.  This baffled her.

What baffled her even more was the scarcity of what was on there and how she had trouble deciphering what was written on the form.  She called me back with a list of letters asking me to tell her what they were truly saying, sure it was some secret code!  Here are some of the acronyms she found and some that you might find the next time you read your medical records.

Related:

• 10 Things You Might Find on Your Prenatal Chart
• Switching OBs in Pregnancy
• Prenatal Care

10 Things You Might Find on Your Prenatal Chart originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, July 26th, 2010 at 08:53:01.

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New parents love to talk about what's in their baby's diaper. I have to admit that I've been guilty of this myself. It's also important to note that the changes your baby's stools go through can be quite dramatic and even worrisome if you're a new parent. This chart can help you know what's normal and what's not.

Related:

• How to Swaddle a Baby
• Baby Care Basics
• Folding a Baby Diaper
• Baby Products

New Baby Diaper Chart originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, July 25th, 2010 at 08:50:50.

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I personally really like music. In fact, with the kids running around I don't turn on music as much as I used to do. So when I do use it and it lifts my mood and makes me more productive, I think to myself, "Gee, why don't I listen to music more often?" The same holds true for music in labor. Just as it can lift my mood and seem to provide me with more energy and spunk during the average day, it does the same in labor.

The trick is that when you're listening to music that you really like, your body is releasing a substance called an endorphin. These endorphins are morphine-like hormones that cause you to feel less pain and to be happier. (See the benefit for labor yet?) So, plug in your iPod and start downloading music for your big delivery day using these great tips for picking the right music for you.

• What music will you listen to?
• Music for Labor
• Labor & Birth Guide
• Relaxation for Birth

Choosing Music for Labor originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Saturday, July 24th, 2010 at 09:29:50.

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Being pregnant makes following the growth of your baby that much more exciting. It's also not bad to try and track your own "growth" via photos. If you haven't been taking pictures of your ever growing abdomen, you should start now - it's never too late. My kids love looking at pictures from when they were on the inside. The younger girls even make up stories to tell me what they were thinking. Like if it's a picture of me at a party, Clara will say, "Mommy, I heard the music and said, 'You're too loud mommy! Then I kicked a lot.'"

Related:

Newly Pregnant | Daily Pregnancy Advice | Morning Sickness

_{Photo (c) C. Alley}

How You and Your Baby Grow originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 08:58:30.

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The American Congress of OB/GYNs released their new vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) guidelines yesterday. In addition to citing the overwhelming evidence that VBAC is safe for women who have had one c-section, they also agreed that VBAC is safe for mom who have had two c-sections and even those women with an unknown uterine scar. Other findings included:

• VBAC is safe if you're having twins.
• You can try external versions for breeches if you've had prior c-sections.
• Epidural anesthesia is safe for use with VBAC labors.
• Inductions are fine for maternal and fetal indications in a VBAC labor, with the exception of misoprotol (cytotek).
• Women should not be forced to have surgery against their will.

What are your thoughts about the new guidelines?

Related:

• 6 Questions to Ask Your Practitioner About VBAC
• Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) Birth Stories
• 10 Reasons to Have a VBAC
• VBAC eCourse
• C-Section Birth

OBs Say VBAC is Safe originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 at 09:21:55.

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Let's face it, most of us are tightening our budget. While some reports say that spending on our kids isn't effected, I can't see how that is possibly true. The good news is that just as others have gotten into excesses, I think that pregnancy and baby shopping has gone the same way, convincing us that there are things that we need that we simply don't need. I mean seriously, doesn't the $80 stroller work just as well for its basic purpose as the $800 stroller? That said, there is always something that I have my heart set on that someone else would call an excess. One piece of advice is to splurge on the item you really want, while saving money elsewhere. Another is to avoid jeopardizing quality and safety to save a buck. Leave your money saving tips in the comments!

Related:

• Saving Money in Pregnancy
• Skip the Toning Shoes
• Help Your Teen Plan a Wardrobe
• Shortcuts.com and Coupons
• Name Your Own Price for Hotels Really Does Work
• Take Advantage of a Tax Free Weekend Event
• Thrifty Thursdays: Christmas in July???
• Sell Books Online

Thrifty Thursday: Saving Money & Pregnancy originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 at 05:00:09.

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