Jennifer Durbin - Pregnancy Tips for the Clueless Chick

Copyright 2011, Jennifer C. Durbin. All rights reserved.

Sourced Media Books, LLC

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San Clemente, CA 92673

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eISBN: 978-1-937-458-17-1

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Pregnancy Tips

for

The Clueless Chick

Jennifer Durbin

To my little guys and my big guy.

Foreword

Pregnancy Tips for The Clueless Chick is thefirst pocket guide for the professional woman who would spend hours readingpregnancy books and reviewing websites, if she had more than five minutes tospare in her busy day. Written by the quintessential Type-A/OCD overachiever,The Clueless Chick is a collection of pocket guides for navigating through themilestones and obstacles all women, girlfriends, wives, and mothers face. Firstand foremost, Im not a medical expert, and Im not professionally trained inthe areas I discuss in my books. What I am is a woman just like you, albeit alittle obsessed with overresearching lifes little challenges; and Id like toshare what Ive learned from my experience. My hope is that I will be able tosave you hours of research and days of searching hundreds of websites in yourquest for the one kernel of knowledge you are looking for. Pregnancy Tips forThe Clueless Chick will afford you the time to focus on what is fun about beingpregnant: spending time with your partner, shopping, picking out baby names, andenjoying every little kick and jab. When you are finished with this pocketguide, you will feel less cluelessarmed with a roadmap to lead you throughthis adventure you are embarking on.

Pregnancy Tips for The Clueless Chick is acompilation of everything I wish I had known during my first and secondpregnancies. Yes, there are in fact lots of new things you learn each pregnancy.You can think of this as the CliffsNotes for all of the research I have done. Mypregnancy advice comes straight from my experiences, the experiences of mygirlfriends, and the millions of books, websites, pamphlets, and research papersI have scoured trying to find the answer to every question I had. If you arepregnant, or just trying, and feel completely clueless, I am here to clue youin!

Whether this is your first or your thirdpregnancy, this pocket guide will give you the tips and tricks you need tosurvive the next 40 weeks and prepare for the craziness that is parenthood. Thisbook will not answer all of your medical questions, nor will it tell you what todo. This book is intended to help you make informed decisionsand believe me,the number of decisions facing pregnant women today can be overwhelming. Beingpregnant can be a wonderful experience; and the more informed you are, thebetter your journey will be. Ultimately, my goal for this book is to spare youand other women the tremendous frustration that comes with being completelyclueless about pregnancy. Advice can be wonderful, but youve got your ownbrainso use it!

You will be making more decisions than you everthought possible over the coming ten months. Yes, do the math... 40 weeks is much longer than nine months! So buckle up and enjoy the ride!

There are two terms I use throughout this bookthat deserve a bit of clarification. We all arrive at this stage in our livesfrom different pointsevery woman, pregnancy, and baby is uniquely wonderful. Ioften refer to your partner. This may be your husband, the father of yourchild, your partner, or simply the sister or good friend who will be there tosupport you throughout your pregnancy and, most importantly, be there to holdyour hand in the delivery room. I will also refer to your doctor. This may beyour OB/GYN, midwife, doula, or other health care provider you have chosen torely on for medical advice.

What to Do When You Think Youre Pregnant

Congratulations! Whether you have been tryingto conceive for years or simply forgot to take your pills, here are the topthree things youll need to do first.

Take a Home Pregnancy Test

If you suspect that you may be pregnant, go outand buy a home pregnancy test. You will probably want to invest in a pack of atleast three. You can get a false negative by testing too early in your cycle(five or more days before your missed period) or too late in the day when thehormone levels in your urine are too low to register on the test. It is safestto wait until a week or two after your missed period. Yes, yes, I know it ishard to wait that long (at least it was for me!). Most importantly, read thedirections on the package. If you are considering doing something special tosurprise your partner with the exciting news, plan accordingly. You may want tobuy a Congratulations! card, cook a special dinner, or take him to yourfavorite spot to share the news.

Visit Your Doctor

As soon as you have positive confirmation fromyour home pregnancy test, call your doctor to make an appointment. If it isstill very early in your pregnancy, your doctor may draw blood to perform a moreconclusive pregnancy test. Your first Obstetrical (OB) appointment may be with anurse where you will simply discuss your medical history and decide on whichprenatal tests you may or may not elect to have performed; or you may meet withyour doctor to have an ultrasound during which they will determine how far alongyou are (i.e., your gestational week). This is when they will set your officialdue date! Either way, this is just the first of what will feel like an endlesscycle of appointments by the time you reach 40 weeks. You will also likelydiscuss your insurance coverage and possibly work out a co-pay payment plan.

If you have not already selected a doctor, thisis the time to start looking! If there is a hospital or birth center in yourarea where you and your partner would like to deliver, you can contact them toget a list of affiliated doctors. Dont be afraid to get recommendations fromfriends, coworkers, neighbors, or the pregnant lady in line in front of you atthe grocery store. You can always tell them that you are starting the planningprocess early or asking on behalf of a friend.

Once you have narrowed your list down to two orthree doctors, schedule a meet-and-greet appointment with each of them. Mostdoctors are happy to take the time to meet with you and your partner. Thisinitial meeting will give you an opportunity to discuss what is important to youand ensure that you and your doctor are a good fit. It is extremely importantthat you agree on the same general philosophies. For instance, if you are opento the use of an epidural or other pain medications during delivery, you dontwant to select a doctor who is opposed to the use of any pain medication. It isalso a good idea to include your partner if he will be playing an active role inyour pregnancy.

Questions to Ask a Prospective Doctor

Here are a few basic questions you can ask aprospective doctor (a 15-minute online search will give you additional ideas).Just remember to keep the number of questions to a reasonable length. You dontneed to show up with five pages of questions: