Rate your prepregnancy weight (pounds)
height	underweight	normal	overweight	obese
5'	< 102	102-132	133-147	> 148
5'2"	< 107	107-141	142-157	> 158
5'4"	< 116	116-152	153-170	> 171
5'6"	< 123	123-161	162-180	> 181
5'10"	< 138	138-181	182-202	> 203
Your gain plan (pounds)
if you      were . . .	underweight	normal	overweight	obese
you should gain a         total of . . .	28-40	25-35	15-25	< 15

Where do the pregnancy pounds go?
maternal stores of fat, protein, and other nutrients	7 lbs
increased body fluid	4 lbs
increased blood	3-4 lbs
breast growth	1-2 lbs
enlarged uterus	2 lbs
amniotic fluid	2 lbs
placenta	1.5 lbs
baby	6-8 lbs
total	26.5-30.5 lbs
source: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

A positive pregnancy test signals a lot of changes are on the way. First-time parents in particular may wonder about how pregnancy will affect their sexual relationship. Should sex be put on hold? It seems drastic, but then you think of all the old wives tales you've heard.

You want to know if sex will hurt the baby. If the pregnancy is normal, there is no way that can happen. In the earliest stages, that little embryo is firmly implanted in the menstrual lining of the uterus. Normal intercourse is safe and harmless. For the first three months, doctors recommend normal sex – the wild stuff might have to go on hold for a while. If you have a history of miscarriage, also called spontaneous accidental abortion, or if there is any "spotting", or bleeding, then you should abstain from sexual intercourse or orgasm for the first three months. However, this doesn't mean you cannot pleasure your partner.

After three months in a threatened pregnancy, you can have subdued sex until the last three months. And then, no sex, because an orgasm with uterine contractions might trigger premature labour. In a normal pregnancy, sex will not harm the baby.

Some couples feel that the baby can see them having sex. No way - baby can't see a thing.

Some males feel differently about sex when their partner is pregnant. She will be the mother of his child, almost like a Madonna, and you don't have sex with a Madonna.

Many males find their pregnant partner to be very sexy. Some find they are not attracted to the changing body. Some pregnant women bloom, they love their body. But I've also known women who covered every mirror in the house because they felt big and awkward, with dark nipples, stretch marks, bulging belly button and varicose veins.

Some women find they are more interested in sex when they are pregnant. Others find sex intrusive and don't want to be touched. Do talk to your doctor about these feelings.

And couples should talk with each other about their feelings. Realize that some of these changes are temporary and that once the baby has arrived, you can work on getting back your beautiful body.

There is a great new book out - THE MOTHER'S GUIDE TO SEX by Anne Semans and Cathy Winks, published by Three Rivers Press. Give it to a new mother at a baby shower.

This pregnancy it's been very difficult for me, you guys know that I didn't planned this and Paul didn't like much of the idea at first. Well, the hardest part is that I'm happy for having a baby and getting everything ready for him, but I'm also confused and afraid. Afraid of not being a good mother, afraid because I don't know where my relationship with Paul is gonna lead us, I'm feeling kindda insecure, but I think it's natural for a pregnant woman, at least i hope it is...

These mood changes affect how we feel about each other and our desire for sex. I've been searching on the internet for sex during pregnancy... take a look:

I finally decided that my little boy is going to be called Alexander!!!

It' a Greek name and it means "the protector of mankind".

Do you agree? Tell me!!

A means to carry the baby
In the good old days, people just carried babies around in their arms all day. You'll do some of that. (And it's good for muscle tone -- mothers have the best upper arms!) But eventually, you want your arms free and you want a convenient and safe way of transporting the little one.

If you can do it, it is wise to have both a body-carrier (like a Baby Bjorn or a Snugli) and a stroller base for your infant carrier.

The chest packs (which I universally call "snugglies") are marvelous for many reasons. First, they allow a fair amount of mobility to the parent. If you're careful, you can do basic household tasks while a fussy baby sits close to you and feels comfort. Wearing your baby is a good way to soothe the baby, keep him or her right in with the family activity, while also providing security and comfort. Wearing your baby on walks helps burn calories and build muscle tone after pregnancy and is a fun way to interact with your baby outside. (You can easily point to things for the small baby to start to see.)

Under no circumstances, however, can you ever wear your baby in a moving vehicle. Babies must be secured in car seats. For this reason, the car seat stroller base is an indispensable tool for modern mothers.

All major infant carrier manufacturers sell their seats as part of a "travel system." Typically costing about $200-$300 these systems incorporate the infant carrier seat with a large stroller. The carrier seat clips into the stroller rear-facing. When the baby outgrows the infant seat, it is removed and the toddler rides in the regular stroller seat. These systems are sold as a cost-effective long-term solution for moving around with a baby. They do, however, have drawbacks.

Most travel system strollers are quite large and unwieldy. At the early stage with the infant carrier on board, they are extremely cumbersome. I also have heard from mothers that these large strollers, in addition to being nearly impossible to maneuver in stores, are also relatively fragile. Many don't last more than one child.

An alternative to the full sized travel system is the stroller base. The Snap N.Go LX by Baby Trend is an excellent product. For sixty dollars, you get a wheeled frame into which you snap the infant carrier. It comes with all the parts necessary to accommodate any brand of infant carrier. I have found the Snap N.Go used for as little as $20. This system is handy, mobile and durable. There is a basket underneath for clothing and diaper bag, and cup attachments are available. They fold to nearly flat and are very light. The disadvantage to this choice is that you will have to buy a separate stroller when your baby outgrows the infant carrier. However, many mothers I know found the travel systems so unwieldy, they bought new strollers anyway. Being freed from buying a stroller as part of a travel system gives you more options.

Layette
This is the clothes and linens your baby will need in the first few months. It is wise to resist the urge to buy "outfits" at this stage of the game. Babies spit up, drool, and wet themselves a lot so the best thing to have on hand is lots of onsies for summer babies and toasty jammies for winter babies. Newborn infants must have their heads covered outside in all but the warmest summer months (when they should stay out of the sun, entirely) so be sure to have plenty of cozy stretchy hats on hand, too. Many moms prefer babies have their feet covered, indoors and out, so get lots of warm stretchy socks.

Medicines, Diapers, Care Items
Any health problems encountered in the first few months of life mean an immediate call to the doctor. You should not dispense any medications to your child without the explicit direction to do so by your health practitioner. However, to spare you midnight runs to the 24-hour pharmacy across town, here is a list of basic care needs you want to have on hand for your baby:

- Several packages of diapers in newborn and infant sizes

- Several giant packages of wipes.

- A stash of small wash clothes and a plastic dish for water for sponge baths on the changing table.

- A baby bath for later baths in the sink or tub.

- Diaper rash creams

- Infant ibuprofen and acetaminophen (Tylenol and Motrin)

- Anti-gas drops

- Nasal aspirator (babies can't blow their noses so the aspirator may be necessary to help clear congested nasal passages. There are different kinds out there and the hospital will give you one. They all work differently, so it's nice to have the variety to experiment with.)

- Rubbing alcohol and cotton balls to clean the belly button stump (and to help sterilize clippers, tweezers and nasal aspirators.)

- A grooming kit with soft hair brush, comb, tweezers and infant nail clippers.

- A rectal thermometer. Fancy pacifier thermometers and under-arm patches, in-the-ear thermometers and forehead strips don't do the job. The most reliable way to take a temperature is rectally. Have your health practitioner show you how to do this on your baby so you are confident that you can take his or her temperature in the middle of the night, if the need arises.

- Hand soap and anti-bacterial (if you prefer it) wash for the bathroom for folks to wash their hands before touching the newborn. Hand wash in the diaper bag for the road.

Good luck on this parenting adventure! Remember that no one starts out an expert but with preparation and help, you'll be one in no time!

Preparing for Baby

Pretty much everything about being pregnant is intimidating the first time out, but nothing is quite so intimidating, in quite the same way, as the Baby Stuff. Strollers, car seats, slings, carriers (what's the difference?), bottles, nipples (how many varieties are there?), blankets, bears, lotions, and, dare we mention rectal thermometers!

The rounder a newly-pregnant woman gets, the more she starts observing The Stuff other mothers have, and the seemingly impossible tasks she performs with her Stuff. (Child in one arm, diaper bag over a shoulder, unfolding a stroller while reaching for a snack and simultaneously wiping a runny nose. The sight of this makes the rookie cringe.)

Just what exactly do new mothers really need? And here's the mercenary question we all asked when we saw the price tags -- how much can we expect other people to buy for us?

The Baby Registry

When I was first pregnant the very idea of a baby registry seemed like the worst sort of commercialized greed. It's one thing for a wedding when you're choosing china and linens. It's something else to register for bottles, lotions and -- oh the gluttony! -- car seats and travel systems.

But once I got on the baby scene, I learned to love the baby registry. They're indispensable. In today's culture, product choice reflects personal parenting choices. For instance, a mother who is committed to nursing will pick a bottle system that will present the least risk to her nursing efforts while still providing a backup. This is the bottle she wants to use, and she probably only wants a few of them. Buying her bottles of other varieties is a waste. If her registry shows only four of one type of bottle, and all have been purchased, then bottles are not something this new mother needs.

National baby registries are also great in this disparate culture where it is possible that some of your closest family and friends don't live near enough to you to attend a shower or to come and see you in person. This allows them to pick something they know you would like and to have the shop's help in shipping it to you.

Registry Etiquette

Baby registries are new, and some people find them rude for all the reasons I did before I had a baby. Do not push your baby registry on anyone. Do not volunteer the information that you are registered unless someone specifically asks you for gift ideas. There are two modes of thinking regarding the shower invitations -- it is excruciatingly tacky to include registry information in any other kind of invitation or announcement, but a shower is specifically for the purpose of showering someone with gifts. One compromise that I have worked for my own showers and for ones I hosted for others was not to include the information in the invitation, but to be sure to mention it on the phone when guests RSVP'd.

The most important thing to remember about your baby registry is that it is a wish list whose purpose is to help out people who want to help you. No one is obligated to buy you anything, and certainly not off the registry.

Frequently, people ignore the registry all together and select things for you that they themselves liked. This, too, is a meaningful gift. Gifts of books loved by others' children, gizmos and gadgets one mother found indispensable, or the umpteenth teddy bear are all gifts of love and generosity to your child and should be appreciated as such. Remember to write your thank you notes and to be truly grateful that people went to any time or expense to welcome your child.

On to The Stuff: What to Register for

It's both fun and intensely overwhelming to wander around the baby superstore planning the perfect, dreamy nursery and assembling the right arsenal of baby gear to get you through any situation. But most mothers are on a budget, and it's smart to plan out what you really do need and how to maximize your dollar.

Certain gizmos (car seats, strollers) are worth investing some real money into. Other gizmos (wipes-warmers, changing tables, fancy bassinets) are not. Here is a list of basic items you need, and tips on how to maximize your dollars:

A place for the baby to sleep
One of the things that makes it hard to plan for a baby is that so much of your gear will depend upon, again, personal parenting choices. These choices are hard to make in advance of the baby's arrival. For example: when my daughter was expected we opted out of the crib and just borrowed a cradle from a family member. This was a smart choice for us because in the end, she slept with us until she was 14 months old. But we did not know at the time that things would turn out that way. So it's important to keep your options open, borrow what gear you can, and don't spend money on fancy items you may not end up using. Most babies do, at some point, need a crib, so that is a good investment. They can be purchased at most national bargain outlets for $50-100. A new crib mattress is necessary and should be firm and fitted exactly to the crib you are purchasing.

Another great thing to have is a bassinette. Most baby-gear manufacturers now make bassinets, which are tall, free-standing baby-holders. They have mattresses and linens and usually some kind of visor that keeps sun and noise out. They cost between $50 and $100 also and are very convenient for keeping baby at arm's reach in the night, and also moving sleeping infants from room to room with little disturbance. Cribs and bassinettes are both good items to get second hand from friends or at yard sales and consignment shops.

Items like Moses baskets, fancy wooden cradles and elaborate co-sleepers are lovely, but expensive and impractical. (Moses baskets, for example, are not to be carried with a baby inside of them. Co-sleepers are very expensive and can't be moved, and wooden cradles are expensive version of the very practical bassinette.)

A Car Seat
Car seats are not items to skimp on. Unless you know the previous owner very well, car seats are not good items to get second-hand. Manufacturers advise that any car seat that has been in any kind of accident, no matter how minor, must be replaced. Car seats are carefully constructed to protect their precious cargo, and any compromise to the structure could limit its effectiveness.

There also is a difference in the quality of car seats. Every expectant mother should waddle herself over to the public library and spend a little of her waiting time reading consumer reports. This company test crashes car seats and through their research, it is easy to see that there are differences. New brands and varieties of car seats come out every year, so it's wise to check any time you are in the market for a car seat, to see which kind is currently at the top of the market. Very often, it is the most expensive one. But not always. Often two seats are identical in safety ratings but very different in price.

Do your research. Read up on the safety standards and talk to other mothers about their Stuff and see what they liked and didn't like.

When it comes to infants, there are two kinds of car seat options: the infant carrier and the convertible seat.

The infant carrier is the most versatile. The seat by itself can be strapped, rear-facing, into the back seat of a car. It also comes with a base that straps into the family car and can be left there, allowing you to just drop the carrier into the base in one smooth motion. Press the button, and you can pull the carrier right out.

Infant carriers are also designed to attach to stroller bases. In this way, a sleeping baby can be strapped into a carrier, taken to the grocery store, strolled through the shopping mall or out to dinner without ever being disrupted.

Infant carriers, for all their convenience, are only good for about ten months. Once the baby has outgrown the carrier, it is time to go to a more expensive convertible seat.

This is a larger, more expensive seat but typically lasts until the child is 3 or 4 years old. It begins as a rear-facing infant seat, and morphs into a front-facing toddler seat and eventually into a full-grown child seat.

Planning a baby shower doesn't have to be stressful. One of the most important decisions you will have to make in planning the shower is what you are going to serve to eat. Finger foods? A sit-down meal? To make your decision-making process simpler, consider who will be coming to the shower. Showers with girlfriends and co-workers often call for finger foods. On the other hand, baby showers for family members or co-ed showers might require a little more work.

This article is brought to you by Blue Bambu, the leading provider of exquisite party favor.

A Meal

The food you serve will depend on whether you want to have a sit-down meal or a variety of appetizers. Sit-down meals are nice, but they tend to be more complicated and often much more expensive. Full meals often are served at baby showers with family attending or co-ed baby showers. Fathers-to-be are being invited more and more to attend baby showers. Couple friends of the proud parents-to-be often attend; and because men are not as likely to enjoy playing cutesy shower games, the baby shower will revolve more around the food. What guy doesn't appreciate a hearty meal, right? It also gives everyone a chance to sit together to catch up and share stories.

Finger Foods

If you opt for the snacks and appetizers, there are many options as to what to serve. For simpler menus, serve veggies, such as carrot and celery sticks, broccoli florets and dip. Also offer different types of snacks like chips, pretzels, cookies, crackers—all of which are easy to set up and there's something for everyone. If you want something with a little more substance, make some finger foods. Some popular dishes are mini-quiches, pasta salads, stuffed mushrooms and mini-pizzas. Try to make something that the mother-to-be likes to eat. The important thing is to have a variety of foods so nobody goes hungry. And don't forget the dessert. In fact, you can even have a dessert-themed party. Lay out several dessert dishes and let your guests indulge.

Serve it Up

The easiest way to serve food at a baby shower is to set up a buffet-style spread or place plates of appetizers around the room. Many shower throwers purposely scatter plates of food around the room to get people up and moving about. This often encourages everyone to circulate and mingle with people they are meeting for the first time.

Food for Thought

Whatever you decide, don't forget to relax and enjoy yourself at the shower. Keep in mind all the guests are there to spend time with and show support to the soon-to-be mom (and dad). The food is just icing on the cake.

I want you to take a look at a few blogs I find interesting...
They are:

http://desiredone.blogthing.com/

http://cuteweblog.com/Liz8/

http://blogs.ya.com/delightful

All parents-to-be nurture the dream of a healthy pregnancy and baby.

But the modern environment and diet is deficient in many factors essential for the health of mother and fetus. One of those factors is antioxidants.

The role of antioxidants like folic acid in preventing birth defects like spina bifida and cleft palate is well known. It is now included in all prenatal vitamin supplements.

But the role of antioxidants like glutathione and Vitamin E in pregnancy is often overlooked.

Antioxidants and glutathione status play an important role in the development and growth of the fetus, maintenance of a healthy pregnancy - and even before pregnancy, in fertility and conception.

Glutathione is the body's master antioxidant. It helps to regenerate stores of other antioxidants like Vitamin C and E.

I've been decorating a room for my baby - I'm so excited! I'ts gonna look beautiful! Me and my mom have been shopping and researching a lot on this, it's good to have something else to do and forget about the bad things in life for a while... I decided to paint a mural on his room myself, I love painting and it's a long time I don't practice. I've been working on some ideas kindda like this:

Why is it so difficult to choose the name for my son?! I want to hive him a strong name with a beautiful meaning, but nothing very exotic - Do you have any suggestions? Here are some of the names I thought about till now:

*Alexander

*Cole

*Jacob

*Logan

*Tobias

Be free to give your oppinion... Kiss!

anticipation

Read this nursery rhyme making all the noises – eg. squeak like a mouse

Bow-wow says the dog

Miaw says the cat

Mooo says the cow

Squeak says the mouse

Cheep cheep says the sparrow

Caw caw says the crow

Quack quack says the duck

And . . what the cuckoo says . .

You know! Cuckoo, cuckoo

You'll be surprised at how young babies will stare and listen to this jingle with its wonderful range of sounds.

hearing

Rhyming games are great for giving an early notion of order — important for learning later in life. Sing if you can – you'll be giving repetition, rhythm and order:

Humpty Dumpty

Sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty

Had a great fall

All the kings horses

And all the kings men

Couldn't put humpty

Together again

feeling

Let your baby grip your fingers often when feeding and in play.

A baby needs to exercise her hand — natural for breast-feeding babies — otherwise she may become fretful.

Baby said as she smelled the rose

"oh what a pity I've only one nose!"

Baby said as she smelled the snuff

"oh! Ah-choo! One nose is enough"

movement

When your baby is awake for longer periods – place her face down on a sheet spread over the floor for a little part of her playtime.

VOILA! – a ready made simply and easy fun 'gym' – for your baby to strengthen movements.

seeing

For amusement between sleeps tuck some patterned paper or pictures into the sides of the pram or cradle.

Looking & struggling to see is entertainment for a young baby

Change the pictures when she stops staring at them.

In good weather place her pram under a tree branch gently swaying in the wind or even near the washing line, so she can watch the clothes sway.

The jumping jack knows how to jump

And how to land without a thump

He feels so light and jumps so high

If I let go he'll touch the sky

settling

Gentle, soft and warm words will soothe a baby (cooing).

So will snuggling a baby next to your skin, tucked under your chin.

When your baby stirs for food

turn her on her back

look into his/her eyes

talk softly

give her a chance to recall surroundings and who you are

Once fed & winded lay your baby on your lap and very gently stroke

hands

feet

face

Talk gently – even chat to other people as long as you continue looking at your baby.

Watch her stare of "astonished concentration". It's a big new world out there.

remember

A crying baby could be a bored baby — try these little games:

Ten little fingers

Ten little toes

Two little eyes

But only one nose

Do gentle little touches as you talk/sing through the rhyme:

Water on my tum tum

Water on my toes

Water on my arms and legs

And even on my nose

I'd like to let you know I'm expecting a little boy!!!

I don't feel like being a mother yet... but I'm happy. I didn't plan to have a baby, specially with Paul... anyway, at first I got socked, I cried a lot and them I realized that it might be the change I was waitting for!

Every woman and every pregnancy is unique. The aim at creating this Blog is talking about general information about my pregnancy. 

Family and friends:  if you have questions or concerns about my health or the health of my baby, please write me. Don't worry about me!