Baby Beginnings^®

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Finding out that you’re pregnant can come with a flood of emotions — and questions. It can be hard to know where to start.

A full nine months might seem like a long time to wait for your newborn to arrive, but doctors divide the time up into three-month chunks called trimesters.

Now that you’re eating and breathing for two, it’s important to keep the two of you safe, by getting the regular prenatal care you need and by following your care provider’s recommendations.

Before you start picking out names and knitting booties for your soon-to-be-here baby, you’ve got an important job to do: Choosing a provider for prenatal care.

From heartburn to bleeding gums to increased trips to the ladies’ room, pregnancy can make its mark in different ways. Here are some other symptoms you might experience:
 

One of your biggest jobs during pregnancy is to take care of yourself: By eating well, drinking plenty of water, and, though it might be the last thing you feel like doing, getting some light exerc

During your checkups, you will be offered certain prenatal tests to check on your health and to see how the baby is developing.
 
Your baby’s first portrait

Pregnancy ramps up your need for sleep–your body is in overdrive, working hard to nurture and grow your baby.

Expecting mothers face a lot of changes, including some they may not anticipate. Great hair, chalk cravings, the appearance of a dark line on the skin—all can be part of the deal.

Pregnancy brings a number of changes to a woman’s body, a bulging tummy being a big (and obvious) one.

Pregnancy comes with tons of advice. Take these supplements, not those. Exercise, but only so much. Get these tests, but not those screenings.

Pregnancy brings a world of new sensations — both good and bad. It’s good to pay attention to these feelings, and to talk to your care provider if something doesn’t feel right.

No one can know for certain what will happen on the day their baby arrives, but it’s wise for mothers to think ahead and consider their own wishes for giving birth.

Blindsided by vision changes during pregnancy? You’re not alone. According to a new survey by the American Optometric Association, one in six expectant moms experiences vision changes.

Before your baby finally makes his or her appearance, you’ll want to have a few things in place, like creating a birth plan, which lists your preferences during childbirth and choosing a pediatrici