Mom Smart Not Hard - A Pregnancy and Newborn Blog

September 22, 2018 Leave a Comment

Discussion Questions to Prepare your Relationship for Baby

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As your pregnancy progresses there is no doubt you are in the mode to prepare and plan. You have probably taken steps to prepare a nursery, plan a baby shower, or are at the point where you’re preparing for birth. But have you taken time to prepare your relationship? Bringing a baby home is a life changing event for even the strongest relationships. Today, let’s get that conversation started. Here you will find over 50 discussion questions to help prepare your relationship for baby.

September 12, 2018 Leave a Comment

Your Guide to More Productive Nesting during Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time of growth and transformation (literally and figuratively). A time for excitement and anticipation. And, if you’re like most mamas, a time for preparation. And that urge to prepare, organize and clean? You’re nesting, mama!

September 9, 2018 Leave a Comment

17 Things You’re Forgetting to Do Before Birth: A Checklist for the Final Weeks

As the time until your due date goes from months to weeks, to maybe even days, your mind might start to race a little. What else can I do to be more prepared for baby? How can I make these final weeks of the third trimester count? What might I have forgotten to do when it comes to preparing for birth and life with a newborn? That’s where we come in! Here I’ve compiled a list of 17 things you truly may not have thought of.

September 8, 2018 Leave a Comment

The Only Third Trimester Checklist You Need

This third trimester checklist includes everything you need to get ready before the big day, in all realms of life. We’ll focus on what is going to really make life easier once baby arrives and how to maximize your free time while in the third trimester.

September 5, 2018 Leave a Comment

How to Manage Common First Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms

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The first trimester of pregnancy is tough. Maybe you’ve been hoping, trying and praying for this pregnancy or maybe it is a bit of surprise. Either way, let’s chat about first trimester pregnancy symptoms. What you can expect and how to cope with them. With our help, you’ll be feeling (at least a little) better in no time.

September 3, 2018 Leave a Comment

Must Know Websites that will Change your Pregnancy for the Better

I know when I was expecting, I spent a lot of time trying to find my new favorite websites for discounts, deals and great content. Whether you just found out you are pregnant or are delivering soon, these are the best pregnancy websites that you must discover as a first-time (or even second or third time) mom. Here are my favorite sites from the well-known sites to the hidden gems out there that can really help save you money or make that pregnancy and delivery just that much better.

August 28, 2018 1 Comment

My 5 Top Tips to Having a Summer Baby

Having a baby in any season presents some awesome benefits but also some challenges. Winter babies are born during the flu season. You also have to be vigilant to keep them warm. On the flip side, summer babies need to stay cool which can sometimes be a challenge on those hot summer days.

August 26, 2018 Leave a Comment

Online Childbirth Classes to Prepare for your Baby’s Birth

Preparing for your baby’s birth starts as soon as you find out you are pregnant. Throughout prenatal appointments, nutrition, and prepping your home, preparing for the big day is always in the back of your mind.As labor and delivery gets closer, it feels more real. And you probably start to think of specific ways to…

August 20, 2018 Leave a Comment

11 Lessons to Learn to Have the Perfect Birth

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Birth is beautiful. You welcome your new baby into the world and into your arms. As they say, “it’s the only blind date where you will always meet the love of your life.” However, birth is known as labor for a reason. It is work. While you can’t guarantee your labor and delivery will happen a certain way, you can give yourself the best odds by preparing. AND most importantly how you prepare for birth can dramatically change how your “4th trimester” will go.

August 14, 2018 25 Comments

New Mom Must Haves for Life with a Newborn

I really wish I knew more veteran moms when I had my first born because I would have been so much more prepared. For most, including me, it seems you get to learn a lot through mistakes simply because you don’t know what life with a newborn is actually like.

August 10, 2018 Leave a Comment

Baby Prep: A Husband’s Guide to Nesting

Preparing for baby’s arrival is an exciting and busy time. Your body has an intrinsic need to get everything ready. It might even feel neurotic at times. Like when you start color-coding and rolling the onesies as you place them into the nursery dresser. One of the joys of pregnancy, and one that can be…

August 9, 2018 Leave a Comment

Your Guide to Pain Relief and Interventions during Childbirth

All throughout your third trimester of pregnancy, the thought of your baby’s arrival is constantly in your mind. Getting to hold your newborn for the first time will be one of the best days of your life. But with the excitement of that new baby, you undoubtedly think about the labor that will get you to that point. What do contractions feel like? How long will labor be for my first birth?

August 5, 2018 3 Comments

Are Birth Classes Necessary? Two moms and a dad weigh in

All pregnant women have one thing in common whether it is their first birth or fifth: some sense of anxiety about labor and delivery. This is because so much of it is unknown. Will childbirth classes help with this? Are birth classes necessary?

August 3, 2018 1 Comment

40 Weeks Pregnant: My Birth Story

In this 40 weeks pregnant update, we have a baby! Here I detail my birth story which included an epidural and a lot less pushing than my first birth!

August 1, 2018 1 Comment

What to do in the Second Trimester of Pregnancy: Your Second Trimester Checklist

So you’ve made it to second trimester of pregnancy. Hopefully with a lot more energy and subsiding symptoms from the first trimester. Are you wondering what you should be doing in your second trimester to stay on track of the baby preparations? Do you feel like your to-do list is never ending and are wondering when to prioritize which baby-related tasks?

July 23, 2018 Leave a Comment

9 Signs of Labor Approaching and What to Do during Early Labor

Nothing can be more frustrating than the waiting game for when will labor start. Every single day, I would always wonder if today would be the day. As I got closer to my due date, my feet were swollen, and my belly was so big that I swear I waddled everywhere, I just wanted to know when baby would arrive.