5 of The 50 Things to Know Before Having a Baby

Having a baby is such an exciting time in your life! When I became pregnant with my first child there were many things to learn. I did not have any siblings for close friends with children at the time. After the pregnancy I wrote the book 50 Things to Know Before Having a Baby. This book has many pregnancy tips in one place for new parents. Here are five tips from the book. I hope that can help you or someone you know with your pregnancy

1. The First Two Weeks Home
The first two weeks were hard for me and my partner. My body was making big changes in a small amount of time. Someone told me the first two weeks are the hardest but after that you will be fine. I agree with that statement. Be mentally prepared because as hard as you try before pregnancy your body won't be in the best physical shape right after having a baby. Along with taking your medicine, you need to take care of yourself. Try to change pajamas every day. Also, try to shower every day. A shower will give you time to relax. Once you will take a shower you realize how much it was really needed. I also put a little makeup on each day to make myself feel better. Remember to brush your teeth too! You will get a heavy first period around 6 weeks after birth. Keep those extra giant pads that they give you when you have your baby because you may need them in the future. After pregnancy some women lose some hair. A good thing to know when you are in the shower for the first couple months after birth is not to panic. Your first bowel movements may be difficult after giving birth. As the uterus gets bigger it presses against your bowel and may cause constipation. Constipation could be caused by hormone changes, a lack of fiber in your diet, not enough water or too little exercise. The milk coming into breasts can be painful for some woman.
2. Get Help
Just because someone comes over to watch the beautiful one for a while does not mean you failed! It takes a whole village to raise a child is not just a saying. Everyone benefits from you getting help including your baby, your helpers, and you! You can hire support including a nanny, baby sitter, or a house cleaner. If you have any of problems, even what seems like a little one, you should seek help. You are not alone. Talk to your medical provider, faith leader, family or friends about how you are feeling. Depression and anxiety during pregnancy can worsen and continue after the birth (postpartum depression) if not treated.
3. Your Perineum Will Need to Heal After Giving Birth
After birth you must keep this area clean. You can do this with a warm bath once a day. After going to the bathroom you can use wet toilet paper, and a squeeze bottle with paper. The hospital gave me tucks pads for the area too.
4. Linea Negra
The linea negra is a pale line that can run from the pubic bone to the belly button that usually appears around the second trimester of pregnancy produced by hormones. This will go away after giving birth but may take longer for breastfeeding women.
5. Stretch Marks
You may get stretch marks on your belly as well as your breasts. I did not get stretch marks until the last week on my belly. I got them on my breasts when the milk came into them.

About Lisa Rusczyk



Lisa Rusczyk is the founder of Charlie The Cavalier (a blog about Charlie her dog, and her friends, family and home) and founder of 50ThingsToKnow. Lisa is a Doctoral student in Educational Leadership who happened to start writing her first book 50 Things to Know Before Having a Baby after her little girl was born. Her book sold over 1,000 copies in the first year on Amazon. Today, she has over 10 books and helps others self-publish. Further, she shares this information with the public via this blog, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, and recently on a local television station. Lisa knows that like her there are a lot of people who would like concise information on a topic in one digital location. Lisa is known for her simple and effective tips.