PREPARING FOR A NEW BABY

Pregnancy is a time of anticipation, excitement, preparation, and, for new parents, uncertainty. You dream of a baby who will be strong, healthy, and bright - and you make plans to provide her with everything she needs to grow and thrive. You probably also have fears and questions, especially of this is your first child, or if there have been problems with this or a previous pregnancy. What if something goes wrong during the course of your pregnancy, or what if labor and delivery are difficult? What if being a parents isn't everything you've always dreamed it would be? Fortunately, most of these worries are needless. The nine months of pregnancy will give you time to have your question answered, calm your fears, and prepare yourself for the realities of parenthood.

Some of these preparations should begin when you first learn you're pregnant. The best way to help your baby develop is to take good care of yourself, since medical attention and good nutrition will directly benefit your baby's health. Getting plenty of rest and exercising moderately will help you feel better and ease the physical stresses of pregnancy. Talk to your physician about prenatal vitamins and avoiding smoking and alcohol.

As pregnancy progresses, you're confronted with a long list of related decisions, from planning for the delivery to decorating the nursery. You probably have made many of these decisions already. Perhaps you've postponed some others because your baby doesn't yet seem "real" to you. However, the more actively you prepare for your baby's arrival, the more real that child will seem, and the faster your pregnancy will appear to pass.

Eventually it may seem as though your entire life revolves around this baby-to-be. This increasing preoccupation is perfectly normal and healthy and may actually help prepare you emotionally for the challenge of parenthood. After all, you'll be making decisions about your child for the next two decades - at least! Now is a perfect time to start.