If you are newly pregnant, odds are you've already spent hours googling the 80 thousand pregnancy and birth related questions you have. But what do you really need to focus your energy and attention on when preparing for your little one? Today I want to share with you Five Topics all pregnant mothers should learn more about during their pregnancy.
During the first trimester, you will have to make a lot of decisions that will impact your entire pregnancy and birth experience. Lucky for you, none of these decisions have to be permanent. But you still want to make the best choice early on, with the best information.
Question 1: Should I hire a midwife or an obstetrician?
The answer to this question will depend on many variables. I have a great article here to help you decide if a midwife or OB is the right provider for you.
When you're deciding your provider, you will simultaneously have to decide your birth setting which leads us to question 2:
Should I have a home birth, hospital birth, or use a birthing center?
There are pros and cons to each birth setting (check out this article to explore this more). Aside from personal preference, you may need to take insurance protocols into consideration, or refer to your personal health status. A low risk pregnancy is typically considered safe to plan an out of hospital birth at home or in a birth center. Some health conditions may make a hospital birth the safer choice.
Not all prenatal care considerations are centered around your day-of-birth provider. Many pregnant women find that having a prenatal chiropractor makes their pregnancy a much more enjoyable experience. Using a chiropractor during pregnancy can help to ensure optimal fetal positioning, and has been connected to a quicker, more positive birthing experience.
Another consideration is finding a high quality prenatal vitamin.
This seems to a surprisingly controversial topic as not everyone sees eye-to-eye on what makes a good prenatal vitamin. Mainstream healthcare providers tend to express that as long as your prenatal has the right B vitamins and folate, it's good to go. However, in the more "natural" circles, there are strong discussions surrounding quality folate source. Folic Acid is a synthetic version of folate that some people with certain gene mutations can not synthesize properly. The alternative would be methylated folate sources, or plant derived folate sources.
Of course this is far from "all" there is to know, but it's a great starting point so that you can start your pregnancy off as healthy as possible, and set your sails in the right direction for creating a birth plan that will help you have a positive birth experience. If you're looking for someone to help you navigate the 97,000 questions you have during your pregnancy, consider booking an appointment with a doula for prenatal, birth, and postpartum support.
Jaimie Zaki is an Air Force Wife, Mother of Four, Birth Photographer, Doula, and Lactation consultant who helps women like you have a positive pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience. Jaimie has had one c-section, a hospital VBAC, and two home births, and is currently breastfeeding her fourth baby (who had a tongue tie!). Between personal experience and professional experience, Jaimie is equipped to help you navigate the many curveballs motherhood might throw at you!
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