Is pregnancy for a celebrity a more important event than for the rest of us? No, certainly not. However, as I watched the Today Show this morning I was struck with their lives in a fish bowl, with the spotlight always on and we the public watching to see what they are going to do next. I cannot imagine the stress and pressure this creates – as if growing a human being inside your body is not stressful enough – now the entire world is watching you do it!

Are you like me, trying to look the other way, yet still craving information about how the rich and famous move through the pregnancy paces?

Sarah McMoyler RN
www.thebestbirth.com

Expectant and new parents need to regularly look at the Consumer Product Safety Commission website: www.cpsc.gov for their up to the minute information on product safety. Within the past 6 months alone, they have alerted us to the hazards with drop side cribs, several brands of slings and just yesterday, strollers that pose potential harm. Add their site to your favorites and make a habit to log on to see their most recent heads up.

If you are 28 weeks or beyond- you need to check in on your babies well being from home. Once a day (I like evenings) after supper, while resting with the newspaper or TV, notice your baby’s activity. In response to the food/fluid/rest – you should find that your baby is very active. You are looking for five movements in one hour: actual kick of their foot or a swish or a swirl- each count as a kick. Once you have gotten to five kicks- you are done counting. If ever the evening comes when you do not get the reassuring kicks, call your OB/Midwife. They will have you come into their office or the hospital to check on the decreased fetal movement.

For further information on doing kick counts visit: http://pregnancy.about.com/library/howto/htkickcount.htm

Sarah McMoyler RN

www.thebestbirth.com

When it comes to what to take to the hospital: LESS is more! I have seen expectant parents drag in everything but the kitchen sink- really. The Coleman camping cooler, six piece Samsonite luggage- they practically need a sherpa! The fact is - most of what they bring, they never touch. The following tips will get you ready to function in labor with the must have’s versus the nice to have’s:

For mom - toiletries (shampoo/conditioner, hairbrush, rubberbands for long hair, lotion, chapstick, toothbrush/paste, minimal amount of make-up), comfortable cotton nighties for post-partum, slippers or thick socks, a few pair of comfy “granny panties”, a loose fitting outfit for going home, and flip flops for possibly swollen feet.

For the partner - change of clothes, basic toiletries, small cooler with some food/fluids, breath mints, phone/charger and video/still cameras, basket of cookies for the nurses!

For baby - an outfit that allows the car seat buckle to fasten between their little legs, beanie hat, small blanket, be sure that you have included a small head support in the car seat- recommended for newborns. (The hospital provides everything you need for baby while you are there).