Week 7: Time to think about choosing the best health care provider and place of birth for you.
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What facilities are available for having a baby in your area? Do you have birth centers? Do different hospitals offer birth tubs or other tools to cope with labor?
The Birth Survey
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The months of pregnancy are necessary for babies to develop and grow, for women's bodies to prepare for birth and for women to become mothers. -- The Lamaze Approach to Pregnancy. How are you preparing to become a mother?
Lamaze International
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Pregnancy provides an opportunity for mothers and their partners to begin forming lifelong bonds with their babies. -- The Lamaze Approach to Pregnancy. Do you and your partner sing or talk to your baby?
Lamaze International
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A good support system, a healthy lifestyle and the ability to cope with the stresses of life promote a healthy pregnancy, a healthy birth and a healthy baby. -- The Lamaze Approach to Pregnancy. How are you making adjustments to cope with the stresses of life during pregnancy?
Lamaze International
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Your health care provider and place of birth can increase or decrease Your confidence in the normalcy of pregnancy and Your ability to have a healthy baby (from Lamaze International).
Lamaze International
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Lamaze education empowers women to gain confidence in their bodies, trust their inner wisdom and to make informed decisions about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and parenting (The Lamaze Approach to Pregnancy).
Lamaze International
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You are peeing more now than usual because your body is making more blood, which it needs to sustain a healthy pregnancy and grow a healthy baby. All that extra blood gets processed through your kidneys and that results in more trips to the bathroom.
BirthWatch Recommends:
Pregnancy, Childirth and the Newborn: The Complete Guide
The definitive guide on pregnancy, childbirth and the newborn. No really, if you have to buy one book, this is the one to own. It is complete, it is not at all fluffy but it is friendly. It presumes you are smart enough to make your own choices given the facts. You will gain confidence in your abilities to sustain a healthy pregnancy, birth your baby, and competently care for your newborn.