I found a great resource for those moms looking to view their pregnancy size by week.

The site Pregnancy Week by Week has some very awesome videos that provide details of the gestation period from week one to week 40. Each of their videos covers another step in the pregnancy process including what is going on in your belly, when you should be taking doctor visits, and what changes your body can expect. This is a great website for all you expecting mothers.

Enjoy
Stefani

It is a strange but true paradox of postpartum motherhood that, at the time you are most vulnerable physically and emotionally and most in need of rest, you want a spotless nest for your new little one. Here are some tips to help you enjoy the postpartum period more and stop worrying so much about the housework.

Prepare ahead of time

Most women, sometime shortly before they go into labor, experience a natural rush of energy and an overwhelming desire to clean and organize. Use this time wisely. Instead of folding and refolding newborn clothes, do some spring cleaning. Dust your baseboards- be sure to squat instead of leaning over while doing this. Squatting is great exercise for pregnant mommies. It stretches the inner thighs (they need to be flexible when you’re pushing baby out), feels good to your back and even helps your baby’s head get into proper alignment in preparation for the birth.

Buy paper plates, napkins, and plastic cutlery and cups for use after the baby arrives. Now is not the time too obsess or feel guilty about Mother Earth. You need to focus on Mother You! Buy recycled if it makes you feel better. Eliminating dirty dishes when you have a newborn will go a long way towards keeping the kitchen clean. Spring for some of those handy disposable cleaning wipes too so you don’t have extra laundry.

Do a thorough de-cluttering

The rule most professional organizers use is: If you haven’t used it in a year, you probably don’t need it or it would be better you to just rent the item in question rather than own and store it. Go through your closets, attic and garage and toss, toss, toss. And seriously rethink all the little knickknacks and whatnots you have around your home. These are dust magnets and will probably have to be put up when your baby starts crawling anyway.

Ask for help

It’s very difficult in some independent cultures to ask for the help you need and deserve. But don’t try to be a rugged individualist. Most native cultures expect little of a new Mom for a couple of months postpartum. She is pampered and taken care of by the women in her community.

Let me ask you: would you begrudge a postpartum friend if she called you asking for help? Of course not. It may even forge a deeper bond of friendship between you. So don’t be afraid to call on your network of support for help.

Ask friends, family, neighbors, people you worship with, other moms at the mom’s group you attend, etc. for assistance. Don’t forget your baby’s Father as well! And consider hiring help if you possibly can. Remind your mother and mother in law that a housekeeping service is a great baby shower gift.

The postpartum “babymoon” period passes so quickly. Enjoy every minute and take lots of pictures. Baby will soon be crawling and then toddling around, and then the house will look really interesting!

About The Author: Carrie Lauth is the host of
http://www.NaturalMomsTalkRadio.com. For more postpartum advice
and housekeeping tips, visit http://www.Natural-Moms.com

Did you know that it is said that 75-90 percent of all pregnant women develop stretch marks when pregnant?

Apart from all the other factors that pregnant women may have to look forward to – like weight gain, fatigue, morning sickness, back aches and getting up all night to go to the toilet – stretch marks are a very real possibility for every pregnant women.

They can occur on the breasts, abdomen, arms and legs and are most likely to appear during the sixth or seven month of your pregnancy. Whether you are likely to get stretch marks during and after pregnancy depends on the amount of your weight gain, your genes, your homes and what you have done to prevent stretch marks during the pregnancy.

There are many things you can do – including home remedies for stretch mark prevention – to lower the chance of you getting them when pregnant.

Here are some simple ways to prevent them during pregnancy:

1. Drink plenty of water during pregnancy. Though this may have the downside of meaning that you are constantly on the toilet, by keeping your body hydrated you are also keeping your skin hydrated.

2. Eat plenty of fresh produce, fruits and vegetables, healthy oils and low fat foods. Vitamins that are particularly great contributors to the appearance of the quality of your skin are Vitamins C, E, A and zinc – though foods rich in Vitamin A are best avoided during pregnancy.

3. Try not to gain too much weight during pregnancy. If you have a more steady weight gain your skin will stretch slowly and naturally thus lessening the chances of having stretch marks.

4. Increase circulation to the areas prone to stretch marks – abdomen, arms, legs, breasts for example – by using a body brush or a wash cloth to gently massage those areas.

5. Make sure your diet is balanced and nutritional. If you believe your diet could be improved then be sure to take vitamins which are critical for your overall wellbeing and that of your baby but also your skin, hair and teeth.

6. Make sure your skin is moisturized throughout your pregnancy but also after the birth of your baby till you get back to your pre-pregnancy weight. There are many stretch mark creams and oils that can help prevent stretch marks while pregnant. Vitamin E oil is a very popular massage oil during pregnancy. These stretch marks creams and oils have been specifically designed to keep your skin taut and firm during pregnancy.

7. Check with your doctor to see if you can undertake some mild forms of exercise during your pregnancy. Keeping your body in ship-shape and toned condition is a great way to make the most of what the body has to offer, also for your skin! Ensure that you include enough portions of protein, carbohydrates, and fats in your diet to feel and look your best and to reduce the chance of getting stretch marks during pregnancy.

8. Avoid stress as much as possible when pregnant. Making sure you have relaxing periods to yourself and reduce your stress levels will result in less stress on your skin. All of the above can contribute to your health, well-being but also the condition of your body and skin and ultimately lower your chances of getting them when pregnant.

However, stretch mark prevention does not stop after you have given birth. You are also prone to stretch marks following dramatic weight loss so it’s important to keep all these lifestyle choices mentioned above in mind after the birth of your baby too.

By following these simple lifestyle tips to preventing them during pregnancy and you will greatly reduce your changes of getting them in the first place.

However, should you get stretch marks nonetheless remember that you are not alone and that there are many stretch mark treatments and home remedies to help reduce their appearance.

Stretch marks are a very small price to pay for the blessing of giving birth to a beautiful baby.

SPECIAL OFFER: For complete information about home remedies for stretch marks including tea tree oil and stretch marks go to http://www.Home-Remedies-For-Stretch-Marks.com today

The hardest part of being a new mother is taking the time to simply enjoy your new child and store away all of the precious memories. New babies require a tremendous amount of time and energy

Preserving Those Precious Memories

The hardest part of being a new mother is taking the time to simply enjoy your new child and store away all of the precious memories. New babies require a tremendous amount of time and energy. You are completely consumed caring for your infant, when suddenly, your baby is a toddler, and you never had a chance to start, much less finish his baby memory book. This scenario is so common that it’s actually embarrassing to mothers everywhere. There are ways to be sure those memories are preserved, however.

Plan Ahead

The best plan of attack, especially if you are expecting your first baby, is to fill out the baby book before he is born.
Obviously you don’t know his birth weight or have those tiny footprints yet, but a significant portion of most baby books contain information seemingly unrelated to your little bundle of joy. Family trees, information about Mom and Dad, grocery store receipts, popular movies, and the like can all be dealt with before baby’s arrival.

As the third trimester draws to a close, young mothers-to-be are left with a great deal of anticipation with no outlet. You can only fold tiny clothes so many times, after all. Why not use that time to work ahead? Assemble the photographs of baby’s first house, the nursery, and family members. Write amusing anecdotes about your pregnancy and baby showers. Find those ultrasound pictures and paste them onto the right page. Do as much as you can, because you will never have this much spare time again – or at least not for eighteen years.

The Early Days

Immediately following the birth of your baby, follow your doctor’s advice and sleep as much as possible. Hopefully, you will feel much more rested a week or two after baby’s arrival, and can start using his sleeping time as your work time. During the long naps of a newborn, assemble the materials from the hospital. Birth weight and length, birth certificates, wristbands and hospital photos are now ready to take their place of honor in the baby book.

Write as much of the birth story as you can, or even simpler, print out the email you sent to all of your friends and family and paste that into the book. Reading an email designed for others to read, your grown child will truly get a sense of the love and pride his mother feels for him, her new baby. After the birth information is recorded, there are surprisingly few pages left to fill. These involve monthly updates, teething, and milestones. Unfortunately, these are actually the hardest to finish.

The Rest of the Year

After a couple of weeks, newborns realize it is much more fun to be awake than asleep, and the real work of motherhood begins. As you spend the next twelve months exclaiming over every burp, coo, smile, and step, jot a note about important dates or milestones and throw them into the baby book as they occur.

Don’t try to find the time now to fill the book in, just stick the occasional note, especially those from the doctor with height and weight measurements, into the book. Descriptive emails should be printed out and shoved into the book as well as extra copies of your digital pictures. When you print your pictures, get a few extras of your favorites and throw them into the baby book, too.

Someday, when your child is sleeping through the night, and before you have another newborn, you will find the time to actually fill in all of the little blanks. The notes, emails, pictures, and doctor statistics should cover most of the necessary material. As for the few remaining spots, leave them blank, take a guess, or make it up. Don’t worry, every mother does it. After all, your focus is on loving and reveling in your little miracle, not the exact moment his third molar came in.

About The Author: Sophia Ton is a freelance writeer who writes about baby shower gifts, maternity, pregnancy and family related topics. She loves to shop for baby items at http://www.beforebaby.com and she loves baby memory books at http://www.beforebaby.com/category/baby-books.

Pregnancy Calculator Week by Week

http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/pregnancycalendar/l/blpregcalc.htm