An Open Letter to the Expecting Mom

Open letter

By Danielle Davis

Danielle works in partnership with First Response to share her pregnancy stories. This story was originally featured on her blog, Today’s The Best Day

Oh, Hey Mama!

If you clicked this letter, you are probably expecting a little one! Can I even BEGIN to explain how excited I am for you?! Congratulations, my friend.
THIS is the best news ever!

Whether you are one month along or nine months along and FINALLY ready to hold that new baby in your arms - this is the most exciting time!

Although pregnancy comes with body aches, nausea, swelling, weight gain and fatigue - it is by far the most rewarding experience! Oh, the kicks. The twirls. The ultrasound photos. The bond. And the love. It melts my heart just thinking about it!

The craziest thing of all for me though, is that just one year ago I was in a similar situation as you are. For five months, my little family embarked on our journey of trying to get pregnant with baby number 2! You can check it out here.

We literally hit the LOWEST of lows. We’re talking so low that our IVF {InVitro Fertilization} transfer was CANCELLED! My body had completely stopped reacting to the shots and medications I was on and we were absolutely devastated.

The same day they cancelled my transfer {which by the way - was supposed to be THE NEXT DAY!} I received a phone call from my doctor with even MORE upsetting news… this time, my blood work came back again, but was even WORSE than before. They asked for me to come in ASAP for an ultrasound to see what the heck was going on with me!

Going in, I was ready to give up.

I couldn’t take more bad news. I just couldn’t do it.

My body hurt. My heart ached. My head was pounding. My bank account was drowning. My emotions were everywhere. And I needed a break.

And THAT was when our lives completely changed…I walked into the ultrasound room and they started checking things out.

And then we saw it…

A little BABY.

A little BABY with a HEARTBEAT.

A little BABY with a HEARTBEAT was inside of me!

Not an IVF baby... A complete 100% miracle baby!!

We were SHOCKED. We were EXCITED. We were so THANKFUL. And we just KNEW that HIS plan was TRULY BETTER than our own.

From this experience, we learned that life really NEVER goes the way WE plan. Through every hard trial, a beautiful blessing comes!

Just like you - it was time to prepare for our baby to arrive! Through lots of research, I was able to find some really great resources that helped me get through the 9 months of preparation.

And today I am SO excited to be share 7 of my favorite things to help you get ready for that baby of yours to finally get here!

1. First Response’ How Far Along Calculator: On the First Response website, you can find a calculator that calculates how many weeks pregnant you are so you can start planning key milestones for that little baby to arrive! Do keep in mind, that only your physician can accurately determine your due date or the date of your conception based on his/her knowledge of your complete medical condition. You should definitely still see your doctor to confirm your exact due date. Trust me… 40 weeks will go by faster than you can imagine and in no time your little one will be right in your arms!

2. The Ultimate New Mom Guide: I wrote a separate blog post of over 80 must-have items for your babe! These are items that I couldn’t live without and highly suggest for every mommy-to-be! Check it out on my blog now!

3. Take Weekly Baby Bump Pictures: That cute belly of yours is going to be growing FAST! And documenting it is absolutely necessary - because trust me, one day you will miss having that big belly walking around town with you! Take photos and keep a journal of all of your cravings and feelings as that little baby grows inside of you!

4. Make Yourself Comfortable: I can’t even say this enough! In fact, maybe I should have put this as number ONE?! For some strange reason, I didn’t wear maternity pants until I didn’t have any other options with my first. But this time around, you better believe I started wearing maternity pants, leggings and dresses the DAY I found out I was expecting! Get comfy! Your health is super important for you and that growing baby. AND when you are pregnant for 40 weeks - why not try to feel as good as possible?!

5. First Response “My Pregnancy Tracker” App: By far one of my most favorite apps while pregnant – and it is FREE! You will have a calendar, a pregnancy tracker, a cycle tracker {important for those trying to conceive!} and coupons for pregnancy tests and vitamins! It is available in the app store here. Check it out here  

6. Get Your Rest: This one makes me laugh because you will hear it one MILLION times throughout the next nine months. “Get your rest while you can!” they will say. BUT, it is honestly the truth. Especially during the first trimester and you feel like you can barely stay up past 7pm. Listen to your body. I heard once that a pregnant woman’s body works as hard as climbing an entire mountain every single day! So, relax as much as you can.

7. Prepare for Your Greatest Adventure: Motherhood is going to be the most rewarding experience of your life. There is nothing that will bring you so much joy and the feeling of completeness. Take time to the smell the roses. Treasure every minute. And fall in love over and over and over again with that little baby growing inside of you!

There is nothing in this world that can truly prepare you for the love, the joy, the fatigue and the happiness that you are going to experience as a mom!

Just soak it in. And cherish every minute of it. I promise - that babe will be here before you know it!

Special thanks to the maker of First Response Pregnancy Tests for being a sponsor of Today’s The Best Day! Although we were compensated for this article, all opinions are my own.

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