Getting Husbands Excited About Baby

My Belly Button is Disappearing

I am 25 weeks and yes my belly button is disappearing! It is very normal, I know but it still does not cease to amaze me! It seems like my belly gets larger everyday! Every morning when I get dressed I swear my clothes are a little snugger and I am bigger than the day before. My belly button is at the stage where it is not poking out but it is SO small there is barely even anything there. This freaks out my husband and he does not understand why it disappears. As the baby grows it pushes out on your stomach causing your belly button to stretch and well disappear. The wonders of Pregnancy.

Pampering

Here in Rexburg there are a few beauty schools where they offer services for pretty cheap! I totally recommend to every pregnant women out there to go and get a manicure, pedicure, or facial. Evans school here in Rexburg offers manicures and facials for only $3.50! A pedicure is $17.00 so a little more expensive but if you are feeling down and need a pick me up, pampering yourself is a great way to feel better about yourself. Here is Evans Hairstyling school websitehttp://www.evanshairstylingcollege.com/service.htm

Emotional

I have found myself getting more and more stressed and emotional lately. It is very stressful going to school, work, and being pregnant and not knowing what is going to happen in the next few months or where you will be can really start to take a toll on someone. Now I know it is completely normal to be emotional and more stressed out while being pregnant but that doesn't help me feel better about it. I start to feel so guilty and stupid. I found this article on healthmed that makes you feel a little better about being a crazy person right now!

What is commonly overlooked during pregnancy is the women’s emotional, physical and mental state. It is critical that these states are balanced during pregnancy in order to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Many people overlook the anxiety, physical endurance, and emotional turmoil that may occur during pregnancy. There is certainly anxiety caused firstly with your ability to conceive and then the anxiety endured from the pressures to ensure you carry a healthy fetus full-term, in addition to the continuous changes in hormonal and physical state of the body.

Ensuring that you keep well informed on the essentials of pregnancy will avoid any mental blocks. However, it is important to take information as it comes and then assess what is important to you and what is absolutely essential to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Many of us are guilty of information overload that can cause further distress.

On the emotional front, it is unrealistic and impossible no matter how much control you have; to just relax and let nature take its course during pregnancy. This is more so difficult, when you have endured years of pain & setbacks to fall pregnant in the first place. No matter how strong and positive you are in character, it is normal to have some level of anxiety as you progress through your pregnancy.

It is also important to remain level headed and connect with your inner self-beliefs prior and during being pregnant. This will ensure that you remain focused on the end-result to ultimately create a shield of protection from impeding views.

Your values in particular, the respect you have for yourself during this time is crucial to maintain a sense of well-being and trust in your own actions. Your actions do not need to be certified by a professional nor through public opinion.

People Touching Your Belly

So many people come up to me and touch my belly! It is weird and very awkward. It is mainly people I do not know at all! I never had the guts to go up to some random pregnant women and touch her pregnant belly without asking! These are some brave people! What if I freaked out on them and said a bunch of rude things! I have touched one of their stomachs back and then they stopped but it is just so awkward! If you are not friends with the person that is expecting don't touch their belly! How would you like random people coming up and touching your gut saying how cute it was. Give the pregnant women her space!

Traveling

Recently we just drove 14 hours to California from Rexburg and by the time we even got to Pocatello my feet and ankles were so swollen my socks were so tight! It was long car ride and had to stop quite a bit for bathroom breaks and food breaks but overall it wasnt to bad for being 6 months along. We will be traveling to Missouri a 20 hour car ride for Christmas not counting all the snow we will probably have to face. We will see how that one goes. But here are some traveling tips for the upcoming holidays for all of you out there that will be traveling.

Car travel is safe during pregnancy, although you may need to allow extra time for bathroom and stretch breaks on long trips. Always wear your seat belt low across your pelvic bone and never across your belly, and position the shoulder belt snugly between your breasts. Air bags are as safe during pregnancy as they are at any other time, so don’t disconnect them. There is a potential risk associated with airbags because they open with such force; however, the benefits of their use outweigh the risks. To minimize the risk of injury during airbag deployment, sit as far back as possible – at least ten inches from the dashboard or steering wheel, wherever the airbag is located.

If you are in a car accident of any sort, regardless of severity or how far along you are in your pregnancy, you should be checked out by a doctor immediately, even if you feel fine.

Buses and trains tend to have narrow aisles and cramped bathrooms; however, both modes of transportation are safe during your pregnancy. Be sure to hang on to the seat backs when walking up and down the aisles.

If you experience any of the following complications while traveling, you should seek immediate medical attention:

Bleeding, Contractions, Impaired vision, Ruptured membranes, Abdominal pain or cramping, Passing clots or tissue, Headaches, Excessive swelling of your legs

The bottom line for traveling while pregnant is to take extra precautions, listen to your body, and always discuss your travel plans with your doctor before you leave.

Buying Baby Stuff

Buying baby stuff is expensive but fun! Its like Christmas all over again. During this thanksgiving we went up to Oregon where there is no sales tax and bought some bigger things on black Friday. We still have a LONG way to go but we are a lot further along then we were a few weeks ago! It is really fun going out and buying cute little dresses and bows for a girl. Girls are already fun to buy for! Yeah probably a little more expensive than a boy but they are so cute!

Pregnancy Dreams

Lately I have been having crazy dreams! I keep dreaming that my Husband leaves me or some crazy monsters come and eat him. Also recently I have been having these really realistic dreams that our baby girl comes out a boy and we have pink everything and no more money to buy boy stuff. I guess since we were told that they think it is a girl that is one of my fears now. Last night I had the most realistic dream that we had twins and I woke up in the middle of the night freaking out because how would I handle two at once!

Babycenter.com says that dreams reflect your emotional state, so it's only natural that during pregnancy — a time of many mixed emotions — your dreams seem more intense and stranger than usual. Hormonal changes (specifically, a surge in progesterone) also make you dream more frequently and vividly. And you may be remembering more of your dreams if you're regularly waking up during the night, interrupting phases of dream-filled REM sleep.Experts have found that moms-to-be often dream about such things as water, talking animals, sex, and large buildings during their first, second, and third trimesters.

As you find out more about your pregnancy and your growing baby, your dreams will probably be affected. Try not to be disturbed by your dreams — they simply reveal your apprehension and excitement about the huge changes taking place in your life.

Not Everyone is a Fertile Myrtle

About 10 percent of women -6.1 million, in the United States ages 15-44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the CDC.

Infertility is very common and is also very stressful and emotional. Everyone should be mindful that not everyone is able to just talk about kids and then get pregnant. For some women it takes years to even just conceive let alone actually give birth to a baby.

Most cases of female infertility are caused by problems with ovulation. Without ovulation, there are no eggs to be fertilized. Some signs that a woman is not ovulating normally include irregular or absent menstrual periods. Ovulation problems are often caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormone imbalance problem, which can interfere with normal ovulation. PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility. Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is another cause of ovulation problems. POI occurs when a woman’s ovaries stop working normally before she is 40. POI is not the same as early menopause.

Other less common causes of fertility problems in women include: Blocked fallopian tubes due to pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, or surgery for an ectopic pregnancy. If a woman keeps having miscarriages, it is also called infertility. Lots of couples have infertility problems. About a third of the time, infertility can be traced to the woman. In another third of cases, it is because of the man. The rest of the time, it is because of both partners or no cause is found.

It is a good idea for any woman to talk to a doctor before trying to get pregnant. Doctors can help you get your body ready for a healthy baby. They can also answer questions on fertility and give tips on conceiving. Most experts suggest at least one year of actively trying to conceive before they go to infertility treatments and tests. Women 35 or older should see their doctors after six months of trying. A woman's chances of having a baby decrease rapidly every year after the age of 30.

Couples dealing with infertility may experience a wide spectrum of feelings such as jealousy, despair, envy, isolation, and bitterness. They may feel singled out, and they might find it difficult to fit into social circles where everyone else has children. Infertility can cause stress on a couple's personal, social, and sex lives. The anger and disappointment that often accompanies infertility can rub off on the marital companionship, and cause couples to blame one another. Many couples suffer with depression which in turn can lead them withdraw themselves.

Men and women tend to react somewhat differently to infertility. Women often experience profound grief and sadness. They tend to cry a lot and to reduce their anxiety by talking about what they're experiencing. Men express fewer anguished feelings and seem to be less affected by being childless. They generally don't feel as free to talk about their feelings and tend to have less opportunity to discuss them with friends.

Going somewhere where children are present can cause the pain of infertility to surface. As a result couples dealing with infertility tend to avoid these types of situations. When couples place procreation as the focus of their intimacy for a period of time, sexual intercourse becomes solely a way to create children; it no longer has the element of love, affection, or spontaneity.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World says, "We declare that God's commandment for his children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force." Being in an LDS community this can be very hard to deal with when everyone around you is having kids and telling you that you should be having kids when you are trying.

This is why couples struggling with infertility need support from family members and friends. It is important not to be intrusive into this very private dimension of a marriage but to be understanding and supportive. Here are a few tips to help the ones you love from the LDS church website.

Show understanding and acceptance.

· Listen without giving advice.

· Let the couple know you are there for them.

· Don't ask a woman if she is pregnant.

· Give the couple respect and privacy.

· Don't offer false hope.

· Don't joke about infertility.

· Don't suggest solutions, such as infertility treatments, adoption, or foster parenting. These are options that should be privately discussed between couples.

· Don't offer the commonly repeated misinformation that a woman who adopts often gets pregnant soon after.

Learn about infertility so you can be an informed listener.

The Duggars

One of the shows I have recently started watching is 18 Kids and Counting formerly 17 Kids and Counting. It is a reality television show produced in the United States by Figure 8 Films about the Duggar family, which consists of parents Jim Bob and Michelle and their 18 children. The eight girls and ten boys all have names starting with the letter "J".

It is a funny show to watch for me just because I think it is amazing how they deal with 18 kids. So it is interesting to see how they handle situations and the differentg things they do.

The children's names are (in birth order) as follows: Josh, Jana, John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy Anna, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer and Jordyn-Grace.

The show airs on TLC. The show's second season premiered Sunday, January 25, 2009 and was followed by the hour-long special A Very Duggar Wedding, with two more new episodes aired back-to-back January 27. Starting February 24, 2009, the show's name was changed to 18 Kids and Counting.

The family (who live in Tontitown, Arkansas) previously appeared in several TLC and Discovery Health one-hour specials, most of which focused on three of Michelle's last four births.

Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar married July 21st, 1984. At that time, they chose to use the birth control pill. They thought, “We don’t want children right now. We can’t afford them. We want children in our timing, when we’re ready.” Four years later they decided to have their first child. Then, Michelle went back on the pill, but she conceived and had a miscarriage. At that point they talked with a Christian medical doctor and read the fine print in the contraceptives package. They found that while taking the pill you can get pregnant and then miscarry. They were grieved! They were Christians! They were pro-life! They realized that their selfish actions had taken the life of their child. They prayed and asked God to forgive them, and to teach them to love children like He loves children. They asked God to bless them with as many children as He saw fit in His timing. Right after that Michelle got pregnant with twins!

To date they have been blessed with 18 children, (10 boys and 8 girls) Joshua (& wife Anna), Jana & John-David (twins), Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jedidiah & Jeremiah (twins), Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer, and Jordyn-Grace.

You can visit their website at www.duggarfamily.com