Throughout the fall semester of sophomore year, I learned that there is so much more that goes into pregnancy than the 9 month roller coaster, filled with doctor visits, machines, and a big belly. I think the most important thing to be mindful about is what’s best for you and your baby.
During the summer, I read about the history and origins of pregnancy by reading Get Me Out by Randi Hutter Epstein, and after each section of the book I reflected on ideas that stood out to me. Most of which, the ideas were related to the pain that women have to undergo during pregnancy. You have a lot of control over what you want to use when giving birth, for example in my past blog post, I discuss how they are many drugs and technological advances for pregnancy, yet women still want to perform natural births, even sometimes at home with a midwife. I was surprised at the fact that there was a 31.4% increase in out-of-hospital births from 2005-2013. While reading Get Me Out, I found it interesting that there are so many people who can assist you with childbirth. I thought the support of your doctor and the father of the baby was enough to get you through it. There are doulas, midwives, general practitioner, gynecologist, and a bunch of other highly paid people that tell you what’s wrong with you and prescribe you some expensive treatment. Why pay those people to do what your doctor or your mom can do? They will probably tell you what pregnancy books will. Unless you are really concerned about an abnormalities in your body functions or want to give birth at home, I suggest that you save your money.
The number one thing to remember about pregnancy is, if something feels wrong, then something is really wrong or changes are occurring. If this occurs, tell somebody or tell a doctor. According to a pregnancy lab quest, there are many physical changes to your body during pregnancy, obviously, there’s a little human developing inside of you. But somethings to ensure you and the health of your baby are to sleep, drink lots of water and fruit juices, and exercise lightly. Some things that may keep you away from sleep is Insomnia. One way to help you sleep is find ways to unwind before you hit the hay. Experts suggest that you sleep on the left side because it keeps the uterus off the liver which is on your right side.
Another problem that pregnant women struggle with is acne. Acne occurs because of the hormones that your body produces called, androgens which, according to American Academy of Dermatology
Adrogens can cause the glands in your skin to grow and produce more sebum, an oily, waxy substance.
If you are having trouble with acne, do NOT take accutane. Accutane is filled with vitamin A that removes oil from your skin. This affects the development of the skin of the baby.
Lastly, after your baby is born, it’s time for your baby to develop and learn how to get out into the world. Some important factors that come into play for the development of your baby is breast feeding, nurturing, and your (mother’s) mental health. Statistics have shown that breastfeeding makes a healthier baby with fewer health issues and a smart baby. Not only is breastfeeding important, but the nuturing part of your baby and giving them the attention that they need to develop.
Overall, there’s a lot to pregnancy, but make sure to enjoy the beautiful process of creating life. Do what you feel, will make you and your baby happy and healthy. Now I know there’s more to pregnancy than fancy machines, doctors, and a fat belly.
StarPathDesign 
Leave a Reply