Telling loved ones

For many expectant parents, making that first decision to break the pregnancy news to family and friends may seem a little daunting. Some of you will be itching to shout it from the roof tops avoiding having to cover up why you cannot have that glass of wine!

However there are many occasions when women may wish to keep the news private until the end of the first trimester when the risk of a miscarriage reduces considerably. Although you may feel like you’re missing out on celebrating the big news, it is very likely that by the end of your pregnancy you would have soaked up enough joy and well wishes to last a life time.

Organising maternity leave

There’s so much to think about once you find out you’re pregnant and it’s very tempting to focus only on baby clothes, prams and all the fun stuff and skip the boring admin bits. But you need to make sure your maternity leave is set up, which involves submitting all the required forms to your employer.

Enjoy your last few months of pregnancy, pamper yourself!

Your last few months is the time to start pampering yourself! Pregnancy in the last few months can take a toll on you and your body and you’re going to be too busy to find much time for yourself in the first couple of months after your baby’s arrival. Now is the perfect time for that last pamper session to spoil yourself.  Here are a few ideas:

Your feet will be really sore at this point and there is a good chance they are pretty swollen. One idea to help sooth them is a warm soak in a foot bath or tub then put your feet up. You may be able to persuade your partner for a foot rub too!

Being pregnant is one time when you don’t have to worry about your weight, now and again you need to take advantage of this.  Of course it’s still important to maintain a healthy diet throughout your pregnancy but on the odd occasion you can have that sweet treat you’ve been craving.

One thing you can’t do whilst pregnant is drink alcohol but you can still treat yourself here. Non-alcoholic mocktails are just as good, they still come in a fancy glass, garnished with fruit and they taste amazing. Take an afternoon off and find a fancy bar with one of your friends.

Once the baby arrives it will be a lot harder for you and your partner to spend that special one on one time together. Whilst you have the time you need to take the advantage of date nights – go out to the cinema or take your partner for a fancy meal. Having a strong relationship with your partner is going to be really important for when your baby arrives.

How about a spa day? You and your friends could go away for the day or the weekend and you can have someone professionally rub your feet and give you that back massage you’ve been craving. A pedicure or manicure would be a great feature too, we bet you’re struggling to touch your toes now! Most of all you will feel great afterwards.

Any of these ideas will help keep you calm and help relax you in the last few months of your pregnancy. You should never forget, mum needs looking after too!