Once you know the plan for every visit, interactions with your ob/gyn may seem routine. But negotiating the finer points of medical care with a doctor can be intimidating. Here’s how to keep your cool and resolve common difficulties. You’re embarrassed to open up At the first prenatal visit, your ob/gyn will expect you to reveal all sorts of intimate details, like whether you … [Read more...] about 7 issues you have with your doc during pregnancy
When baby’s sex isn’t what you wished for
What happens if you find out baby’s sex, and the news ain’t good? As soon as my husband and I left the doctor’s office after my sonogram, I called my mother to share the results: “Guess what we’re having!” “A girl!” was her predictable answer. Having grown up with sisters and raised three daughters, my mother sometimes forgot that males could be part of a family equation. When … [Read more...] about When baby’s sex isn’t what you wished for
Creative ideas for dealing with jerks during pregnancy
Recently I attended a wedding where the bride and groom had assembled a colorful candy bar; glass jars glittered with gum balls, licorice, and Lemonheads. But instead of scooping up Jelly Bellies, the guests’ hands were all over the belly of an expectant mom who was 38 weeks along. I watched her wince as people mauled her midsection and then turned back to their food, drinks, … [Read more...] about Creative ideas for dealing with jerks during pregnancy
1 foolproof tip for naming your baby
When my wife was pregnant with our first child, we toiled through every online baby-name generator available to find the perfect moniker. My wife also purchased every baby-name book, mainly because she isn’t familiar with the concept of a library...and because of the human inability to resist purchasing anything marketed to first-time parents. Selecting your baby’s … [Read more...] about 1 foolproof tip for naming your baby
One dad’s quest: Don’t turn into a baby during labor
In these last days of my wife’s pregnancy, I’ve become a kind of monk of maternity. My wife and I are preparing for a home birth, and as much as that carries its own unique set of worries and fears, I’ve come to embrace the idea that a pregnancy—whether it involves a casual cruise to the hospital for a planned C-section or the semantics of squatting, moaning, and pushing—always … [Read more...] about One dad’s quest: Don’t turn into a baby during labor