• Last updated 10/23/12 by Melanie Mayo

        Weeks 1 to 4: Confirming pregnancy and establishing due date   Becoming a parent may happen on purpose or by accident, but however it comes about, parenting itself is a calling. -Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn, Mindful Parenting     What's Happening in Your Body? Even though you've just discovered that you're pregnant, you're already noticing some changes. You may feel tired, perhaps your breasts are tender, or you find you are urinating more frequently. Some women feel a little... read more

• Last updated 10/23/12 by Melanie Mayo

        Week 5: What to avoid, steps to a healthy lifestyle   It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready for change and others are not. -James Gordon, M.D.     What's Happening in Your Body? Your uterus is beginning to expand, and if this is your first pregnancy, it will be about as big as a tennis ball. With subsequent pregnancies, your uterus will become larger earlier in your pregnancy. What's Happening with Your Baby? The baby's... read more

• Last updated 10/23/12 by Melanie Mayo

        Week 6: What to do about morning sickness and nausea   Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. -Benjamin Franklin     What's Happening in Your Body? You may begin to notice sensitivity to certain smells, especially food odors, or even experience slight nausea at times. Some women will experience more serious morning sickness or actually vomit. Take heart, this usually passes by the beginning of the second trimester. What's... read more

• Last updated 10/23/12 by Melanie Mayo

        Week 7: How much does diet matter?   When I use the words eating well, I mean using food not only to influence health and well being but to satisfy the senses, providing pleasure and comfort. -Andrew Weil, M.D., Eating Well for Optimum Health     What's Happening in Your Body? You may begin to notice that you are responding to many things in your life with stronger emotions than usual. This is due to normal hormonal changes, which can also cause mood swings. What's Happening with... read more

• Last updated 11/16/12 by Melanie Mayo

        Week 8: How to choose a place for your baby's birth Human beings are mammals. All mammals hide themselves, isolate themselves to give birth. They need privacy. It is the same for humans. We should always be aware of this need for privacy. -Michel Odent, M.D., Birth Reform   What's Happening in Your Body? You may begin to notice some weight gain. Although your uterus may not have visibly expanded as of yet, many women notice a thickening around their waistlines. What's Happening... read more

• Last updated 10/23/12 by Melanie Mayo

        Week 9: How to choose your birth practitioner Nature, time and patience are the three great physicians. -Greek Proverb       What's Happening in Your Body? Your uterus has expanded to about the size of an orange by now, although you still probably won't be able to see this increase from the outside. What's Happening with Your Baby? It is not yet possible to determine if your baby is a girl or a boy by looking at the external sex organs. The baby's internal sex organs,... read more

• Last updated 10/23/12 by Melanie Mayo

        Week 10: Prenatal testing, and how to have a better relationship with food Birth goes best if it is not intruded upon by strange people and strange events. It goes best when a woman feels safe enough and free enough to abandon herself to the process. -Penny Armstrong and Sheryl Feldman, A Midwife's Story   What's Happening in Your Body? You may begin to see changes in your skin. Because of the pregnancy hormones that are flooding your body, your skin may appear tighter and small... read more

• Last updated 10/23/12 by Melanie Mayo

        Week 11: Make time for exercise and how to beat the blues   Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. -Thomas Jefferson     What's Happening in Your Body? Your blood volume has now increased by 25 percent. Because of this, most women will begin to experience a gradual decrease in the extreme fatigue of the earlier weeks. What's Happening with Your Baby? Your baby is officially a fetus, rather than an embryo. By now your baby has a... read more

• Last updated 10/23/12 by Melanie Mayo

        Week 12: What to do when your clothes don't fit   The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched ... but are felt in the heart. -Helen Keller     What's Happening in Your Body? Around this time, many women begin to notice a distinguishable bulge on their abdominal region. Your stomach may feel firmer to the touch as well. Your uterus is now about the size of a grapefruit. What's Happening with Your Baby? Your baby is now between 2 and 3 inches... read more

• Last updated 10/23/12 by Melanie Mayo

        Week 13: Common concerns in the second trimester and the pregnancy food groups The body has its own way of knowing, a knowing that has little to do with logic, and much to do with truth, little to do with control, and much to do with acceptance... -Marilyn Sewell   What's Happening in Your Body? You may begin to notice an increase in your appetite. For most women, nausea is beginning to subside, although food cravings may increase and continue for some time. What's Happening with... read more