Those who know me know I’m a big researcher. I like to find all the things to do and eat when visiting a new city. I sent hours planning my wedding(s) so our guests had an awesome time. So, naturally, when I found out I was pregnant in April, I dove right in to learning everything I could.
TTC and Understanding Your Cycle
Like many women in their twenties, I had been on hormonal birth control for years and year. I didn’t have a regular cycle (actually, most of that time I either didn’t get a period or got one every three months) and didn’t understand anything other than menstruation coming about every 28 days. Turns out, there’s so much more to it than that! These resources really helped me when we were preparing to try to conceive around the new year.
- Balanced Bayers on Instagram – these ladies are all about understanding and leaning into (rather than fighting) your cycle
- The Clue App and blog (particularly this post) – I used this app to track my period and learn about my specific cycle
- Girls Night Podcast Epsiode #159: How to Get Pregnant
Pregnancy Basics and First Trimester
Once that pregnancy test was positive, I went a little overboard ordering books, reading stuff online, and consuming social media content. The Instagram algorithm definitely knew IMMEDIATELY that I was pregnant. Tons of the books and basics online are redundant (or worse, conflicting) and many have outdated recommendations. Here are my favorite book recommendations for pregnancy.
- We’re Pregnant! The First Time Dad’s Pregnancy Handbook by Adrian Kulp – I got this for Hugh for a guy’s perspective and week-by-week breakdown of what the heck is going on with me
- Bumpin’: The Modern Guide to Pregnancy by Leslie Schrock
- Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong by Emily Oster – #1 book recommendation for data-driven decisions for your pregnancy. I love Emily Oster’s approach (looking at the research and weighing pros/cons for your life if the evidence is not super clear) and will continue through her books on babies and parenting
Some of my favorite Instagram or online resources are:
- What To Expect pregnancy app – fun to see what they compare the baby’s size to on a given week, but also very informative on changes your body and baby are going through
- Caitlin Wilder of Wilder Beginnings on Instagram
- I’ve loved following along with Sari Diskin, Laura Novotny, and Carly-Ann Dell‘s pregnancy and postpartum journeys over the last few years
- Training for Motherhood program with Macy Pruett of Fittest Core – I signed up for this to prepare for my body changing during pregnancy and getting ready for labor & delivery. Loving it so far (and really need to be more consistent with the workouts!) and loving the focus on core and pelvic floor
- My OB/GYN’s website FAQ section
More Resources
I also started therapy through Better Help early on in my pregnancy. I have really benefitted from someone to talk to and know that she will only get more and more important as I get closer to (terrifying) childbirth and transitioning into motherhood. Lots of podcast have discounts code to get started with Better Help (I used the Popcast’s code for 10% off the first month) and your employer or insurance might help or cover sessions.
Remember, you can always ask questions at your prenatal appointments or provider’s hotline! There are endless resources out there, so make sure you’re looking at research-backed sources or taking what you’re reading with a grain of salt. Stories and anecdotes can be really helpful in not feeling as alone and getting informed about others’ experiences and learning your preferences, but it can be overwhelming to wade through the never-ending opinions on pregnancy.
What am I missing?
What are some of your favorite books? What websites or experts have you found helpful on your pregnancy journey? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
