Notes for New Moms #2

Notes for New Moms #2
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Fatigue is a natural effect of early pregnancy.  Changing hormones and the energy required to carry and care for your developing baby can often cause you to feel very tired.  It is nature’s way of signaling the need for increased rest. Obey the impulse and go to bed early. Don’t worry, this is not always a symptom of anemia, vitamin deficiency or low blood pressure.  

  • Get a good night’s sleep and rest as often as you need to during the day.
  • Take a brisk walk each day, as exercise stimulates circulation that carries oxygen and nutrients to your entire body.
  • Have your healthcare provider check for anemia, a fatigue-producing problem for some women during pregnancy.
  • Stay hydrated.  Drink an adequate amount of water (10-12 8oz. glasses per day.).
  • Vary your position and activities.  If you stand a lot, take short sitting rests.  If you sit a great deal, take short walking breaks.

As you prepare for the birth of your baby, you need to take some time to consider your baby’s future.  You have three basic options:

  • Single parenting
  • Parenting with marriage
  • Placing your baby in an adoptive home

As part of your decision-making process, ask yourself the following questions:

What are my plans for the next five years ? Can these plans be adapted to include rearing a child ?

  • Does the baby’s father intend to take an active financial and parenting role in the rearing of my child ? Is my financial situation adequate to support myself and child ? 
  • Do I enjoy spending time with children? 
  • Do I have a strong relationship with my family members ?
  • Will my family members provide emotional support for myself and my child? 
  • Do I feel ready for a long-term (at least 18 yrs) commitment to my child?
  • Am I willing and able to dedicate large amounts of time, energy, and money to care for a child? 
  • Am I willing to learn how to become a parent by attending classes, reading and seeking advice from successful parents?

If you answered “yes” to most of these questions you are well on your way preparing to parent.

However, a lot of “no” answers indicates that you may want to consider adoption as a positive alternative for your baby, and yourself.  Your Pregnancy Resource center advocate has literature about adoption and can answer your questions about this opportunity.

There are an estimated 1-2 million couples waiting to adopt. The adopted child is more likely to get a better education, have a positive psychological health, have a strong self-identity exhibiting higher levels of self-esteem than his/her peers and live in a household that will not experience divorce. They are less likely to live in poverty, get into trouble with the law, hold lower-status occupations or divorce than a child raised by a single mother. A birth mother who places her child in an adoptive home is also lovingly fulfilling her parental responsibilities . She will have opportunities  for goals in her own life.

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Pregnancy Resource Center
3156 Pelham Parkway
Pelham, Alabama  35124
205 664-1668