Being pregnant is an amazing time in a woman’s life. While it should be a joyful time, growing a tiny human inside and learning how to take better care of yourself can be overwhelming. Especially the first time around! Read on to learn priceless pregnancy tips for first time moms and advice to help you have an easier pregnancy and a positive birth experience.
The tips and advice shared will help first time moms and veteran moms alike. You will find great suggestions on preparing for birth, taking care of yourself and motherhood. As well as, some of the best healthy pregnancy tips, products and advice to help makes pregnancy easier.
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How to find the Best First Time Pregnancy Tips
Ten years ago when I was pregnant with my first, you had to get really lucky to find good advice online on natural pregnancy. But today, there are countless websites dedicated to all aspects of pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood. With so much information available it can be overwhelming and confusing as to what advice to take.
So how do you determine what sites to follow and advice to take?
- Look for sites that resonate with your values – Find sites that reflect your lifestyle and support the birth you desire.
- Explore – between Google and Pinterest (my 2 favorite pregnancy search tools) there is a wealth of free information. Follow your favorite sites on Pinterest and you will get recommendations of more sites and pins (articles) to explore. And when you find a good one, make sure to sign up for the email list! There are so many amazing free resources shared by Mom’s online that can help you get prepared for childbirth without spending a penny.
- Keep an open mind – you will come across information that at first may not seem important, but could later really help you in the long run. For example, you may not want or be planning a c-section, but reading up on gentle c-section can be beneficial for all moms, just in case, or so you can support a friend.
- Take it or leave it – there will always be nuggets of wisdom in everything you come across. Take the bits that make the most sense for your situation and leave out the rest. If you get information overload, take a few days to consider what you have learned before researching anymore.
- Consider advice that is based on research and sound reasoning – advice based on fear, or that brings up feelings of fear, should be avoided. Read my review of one of the most well researched pregnancy books I’ve come across – 7 Reason to Love Real Food for Pregnancy here.
- Always consult with your care provider before making decisions regarding your pregnancy – The advice shared in this post and site is intended for informational purposes and should not replace medical advice.
What to do when pregnant for the first time?
Here are some basic tips for how to start pregnancy off right as a first time mom.
- Celebrate!
- start a healthy pregnancy routine
- focus on self care
- get a strategy to manage morning sickness
- make a pregnancy meal plan
- find some healthy pregnancy drinks
- Learn how to prevent pregnancy stretch marks
- Get extra rest
Pregnancy Tips for First Time Moms
Below 8 Moms share their best pregnancy advice and tips.
Motherhood is such a universal experience! No mater where you are in the world or how many children you have, we all go through similar experiences when we get pregnant.
We go through morning sickness, feeling butterfly kicks, swelling bellies and seeking guidance to make our experiences more pleasant.
In motherhood, it helps to have other mamas to learn and grow with. There is so much wisdom that can be learned from fellow moms. I asked my readers and some of my favorite bloggers for their best advice for first time moms. And, WOW! The responses were amazing! My favorites are featured below.
Myriam from 10ThingsYogaMama, Montreal, 2 beautiful little ones
What’s your best pregnancy advice for first time moms? Keep moving! Walking, yoga, stretching, keeping the body moving was what helped me to stay “comfortable” during pregnancy, as well as being a way to build stamina in preparation for birth. Try some dancing too!
What’s your best pregnancy hack – product or tip that makes pregnancy easier? Yoga Ball! In the last months of pregnancy, I replaced my chair with a birthing ball, great for posture and hip mobility.
What is your best mom advice, tip or resource? Something I only heard about a few months ago – Hygge! A Danish idea, that means to get cozy (real cozy :).. I find that I’m not always taking in the fleeting beauty of the moments I have with my children, all caught up in what needs to “get done”. The idea of Hygge is to make time for getting cozy, so blankets, socks, warm drinks.. 🙂 Just taking a pause from the rush, to sit, read, snuggle. Or if we are on the go, to stop and look at the gorgeous blossoms together.
What’s your best pregnancy advice for first time moms? Ignore the cultural norms surrounding what you can eat & drink; do what your body craves.
What’s your best pregnancy hack – product or tip that makes pregnancy easier? Have a snack ready to counter that early morning nausea -as soon as I had a bite or two I was fine.
What is your best mom advice, tip or resource? Take each child as an individual and, within reason, treat them as you would want to be treated.
Bethany from StrengthLoveBirth Southwest Ohio, 5 kids, both big and little
What’s your best pregnancy advice for first time moms? Surround yourself with women who love you and are on a path that you would like to be on. Ask them your questions, read lots of books and websites, and then make the healthiest choices you can for yourself and your baby, knowing that you’ve done the very best. Then get ready to rumble! Pregnancy and motherhood are not a straight path. Stay grounded and make decisions without fear or guilt.
What’s your best pregnancy hack – product or tip that makes pregnancy easier? Get a belly band! They help hold up those darn maternity pants that just want to slide down all the time.
What is your best mom advice, tip or resource? Find a tribe. They go by many names, so search for your town or area plus one of the following terms: mom group, birth circle, pregnancy support group. Alternatively, start contacting doulas in your area and ask if they know of any groups. A local tribe is worth its weight in gold!
Pamela from Florida, a son and a daughter
What’s your best pregnancy advice for first time moms? Your body was meant to birth your baby! Enjoy the pregnancy and surround yourself with positive mamas that will give you positive and encouraging pregnancy feedback.
What’s your best pregnancy hack – product or tip that makes pregnancy easier? Using essential oils
What is your best mom advice, tip or resource? Take at least 5 minutes a day for yourself to unwind your mind and charge up. 30 minutes would be fabulous but at least 5!
Meera from MeeraKothand.com, Singapore, 1 lil girl
What’s your best pregnancy advice for first time moms? Enjoy your pregnancy. Listen to music, laugh, read, write and do things that you enjoy that would also give your baby a chance to experience it in-utero.
What’s your best pregnancy hack – product or tip that makes pregnancy easier? I kept a journal to help me through the difficult first trimester. It makes a beautiful gift for your child as well. It’s also never too early in your pregnancy to use a stretch mark cream.
What is your best mom advice, tip or resource? You know more than you do. Have faith and trust that you are the best person to care for your kids even in moments of self-doubt. Do what you think is best for you, your kids and family. Nothing else matters.
Liba from MotherhoodintheMaking, Israel, 4 kids
What’s your best pregnancy advice for first time moms? My best advice is to be selective of who’s advice you take. Often women who have had negative experiences in pregnancy will project their fears and regrets onto others without thought or concern. Surround yourself with positive and supportive people and be open to your own experience
What’s your best pregnancy hack – product or tip that makes pregnancy easier? Drinking lots of water early in the day so I pee less at night and a body pillow.
What is your best mom advice, tip or resource? My best mom advice is to take the time to explore your own experience being parented and understand how it affect the way you parent so that you can be more present and conscious in your relationships with your kids. The best resources is my free course on how to stay calm when your kids drive you crazy .
Suzi from StartaMomBlog, Florida , 2 girls and expecting a boy
What’s your best pregnancy advice for first time moms? Go on lots of dates with your hubby before baby is born!
What’s your best pregnancy hack – product or tip that makes pregnancy easier? Asking my hubby to rub my feet 🙂 and my pregnancy belly belt.
What is your best mom advice, tip or resource? Don’t be too serious, it just causes unnecessary stress, and let the little things go.
And here’s my advice too 😉
Lisa from Birth Eat Love, 3 girls and 1 boy
What’s your best pregnancy advice for first time moms? Pack snacks and water where ever you go! Anytime you start to feel tired or moody – EAT and DRINK WATER, then reevaluate if you need to slow down. Need snack ideas? Check out my Ultimate Food list for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding here.
What’s your best pregnancy hack – product or tip that makes pregnancy easier? Coconut Oil, I love it and use it for everything. Rub it on your belly, great for massage, or to replace chemical laden moisturizers. I eat it by the spoonful and also add it to my morning tea, to smoothies and oatmeal. It is awesome in baked goods too. Coconut oil is safe to use on newborns, as well. It is my go-to diaper rash solution.
What is your best mom advice, tip or resource? Focus on the positive aspects of pregnancy and joyfully anticipate the arrival of your little one. Use mindset tools like mediation and birth affirmations to overcome any anxiety, doubt or fear that comes up.
For first time moms, finding your way may seem challenging, but YOU CAN DO IT! With the wisdom shared by these Moms you should be off to a great start. Make sure to sign up for more pregnancy tips and resources delivered to your inbox below.
What advice did you find useful? Have some good pregnancy advice? We would love to hear from you! Tell us in the comments below.
More from Birth Eat Love
- Amazingly Healthy Snacks for Pregnancy to Try Right Now
- Top Real Food Pregnancy Diet Questions Answered
- Best healthy pregnancy recipes
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I love reading good advice from real moms! And I so appreciated being included. Thanks, Lisa!
I hope lots of first time moms are able to take away some good ideas from this post. Take care of yourself, mamas. 🙂
Thanks Bethany for your comment and for sharing your advice! I agree, the best advice comes from Moms! And I love your advice to find a tribe – having positive support is so important!
This is a great roundup of pregnancy advice! My sister-in-law is in her first time pregnancy and would love this. Thank you!
Thanks so much Kelsey! Appreciate you stopping by and sharing!
I totally agree with “finding a pack”! One of my closest friends is about a month ahead of me and onto her second child. She has already been a sounding board several times. Another bestie is about 6 weeks behind me and feeling the same anxieties I am. My sister in law is about a month behind and still struggling with morning sickness. I finda lot of strength in sharing in each other’s experience.
So glad you are finding your pack, Stephanie!! Its so fun to have babies at the same time and see them all grow up – a whole new level of friendship! Congratulations and best wishes for an amazing birth!
This was awesome advice and I’m going to be a new mommy. This is my 4th pregnancy after 3 losses. I know I wont be a perfect mommy but I will be the best mommy I can be and this blog helped with that. This is an amazing website and would definitely reccomend for first time moms. Thank you so much for the great advice.
Thank you so much for you kind words Victoria! Such an inspiration for moms TTC! Cheering for you and many blessings for an AMAZING birth!