13 Of The Absolute Best Pregnancy Tips For First Time Moms

Yay for first time moms! After being pregnant myself and also interacting with thousands pregnant women since then, I have some of the most important pregnancy tips for first time moms that you will receive during your pregnancy.

No matter if it feels like you've been waiting for this moment for your entire life or you feel like you're scared out of your shorts (or both), you're probably wondering “What the heck do I do now?” I remember the feeling like it was yesterday (oh wait, was it?). The constant googling and wondering what I should do, what I should eat, what I should read was overwhelming.

How is a first time mother supposed to know what is most important? When I got pregnant for the first time, I felt it hard to prioritize the checklist in my mind and difficult to decide what advice I should be taking and from who.

I know you are feeling the same way, but as always, I am here to help! You can trust that these tips are not just words on a page but experiences I've had and things that women have expressed to me that they wish they would have done. This is the best pregnancy advice for first time moms that you can find on the internet.

Please note: The views on this website are personal opinions only and do not represent the opinions or policies of any provider or institution that I am affiliated with. I am not giving medical advice. Information on this website is not intended to diagnose, or treat any form of any disease. This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only. I am only telling you what my experiences are. Please refer to my Disclaimer Page for more information

This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more here.

13 of the Absolute Best Pregnancy Tips For First Time Moms.

1. Get educated

So far so good, right? You are already doing just that. It is smart of you to seek advice from good and trusted sources. The number one source for educating yourself about your pregnancy and upcoming birth should always be your doctor or midwife. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience at the tips of their tongues but if you never ask, they may not know what to tell.

Ask questions, seek answers, and don't do this whole “making a baby” thing blind. Check out some of my post popular posts related to pregnancy and birth here:

2. Be Selective In What Advice You Take Seriously

Some people out there are giving pregnancy tips for first time moms for all of the wrong reasons. If someone on the internet is telling you that you should breast feed because formula is evil, she's probably not someone you should take advice from. On the other hand if a friend is telling you to breastfeed because there is no formula on the shelf as natural and perfect as breast milk, I'd be more inclined to take her advice.

Don't take pregnancy, labor, delivery, or parenting advice from someone trying to scare you, intimidate you, shame you, or put down a specific group of people for their own gain or pleasure.

It's expected, I guess, that if someone has a bad experience with something, that they will be motivated to advise you against it. But always question what is fact versus opinion.

Taking bad pregnancy advice can be dangerous

We see this issue a lot on the Labor and Delivery unit. People start refusing interventions, medications, or medical advice because their friend says that inductions are unnecessary or Pitocin is poison. Do some real and valid research before you make decisions for you and your unborn child. Blindly following someone you once trusted but has no ground to stand on in this specific and all-important subject can lead to some really bad decision-making on your part.

First time moms have a big target on their back that says “influence me”. Just remember that you can change it to “I'm in control”.

3. Find a Tribe

If you are the first in your family or group of friends to start having babies, it can be difficult to find someone who is on the same page as you. But it's so important.

When things get hard or scary, it is important to have someone going through something similar to lean on. Truthfully, sometimes it's just nice to hear “Me too” from someone. When things get tough you may be able to find some relief in knowing that you aren't alone.

The first step in gaining a tribe is easy enough. Subscribe to my Free Pregnancy Email Sequence and you will have a mom friend and listening ear at your finger tips. You'll receive weekly emails with tips, tricks, advice, and encouragement straight from me. Reply to my emails any time and I will always write back with as much advice and reassurance that I can muster. I'm always happy to have you as a part of my mom tribe that I still need so desperately.

Pregnancy tips for first time moms doesn't always need to come from experienced or “seasoned” moms. Sometimes the best pregnancy tips for first time moms comes directly from first time moms. Crazy, right?

4. Don't Compare Yourself To Others

Every woman and every pregnancy is different. It's true, I promise. If your baby bumps aren't showing at the same time, you aren't feeling symptoms at the same time, are growing at a different rate, or are feeling, in general, just different than your pregnant friends, try to ignore it.

There is such an enormous range of normal when it comes to pregnancy. The best thing that you can do for yourself is to trust your body that it's doing exactly what it should at exactly the right pace that it's meant to.

If your provider isn't concerned or if you would not have been concerned if it wasn't for that one girl on Instagram and her perfect pregnancy, then try to forget about her and enjoy your own pregnancy.

5. Don't Get Overwhelmed By The Baby Registry

You have nothing. You need everything. I know all about that life. I did so much research as a first time mom. Since I didn't know what the heck I was doing, I did so much googling and looked at so many reviews, it nearly killed me (or bored me to death, rather). I've done the work for you and it's all written out here in my baby registry post.

Seriously, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't download this free checklist that has everything you need and nothing you don't for your new baby.

6. Download These Pregnancy Apps

I'm a little app obsessed. Is that bad? Don't judge me.

I feel like I just love having all the information I need right at my fingertips. If that's wrong then I don't want to be right.

Some of the best pregnancy apps have pregnancy tips for first time moms right there on the app for you to access any time. It's so nice.

Sprout Pregnancy App is amazing. Their 3D images of the “baby” with movements and little tid bits of information during each stage of development is like no other. I freaking adored this app when I was pregnant with my son.

Glow Nurture Pregnancy App was also one of my absolute favorites. Of course it keeps you up to date every day of your pregnancy and gives you precious info at every stage, but also it allows you to track almost everything including symptoms and other data. Not to mention it has a sister app that is Glow Baby Newborn tracker that is super useful in tracking baby's feedings, poops, sleeps, etc (trust me, you'll understand why this is necessary later)

Ovia Pregnancy is simple and to the point. You log in and immediately see an image of how big your unborn baby's hand is compared to how big it will be at birth (ah! my favorite feature!), the size of the baby in fruit form, and a little fact for the day. Can't get enough!

Last but not least, I use this app all of the time for the community feature – What To Expect App. I'm sure there are a million features or things to love about this app, but the community is like no other. These women are my friends, I'm telling you. Looking for a mom tribe? This is it, girlfriend.

7. Keep a Pregnancy journal

This is something I knew that I was going to do ahead of time and yet still, I wish I had journaled more! When your neck-deep in the difficulties of first trimester, busy nesting in the second trimester, and exhausted in the third, you might slack a little bit in keeping record of your signs, symptoms, and emotions.

Looking back on my journal from when I was pregnant with my son, I wish I had written down more specifics, more symptoms, more everything…but I love it. I cherish that sweet journal so much. That's why I made The Ultimate Pregnancy Preparation Journal for you. It has everything that you'll need in a pregnancy journal / planner. It has checklists to keep you organized, to-do lists to keep you on top of everything, and journal pages to document all-the-things.

Add these things to your pregnancy journal to make it extra heart-wrenching:

Pictures of your pregnancy
fetal heart monitor strips from the hospital
Ultrasound photos to add even more sentiment.
Letters to your unborn baby

What you shouldn't do when writing in your pregnancy journal is think that something isn't important enough or you aren't far along enough to write it down. Start the moment you get a positive pregnancy test. Write down the date, the time, the situation, and your emotions. When you read it in all of your abundance of free time with a newborn (?), it will flood back so many heart-felt emotions.

8. Take a baby moon

It doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate, but a get away is a must-do when you are a first time mom. You know what the most wonderful thing about being a first time mom is? You don't have any other kids at home to need a babysitter for!

After this baby is born, vacations are going to be a little more complicated than what they are right now. You're either going to have to plan a vacation with a baby and wake up at 6am on vacation or you're going to have to find someone to watch your kid over night for a couple of days.

Right now you are as free as your going to be for a really long time. Just pick a vacation that is appropriate for you while with child. Personally, I didn't want to go anywhere that I was expected to be in a bathing suit all week-long. We went to Alaska 😉

9. Take too many pictures

There is no such thing. Truly. It doesn't matter what you look like, what your body size is, how photogenic you are, etc. You will look back on photos of you pregnant with love. It's not only about you and your body. You have a baby in there. When you see your pregnant belly in pictures and then look over at your sweet child, you remember growing him inside you and how truly special it was.

I did not take enough pictures. I was tired, I didn't have makeup on half the time, and I just wasn't feeling like myself. So yeah, pictures just didn't seem terribly appealing to me. But now I wish I had more. Next pregnancy I swear to take at least a picture every day (not necessarily a belly picture, just a picture).

10. Get plenty of rest (Nap)

A siesta is my idea of a fiesta, my friends! Now that I am a mom and naps just do not exist for me anymore, I am so thankful that I napped during my pregnancy. I can still remember the days where I could just collapse and close my eyes at any time of day with no one's life to be responsible for outside of my own. Ahh those were the days.

Unfortunately we can't bank sleep. Man, that would be nice. But even so, you're going to be exhausted for a few months (or years) after your baby is born so get your beauty rest now.

Related Read: I Thought That Co-Sleeping Wasn't For Me…And I Was So Wrong!

Don't you dare feel guilty about it, either! You're growing a human. It's exhausting and your husband just doesn't understand.

11. Don't worry

Pregnancy tips for first time moms often comes with a lot of anxiety. You might feel like you have a million things to do and you don't know where to start. You might also feel like you don't know what is going on with your body or how to manage the new changes you're experiencing. Either way, stop worrying so much. You're going to be fine. It's going to work out, and everything will most likely fall into place with just a little effort.

Stop googling every symptom (or lack there of). Worrying about everything little thing is going to cause you undue stress that isn't good for you and your baby. I totally understand that scary things happen or may have even happened to you or your family in the past, but worrying about it won't prevent it.

You will go completely bonkers figuring out why you're feeling a certain way or what it means when your baby is doing a certain thing. Give it up. Pregnancy is weird and unpredictable. Try to control it and you'll quickly find that it's impossible. Relax a little and you'll be glad you did.

Stop Worrying, We've Got It Covered. The 6 Things Your Labor Nurse Wished You'd Let Go Of

12. Use A Pregnancy Subscription Box

Y'all, I've got to be honest with you. Having a cute, little, pink box show up at my door every month to surprise me with full size pregnancy goodies was the best decision I ever made.

I used Bump Boxes. It is so exciting to open up the box full of things I would have never thought of on my own. It's a gift that I gave myself with my first pregnancy and I am so glad that I found it. I will do it again for every future pregnancy as well. Use this link to sign up for your monthly pregnancy subscription and you'll receive 40% off of your first box! Yes!

13. Enjoy your pregnancy (and your body)

There will be times during your pregnancy that you just wish it was over. There will be times that you feel like you hate being pregnant. Take it from me. Love it. Love your growing body. Look in the mirror and smile. Feel the tiny flutters turn into massive kicks in the ribs and thank God for it. There are millions of women out there praying for a baby to sit on their bladder making them wake up to pee 3 times a night. It can be hard and I know it can be frustrating. But love it. Your body is incredible for what it can do during this amazing and fleeting time in your life.

Pregnancy Tips For First Time Moms

You guys, I mean it. Take care of yourself and take care of your pregnancy. This time in your life is precious and beautiful. That is the most important pregnancy tip for first time moms, second time moms, and veteran moms alike. I wish you the best 9 months of your life, mama.

Let me know what tips for first time moms you've received. Which tips for first time moms do you wish you received? Leave a comment below so I can hear them!

What To Read Next:

5 Comments

Christina says:

at

Loving these tips. I cant wait to start a family. I love babies!
Christina XOXO
Homesweetholmes.net

Henry Killingsworth says:

at

You made a great point when you explained that it is important to seek advice from trusted sources when you are expecting your first child. My wife and I are super excited because we recently found out she is pregnant with our first child, but we know nothing about raising children. I imagine that it would probably be a good idea for us to find an OBGYN to work with first.

1. Heather says:
  
  at
  
  Yep! That’s step one! Staying educated is important but getting information from trusted sources is key!
  
Andreina says:

at

#11 oh how I need to hear this over and over again….. I’m a first timer and I’ve been praying for this since forever! And now I’ve caught myself searching and researching every little thing and let me tell you… there are some scary things out on the internet and it just freaked me out. What makes it worst is that I still haven’t been to my first appointment (it’s this Tuesday!) and not knowing what’s happening is frustrating. Reading #11 helped, so thank you! I feel that on the quest of trying to find out what to do and what symptoms mean and why I’m not feeling it anymore, you get caught up in the negative things. Your page is awesome and a sign of relief!!!

Jenniffer says:

at

Thanks Heather for this wisdom. I needed it.God bless you

13 Of The Absolute Best Pregnancy Tips For First Time Moms