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With real labor the contractions continually get stronger and closer together.  Braxton Hicks contractions may occur every 5 minutes for an hour or more, but they do not get any stronger or closer together.  Braxton Hicks contractions are “"warm-up"” contractions; they are your uterus getting in shape for labor. So don't be discouraged by them but use them to practice your breathing and relaxation.

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It is safe to take regular strength Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Advil).  Both are considered safe in pregnancy.  You should not take any form of aspirin.  If you have a lot of headaches, you need to try to find the cause.  The most common causes of headaches in pregnant women is stress or low blood sugar (from not eating often enough).

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Your EDD (estimated date of delivery) is just that, an estimate.  The medical community considers full-term to be anywhere from 37 weeks to 42 weeks.  Your first due date is estimated from the date of your last period.  Ultrasounds will give you another due date that is determined by measuring the baby.  All due dates are just estimates.  Your baby will come when he or she is ready!

Answer:

Normal weight gain in pregnancy is 25-35 pounds.  This is not all baby!  This is extra body fat, extra water, the placenta, your enlarged uterus, amniotic fluid, extra blood, and the baby.  Some women who are underweight when they conceive will gain a little more because the body needs it to maintain the pregnancy.  Some women who are overweight when they conceive will gain less if they are eating healthy.  If you stay in the 25-35 pound weight gain, you will likely lose all of it plus some by breastfeeding your baby!

Answer:

As a general rule you can continue to do anything that you are in the habit of doing.  Pregnancy is not the time to start an exercise program or a new sport.  The only things that are not recommended are high-impact sports (like kick boxing) and inversions in yoga.  With many other things, your body will let you know when you cannot do it anymore.  For instance, you may be in the routine of running 5 miles every day, but there will come a time in your pregnancy that you will not be able to run as your belly enlarges, then you will have to modify it to a walk.

Answer:

The American Pediatric Association recommends breastfeeding for a minimum of 1 year.  After that it is up to you and the baby.  In other countries women nurse for 2-5 years.  It is just our society that has put a limit on breastfeeding.  When you decide to wean it should be to a cup not to a bottle.  If your child is too young to drink from a cup then he/she is too young to stop breastfeeding.

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You can begin Kegals immediately after birth.  You can begin walking as soon as you feel like it.  You should not return to your full exercise routine until 6 weeks post-partum.

Answer:

As long as you are having a normal pregnancy, you don't need to stop working until you go into labor.  Depending on what your job is, you may have to make some modifications, like if your job requires heavy lifting or standing for long periods of time.

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The same unhealthy foods you should avoid in pregnancy.  As long as you are eating healthy, there is no restriction to what you can eat.  A very small percentage of breastfed babies will have a reaction to something their mother eats.  Unless your baby has a reaction, there are no food restrictions.

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To prevent nipple confusion, you should not give the baby a pacifier until he/she is at least 6 weeks old.  Once they are 6 weeks old you can give them a pacifier, but be sure you do not substitute the pacifier for a feeding.

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If there are no complications, yes, it is safe to have sex during the entire pregnancy.  Sometimes having intercourse will cause a little spotting due to the cervix being very vascular during pregnancy.  You cannot hurt the baby during intercourse.  At the end of pregnancy, having sex can even help to start labor.

Answer:

Sometimes cravings are the body needing a certain type of nutrition. For instance craving meat may signify a need for increased protein.  If she is craving ice cream or fried chicken, she is just  wanting something that she is in the habit of eating.  If she is eating healthy and taking her prenatal vitamins, she shouldn't be having any cravings.

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No, she can take the baby to bed with her and learn to nurse lying down so that she can rest.  Breastfeeding is a supply and demand system.  The baby nursing tells the body how much milk to make the next feeding.  Whenever you substitute a bottle for nursing, you are giving the body the signal to cut down on milk production. 

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You can give the baby a bath when the stump of the cord falls off.  Until then just wipe off whatever is dirty.

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At 6 weeks post-partum a woman is considered to be returned to normal.  The first week after the baby is born she should take it easy and let her body recover.  The amount of bleeding she has will let her know if she is doing too much.

Answer:

It is very normal during the first trimester of pregnancy (13 weeks) for women to be very tired and need extra sleep.  At the end of pregnancy some women don't sleep much because they are uncomfortable or getting up a lot to urinate, so they are tired at other times.  Be patient and she will return to her normal self.

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The most important thing is to be there and to be a part of her labor.  You should attend childbirth classes together so that both of you will know what is coming and what to do.  She will need lots of encouragement, kind words, massage, etc.  Let her know you are there to help her and she will let you know what she needs.

Answer:

Breastfeeding is extremely important for the baby and for her.  It will make her body return to its pre-pregnancy shape sooner, it is the perfect food for your baby, and you will have a happier partner emotionally if you encourage her in this. 

Answer:

Yes.  If a woman breast feeds exclusively for the first 6 months and continues to breastfeed for at least a year, her cycle normally returns 8-12 months post-partum.

Answer:

Under normal circumstances, you can resume sex between 3 and 6 weeks post-partum.  The exact time will depend on if your partner had stitches, a c-section, heavy bleeding, or any post-partum complications.  It should be a time agreed upon by both of you.

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Unless she is doing something dangerous like sky diving, she can continue her regular routine during pregnancy.  The baby is well protected inside her and many of the things our parents and grandparents feared are just old wives tales, such as: “"reaching above your head will wrap the cord around the baby's neck"” or “"having sex will hurt the baby's head."”

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You can know if the baby is getting enough if he/she is gaining weight.  In the first 3 days the baby will lose some weight and start to gain again when the milk comes in.  Normal weight loss is 10% or less.  After that the baby should gain a minimum of 4 ounces a week.

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There is no need to worry.  The fat from breast milk is truly "baby fat."  Once the child starts crawling and walking they will lose all of that "baby fat."

Answer:

First, whether or not a child has an “"inny"”or “"outy"” belly button cannot be changed by a belly band.  It is what it is.  Secondly, sometimes a child's belly button protrudes because they have an umbilical hernia.  Those usually go away by the first birthday.  Sometimes, if they are severe and do not resolve themselves the hernia will be surgically repaired.  A belly band is not going to make a hernia go away and it may be uncomfortable for the child and/or cause a rash if it irritates the skin.

Answer:

The baby is living in water right now.  Before birth, during labor, and immediately following birth, the baby is receiving oxygen through the umbilical cord.  Until the cord is cut or stops pulsating, the baby continues to receive oxygen.  When a baby is born in the water they do not take a breath until they come out of the water into the air.

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You can prepare meals, clean-up, take care of siblings, do laundry, etc.  Allow the mom to just take care of herself and the baby.  In the first week after birth this allows the mom to recover.

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No, there are two types of breast milk.  The first 5-10 minutes of nursing the baby is getting "foremilk". This is 80% water and satisfies the baby's thirst.  After the this comes the “"hindmilk"” which is the “"meat and potatoes"” that feed the baby.  Breast milk is the perfect food for the baby.

Answer:

The baby doesn't need anything but breast milk for the first 6 months of life.  At 6 months you can begin introducing solids.  Do not give wheat, citrus, or meat until 1 year.  Most breastfed babies will continue to get the majority of their nourishment from breast milk for the first year of life.

Answer:

As long as a woman is breastfeeding, the baby gets all the antibodies the mom has built up during her life, including any immunizations she has had, in the breast milk.  So the baby is protected from the germs he/she might encounter.  Also, it is good for your daughter's emotional and mental well being not to be locked up in her house.  As long as she doesn't overdo, it is good for her and the baby.

Answer:

That depends on the temperature outside.  The baby has the same body temperature as an adult.  If the parents are in shorts and tank tops, the baby will be fine in a diaper and t-shirt.  If it is cold and the parents have coats and hats on, then the baby should be dressed similarly.  Even in air-conditioning, babies adjust to whatever the family keeps their house temperature on.  Sometimes wrapping a baby up when it is not cold will cause its temperature to rise or will cause a heat rash.