Making Meals

Perhaps you have heard several offers while being pregnant, to receive meals postpartum? A quick search online yielded these, organizational sites.

• Meal Train
  
• Meal Baby
• Take Them A Meal

Joining one of these websites could help lessen the load of coordinating meals... both on the receiving and giving sides. 

I thought of meal options to give a family:

• Pot pie
• Soup or stew
• Casserole
• Salad
• Quiche
• Pasta
• Healthy, fresh sides of fruits and/or vegetables 

How were your experiences using websites to coordinate meals? What other meals do you suggest giving?

Birth Plan Preparations

From what nurses shared with us the more succinct the plan, the better likelihood for hospital staff to actually glance at it. We excluded some items that were irrelevant to major decisions, such as my personal preferences for ice chips, battery operated music player, breathing techniques, etc.


Remember to print several copies in order to give to appropriate staff, include within your hospital chart, etc.


What will/did your birth plan include? How early do you share your birth plan with your doctor, midwife, doula, etc.?
**Post a comment and I will send you my one-page birth plan as a PDF attachment!**

Considering Doulas

Have you heard of caring professionals such as doulas who provide care during pregnancy, the birthing process and postpartum?


If you you have time and the funds to consider hiring a doula, then check out these sites for more details. 

• Doulas - DONA
• Local options...
• Blessed Arrivals
• Birth Doulas of Pittsburgh
• Heart & Hands Doula
• Fourth Trimester Doula
• Doula Directory
  
• Doulas in Greater Pgh Area
  

Unfortunately I learned about doulas too late for my first child. Hopefully these sites will help you learn more and select a supportive professional to help you and your baby.

Other sites that you would recommend? How were your experiences with a doula... before/during/after your child[ren]'s birth[s]? 

Books

These were books that were recommended for my partner and I to read...

• Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way: Revised Edition
  
• Husband-Coached Childbirth : The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth
• What to Expect When You're Expecting 
• Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition
  
• What to Expect the First Year
  
• On Becoming BabyWise 
• Breastfeeding: A Parent's Guide
  
• The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer
• The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby
  
• Baby Signs: How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk 
  
• The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Pregnancy & Baby Care
• Super Baby Food

What books do you recommend? And libraries that you prefer?