First Pregnancy

There are so many women out there who just found out they are pregnant or are trying to get pregnant who still have unanswered questions.  We thought, who better to answer them than someone who is going through her first pregnancy.  I asked my friend to help me answer some of those questions that we hear on a daily basis and give her honest opinion.  Here goes:
 
1.  What was your first reaction when you thought you were pregnant?  
    
I've wanted to be pregnant every month since I got married, and have subsequently thought I was pregnant every month since, so I didn't think that I really was pregnant at first.  
 
2.  What was your first reaction when you found out you were actually pregnant? 
Shock, I was at home alone and I kept walking around in a daze.
 
3.  What has been the 3 hardest parts about being pregnant?
The most difficult part has been being so incredibly sick.  It has also been challenging to adjusting to the fact that we are having twins, which was a surprise.  The other two most difficult parts are being ok with gaining a ton of weight and watching my body change.
  
4.  The 3 easiest?
Number one would be loving the babies.  It sounds cheesy I know but it's true. Telling my husband was a blast too. I'm honestly having a hard time thinking of the third because so far it's been a very difficult pregnancy.
 
5.  What do you wish you would have known before you got pregnant?
This might be too much information, but don't let yourself get even a little bit constipated...yikes!  I wish I had known that my body would feel so foreign to me and how hard it has been thus far.  People don't tell you that there are times when it is really not a beautiful thing.  It's hard because you are sick and don't feel nearly as attractive as you used to.  Additionally, your relationship with your husband does change.  All that being said, every time you get to see your baby (or babies) on the ultrasound, or feel them kicking it honestly does make everything worth it!
 
 
6.  What do you wish for your babies as they grow up? 

I want them to love well.  Meaning, I want them to see outside themselves and be women who comfort others, serve and are compassionate.  I want them to be happy with their choices and be well loved.  
 
7.  If there was one thing you would want women who have never been pregnant before to know, what would it be?
Don't get pregnant until you are 100% ready for it.  It's a wonderful time, but it's also scary and difficult.  If you are not really ready for it, it will totally overwhelm you.  
 
8.  Any thing else you want to add?  

Ask questions, don't try to do it alone and trust the women around you who have been through it before. 
 

New on our website!

We have added an interactive lesson calendar.  You can type in how many weeks you are pregnant, and you can create a "timetable" that personalizes your use of BabyPlus.  There is even a place to write in notes of how your baby reacted during each session.

This is a great way to keep track of your use of the pattern of the mother's heartbeat sounds during early brain development. If you are first-time parents and this is your first pregnancy, or if you are using the BabyPlus again, please click on the picture below to print a Custom Lesson Tracking Calender to use to track your baby's learning in the womb.

Guys are very important, too!

Many of our customers are male - dads, uncles, brothers, even grandfathers!  (We had a grandfather who is expecting twin grandbabies...he called us...very fun conversation...but that is for another day...)  Everyone can be a part of the expectant mother's pregnancy - whether this is a first pregnancy or not - by understanding that the fetal environment is critical.

I was on the phone yesterday with a BabyPlus Uncle.  He was telling me cute stories about his 1-1/2 year old BabyPlus niece.  He was so neat - he went on and on - he told me a story of how she uses the potty!  (We make no claims whatsoever about that!)

My conclusion is that dads (and other male relatives) are more involved in the prenatal time period now than ever before.  There are even pregnancy and baby books written specifically for dads. 

Please click on the link below to visit our website to learn more about prenatal learning, our prenatal care curriculum, and what impacts cognitive development during pregnancy. 

This is a guest blog from Paula Ryan, a Pediatric Physical Therapist and BabyPlus mother of three.......

"As a pediatric physical therapist, the developmental strengths of the BabyPlus children I've seen in my practice are very convincing.  These children consistently demonstrate very strong fine and gross motor skills, early milestones, and long attention spans. 

Now, I am a BabyPlus mother of three and have seen countless additional benefits in my own children.  What a wonderful investment!"

We know Paula took the time to research about prenatal development before she became pregnant.  Her work with children who had benefitted from the use of our prenatal care curriculum caused her to want to provide these same benefits for her first pregnancy.  She saw the tangible benefits, and went on to use her BabyPlus two more times!

Thanks to Paula for sharing her thoughts!

BabyPlus is in the news - again!

This time, Houston B.A.B.Y., has recognized the BabyPlus Prenatal Education system in their "Baby Finds - the latest and greatest baby gadgets and gizmos."  In her article, author Kelsey Hunter identifies "Smart Buys for New Parents - the latest and greatest products for mom, dad, and baby."  BabyPlus is listed on page 29 of the magazine.

 

We are not surprised.  The idea of prenatal education is not new.  Right now it seems to be becoming a bit more widespread.  The use of the maternal heartbeat to teach learning in the womb seems intuitive to us, so we are always thrilled when others recognize the value of our educational product.

Click on the picture to read the latest article about BabyPlus in the News!







We know pregnant parents are researching about the stages of fetal development and the benefits of infant stimulation.  We know that expectant parents want to do the very best for their child while in the womb.  Click on the BabyPlus logo to read testimonials from other parents who have used BabyPlus.

If this is your first pregnancy, I know that you are concerned about your infant's development.  Prenatal care is so important to not only your baby's infancy but to his health and welfare throughout his life.  One element of prenatal care should be the use of BabyPlus.  One mother of a BabyPlus child wrote recently on BabyCenter.com about her child's early benefits and her baby's development after birth.

It seems to live up to its claims!
As promised, my daughter (25 months) was born with her eyes wide open, relaxed, not crying, and nursed well in spite of being a few weeks early. Early on, many people commented on how alert she is, and now they comment on how friendly, happy, and verbally advanced she seems to be. My mother works with an early childhood education program and gave me developmental charts that professionals use, and my daughter seems to be off the charts cognitively and verbally, and somewhat ahead emotionally as well. We haven't really been pushing hard to teach her things, but she knows at least 10 colors, several shapes, and about half the alphabet and the numbers 1-9 on sight. She can count to 12 solidly, and sometimes tries to get up to about 20, is up to 4 word phrases, and engages in lots of pretend play. She doesn't get upset very easily, and if she is upset, she recovers very quickly. I don't know how much of this is just her nature, but when I read the descriptions on the BabyPlus website, I have to believe it had something to do with it. My only word of caution is that it was louder than I expected which was a little annoying and made be worry a bit about the volume for my daughter, but her hearing is just fine!
Michelle, mom of one, happy customer, Hawaii

First-Time Parents

You will be making many new decisions if this is your first pregnancy.  One of the most important decisions affecting both you and your baby is whether or not to breastfeed your baby.  This is a very personal decision and is influenced by many factors.  If you do decide to nurse your baby, you will want to consider using the BabyPlus Prenatal curriculum.  One of the main benefits reported by parents of children who have used BabyPlus is that their babies were proficient, early nursers.  This is so critical because it is easy to become discouraged and decide not to nurse if your baby has trouble nursing.  If your baby is a proficient nurser, you will be more relaxed and can truly enjoy the bonding that comes from nursing.  

Day by day, week by week, month by month. Pregnancy can be wonderful. With BabyPlus you can make it more enjoyable, even if it is your first pregnancy. The quiet time you spend using BabyPlus aids in bonding with your baby. You can also be assured that you are encouraging early brain development during pregnancy. You are doing all you can for your baby to help in developing his cognitive ability during those months when early brain development begins.

What are the most critical times in child development? Answer…… all times. I must preface with an however, the earlier the start, the better. In your first pregnancy first-time parents are never really sure what to do, and not have had the exposure as to whether or not there will be a proper infant sleeping schedule that develops down the road, or if they are going to be exhausted as first time parents.
 There are so many prenatal development facts to consider, which can be overwhelming. Are there really benefits of infant stimulation, is breast feeding beneficial to having a smart baby and infant development. As days go by and the week by week pregnancy progresses, it all begins to make sense, and then the special day comes when the little miracle is brought into this world.
Following the birth, after that day by day pregnancy is finally done, you can then begin to access what the critical times in child development are and if  you did in fact do some of the correct things during the critical period in Prenatal development. So, baby stimulation and baby development after birth may all tie directly in, but most likely begins during those critical periods in prenatal development.

Expectant mothers and overwhelmed dads, the BabyPlus prenatal care curriculum will help tremendously. 

Preparing for baby is always a lot of fun…often called nesting!
WHEN SHOPPING FOR BABY, YOU’LL FIND AN OVERWHELMING SELECTION OF PRODUCTS. It seems that there is an article of clothing or gadget to meet your every whim. So, how do you distinguish between “essentials” and "desirables?”

How about shopping for both Mom and Baby at the same time? After all, pregnancy is supposed to not only be a really enjoyable experience, but a wonderful opportunity for bonding to begin, during the many different stages through pregnancy.

The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System can help aid with the bonding. As your unborn child hears the heartbeat like sounds of BabyPlus, she will begin to kick and move and let you know in her own little way that it is an enjoyable experience. Whether or not you are first-time parents and this is your first pregnancy, or this is your 5th baby, the bonding can be a wonderful experience in your day by day pregnancy.

One of the benefits associated with BabyPlus relates to breast feeding. Baby plus babies tend to breast feed right away, which again helps take the bonding experience to a whole new level. Of course, breast feeding is not for everyone, but if there is the desire, and your baby has a much greater likely hood of breastfeeding as a result of using BabyPlus, then you would want to give that every opportunity possible.

I am the Director of Development at the BabyPlus Company and working here is so much fun. I meet the most amazing parents and babies. The other day I was sent to New York to interview and video a BabyPlus family. Mom used the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System for all 3 of her children. At first they were skeptical about the benefits of infant stimulation. Their week by week pregnancy was filled with hope and anticipation about the benefits of learning in the womb. but with the birth of their first child all they hoped for came true. Their little girl's infant growth assessments were very high and her infant sleeping schedule was all a parent could hope for. Mom says breast feeding was a breeze. The infant development of all 3 of their children was the same. Mom and Dad are so glad that they were able to  something for their children during the most critical period in prenatal development.

But the most amazing part of this story is that dad was a New York police officer. He was at work on the morning of 9/11 and was just being dispatched down to Manhattan when the call came to his precinct that his wife was in labor. Now this was their first pregnancy and his Sargent of course told him to go to the hospital. They lost many friends that day, but they also experienced the one of the most wonderful days of their lives,the birth of their first child. They call her their guardian angel.

Click on www.babyplus.com and watch the video, It is truly an interesting story.

Helen

For all of you first time parents out there, you are naturally trying to give your baby the best head start possible. The first pregnancy within a family is a wonderful gift.

The fact is that we do more today because we know more. I know that I grew up in a generation where we were not even buckled up, let a lone were put into a car seat.

We know that there is evidence of learning in the womb during the different stages through pregnancy. The prenatal months are such critical times in child development.

So, “why not’ do everything you can to give your baby stimulation when it counts the most.

Most women today take a prenatal vitamin to aid with the physical baby development after birth. They are not doing this to create a body builder.

The idea of stimulating your child prenatally during the different stages through pregnancy is to help in fact encourage cognitive development, not to create a genius.

There is evidence that this early stimulation results in babies being more relaxed,alert,and having a greater ability to self soothe. Later in life, these children go on to hit pediatric milestones sooner, and become more school ready. The BabyPlus Company makes these claims specifically because they believe by playing their ‘prenatal curriculum’ for an hour twice a day helps in fact stimulate cognitive development. If you have a look at the independent testimonies on Amazon.com, The baby center.com, babies r us.com, as well as the testimonies on their web site, their appears to be a great deal of evidence in favor of the claims that are being made.