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Third trimester tips, welcome to your third trimester! From weeks 27-40 your pregnancy will be at its peak of its wonder. Yes, it's true that some of the symptoms from your second trimester such as back pain and weight gain will continue and some of the symptoms from your first trimester such as nausea and heartburn may return. On the bright side, you are closer than ever to meeting your baby and starting your new life as a family. Here are 7 third trimester tips you need to know. Pesky Varicose Vains Some women will experience these annoying little veins popping up on their legs. Varicose veins during pregnancy occur when the uterus applies pressure to the large vein (the inferior vena cava) that carries blood back to the heart from your feet and legs. These harmless little veins do eventually go away and are often not painful. Be sure to elevate your legs when you are sitting or lying down to give your legs some relief from these pesky little veins. Some Shortness of Breath Imagine just how tight everything inside your abdomen is now that your baby has grown over 5 Lb.! Organs are pushed up and your lungs are being squeezed more than you'd gotten used to. This tremendous change can cause a pregnant woman in the third trimester to have frequent shortness of breath, especially after a meal. To avoid having to deal with this too much, keep your meals small and frequent. Stretching and taking short walks can also help with this uncomfortable issue. Spontaneous Abdominal Pain & Braxton Hicks Abdominal pain can be onset during the third trimester and almost feels like an annoying stretching sensation on your belly. In addition, Braxton Hicks can begin to happen as well, these unavoidable pre-contractions can be quite uncomfortable for women. In fact, many women are unsure if they are in labor since Braxton Hicks can be quite strong at times, thankfully Braxton Hicks are simply one of the many ways in which your body prepares for the real deal. Swelling As you go through your third trimester your body can easily retain water, which causes different parts of your body to swell. Most commonly women experience swelling in their hands and feet, but this can happen throughout their bodies and can be uncomfortable to deal with.To help keep the swelling at bay or to reduce it once it happens: Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day Elevate your legs when sitting or lying down. Frequent Urination As we mentioned previously, your insides are shifting to make room for your growing baby and your bladder is now in close quarters. Add to that the fact that your baby is now larger and tends to move into your bladder more often than not causing you to feel the urge to urinate frequently. This is a good time to start wearing your panty liners once again to prevent accidents as you are headed to the restroom. Wearing panty liners will also keep your natural discharges under control. Nausea Returns Some women will move past the first trimester morning sickness to never have to deal with it again, but some others begin to experience nausea in the third trimester all over again. Although this is very normal, now that you have more weight, and are dealing with so much more, nausea can be extremely uncomfortable for a woman in their third trimester. Take precaution by: Carrying a sickness bag with you Avoid eating greasy foods Eat small meals throughout the day You can also arm yourself with things that help your nausea subside such as: Tums Watermelon Almond milk Fun Fetal Movement The best part of the third trimester is just how noticeable the felt movement of your baby can be. You can now literally feel: Every single movement Hiccup Elbow Jab Kick Your little one is almost fully developed and can hear everything that's happening outside the womb. Check back for other things to know about pregnancy as you enjoy these intimate moments with your baby as you both prepare through the final stretch before you finally meet face to face.

Congratulations on your new pregnancy! As you embark on the journey of pre-motherhood for the next 9 months, you will notice a multitude of changes taking place in your daily life. Here are 7 things you need to know about the first trimester to help you have smooth beginnings during your first 12 weeks. 1.You Will Not "Look Pregnant" Yet In your first trimester it's very likely that you will not "look pregnant" yet. What does this even mean? Well, since your baby/fetus is just starting to grow you will not have a prominent baby bump yet which is usually the most telltale sign of pregnancy. You will, however, start to notice your breasts growing and your body changing slowly. Most women don’t reveal their pregnancy to their friends and family until they reach the 12-week mark, so if you decide to keep it a secret, by the time everyone knows, you will be closer to having a noticeable baby bump. 2. Nap Time Please! To say you will feel tired during your first trimester is an understatement. Your body is going through a tremendous transition form sustaining yourself to creating a brand new person from scratch. So you can expect feeling: Tired Sleepy and Low in energy Give in to the urge to take a nap every now and then and allow yourself to recharge your batteries when your body calls for rest. If this means adjusting your bedtime to an earlier time, then go for it. Before you know it, your second trimester will be here and you will start to feel more energetic then. 3. Morning Sickness Is Not Just in the Morning This one's a doozy! Pregnant women often wonder why it's called morning sickness instead of All-day sickness. Although nausea for pregnant women is most common in the morning time, be ready to accept that it can happen at anytime, anywhere. Take some precautions and always have a couple of sickness bags in your purse, car, and desk. You can also try eating some goodies that are known to help nausea subside such as: Watermelon Tums Nausea Lollipops 4. Hello Heartburn Ugh, heartburn is gross and chances are it will find its way into your daily life during your first trimester. In fact, heartburn is one of the most common tell-tale signs of pregnancy. It makes it difficult to: Brush your teeth Eat Sleep Even just relax Not all women get heartburn, but if you happen to be one of the unlucky ones, you can help the throat acid subside by keeping a bottle of Tums smoothies handy. These magic little chewables take care of heartburn quickly, safely and are loaded with calcium supplements to keep you strong. It's a win-win. 5. Some Foods Are a Big No-No Unfortunately, you will learn that there are some foods that are a BIG no-no in your first trimester because they can be harmful to a fetus in its most crucial development stage. Refrain from consuming products made with unpasteurized milk such as soft cheeses & certain juices. If eating raw vegetables and fruit always make sure that they are washed properly. By all means, avoid eating rare temperature meats, Sushi & raw eggs. Keep your fish consumption to a minimum since most fish today are known to contain mercury which when consumed in large amounts, can be harmful to your fetus. Don't worry, the list of the foods you CAN eat is much bigger than this one and as your pregnancy progresses and your fetus grows stronger, you can have all the foods you love in small portions. Having a healthy diet is a sure way to give your baby the best chance at a healthy growth. (Always consult with your Doctor to be sure). 6. Some Scents Will Gross You Out When you are pregnant and especially in the first trimester, there are some scents that will gross you out pretty badly. It seems like the spike in hormones cause women to have negative reactions to certain smells and although there isn’t a real solution to this issue, you can try to avoid those smells once you identify them. You can also keep a scarf handy that is soaked in a subtle perfume that you really love or even a little jar of coffee beans which can be a natural scent cleanser. 7. You Will Learn Where All the Bathrooms Are Lets close with the most common effect of the first trimester of pregnancy, having to pee ALL THE TIME. Your bladder is slowly being pushed aside as your uterus expands to make room for baby. This gentle squeeze increases the sensitivity to liquid in your bladder thus giving you the urge to urinate more often. Before you know it, you will become a professional Google map of clean public restrooms. To avoid any unnecessary accidents it's recommended that you wear panty liners for those times when the trickle is faster than your leap to the restroom. Bellefit Products

When a woman is pregnant, she is pretty much in charge of taking care of the entire baby-making process. However, men who are actively involved in their partner's pregnancy can fulfill a very important and much appreciated role. Here are 5 tips for dads to be about pregnancy: Be a good listener to your partner and let her express herself during this time of change. 1. Be a Good Listener and Talk to Your Lady When your lady is pregnant, she is experiencing a lot of changes in both her body and her mind. There is a lot that she thinks about and a lot that she feels. Be there to lend an ear when she needs to vent and engage in conversation with her. This will help you be on the same page and know how she'd doing all of time. Your connection will get stronger and the bond that you will create will solidify the foundation that you will have ready when the baby is born. Help her around the house with cleaning up or by cooking a few times a week. 2. Help out around the House It's pretty clear that during pregnancy a woman needs a lot of help with much of the basic tasks of her daily life. Help her out around the house, cleanup after yourself, cook a meal at least once or twice a week and when she's exhausted from a long day, encourage her to put her feet up and relax. Be aware of her needs, she will appreciate it more than you can even imagine! Pack your bag for the hospital, be prepared for the days you'll be there. 3. Pack Your Bag When you and your lady head to the hospital or birthing center to deliver the baby, she will be taking a hospital bag with everything she needs for the next few days. You need to be prepared as well, so get packing! In your bag you should include items such as: a change of clothes, pajamas, undies, a good book, a copy of the birth plan and comfy shoes. Have this ready to go so you won't be scrambling at the last minute. Learn about what your partner is going thru during pregnancy so she feels more comfortable knowing you understand what she is going through. 4. Educate Yourself earn as much as you can about pregnancy. If you are confident in what your lady is going through, this will ease her mind from having to worry about explaining things she doesn't think you will understand. Plus, you will always know what she is going through and how you can help. This is especially true for labor and delivery since it is very likely that you will be her #1 birthing partner. 5. Have a Contact List When your lady goes into labor, one of your duties will be to let everyone know. Coordinate this properly with her so that you know exactly whom you should be contacting and when. You can even setup a buddy system with a close friend or relative so they can do this for you. Following these 5 tips will help ensure that you have a positive experience during your lady's pregnancy. Trust when we say that she will be overjoyed to see how much you care.

Traveling with children during the summer can be stressful for any parent. Although as adults we are aware of the way things work when traveling, children are pretty new at it, so preparing them (and yourself) as much as possible is a must. Being well prepared, involving everyone and being flexible can make the difference between making good and not so good memories for your whole family. Get organized so you can have a successful trip with your kids. Get Organized Planning a trip is the most important step in making sure it is a success, but keep in mind that being flexible can be a great way to make sure that everyone has fun. Before you head out on your journey, aside from packing all your most important essentials Clothes Documents Snacks Trash bags BABY WIPES, etc. Make sure you talk to your children about the trip. Talking to them about it will take away some of their anxiety about what is going to happen. Show your children a map with the route of your journey, talk about how far you are from your destination and how long it will take to get there. This knowledge will make it easier to deal with the "Are we there yets" that happen along the way. There are plenty of teachable moments for you to enjoy with your children in the process that will make your trip much more enjoyable. Safety It is important to talk to your children about safety and the most important rule of all: stay together! With busy airports and rest areas during the holiday travel season, it's best to have a plan to keep children safe by making sure you show them just how to do so. Teach your children: Your phone number Full name Your address and the address of your destination so in case you do get separated, they will know how to reach you. A great tip is to evenly distribute or assign the children between the adults to make sure everyone is always accounted for.Also, be sure to keep any medicines, important documents, currency and valuables at hand or in your personal bag to ensure easy access. Knowing that everyone is well prepared, will give you peace of mind throughout your journey. Go over the travel schedule with your kids so they know what to expect. Travel Schedule When taking time off from work to travel with your family, every single minute counts! A travel itinerary should be fitting to the age of your children and how much travel they (and you) can handle. Try to avoid overwhelming distances with younger children Avoid planning trips that are so jam-packed with activities that it becomes an unpleasant experience. If traveling by car: Be sure you have plenty of time to get to your destination as well as plenty of time to travel back home. Factor in rest area stops, meal stops and overnight stops. If traveling by airplane: Make sure you arrive at the airport early and have all of your arrangements confirmed before you leave home. Online check-in is a great convenience to avoid unnecessary standing in line with your children If your trip allows it, be flexible with your schedule and have a back up plan in case you need to make adjustments. Keep your kids entertained with games or an iPad so everyone enjoys the trip. Entertainment As we said before, being well prepared will make things easier when traveling with children. Bring along activities that your children can stay busy with to pass the time. They can each bring: a small book bag with some favorite toys drawing pads if they are old enough, portable gaming devices, a Kindle, iPod, iPad or other kind of tablet. With the ease of their portable devices, children can choose games and activities to download into their devices before you leave your home. This will give them a few hours of screen time during the trip & keep them entertained. Of course, no parent wants their children to miss out on the sights and sounds of travel with their noses stuck on their devices the entire time. To make things interesting, make a list of age-appropriate games to keep in your pocket that you can pull out for inspiration. Here are some of our favorites: iSpy - Look around and pick an object you can see either in the car or along the road. Then give others a clue such as, "I spy with my little eye… something green." Continue to give more clues until they can guess what it is. The Alphabet Game - This one works best in car trips, but can work at airports during wait time. Start with the letter "A" and find one on a sign, truck, building or license plate, say the word and then move on to the next letter. You can do this as a competition or together as a family for the younger beginner readers. Drawing games - Have pads and pencils (or crayons) handy to play several games including hangman, tic tac toe or to just draw silly things. Once Upon a Time - This game is fun and allows everyone to use his or her imagination. The first player starts telling a story, and then suddenly breaks off and the next player has to continue it. Yes/No Game - Children LOVE this game. Players take turns asking questions and answers have to avoid using YES and NO. Audio Books or Stand up Comedy Audio - As simple as this sounds, it works! Children can be surprisingly drawn into a good story or a good standup comedian (family friendly, of course). iPads! There may come a point in your travels where a little quiet time will be greatly appreciated (and needed), when this happens, have your iPad fully charged and ready to go with your child's favorite games. Cherish Every Moment Last but not least, our favorite tip for parents traveling with children is, stay off the phone! Sometimes taking a phone call, worrying about taking photos, or even sharing status updates can make you miss beautiful moments with your children. Before you know it they will be all grown up with families of their own! Make every second count. We hope you find our tips for parents traveling with children to be a helpful step towards an awesome journey. Bon Voyage and don't forget to send a postcard!

Have you ever been pregnant? If the answer is 'no', then you probably don't really know just how much work a woman's body goes through to make a human from scratch. Yes, it's a beautiful thing to be pregnant, but let's not ignore the fact that this beauty is often: Accompanied by body aches Morning sickness A spike in hormones that can increase emotional sensitivity in women. Before you approach a glowing pregnant woman to admire her with your words, think twice before you blurt out something highly inappropriate that can make her feel bad about herself. Here is a list of the top 10 things you should not say to a pregnant woman: Are you pregnant? Ok, this is THE most important one to remember. No matter how pregnant a woman looks, you should never ask if she's pregnant, because what if she's not? A woman who is pregnant is likely to bring it up on her own, so remember to never be the one that brings it up and spare you AND her the embarrassment. Was it planned? Seriously? Do we even have to go there? Asking a pregnant woman if her pregnancy was planned is a big no-no. Think about it, this is useless information to you, and it is very private and more importantly, it's none of your business. You don't look pregnant! A pregnant woman may not want to hear this. It can make her think there is something wrong with her or her baby and why would you want to do that to her? If a woman says, "I'm 5 months pregnant", then she's 5 months pregnant and there is no need to give your opinion on the size of her baby bump. Are you sure it's not twins? Ugh, this is one of the most common things people say to pregnant women. How do people even gauge what being pregnant with twins looks like? Chances are that if a woman were carrying twins, she would obviously know that kind of information. Women's baby bumps come in all shapes and sizes, some carry larger bumps, some smaller, it all depends on their body frame and the size of the baby. Pregnant women already feel big with all the changes their bodies go through and they don't need someone's comment about their size to make them feel bad about themselves. Are you sure you should eat that? Pregnancy cravings are a mysterious phenomenon, no woman is ever really sure why they crave certain things, but when they do, you better not get in her way. Unless she is unknowingly about to consume some poisonous concoction, then you're better off keeping your culinary commentary to yourself. Are you going to have another one? If you see a woman who is very pregnant and dealing with everything that comes with having a child chances are the LAST thing on her mind is whether or not she's going to have more children. Live in the now and refrain from asking about the size of her family because she probably doesn't want to hear that just yet. You're probably going to need a C-Section Really? Unless you are a trained professional in the field of childbirth, then how would you know? Labor and delivery is a stage in pregnancy that women prepare for with much care and it is not common for most women to want to have a C-section because it's a major surgery and not the ideal way to give birth. So if you imply that she will have a C-section, you are basically telling her that no matter how much she plans, everything can go terribly wrong and her plans just don't matter. Are you sure you want to do that? Being a mom is going to be so hard for you! No, no, no. Don't ever say that. Women have many instincts that have kept civilization growing and thriving for thousands of years. No matter how a woman has chosen to live her life before having children, it is not your place to comment on what type of mom she will be. You can seriously hurt her feelings, prompt her to doubt her abilities causing her stress and feelings of inadequacy during her pregnancy. You look tired. Do you like it when people tell YOU that you look tired? It's basically saying, "You look like crap and everyone can see that." It's just not nice. You're still pregnant?! A woman in her third trimester has been working round the clock making a human. She can't breathe properly Burdened by heartburn Not able to sleep comfortably Her back hurts Her feet are swollen There is nothing she wants more in this world that for her baby to be born. Do you really think she wants to hear other people sarcastically ask her if she's still pregnant? We think not. Always consider that pregnant women are making a human. It's not an easy task and your comments can make the difference between her having a great or a horrible day. Instead of blurting out opinions or questions about her pregnancy, do sweet things to make her feel good about herself like: Hold the door for her Give her some flowers Tell her she looks beautiful Just keep it simple and smile. Trust us, you don't ever want to say something that makes a pregnant woman cry because both you and her will end up feeling terrible about it.

Aside from the obvious pregnancy essentials like prenatal vitamins and maternity books, there are a few items that are absolute must-haves for the mom-to-be. Body Pillow Sleep can be somewhat uncomfortable for pregnant women. There is a big belly in the way to think about, so sleeping on your stomach ceases to be an option as you enter your second trimester. Thankfully, women have found much comfort in the positions that can be achieved with the help of pregnancy body pillows! There are a variety of styles by many reputable companies that you can search to find the perfect fit. Coconut Oil Coconut oil is a must have during pregnancy for it's seemingly infinite uses. During pregnancy (as well as after) coconut oil can be used as a moisturizer, stretch mark reducer and even an eye-makeup remover! It doesn't end there; you can also use it for cooking, making lip balm and get this, frizzy hair tamer! So stock up on a big jar and separate it into small mason jars to keep in your purse, bathroom and kitchen! Tums Heartburn is the worse! We'll never really know if the old wives tale that says heartburn happens because the baby will have a lot of hair, but we do know that no matter the reason, Tums will help ease the horrendous burn. Long gone are the days of chalky heartburn chews. Tums now makes both chewable candies and a smoothie, which are both, way easier to consume and taste delish! Lip Balm Lips tend to dry and chap so easily during pregnancy.So keep a nice supply of your favorite moisturizing lip balms to keep your lips soft and pain-free. Maternity Jeans Lets face it, the rubber band on the button trick will only work for a little while. As your belly grows and your daily life continues, you will soon realize that having a great pair (or two) of maternity jeans is a must! Jeans go with anything and can be dressed up or down making them the most flexible and efficient piece of your wardrobe. Maternity Tank Tops Whether you're pregnant during the hot or cold time of the year, having maternity tank tops will make your life much easier. These tank tops can be worn on their own or layered under a blouse that may otherwise be too short or can no longer be buttoned-up. Get them in all your favorite colors; you'll be glad you did! Maternity Gaucho Pants So wearing sweatpants too much may make you feel a bit down on yourself, so wear maternity Gauchos instead! These super comfy jersey cotton pants look like a skirt but provide all the comfort of pants; they are light and look beautiful with a blouse, tank top or even a t-shirt. Flats & Flip Flops As your pregnancy progresses you will notice that not only are your obvious body parts getting bigger, but also some of the ones you least expected, like your feet! Get yourself a few pairs of ballet flats, which are stretchy and super comfortable. You can also get a pair of comfortable and snazzy flip-flops to make sure you always have comfy shoes to wear. Nursing Bra Nursing bras are some of THE most comfortable type of bra that a woman can wear during pregnancy. They are made with comfort in mind and provide great support without unnecessary pressure. Plus, wearing it during pregnancy gives you the advantage of becoming very familiar with your nursing bra before using it with the baby! Snack Stash When you are pregnant, you don't ever want to be hungry and have nothing at hand to eat. You have to keep in mind that your energy and your blood sugar levels have to remain positive. Get a little stash of snack bars, nuts, fruit & other healthy goodies that you can keep in your purse, car or desk. This way when hunger strikes, you always have something to hold you off until you can get a full meal.