At 14 weeks pregnant, you may be concerned with how much weight you are gaining. Although you are “eating for two,” keep in mind that pregnant women only need to add about 300 or 400 extra calories in their diet. Don’t go overboard and overeat.

Your weight gain during pregnancy depends on what your pre-pregnancy size was. The average weight woman should only gain between 25 and 35 pounds during the 40 weeks of her pregnancy. If you are thinner than normal, you should aim to gain between 28 to 40 pounds. Overweight women should only gain between 15 and 25 pounds.

If you are worried that you are gaining more weight as your pregnancy week by week continues, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider.

Most women will gain between 2 to 4 pounds in their first trimester, and they typically gain a pound a week for the rest of their pregnancy. (Remember though that you will gain more if you are carrying twins or multiples. You will start showing sooner too!)

Read more about Pregnancy Weight Gain at Women’s Healthcare Topics.

Cupcake baby bedding set by Trend Lab is a delicious addition to any little girl’s nursery with its bright, cheerful colors and unique dessert motif. Your baby will love the soft velour and appliques cupcakes of this baby bedding set, and you will enjoy the rainbow of colors, including pink, green, blue, brown, and white. Bubble dots and candy color stripes enhance the design. This girl baby bedding collection will make your baby hungry for some sleepy time! The 4 piece Cupcake baby bedding set by Trend Lab includes: bumpers, coverlet, crib blanket, sheet, and box pleat skirt.

At 38 weeks pregnant, you need to be prepared to go to the hospital at any second. If you haven’t already, you need to start packing your hospital bag. Some women like to pack three bags: one for mom, one for dad, and another for the newborn baby.

As you are deciding what to pack, you should also call your hospital or birth center and ask what they will provide. All hospitals will provide diapers for your baby, but they may also provide nipple cream for breastfeeding mothers, gowns, and other items.

In your hospital bag, you need to pack these pregnancy and delivery essentials:

• Toiletries
• Insurance information and birth plan
• Warm socks
• Robe or sweater
• Maternity bras (sans underwire) and nursing pads
• Lip balm or chap-stick
• Eyeglasses or contacts
• Camera, video camera, film, and batteries
• Cell phone and charger
• Extra pillows
• Going-home clothes

For baby, you should have your hubby or partner install an approved car seat. The hospital will not allow you to leave without a car safety seat for your little one. Also bring a going-home outfit for your baby and warm blankets.

If you want to start your baby on formula, you should bring that to the hospital too. Remember to pack cloth diapers, if you are going to use them instead of disposable ones.

You may want to pack snacks and drinks, reading material and anything else you want that will keep your husband or partner company when you and baby are sleeping. (Remember that you will be in the hospital for at least a day. Longer if you are having a c-section).

The end of your pregnancy is near. Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy week by week! Read more about 38 weeks pregnant at Women’s Healthcare Topics.

Cooperstown baby bedding set by CoCaLo Couture makes a handsome addition to your baby boy’s nursery with its vintage sports motif. From the stitched embroidery to the subtle earth color palette, this baby bedding set will give father and son something to bond with! Navy blue, brown, tan, and rust enhance the antique sports card design. Baby will love sleeping on the rich textured fabrics of this boy baby bedding collection, including herringbone, rugby stripe, and twill. The 4 piece Cooperstown baby crib bedding set by CoCaLo Couture includes a quilt, bumper, sheet, and dust ruffle.

If this is your second pregnancy and you are 36 weeks pregnant, you may be entertaining the idea of a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Keep in mind that not all women are good candidates for VBAC. You should talk to your doctor or healthcare provider to see if he or she supports this idea, and if hospital policy allows a VBAC.

Many hospitals don’t allow pregnant women to try VBAC because of the controversy over how safe they are, including the potential for uterine rupture (a rare but very dangerous complication that can place mother and baby’s lives at risk). In addition, Some hospitals don’t have the resources for them. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) states that when a woman tries a VBAC delivery, there should be a medical team (including an anesthesiologist) readily available in the event that she needs an emergency C-section.

You may be a candidate for VBAC if you have have prior low-transverse c-sections, if your pelvis is large enough to allow you to deliver safely, and you have no other uterine scars, and you’ve never had a uterine rupture.

For more information about VBAC, read 36 weeks of your pregnancy week by week at Women’s Healthcare Topics.

Domain baby bedding set by Sweet Potato brings a techie feel to your nursery. Perfect for girls and boys, this fun baby bedding set has it all! An array of tan, brown, orange, green, and blue colors is enhanced by its geometric patterns. The unisex design will make decorating your nursery an adventure. Don’t forget to check out the great accessories available in this collection too! The 4 piece Domain baby crib bedding set by Sweet Potato comes with a quilt, crib sheet, bumper, and dust ruffle.

Now that you are 33 weeks pregnant, you are zooming through your pregnancy! Your baby will be here before you know it! Only a few more weeks to go! At the the end of your third trimester, you should read up about the labor and delivery process so that you can be prepared.

Labor occurs in three distinct stages and it may last up to 24 hours for your first baby, but it is usually shorter in future births. (Have you ever heard women say that delivering a baby is usually easier the first time around?)

The first stage of labor is actually the longest of the three. It can last up to 20 hours, and it starts when your cervix (or the opening of your uterus) starts to open, or dilate. As your cervix dilates, your labor contractions get stronger and stronger. When your cervix reaches 4 to 8 centimeters, this is called the “active phase” of labor. You may experience a backache or “bloody show” (vaginal bleeding) during this stage.

You should go to the hospital or birthing center during the active stage of labor.

The second stage of labor starts when your cervix is dilated at 10 centimeters. This stage continues until after your baby delivered, and it can last up to two hours (or even longer, sometimes). You may feel a strong urge to push during this stage, and you may also receive pain medication or episiotomies (if they are requested/needed).

You should push when your healthcare provider tells you to, or when you feel you need to push.

After your baby is born, you will enter the third stage of labor, which is the delivery of the placenta and afterbirth. This is the shortest stage and it typically lasts less than 20 minutes. You may feel contractions but they are not as painful. If you experienced any tears or had an episiotomy, it will get stitched up.

For more about the stages of labor, read 33 weeks pregnant - pregnancy week by week - at Women’s Healthcare Topics.

Geo Blue baby bedding set by JoJo Designs simply creates an uber-modern nursery for your baby boy. From the handsome color palette to the geometric shapes, the design of this baby bedding set will adds some balance to your nursery decor. The color palette uses shades of blue and chocolate to bring the squares and rectangles to life. Plus, this boy baby bedding collection offers everything you need to create a very gorgeous nursery room. The 9 piece Geo Blue baby bedding set by JoJo Designs comes with: a coordinating comforter, a sectional crib bumper, fitted crib sheet, crib skirt, diaper stacker, toy bag, decorative pillow, and 2 window valances.

The second trimester, at 19 weeks pregnant, this is the perfect time to do some traveling. Many common pregnancy emergencies and complications occur in the first and third trimester of pregnancy. So if you love to travel, go for it!

At this week in your pregnancy week by week, you aren’t too large. You also have more energy now than you will have in the final weeks of your pregnancy. However, when you travel, keep these in mind:

• If you are traveling by car, remember to wear your seat belt. Wear both the lap and shoulder belt. Do not turn off the air bag feature of your vehicle. Limit your driving to no more than five hours a day. Also, make frequent stops to move around and stretch your legs.
• Traveling by airplane is another safe way to travel. Try to book an aisle seat so that it is easy to get up often to stretch your flight. Avoid drinking carbonated sodas or drinks, and eating foods that cause gas during your flight. Wear your seat belt at all times and keep it belted below your abdomen.

Always let your doctor or healthcare provider know that you are taking a trips. You will not want to take a vacation if your doctor is concerned with your health or your baby’s well-being. Women with pregnancy complications may need to postpone trips.

Get more travel tips at 19 weeks pregnant at Women’s Healthcare Topics…

Sundae baby bedding set by CoCaLo fills your baby girl’s nursery with a beautiful assortment of stylish butterflies. This magical baby bedding set also brings a gorgeous floral print to your baby’s room. Your daughter will feel right at home with the appliques of flowers and butterflies in this unique design. This girl’s baby bedding collection features a unique color palette of yellow, red, blue, and brown. The 6 piece Sundae baby bedding set by CoCaLo includes: quilt, bumper, dust ruffle, fitted sheet, window valance, and diaper stacker.

Bring the butterflies and flowers to life with accessories from the Sundae baby bedding collection from CoCaLo. Accessories include decorative pillows, lamp base and shade, blanket, window valance, removable wall applique, rug, night light and switch plate set, plush bear, and more!