ExpectingWords.com - Helping expecting couples find the right words at the right times

As a mom, I take the responsibility of raising my son (and hopefully any future children) to the best of my ability.  In terms of how to parent our child, my husband and I have delved into theories of discipline (apparently “positive discipline” wins out), healthy eating and building character.  With all our preparation, we overlooked the big elephant in the room:  Birth order.

At a recent mommy and me class, the well-trained parent educator explained that first-born kids receive their parents’ undistracted attention and loads of praise.  The impact:  they go through life seeking perfection and approval of their teachers, bosses and everyone else.  A first-born is the kid who would never imagine going to his fourth grade science class without having done his homework.  This can be a good thing: First-borns are more likely to attend college than children in any other position in the family.  New research discussed in Scientific American Mind shows a correlation between birth order and IQ (first-borns are smarter).  But, birth order can also be a bad thing: first-borns tend to be bossy, controlling, needy of attention and self-centered.

And what about younger children?  (more…)

Do you know what “BD” means? Learning what it meant was my initiation into the TTC crowd (“trying to conceive” crowd). It means, “baby dance,” which begs the question—and what does that mean??? Answer: doing it for the purposes of producing a baby, or more simply put — sex without a goalie.

Reading TTC and pregnancy message boards introduced me to so many terms, some outrageous, others not, and I searched the web for a cliff notes to these terms. Not finding one, I’ve decided to create my own.  Read on and click the links to learn more about the meaning behind each term.  And if you’re already pregnant or have a child, it’s never too late to find out what you don’t know.   (more…)

I saw the headline “More pregnancy ultrasounds than recommended being given” and I read through the article searching for what would be so wrong with having four or five ultrasounds during  a pregnancy (because um, I had at least four).  Does it cause harm to the fetus?  Does it expose the mother to unnecessary rays?  No, and no. Phew.

Apparently the only thing wrong is that insurance companies are paying for more than the recommended two ultrasounds for low-risk pregnancies.  A study of 1.4 million singleton pregnancies from 1996 to 2007 in Ontario showed that 37 per cent receive three or more and 20 per cent receive four or more ultrasounds.

Wish I lived in Canada.  I remember when my doctor told me that my U.S. based insurance company would only cover two ultrasounds.  (more…)

I just came home from a perfectly wonderful baby shower and I’m in a fantastic mood.  We celebrated with my friend in high style.  In addition to the food, drink and gifts, we even made her an original quilt (each guest made a square).

After she unwrapped all the gifts the guests sat together in the living room and talked.  Instead of playing a traditional shower game, we went around the room, each sharing a piece of advice for the mom-to-be.  Here is what these smart and savvy women said:

1. Your baby will inevitably cry for attention whenever you brush your teeth or take a shower.  Continue to do these things anyway.

2. However tired you may be, get out of the house within the first two weeks of having your baby.

3. You will have the worst fights (more…)