How to Truly Enjoy Pregnancy {Healthy in Houston}

Whether it be a fun package in the mail from a friend, an unexpected Christmas present, the winner of The Bachelor, or heck – a positive pregnancy test when your baby is only 8 months old, I love a good surprise. After all, it’s pretty fun to watch friends’ reactions when you tell them the news and their smiles light up as they say, “But you are holding a baby!”

Yes, this mama holding her baby is going to be having a baby! Surprise!! After fertility troubles with our first pregnancies, we received what is definitely one of the top surprises of our lives when that little stick showed two purple lines. We quickly picked our jaws up off the floor as our hearts soared with the joy of adding that much more love to our family.  And after our first two “gender reveals” happening at each delivery, we decided to satisfy our curiosity early this time around and find out today – yes, today! – who our sweet little addition will be.

UPDATE :: They play hard and rest hard. They love vehicles in motion and their mama fiercely. Two boys have entered my heart and changed my world.  I don’t mind the blue, the noise, or the dirt. I’m not sold yet on creepy crawlers, but I am sold on doing my part to raise another little gentleman. Baby #3 is all BOY, and we can’t wait to meet him in a few months!

Now back to business. Whether this pregnancy is your first, second, fifth, or {fingers crossed} coming…or whether it is a planned or a surprise like ours…the great news is that maintaining your health and wellness during pregnancy and postpartum doesn’t have to be such a shock.  Of course, no one can predict everything about each miracle of childbirth, but the team at Bassett Baby Planning is there to take the guesswork out of this special time and leave room for the beautiful surprises like the look on your family members’ faces when you tell the good news or even finding a pair of maternity jeans that make you feel like a rock star!

I was thrilled when offered the opportunity to meet with Nina, The Baby Chick, and discover Bassett Baby Planning as a premiere resource for encouraging, educating, and supporting Houston-area families while empowering moms and dads to make the best decisions for their families.

Tuesday night I finished dinner with the kiddos, piled the dishes in the sink, left my husband in charge of bath and bedtime, and met Nina in Bassett Baby Planning’s new office building.  Although I was visiting as part Houston Moms Blog Contributor and part pregnant mama, I felt immediately supported and valued  from the atmosphere alone. The welcoming “classroom” is large enough to house enough families to create community but small enough to feel like a living room, and the break room is complete with message boards for community events and resources and a refrigerator for moms needing to store pumped milk or snacks for class appointments.

Bassett Baby Planning is more than a place to put your feet up. I have to admit that I was a bit intimidated going into this appointment. This delivery will be by c-section as my last two have been, and I’m blaming my own ignorance for thinking that a doula might not be my thing…since I’m not quite all that natural at this point. But boy was I wrong, and that’s exactly where BBP comes in. Their mission is to educate women on all of their options and provide as many resources and as much support as possible through all types of deliveries and through both pregnancy and postpartum stages. {Nina even hinted of a repeat c-section class coming soon!} And they aren’t leaving dads out either; there will be beer, new dads, old dads, and “dad-centered” topics that sometimes get overlooked as the primary focus is often on mom’s and baby’s needs.

Because this is my third pregnancy, I am more focused on the list of services including everything from birth plans to maternity shopping to hospital bag packing.  Keep in mind that you choose the services you need through various packages, and the goal of each service is to provide you with information and empower you to make decisions with which you feel most comfortable. Keeping that stress at bay is one factor in maintaining a healthy pregnancy for sure!  Nina was fabulous in helping me to relax and find ways to appreciate and take in the joys of pregnancy, and I want to pass on a few of those tips to those of you expecting too…

How to Truly Enjoy Your Pregnancy

• Follow Your Heart :: I’m loving Houston Moms Blog’s focus on health and wellness this week, and for me, this means maintaining my physical strength and emotional stability to be the mom that I want to be for my two boys while making good choices for my body to support our newest addition.  My heart is happiest and feels most at home when I can see and believe in what I’m giving of myself to my children.
• Seek Support :: Perhaps my biggest concern is being that mom to three children come late May, and BBP’s postpartum services are ones that I will keep in mind. While I’m pretty certain we won’t need a postpartum doula, I think it’s a great consideration for families, especially those without family close by.  I was impressed by the diverse expertise of the team and will definitely consider scheduling appointments for assistance with lactation consulting, sleep training, my own nutrition, or even sibling adjustment if our family finds itself tangled up a bit.
• Accept Assistance :: Leaving that night I felt encouraged in my goal of being the mom I can be and want to be, and that’s exactly what I needed to boost my spirits and lower my stress. Nina’s number one suggestion for me was to accept help, an act at which I’m not so successful. I know I will need it this summer, but it also reminded me to take it now. I should accept when my neighbor offers to have one or both boys over to play with her kids so I can rest. I should ask my husband to do bath and bedtime every now and then for no other reason than to achieve a bit of mind-clearing in the aisles of Target.  She also offered great advice for asking visitors for help without feeling awkward. Look out grandparents – I’m putting you to work! But don’t worry, your reward is lots of grandchild cuddles!
• Be Consistent :: On a serious note, I am going to keep her encouraging words at the forefront as a sort of mantra for the next twenty weeks and the months following delivery in order to lower my stress and keep my emotional state as grounded as it can be to be my best self for the people I love the most.

After perusing the website I had a general idea of what Bassett Baby Planning was about, but after visiting I was really excited for Nina and her team as well as for the moms that make up the BBP community.  Now that you’ve gotten a sneak peak of the new beautiful space, a space designed for YOU, Houston-area moms and moms-to-be, come by Saturday for the official grand opening and 3rd BIRTHday!  The first 100 guests will receive a gift bag with over $100 worth of free samples from Honest Co, Preggie Pops, Bird and Bees Teas, Bamboobies, Little Pim, and many more.  Every guest that ‘likes’ BBP’s Facebook page and ‘checks-in’ to the event will be entered to win a Ju-Ju-Be Diaper Bag, and every guest that brings a friend to the event will be entered to win a $300 gift card from Babies R Us!  See you there…

Bassett Baby Planning Open House

January 18th | 10am – 2pm

5757 Woodway Dr #225 | Houston, TX 77057

855.455.BABY

[hr] Please Note :: While this may be a sponsored post, my experience with Bassett Baby Planning is real and all thoughts and opinions are proudly my own.