2019 Year in Review

Was 2019 the year you learned you were pregnant? Was it the year you gave birth? Was it the year you started trying to get pregnant? Or was it the year you marked a breastfeeding milestone of 3 months, 6 months, 1 year? No matter how you found Giving Birth With Confidence, we're glad you did and hope you've enjoyed the stories, information, and resources. At the end of every year, I like to share the top visited posts as well as some of my personal favorites. If you haven't already read these popular posts, take a look -- one of them may be exactly what you need.

Top 10 Most Popular Posts from 2019

#1 - What Causes My Belly to Feel Hard and Tight

If you're in your second or third trimester of pregnancy and you notice that sometimes your pregnant belly gets very hard, feels tight, and even causes mild discomfort, you're probably experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions. Learn more about these "practice" contractions. 

#2 Swelling in the Third Trimester: What's Normal, When to Worry, What to Do

Swelling (aka "edema") in your feet, ankles, and hands throughout pregnancy and especially as your pregnancy nears the end is very common and normal. There can also be abnormal swelling that signals a problem - it's important to know the difference. 

#3 Alive and Kicking - Recognizing the Signs of Reduced Fetal Movement 

One of the most consistently expressed fears is the worry over the health of the baby before, during and after the birth. Although stillbirths are relatively rare (at roughly 1 out of every 100 births), they do happen. Learn how being able to recognize reduced movement in baby can help you detect an early warning sign. 

#4 - How Early Can You Tell if You're Pregnant

Whether you're trying to conceive (TTC) or you're done having babies (or anywhere else in between), knowing for certain if you are pregnant is a big deal. Learn the different ways to tell. 

#5 - When Is it Safe to Take Baby Out in Public

To keep your new baby healthy and safe, it's important to be aware of the environment and the people you encounter when going out in public for the first few weeks and months in order to reduce exposure to illness. 

#6 - What Does a Contraction Feel Like?

Many of us desperately want to know what we're going to feel and experience during birth. This post gives several different perspectives on what contractions feel like from those who have been there before.  

#7 - Best Exercise for Your Third Trimester of Pregnancy

When you feel soooo big and everything hurts nearly all the time, it's hard to think about getting out and being active, but the right kinds of exercise can actually help you feel better late in your pregnancy. This post offers some practical ideas. 

#8 - 118 Labor & Birth Playlist Songs

This list contains 118 of the most popular songs people have used in labor playlists. Use it as a starting point and then, personalize to your own tastes. 

#9 - When Will You Feel Baby Kick and What Does it Feel Like

Babies begin moving from very early on in pregnancy, but when you actually feel those movements depends on different factors, like whether this is your first pregnancy, the position of your placenta, and your ability to recognize what you feel as baby's movement. 

#10 - Best Positions for... Speeding Up Labor

If your goal is to "get things moving along" in labor, there are specific positions you can use that are known to do just that. 

My Personal Favorite Posts from 2019

#1 - Bullet Journaling for Pregnancy

If you subscribe to the BuJo (Bullet Journal) way of life, journaling during pregnancy offers a whole lot more than memory keeping. Learn more. 

#2 - The Fourth Trimester - A Must Read Book Review

In a culture that places 99.9% of its focus on pregnancy and babies, The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions & Restoring Your Vitality brings a welcome, critical, and long overdue focus on the mother/parent after giving birth.

#3 - Top Tips for a Low Tech Birth

While the United States is beginning to see a shift in how birth is handled in hospitals, with practices/procedures beginning to move in the direction of a more hands-off-unless-necessary approach, there are still a good number of hospitals and doctors who recommend and perform unnecessary interventions too often. This post helps give you the best chance of avoiding unnecessary interventions and having a healthier, low-tech birth.