Reading pregnancy blogs as you approach your big day may give some insight into the emotional and physical changes that are happening inside the body, help prepare you for the inevitable birthing process, and provide engagement with like-minded people who are going through similar experiences. Here’s our recommendation of the best pregnancy blogs:
Alpha Mom is a pregnancy and parenting blog run by Isabel Kallman. The blog provides information in an easy-to-read format, layered with reality, personal accounts, light-heartedness, and an injection of humor. Alpha Mom also answers reader’s questions in a way that seems as though you are in conversation with your best friend.
The pregnancy section covers everything under the sun, from a week-by-week pregnancy guide and articles on hospital visitor etiquette, to reviews of the best baby monitors.
“Alpha Mom was started because, as counter-intuitive as it may seem, motherhood was not a natural instinct for me, and, I discovered I was not alone – there are many (many) just like me. Rather than running to grandma, I ran to Google,” Isabel Kallman says.
“See, it’s connectedness that is a new mom’s first instinct. And, with nonjudgmental support and advice from other moms and parenting professionals, we try to help women embrace motherhood with confidence,” she added.
Isabel’s top tips for parents-to-be: “Radically accept that just when you think you’ve got this parenting thing down, your kid(s) cut your sea legs out from under you again. That’s their job: to keep you on your toes.”
Here are Alpha Mom’s top three most popular pregnancy articles:
Pregnant Chicken is the brainchild of Amy Morrison. “I started the site in 2010 after being frustrated with how scary all the pregnancy sites were,” says Amy. “They had tons of options but very little information, so I set out to create a site that laid out the facts in a clear, fun way so that parents could make their own decisions.”
Pregnant Chicken tops our charts for the wittiest, most comically written pregnancy blog. The blog provides articles covering a wide range of topics from laugh-out-loud pictorial articles such as cool ways to announce your pregnancy, to serious articles that tackle subjects including postpartum depression in a reassuring way.
Amy’s top tips for parents-to-be: “To all pregnant women, I say: ‘be kind to yourself.’ Take that extra nap instead of brushing up on baby sign language. Eat a donut if you want one. Books, websites, and people should make you feel good about your pregnancy – not overwhelm you or make you feel scared or under-qualified. You’ve got this.”
Here are Pregnant Chicken’s top three most popular pregnancy articles:
Evidence Based Birth is the creation of mother, wife, Ph.D.-prepared nurse researcher, and blogger, Rebecca Dekker.
“I started Evidence Based Birth after the birth of my second child,” Rebecca explained.
“With my first baby, I left the hospital feeling disempowered and confused by the care I had received. With my second baby, my midwife respected my decisions and promoted my health throughout my pregnancy and birth. The care I received during that second birth inspired me to start publishing all of the research I had been collecting between pregnancies,” she added.
The blog’s popularity escalated quickly after its launch in 2012, with millions of visitors from all around the world lining up to learn about the evidence behind childbirth practices. The Evidence Based Birth site is also a hub for people who want to improve the quality of maternity care globally.
Our pick of comprehensive, evidence-based information on the blog includes evidence on due dates and inducing labor, the benefits of having support from a doula during labor, and the safety of water birth.
Rebecca’s top tips for parents-to-be: “Hire a doula and take a really good childbirth education class. Educating yourself and gathering information is the first step in having an empowering experience!”
Here are Evidence Based Birth’s top three most popular pregnancy articles:
Mother Rising is a holistic pregnancy blog created by Lindsey Morrow. As a childbirth educator, doula, and mother of three, Lindsey has oodles of experience in the pregnancy advice arena and this experience is reflected in the positive and inspiring tone of the blog.
“I started writing a blog because I made a website to advertise my local childbirth classes and it came with a built-in blog function,” says Lindsey. “It turned out I enjoyed writing about pregnancy and childbirth just as much as I enjoyed teaching face to face!”
“Eventually, I made the decision [to] focus my blog posts solely on helping women have a healthy pregnancy, natural birth and happy postpartum,” Lindsey added.
Our favorite articles include Mother Rising’s natural pregnancy checklist, which lists tasks to complete broken down by trimester, and things to avoid saying to a woman in labor.
Lindsey’s top tips for parents-to-be: “Pregnancy and becoming a parent is not merely a physical process – it is an emotional and spiritual journey as well. Because pregnancy is more than a bodily function, it is imperative to respond holistically.”
“For example,” she added, “reading pregnancy books, practicing prenatal yoga, taking a good childbirth class, learning to navigate the medical community, and exploring one’s responses to pain are all equally important pieces of the pregnancy journey.”
Here are Mother Rising’s top three most popular pregnancy articles:
Jen McLellan is a published author, certified childbirth educator, public speaker, and founder of Plus Size Birth.
“As a plus size woman, my experience felt different because I couldn’t find images of people my size in pregnancy magazines or websites. I also mainly found negative information online that led me to believe I would incur complications,” Jen revealed.
“I did everything possible to have a good outcome. I ate healthily, fell in love with water aerobics, hired a doula, and connected with a midwife at a hospital with a low cesarean birth rate.”
“Once I settled into motherhood, I wanted to share my story,” she added. “I wanted other plus size women not only to see images of women they could identify with but also become educated in a very positive way on how to have a healthy pregnancy.”
With articles exploring what to expect during pregnancy care, plus size pregnancy exercise tips, and plus sized pregnancy essentials, there is something on this blog for every plus sized mommy-to-be.
Jen’s top tips for parents-to-be: “For all women, it’s important they are proactive with their nutrition and activity throughout pregnancy. For plus size women, there’s a third element to having a healthy pregnancy, and that’s hiring a size-friendly healthcare provider.”
Here are Plus Size Birth’s top three most popular pregnancy articles:
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