Just like any other major life event, your wedding, buying a home, or having a baby, planning is always part of it.  Leaving things to the last minute is never a good idea because you can miss important information, or hear yourself saying “I wish I had known this before …”

 Here are three mistakes expectant women make when it comes to having a baby. Don’t be one of them:

 1. Lack of planning. The last month of pregnancy is not the time to take a childbirth class. Especially if you’re due in three weeks!  Sometimes classes held in hospitals fill up quickly and you can’t enroll. So where do you go? You just may miss taking any class because time is running out. A childbirth class can be four to twelve weeks long depending on the program.

2.  Taking a one day “crash course” childbirth class. Even though it’s popular to do, you’re cheating yourself by not allowing the time needed to prepare for labor and birth and have the time to practice the skills you learn to manage labor. You do have lots of time to forget everything you learn though!

3.  Not researching options early in pregnancy. Many women think that a hospital birth is their only option. Not true. Some women dislike their doctor for whatever reason and think they can’t switch to another physician or midwife.  They can. If done early in the pregnancy. If you don’t research your options and what’s available to you at your birthing facility, what your insurance covers, Doula programs, etc., you may miss out on important information you can use.

 Avoid these common mistakes during your pregnancy. You’ll feel more confident going into the birthing and parenting experience because you educated yourself well and planned ahead to be ready for the big day!

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