If you or the mother-to-be is superstitious and believes that no gifts should be bought until the baby is born (some religions believe this as well), you may want to have the baby shower about a month after the baby is born. This will give the mother time to heal and get settled into her new role. By this time she will want to show the baby off, and may have a better idea what she needs.

Be sure that the name you select sounds good when combined with your last name. Try to avoid a first name that ends with the same consonant as first letter of your last name. It can be hard to pronounce properly and could create a never ending barrage of rhyming jokes from peers.

If there are no medical reasons to avoid exercising while pregnant, most doctors agree that a 30-minute workout several times a week will help women feel better physically and emotionally. It will also help them lose the pregnancy weight once the baby is born.

Although the term "morning sickness" suggests that the feeling only occurs in the morning, it can actually strike at any time of day. Many women say their nausea is the worst in the evening after dinner, since the digestive system has slowed down considerably in order for the body to absorb all the nutrients possible.