your tips & to do's:

Is getting out of bed a challenge? If it isn't hard yet, it will be! To make it a bit easier, roll over to your side, and then tip your feet down to the floor. Once your feet touch the floor, use your arms to push yourself into a seated position, and stand up! Take a pregnancy side profile picture and write in your pregnancy journal.

Work on your Baby registry.

If you don’t want to wait to find learn if your little one is a boy or girl, now's the time to ask your doctor, midwife, or an ultrasound tech to give you the news! Unsure if you want to find out your baby's sex? There is no right or wrong decision. It's completely personal - up to you (and your partner if you have one). Remember that even if you do find out the sex of your baby during the ultrasound, sonographers don't always get it right. This means that even if you are told the sex of your little one, you (and your partner) should be a wee-bit prepared for surprise. Like, maybe have a name for each sex picked out, just in case.

Speaking of names, it's time to narrow down your choices, if you haven’t already. If you need a little boost of unusual-birth-name confidence, glance at any list of student names at any elementary, middle, or high school. Because the truth is this, no name is off limits. Names are not predetermined by ethnicity, gender, or parts of speech. Children are named after family history, television and book characters, cars, numbers, foods, days of the week... Having an offbeat name sort of means you'll fit right in, nowadays. Of course, there are still classics. And popular names are used again and again (hence, popular). Where will your name fit in?

If you and your partner, or you and other family members or friends, find yourselves at odds over certain name choices, or you're still looking for a winning name for your little one altogether, here are two things to try:

1. Create a list of names you will not use, under any circumstances.

This list should make your skin crawl. It can include names of ex-romantic partners, family pets, coworkers and teachers, generally horrible persons, that one kid from third grade... you and your partner can add names to this list whenever the crawly skin feelings take strike. Names added to the list are immediately out of the running. It's important both you and your partner respect each other’s feelings on this and not try to coerce or bully any gross, yucky name off of the This Is Never Gonna Be My Baby's Name list. Feel free to ask each other questions, like why, my love, do you hate that name? You both might be surprised about and happy to learn each other's reasons.

2. Create your own lists

You and your partner should write down your top five names. Trade lists with each other and put a star next to the ones you like, or a frowny face by the ones you hate. For every name crossed off, the owner of that list can add a new name in its place. Continue this process, adding and subtracting names from each other's list, until you find your common ground.


If you are lucky enough to stumble upon a name loved by the only ones who matter (only mom and dad of baby should really have any say), be careful of who you tell! It can go so many ways. Maybe your friend, who is also expecting and has a due date sooner than yours and presently no clue what to name her little one, is suspect. She could love it, too. And can you blame her? Or... she could say, "You like Vienna? Well, let's hope she isn’t chubby. Because Vienna Sausages!"

Once you love a name, you may also start to hear it more often. Everywhere. Don't panic. This is just because you are paying attention now. Just like when you bought a new car and suddenly saw that car everywhere. If you love a name, really love a name, it doesn't matter how many Heathers, Toms, Davids, or Lemons there are out there. Yours will be your one and only.