Birthplan, Pre-eclampsia, Gestational Diabetes, Braxton-Hicks contractions.... foreign medical terms that make me go "huh?". To avoid looking like a complete fool and more of a well-informed mum in the gynae's office, I would like to share these books, magazines and websites that offer a mass of information:
BIRTH SOLUTIONS
http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/
Look at 'Pregnancy' section. This portion looks at week-by-week development of Mum & Bub. I love the sense of empowerment- I have a rough idea of what will happen to my body next week and I can imagine the development taking place in my little princess this week. It also has articles like "What to take to the Hospital" or explanatory brochures on gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.
PREGNANCY & BIRTH magazine (Australia edition)
Fantastic read- light, cheerful and informative. My favourite pregnancy magazine- articles on everything including diaries of different pregnant women, in her own words detailing trimester 1 through birth, in every edition. Makes me feel less alienated knowing that other women go through the exact same process and actually turn out alright!!! I have subscription details and samples to loan to anyone interested.
NIKAH.COM
http://www.nikah.com/muslim-marriage/content/muslim_baby_boy_girl_names.asp
...and the fun begins! Choosing baby names is possibly the most tedious thing to do between a couple. I have favourite names in mind from when I was a single 18 year old, all of which was shot down by my husband in a matter of minutes. "Sofie" was too old fashioned; "Najah" sounded like 'gajah' (Malay for elephant); "Hannah" was a 'mina' sounding name. AAARRGGGHHH!!! In return he offers me names like "Najla" which I said was too ugly sounding and "Ghaniah" which sounded like a boy's name. Happy arguing!
Warning: Do not trust 1 source only, if you like a name check out its meaning on several websites and books. Some of these websites allow the public to upload a name and its accompanying meaning, which may turn out inaccurate.
Other sites that offer great array of Muslim Baby Names:
http://islam.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=islam&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.muslim-names.co.uk%2F
http://www.babynology.com/muslim/
CHICAGO CONSCIOUS CHOICE
http://www.consciouschoice.com/1995-98/cc093/hmd093.html
This isn't a pregnancy website but for an MVP sufferer like me, it helps to understand why in heaven do I feel so breathless sometimes and feels like I'm close to passing out at others.
see also:
http://www.nursing.wright.edu/practice/mvp/default.htm
Will keep adding more...!