A Bun in the Oven

I’m pregnant!  So, like any good librarian (or pregnant woman), the first thing I did was look for books to lead me through this new experience.  Of course the Library has lots of the standards, the books every woman refers too: What to Expect When You’re Expecting, The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy, etc.  But I’ve already got the basics covered and was looking for something new and exciting.  I found some fascinating stuff, so over the next couple months, check the blog regularly for my pregnancy and parenting book posts.

The first book I grabbed off the shelf:  One year to an organized life with baby: from pregnancy to parenthood, the week-by-week guide to getting ready for baby and keeping your family organized.   This is a great book to get as soon as you know you’re pregnant because author and organizational guru, Regina Leeds, bases the weekly projects on your weekly progress.  She gives you easy tasks in the first trimester when you are likely feeling under the weather and saves the bigger stuff for later when your energy returns.  For instance, in week 10, Leeds assigns the creation of a baby album and recommends you put your sonogram pictures directly into it.  My initial thought was, “Really, isn’t it organizational overkill to start a photo album so early on?”  But it was one of the few tasks I could consider taking on as the nausea washed over me, so I did it.  Now, thanks to this book, I have a baby album (this from a woman who has yet to create her wedding album).

It’s overwhelming thinking about everything you have to do and consider when you’re pregnant.  The great thing about this book is you no longer have to worry about what to do when and how you will fit it all in; Leeds does that for you and all you have to do is follow her schedule and do what she tells you.  Perhaps this sounds weak and dependent, but I’m fine with being able to concentrate on the substance rather than the logistics of the tasks.  By the time the baby comes, I’ll have handled all the pregnancy related stuff (maternity clothes, birth plans, finances, nursery, child care), but also organized my filing system and closet (weeks 9 and 14), prepared my kitchen and cleaning supplies (week 20 and 23), made new friends and maintained old friendships (week 29+), and found ways to care for myself as well as my baby (week 40) among other things.  Once the baby comes, the tasks continue for another 20 weeks.  After that, you’re on your own, but by then, Leeds will have walked you through creating the systems that will keep you going.

Rebecca - Reference