Expecting? We have Been Expecting You
Hello! I’m Vanessa Merten, and I’ve been supporting expecting parents with evidence-based information and resources to healthily and safely navigate pregnancy, birth, and newborn parenting since 2015.
With hundreds of episodes of the Pregnancy Podcast, involving thousands of hours of research, I’ve created tons of valuable content for you. To make things easier, I recommend you start with the following.
The last year of Pregnancy Podcast episodes is free and available wherever you listen to audio.
Body Image During Pregnancy and After Birth
Your body goes through a greater physical transformation during pregnancy than at any other time in your life. While growing a baby is an incredible…
The Science Behind Eating Dates to Prepare for Labor
Can eating a specific fruit in your final weeks of pregnancy actually change how your labor goes? Multiple studies have examined whether eating dates in…
What Every New Mom Should Know About Postpartum Mood Changes
Many expecting mothers skip past information about postpartum mood changes, assuming it won’t apply to them. Especially when they’re anticipating one of life’s happiest moments…
Lifting Weights and Strength Training During Pregnancy
Strength training offers significant benefits for physical and mental health, but many expecting parents wonder whether lifting weights is safe during pregnancy. While there is…
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Q&A: Sorting Through Conflicting Advice on Pregnancy Workouts
Overview Exercise during pregnancy is evidence-based to reduce the risk of certain complications, support healthy weight gain, alleviate common pregnancy discomforts, and improve mental well-being….
How to Prevent and Treat UTIs During Pregnancy
Overview Pregnancy brings many changes to your body, including hormone changes and how your urinary system functions. These changes can increase the risk of developing…
Q&A: Should You Avoid Eating During Labor
Overview Eating during labor is a topic with conflicting advice. In this episode, we respond to a listener whose doctor advised against eating during labor,…
Is Cord Blood Banking Worth It?
Overview Cord blood banking is a complex and often confusing topic. Advertisements for cord blood banking are everywhere when you are pregnant. Is it really…
Q&A: Strategies to Feel Less Overwhelmed During Pregnancy
Overview Pregnancy is an exciting journey, but it can also feel incredibly overwhelming. Today’s episode is inspired by a message from a listener struggling with…
What Every Pregnant Mom Needs to Know About Group B Strep
Overview Group B strep (GBS), short for group B streptococcus, is a type of bacterium that naturally resides in the gastrointestinal tract, vagina, and rectum…
Q&A: White Coat Hypertension and Navigating Challenges with Your Doctor
Overview Pregnancy comes with many challenges, including navigating prenatal care and working with your provider to make the best decisions for you and your baby….
An Evidence-Based Guide to Natural and Artificial Sweeteners During Pregnancy
Overview Substantial evidence supports the need to limit sugar intake, leading many people to use alternative sweeteners. These range from natural options like honey and…
Q&A: Reducing Risks of Air Pollution and Wildfire Smoke During Pregnancy
Overview Evidence shows that pregnant women and babies exposed to high levels of air pollutants face an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Adding to…
Your Guide to Sugar During Pregnancy
Overview Sugar is a term that encompasses a wide variety of molecules responsible for making foods and drinks taste sweet. From natural sources like fruits…
Q&A: Lying In and the 5-5-5 Rule for Postpartum Recovery
Overview There are many traditions surrounding how to best recover from birth and bond with your new baby. Many cultures practice “lying in,” which prioritizes…
Exploring Methods of Inducing Labor Naturally
Overview There are many methods of naturally inducing labor you can do at home. You may have interest in naturally inducing labor for many reasons….
Your birth plan is more than a document you hand out when you go into labor. Creating and writing your birth plan is a great way to get really clear on the birth experience you want. Here are some resources to help you along the way.
See Vanessa's Birth Plan
Want a copy of my birth plan? Although my preferences may not be right for you, you can use my birth plan as an example of how yours can be structured and worded. Click here to get a copy.
Episodes on Creating Your Birth Plan
Q&A: Is a Birth Plan Really Necessary?
Is a birth plan really necessary, or is it just one more thing to stress about during pregnancy? In this episode, we answer a listener’s…
Why Birth Plans Fail
Overview A birth plan is much more than a piece of paper you hand to your care provider. A birth plan is a process you…
Why You Need a Backup Plan
Overview This podcast covers a lot about preparing for the birth experience you want. If you listen to this podcast, you are educated about labor…
Fear of Things Not Going as Planned
Overview It is common for expecting moms, especially the first time around, to have some fear about birth and fear that things will not go…
One Page Birth Plan
Overview Writing your birth plan is an integral part of preparing for the birth experience you want and getting clear about your preferences. One of…
Do I really need a written birth plan?
Overview The process you go through to create your birth plan, which includes educating yourself and working with your care provider, is fundamental to get…
A Step by Step Guide to Creating and Writing Your Birth Plan
This book walks you through step-by-step, showing you exactly how to create a birth plan that will lay the foundation for the birth experience you want. You will find short sections with evidence-based information to help you decide your preferences from starting labor until you are home with your baby. There are sample plans for everything from home birth to a planned cesarean and everything in between, so this book has you covered no matter what type of birth you are planning. Plus, the master template includes everything you could include in your birth plan, and it is super quick and easy to customize to fit your preferences.
More information on the book, including a preview, can be found here.
The 40 Weeks podcast has a short five-minute episode for each week of pregnancy. Learn what is going on with your body and your baby each week, plus get a tip for your partner. Available everywhere you listen to audio.
Weeks 1-2
Welcome to weeks one and two of your pregnancy. Listen Now You measure pregnancy in the weeks leading up to the birth of your baby….
Week 3
Welcome to week 3. This is the week of ovulation and fertilization. Listen Now Baby Week three is really when the journey of your baby…
Week 4
Welcome to week 4. 36 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your baby is the size of a poppy seed this week. Believe it or…
Week 5
Welcome to week 5. 35 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby This week your poppy seed-sized baby has grown to about the size of an…
Week 6
Welcome to week 6. 34 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your little apple seed-sized baby has grown to be about the size of a…
Week 7
Welcome to week 7. 33 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your little sweat pea is now the size of a small blueberry. They measure…
Week 8
Welcome to week 8. You are 20% of the way there! Listen Now Baby At about .6 inches (1.6 cm), your baby has graduated from…
Week 9
Welcome to week 9. 31 more weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your baby has graduated from an embryo and is now officially called a…
Week 10
Welcome to week 10. 30 more weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your little grape-sized baby has grown to the size of a kumquat this…
Week 11
Welcome to week 11. 29 more weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your little kumquat-sized baby is roughly the size of a strawberry this week….
Week 12
Welcome to week 12, the last week of the first trimester. 28 more weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your little strawberry-sized baby is now…
Week 13
Welcome to week 13. This is the start of the second trimester. Listen Now Baby Your little plum is now about the size of a…
Week 14
Welcome to week 14. 26 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby This week your little lemon is now about the size of a peach. From…
Week 15
Welcome to week 15. 25 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your baby peach grows in week 15 to about the size of an apple….
Week 16
Welcome to week 16 and the end of your fourth month. 24 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your little apple is growing, and this…
Week 17
Welcome to week 17. 23 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your avocado-sized baby is growing this week to the size of a pear. Your…
Week 18
Welcome to week 18. 22 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your pear-sized baby is growing to about the size of a bell pepper this…
Week 19
Welcome to week 19. 21 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your little bell pepper is growing to about the size of a mango this…
Week 20
Welcome to week 20. You are halfway there! Listen Now Baby This week your baby’s growth rate accelerates. Your little mango is growing to about…
Week 21
Welcome to week 21 and the second half of your pregnancy. 19 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your little sweet potato is growing to…
Week 22
Welcome to week 22. 18 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your banana-sized baby is growing to the size of a papaya this week. Your…
Week 23
Welcome to week 23. 17 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your little papaya-sized baby is getting bigger this week and will be about the…
Week 24
Welcome to week 24. 16 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your baby is growing from a grapefruit last week to the size of an…
Week 25
Welcome to week 25. 15 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your baby is growing from an ear of corn last week to the size…
Week 26
Welcome to week 26. 14 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Last week your baby was the size of an acorn squash. This week they…
Week 27
Welcome to week 27. This is the last week of the second trimester. 13 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your baby that was the…
Week 28
Welcome to week 28, the start of the final and third trimester. Listen Now Baby Your baby that was the size of a cabbage last…
Week 29
Welcome to week 29. Only 11 weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your baby eggplant is growing this week to the size of a cauliflower….
Week 30
Welcome to week 30. You are 75% of the way there! Listen Now Baby Your little cauliflower-sized baby is growing this week to the size…
Week 31
Welcome to week 31. Only nine weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your broccoli-sized baby is growing this week and is about the size of…
Week 32
Welcome to week 32. Only eight weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your asparagus-sized baby is growing to about the size of a cantaloupe. Your…
Week 33
Welcome to week 33. Only seven weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your cantaloupe-sized baby is growing to about the size of a butternut squash….
Week 34
Welcome to week 34. Only six weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your baby was as big as a butternut squash last week and is…
Week 35
Welcome to week 35. Only five weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your baby is growing from the size of a pineapple last week to…
Week 36
Welcome to week 36. Only one more month to go! Listen Now Baby Your baby is growing from a spaghetti squash to about the size…
Week 37
Welcome to week 37. Only three weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your baby was the size of a bunch of romaine lettuce and is…
Week 38
Welcome to week 38. Only two weeks to go! Listen Now Baby Your baby, who was as big as a canary melon, is growing to…
Week 39
Welcome to week 39. Only one more week to go! Listen Now Baby Your mini watermelon-sized baby is almost ready to make its debut into…
Week 40
Welcome to week 40. Your due date is here! Congratulations, you are almost there. Listen Now Baby Your baby was about the size of a…
Week 41
If you are still pregnant, welcome to week 41. You get to meet your baby any day now. Listen Now Baby Do not stress out…
Week 42
Welcome to week 42 and the last week of your pregnancy. Listen Now Baby It looks like your baby wants to take its time getting…