How fast you lose weight will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of weight you gained during your pregnancy.

Most women will lose anywhere from 10-14 pounds within the first 2 weeks of delivery. This weight may be attributed primarily to the loss of excess fluid in the body, the baby’s weight, the placenta and amniotic fluid. Some women might lose a little bit less, and others might lose a little bit more.

As the uterus shrinks back down to its normal size and your hormone levels continue to fall, you will lose weight. Most women gain at least 7 pounds of fat during pregnancy. This fat is meant to help women store energy while breastfeeding. How fast this weight comes off will depend on a number of factors including: genetics, your overall health, diet and exercise.

You should expect that it will take a little bit of time to lose the weight you gained during pregnancy. It did after all take you nine months to put that weight on! Many women have successfully lost weight however, in just a few short months after a delivery.

Some women will hang on to the last few pounds they have to lose until they stop breastfeeding. Your body may want to cling to a few extra pounds to ensure you have enough energy to provide adequate milk for the baby. Every woman’s experience is unique with respect to this.

The good news is that with a solid nutritional program and with moderate exercise, you can expect to lose the weight you gained during pregnancy within a reasonable time frame.

Most women will be back to their pre pregnancy weight within nine months of delivering IF they follow a regular exercise program and eat healthily after delivery. That said some women will lose their pregnancy weight in as little as six to twelve weeks!

Article by Beverley Brooke, visit http://www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com for more on weight loss after pregnancy

Throwing a surprise baby shower doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be fun for all involved. All it takes is a little patience, a few basic steps, and the cooperation of friends and family.

A surprise shower does involve some secrets, so remember to be stealthy. But you will want to make sure that the mom-to-be will be up for a surprise. Early on in her pregnancy, try to ascertain if she is up for a surprise baby shower or if she would rather know in advance. This could eliminate surprising mom-to-be when she is not feeling up to it. (If mom-to-be knows she has a surprise baby shower coming up, she will be more likely to be dressed appropriately when the time comes.)

Once you have determined whether the baby shower will be a surprise or not, make sure that mom-to-be has registered for baby gifts. Even if you are having a non-surprise baby shower, it is never appropriate to ask the mom-to-be what she wants for the baby. Let the registry do the talking so baby shower guests can feel free to choose gifts within their own individual budgets.

You will need to enlist the help of those closest to mom-to-be, particularly the dad-to-be. He will be able to help determine a date and time for the surprise baby shower. As well as help to get her there with the least amount of suspicion. He can also make sure she doesn’t head out in a baseball cap and no makeup.

Perhaps thinking she is just coming over for coffee! Close family will need to help with the preparation of a baby shower guest list. Since you won’t be able to ask mom-to-be directly. You will have to rely on her mother or mother-in-law and maybe a sister to get this information. Be careful when sending the surprise baby shower invitations. You will need to mention that this is a surprise baby shower! You don’t want anyone accidentally spilling the beans!

You can keep in the theme of surprising mom-to-be by going the extra mile. By ensuring that an unexpected baby shower guest is able to make it. Ask close friends of this baby shower guest to help with the cost of travel. If this is necessary as part of mom-to-be’s gift. She will probably love that more than a baby shower gift!

You can also play baby shower games with surprise themes. Try playing the “diaper surprise” game by passing out diapers to all of the guests. With one of them having a “mess” inside (you can use chocolate or bean dip, or use your imagination). The one who gets the messy diaper wins a prize.

Or if mom-to-be is expecting a boy, you can play “pin the diaper on baby”. Just before your blind-folded guest of honor goes to place the diaper on the baby. Squirt her with a water pistol to simulate the “surprise” often associated with changing a baby boy’s diaper!

Sometimes, no matter how hard you work to keep the baby shower a surprise. Your mom-to-be may find out about it. Don’t let this get you down, though. There will be some elements of surprise for her. Whether she is expecting the baby shower or not.

It might be unexpected guests, party favors, or an exotic cake. There will be plenty there that she didn’t count on!

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Randy has dozens more baby shower related articles such as Diaper Cakes, Games for a Baby Shower and How to Plan a Baby Shower.

When decoration for a baby shower, there are a few key aspects that should be considered:

1) Will your baby shower adhere to a theme?

Visit our baby shower theme for ideas about selecting a theme. If you are using a theme, then it is good to be consistent. People are most often impressed when decorating follows a selected theme. However, note that it doesn’t have to be as specific as just rubber ducks. You can use baby items as a general theme and mix it up if desired.

2) Plates, cups and napkins.

If you are serving food, like most baby showers do, then baby themed tableware is often appropriate. If possible, try to make sure that the plates, cups, and napkins all match. Some places also have baby themed table cloths that are great for showers.

3) Confetti, banners, and streamers

The most common banners and streamers are “It’s a Boy or Girl” streamers and can be attached around the walls. These decorations are usually very affordable and an easy way to decorate. Confetti can come in shapes like rocking horses, ducks, or bears. It usually takes more time to clean up confetti, but it may be worth it for some parties.

4) Yard signs

Yard signs, particularly the popular stork yard sign, is a good way to announce a new baby and also let your neighbors know about your baby shower. Another benefit is that guests will be able to easily locate the house that the shower is being held at.

5) Centerpieces and placecard holders

A baby shower cake is the most common centerpiece for a shower. Other ideas include floral arrangements, baskets, and bouquets.

Themed placecard holders are commonly available for purchase online. You can also make your own by purchasing a regular placecard holder and attaching a clip-on stuffed bear for example. Flower shops often carry such items.

Decorating can be a challenging, but fun task and carefully selected decorations can really set the atmosphere for your baby shower party.

Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. See Baby Shower Decorations for baby shower decorations and Baby Shower Supply for other related baby shower supplies.

Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits and resource box remain in tact and the hyperlinks are active.

As a pregnant woman, you may experience sex drives much like your moods. Up and Down! Some women claim that they have no sex drive at all during pregnancy, and others, say their sex drive is better during pregnancy. With changes to your body happening so quickly, your moods and dives may also change just as quick!

Here are some common questions often asked by pregnant women with helpful answers!

Is it safe to have sex during all trimesters of pregnancy?

If there is no pain during sex and your not a high risk pregnancy, then sex is perfectly safe! If you are experiencing pain, or have a history of miscarriages, or any complications, consult with your medical professional.

I do not have any desire for sex, is this normal?

Every woman’s pregnancy is different. While some women experience an increase in their sex drive, others may experience a decrease. Many women that are experiencing morning sickness, have no desire for sex at all. This is fine, and actually perfectly normal. Who wants to make love when they feel sick? As you enter your 2nd trimester, most of the time the morning sickness will start to vanish. Once this happens, you will feel better and your sex drive many appear. If you seem to just have no desire for sex at all, there are other ways to satisfy your needs and your partners needs for intimacy, such as kissing and holding each other.

Are there any positions that are more comfortable during my later months of pregnancy?

Once your belly begins to grow, it may become uncomfortable to have sex in the “man on top” position. The “spoon” position has become pretty popular among pregnant women! In this position, each partner lays on their side, with the man in the back. This way your belly is not in the way and your body is still flat.

Is it true that sex can induce labor?

According to medical professionals, there is a chemical in semen, that will soften the cervix, and aid in the labor process. However, sex will not actually induce labor. The semen can assist the labor process once it has begun, but will not actually cause labor to begin. If you are experiencing contractions, consult with your medical professional.

If you have any other questions that have not been addressed, talk with your medical professional! He or She would be more than willing to offer answers to your questions!

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Pregnancy Guide - Offers information on all aspects of pregnancy that will allow you to make informed decisions about your prenatal care, newborn care, and learn great tips for a healthy pregnancy! We also offer free baby webpages, a due date calculator, baby coupons, and much more! Visit http://www.mypregnancyguide.com today!

So you’re expecting twins. Congratulations!

Are you still in shock? I sure was. The thought of bringing two babies into the world at one time scared the heck out of me, especially since I was already the father of two boys (ages five and three). I remembered how much work the first year was with both of them, with all of the diapers, the bottles, the sleepless nights, etc… I wondered how in the world we were going to do it with two babies? I immediately started stressing out about all of things that we were going to go through once the babies were born. Little did I know at the time that the most stressful part of having twins was already upon us…the pregnancy.

I did not know at the time that a twin pregnancy is not at all like a single pregnancy. With our first two pregnancies, it was relatively low impact for me (I know, all of the women reading this are rolling their eyes, especially my wife). But to my wife’s credit, it’s true. I figured I had about eight months to play as much golf as I could before the birth of the twins, and that’s when I would really have to become involved. After all, my work was already done for the time being, right? Boy, was I wrong!

There are many things that happened during the pregnancy that surprised me, or that no one told me about. I’d like to tell you about some of those things here, so maybe you’ll be a little more prepared for what happens during a twin pregnancy than I was.

First, pre-term labor is fairly common in a twin pregnancy. I didn’t even know what pre-term labor was until it happened to my wife. This was definitely the most stressful thing about the pregnancy, and it’s something that I don’t remember anyone warning me about. Maybe my wife mentioned it to me, but you know how it is, there was probably a ball game or something. My wife went to a routine check-up at about the 25th week of pregnancy. After being gone for an abnormally long time, she phoned me from the hospital and told me that they were keeping her overnight because she was having contractions. What a shock! I couldn’t understand how that could be so early in the pregnancy. The babies were less than 3 lbs. each at the time, so we were both extremely worried. They wound up giving her medication to stop labor and kept her in the hospital for a couple of days. This was the first of four trips to the hospital to stop labor. The good news was that the medication that they gave her successfully stopped the contractions each time, and she was able to carry the twins past 36 weeks.

Second, prepare for bed rest. My wife wound up going on bed rest for about the last four weeks of the pregnancy. This is a very common occurrence for a twin pregnancy, so you need to prepare yourselves for it. We were fairly lucky because my wife was a stay at home mother, so we did not have to worry about her taking time off from her job. We were also very fortunate that my mother-in-law was able to come and stay with us during that time to help with our two boys and to help out around the house. I’m not sure what we would have done without her. My advice is to recruit family and friends if you can to help out. But however you do it, take bed rest very seriously. Make sure you’re wife stays off of her feet. There’s a good reason why many mothers of twins are put on bed rest by their doctor, and that’s so she doesn’t go into labor too early. You want your wife to carry those babies as long as she can for the health of your twins. Oh, and needless to say, golf was just not an option while my wife was on bed rest.

Third, don’t expect a full-term pregnancy. It very rarely happens with twins. The goal of a twin pregnancy is to carry them at least 36 weeks. Once you reach that mark you are considered to be out of the ‘danger zone’. Even though 36 weeks is the target, many twins are delivered earlier. What this means is that you have less time to get everything ready for the new arrivals. I would suggest getting the babies room ready earlier, start buying those baby items that you need to purchase, get things done around the house that need to be done. During this pregnancy, you may not have time to wait until the last minute!

Finally, you are about to embark on an emotional and stressful, next few months. It was truly an emotional roller coaster for us. I’ll never forget our fourth trip to the hospital because of pre-term labor. My wife started having contractions again at around week 34. The babies were both more than 5 lbs., so we were sure that they would just let it go and we could finally deliver the twins. We thought that the twins were big enough and strong enough to be born safely, so I packed up the overnight bag and the camera and we headed for the hospital, positive that we were going to finally have the twins that day. After all of the other trips to the hospital, we were ready. Once we got to the hospital we were immediately put in a delivery room. And then the contractions stopped…all by themselves. We asked the doctor to induce labor, and he refused, for the safety of the twins. Of course he was right, but we were both devastated. We were just emotionally and mentally exhausted. My wife cried all the way home.

My best advice to you is to try to stay calm, help and support your wife (she truly is doing most of the work), and trust your doctor’s advice. Remember, you’re goal is to try and carry the babies at least until week 36, which will greatly decrease the chance of complications with the birth of your twins. Do everything you can to make this happen. Trust me, even though a twin pregnancy is a very trying time for the mother and the father, its well worth it once those twins arrive!

About the Author

Dan Brunkow is the owner and moderator of http://www.twinadvice.com. TwinAdvice.com is a site dedicated to providing parenting advice to parents of twins, from parents of twins.