It’s  no wonder pregnant women are constantly comparing baby bumps: There are plenty of adages suggesting your tummy holds clues to the size, gender, and even the disposition of your new baby. While high for a girl, low for a boy may be an old wives’ tale, there’s plenty of information that can be discerned from an expectant mom’s belly --although it’s not always just about the new baby!

High or Low

One of the most enduring pregnancy myths is that the position of a baby bump indicates gender. In reality, it’s an indicator of the new mom’s fitness level: A woman with a toned stomach will often carry high because her muscles can support the growing baby. However, carrying low doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of shape -- age and previous pregnancies will also make it more difficult for your body to hold that new baby up high .

Narrow or Wide

The shape of a pregnant woman’s belly has also been said to reflect the baby’s gender -- but once again, it actually says more about the expectant mom. Typically, taller women sprout narrower bumps, while shorter women tend to grow wider. This has to do with the length of your torso: if your torso is on the shorter side, there’s little room for your new baby to grow upwards, resulting in a wide bump.   And while the shape may not reveal much about your baby’s gender, it can tell you about his position: A wider tummy often means your new baby is getting comfortable by stretching out sideways.

Big Belly, Big Baby?

When having a baby, there is no right or wrong size for your baby bump -- there are a lot of factors at play. And know that the size of your stomach doesn’t necessarily mean anything about the size of your new baby. Excess amniotic fluid or diabetes can cause your belly to appear larger while a lack of fluid, high blood pressure, or pre-eclampsia can result in a smaller bump, but not automatically a smaller baby. But don’t worry: Your doctor will perform regular ultrasounds to make sure your new baby is growing properly.

It’s likely that friends, family, and even strangers will comment on the size and shape of your belly during pregnancy. But don’t take their comments to heart. Your doctor knows best when it comes to keeping your new baby healthy, so if you have any questions about what’s going on with your stomach, ask away!

Being married to an editor and writer at a parenting magazine meant I mostly took orders when it came to pregnancy. My wife Jen was ‘in the biz’ and knew exactly what to expect and how to get ready. But as her partner in baby making and a soon-to-be new dad, I definitely had a role to play. Here’s how I geared up for the birth of our daughter which began my journey to fatherhood.

Crack the books As a new dad-to-be; you have to read up on the topic -- at least a little bit. Don’t pass on the articles, books or blogs that come your way.

Play waiter She wants ice cream -- at 2 AM? You’re on it! For Jen, it was root beer floats with our first, and egg and cheese sandwiches with #2.

Rub down Her feet, her back, her shoulders -- you name it. There’s nothing better than a massage at the end of the day, so jump right in and do your best.

Catch some zzz’s Now’s your chance: Sleep late, nap during the day, and generally lie around. Frankly, fatherhood won’t allow for much rest for many years.

Dad the Builder Step up to the plate and find the screwdriver! It’s time to put together the crib, paint that bookcase and hang the mobile.

Head of the class Birthing, breastfeeding and the hospital tour -- be sure all of these classes and events on are your calendar. Arrive on time, pay attention, and ask questions if you don’t understand something -- questions are expected, you’re going to be a new dad!

Car talk This was the hardest part. I had trouble mounting the car seat correctly and had to visit several service stations to get it right. Go to http://www.seatcheck.org/ for an inspection location in your area.

Be honest If you’re scared of being a new dad, or worried about the pain your wife will feel -- talk about it. This is some of the best advice I got.

Town crier Yup -- that’s you. When the babe arrives, you’re in charge of Tweeting, emailing, calling and taking the pictures. Don’t forget to charge your phone and digital camera!

Diaper duty Change those Pampers diapers, mix up the bottles and take a turn burping and cuddling. It’s time for baby boot camp -- your journey has just begun.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

We had three pregnancy announcements to break the news to our families, and we opted to announce it each time in a fun and different way!

When trying to decide how to tell your parents you’re pregnant, you may feel overwhelmed with all the ways you could surprise them. It was fun to have separate reveals, starting with my dad. At the time, my father lived in California, so we simply video-chatted him and said, “We have something to tell you!” He guessed right away. It was awesome to announce it to him through video chat, because we got to see his expression!

My mother lives about four hours from us, so we asked if she’d like to meet us halfway for dinner. We arrived at the restaurant before she did, and I clued the waitress in on our plan. The waitress rolled my mom’s silverware up in a white onesie instead of a napkin. When my mom arrived, I offered her the ‘best seat’ at the table. We waited on pins and needles for our appetizers to arrive, and when the food came, she unrolled her fork and knife…only to discover the baby outfit!  She was so surprised and shocked that she just held it up, staring at it. Finally, I said, “Mom! I’m pregnant!” and she started to cry, overjoyed at the thought of our new addition to the family.

My in-laws live nearby, so we went over for dinner. My husband brought in his mother’s ‘special gift’ -- a huge (and I do mean HUGE!) box, all wrapped up with pretty paper and bows. My mother-in-law kept saying, “What is this? It’s not a holiday or my birthday!” When she opened it up, a bunch of pink and blue balloons came flying out! Like my mother, she was so surprised that she was rendered speechless. After my husband finally explained the news, she said, “Wait! I have a gift for you, too!” and ran upstairs. She brought down a teddy bear and explained that she’d been saving it for the very day we would make our pregnancy announcement!  

Two years later, the teddy bear is one of Henry’s favorite toys. I love watching him play with it, as it always reminds me of the creative ways we announced our happy news.

Photo by Mayur Gala on Unsplash

A baby was the furthest thing from our minds. We had just moved into a new apartment, and I was trying to get a promotion at work. We figured we’d have children one day, but not anytime soon.

We had a vacation planned shortly after the move. One day, when we were away,  I noticed my breasts were, well, huge! But I didn’t think much of it. That should have been my first clue.

A second clue came -- or didn’t come -- a few days later. I was supposed to get my period while we were away, but it never happened. “Don’t worry,” Ryan told me. “You’re just stressed out. It’ll come.”

I spent the next few weeks waiting for my period and searching online for explanations. I wasn’t even thinking about pregnancy. Unfortunately, the other possible causes made me more and more anxious and seemed much scarier than becoming a new mom. I finally scheduled an appointment with my doctor.

Ryan was sick the day of my appointment, so he couldn’t join me. I kept trying to reassure myself the whole time while traveling to the office, waiting in reception, and sitting in the doctor’s office after I peed in a cup. So, I was a little on edge when the nurse knocked on the door -- and even more on edge when dropped the supplies she was holding as she walked in.

As she picked up her instruments, she said, “Honey, you’re pregnant!”

“Excuse me?!”

“You’re very pregnant,” she repeated matter-of-factly.

I shouldn’t have been shocked, but I was. I spent the trip home panicking about how this would change our lives, what it would mean for my promotion -- and what in the world Ryan would say about becoming a new dad.

As soon as I walked in the door, I blurted it out: “Ryan, I’m pregnant.” Now, he was both sick and stunned. He looked at me, said, “OK,” and went right back to bed.

It took him about a week to process the news. I tried to let him adjust to this change on his own time, but of course, I couldn’t help but watch him a little more closely. He spent a lot of time online researching pregnancy and fatherhood. And I could swear he developed a slight sweating issue.

As we both got used to the idea, we became more and more excited. “I always knew we would have children,” Ryan told me. “It’s just a lot earlier than we expected.”

We’ve had to make a lot of changes since our daughter, Ava, was born, including moving from that one-bedroom apartment to a house and giving up the weekends we used to have to ourselves. But Ava is our angel and has brought new meaning to our lives. We wouldn’t have it any other way!

Photo by Meryl Spadaro on Unsplash

No matter how many baby books you read or doctors you talk to, there’s no such thing as being completely prepared for a pregnancy of multiples -- or any pregnancy, for that matter! As I found out, there are many variables and it’s important to be flexible with your birth plan. When I was expecting twins, I never could have imagined how my labor would pan out. Here’s what I learned from my multiples pregnancy:

I was feeling pretty good when I went to the hospital during my 38^th week to deliver my full-term infant sons. I knew that many multiples are born prematurely (or before the 37^th week of pregnancy), so I was relieved that my new babies had made it past that date. Ironically, after I had spent a month on bed rest and taken medication to fend off contractions, my little ones seemed to change their minds about coming out, and my labor had to be induced. Because both babies were in the head-down birthing position, my doctor and I agreed that there was no reason I shouldn’t try a vaginal delivery.

As a first-time mom, I didn’t know what to expect during childbirth. Eight hours, one epidural, and countless contractions later, my first son made his appearance. At 5 pounds and 3 ounces, he was small but otherwise healthy. As the nurses and my husband looked him over, my ob-gyn prepared for baby number two. I was exhausted from the first delivery and certainly wasn’t prepared for what came next. My second son’s umbilical cord had slipped through the birth canal ahead of him, a complication called umbilical cord prolapse. A vaginal delivery was no longer an option because it would have pressed the baby against the umbilical cord and cut off his oxygen.

Umbilical cord prolapse happens in about one out of every 300 births and is more likely to occur with multiple babies. Due to the high-risk nature of delivering twins, I was already in a surgical room. Quickly, the doctors and nurses prepped me for an emergency C-section and our second baby was born. Thankfully, he was healthy and didn’t suffer any ill effects from the prolapsed cord.

While I was preparing for the babies’ arrival, I never imagined that I would experience both forms of childbirth. But if you plan to deliver twins vaginally, you should know that a combined delivery (when the first twin is delivered vaginally and the second by C-section) is always a possibility.

Of course, my labor experience with multiples is unique to me. Work with your doctor to prepare as much as possible for your own situation. And if the delivery seems daunting, focus on the positive: You’ll soon get to meet your adorable new babies!

Photo by Amy Humphries on Unsplash