New rules for my solitary, pregnant life

These are some general guidelines that I need to remind myself of on a daily basis right now... they might be helpful to you in the future.

• Drink lots and lots of water, at least one ounce for every two pounds you weigh, each day
• Take pre-natal vitamins, even when you're just trying to get pregnant. My favorite are the generic ones from Safeway (or Target, or wherever... they're all pretty much the same). I've also been taking fish oil supplements and my doctors and nurses always praise me for it!
• Take deep yoga breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth when you're really mad at your husband/other children/boss/friends/mother-in-law. It's your hormones. Once you are done, remind them that you are especially cranky right now.
• Avoid any movie, television show, news report, book, or conversation in which dying or injured children, especially babies, are discussed. The same holds true for dying or injured mothers.You will not be able to deal with this right now.
• Schedule regular times to get away from your family with a supportive group of other mothers (pregnant or not). If you don't have a group, find one right away.
• Limit your consumption of river fish (including salmon, trout, river bass) to 8 ounces per week; mercury levels in our rivers are high, and mercury harms developing babies
• Which sucks if this was originally one of the main staples of your diet. 
• Don't smoke and don't drink heavily (I never did this anyway, but it's a good reminder for others)
• Check labels for high-fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. It's bad for you and it will make it much easier to gain unhealthy weight.
• With anything else diet-related, please check with your doctor, midwife, or doula before eliminating things you love. Soft cheeses, honey, caffeine, and even small amounts of beer or wine are thought by some people to be harmful to a baby. However, there is no substantial scientific research to support their complete elimination from your diet. If you need it to survive (hello caffeine!), don't get too upset about it unless you hear it first from a respected medical professional.
• Find an exercise routine you can live with and stick to it. Pregnant women are now "allowed" to do a lot more than in decades past, from walking, yoga and stationery biking to running, hiking and cross-country skiing.