Pea In The Podcast

Oh baby, you're having a baby! You're at the beginning of a 40-week journey in which the spark of life begins in you and becomes your baby. It is awe-inspiring and thrilling. If you planned this little one, as Alissia -- who is now 10 weeks pregnant -- did, you've probably already started making changes in your life to give your little one the best possible start.

This week we'll help you have that vaginal birth after c-section, also known as a VBAC. We'll talk to an expert who says VBAC is not as dangerous as you may have been lead to believe.

You've been planning your labor and delivery for months. You attended classes, you've read books, you've learned how to relax through pain but suddenly you're on your way to an operating room to have your baby surgically, what in the world happened? ''In the United States most cesarean sections are performed for labor abnormalities, mainly failure to progress in labor or for what is the term cephalopelvic disproportion.''

This week we'll talk about feeding your baby with a bottle. Whether you think you might pump and feed your baby with mother's milk or combination feed with formula, or if you think you might want to exclusively formula feed

You wouldn't think it would be so difficult to decide how to feed your baby when there are just two options. But it is and everyone has an opinion. Let's find out about what a pediatrician has to say, "Well obviously breastfeeding is going to have some real significant advantages for moms, or for babies rather. We have to keep in mind that breast milk is a living, breathing product that contains hemogloblin and other things that help boost a baby's immune system and even boost their intelligence.

This week is one of the most important decisions that you'll make for your baby and one of the most stressful. What will you feed your little one when it arrives. We talk to a pediatrician, "Well parents basically can do one of two things after they have their baby, they can either breastfeed or they can bottle-feed." And we'll walk you through those options. We'll talk to moms who breastfed, "It's been one of the greatest experiences of my life." And bottle-fed, "My husband wasn't as on board with that and I'm like the day that you can breastfeed is the day that we'll breastfeed how does that sound?"

This week we're getting your finances in order. From insurance, "You may need insurance for the very first time and we're talking about life insurance here." To your taxes, "When baby makes three you now have the new exemptions for the child and you may have the child tax credit." And estate planning, "If you're a single person you can certainly be fancy free about whether you want to have a will or not, but if you have a kid you've got more of a responsibility." Sounds overwhelming? Don't worry mommy, we've got three great money experts to talk your through it.

It's time to start buying all the stuff you need for your baby and it's overwhelming isn't it? How do you get it all? How do you afford it? Baby gear can run you around $6,000, "It's amazing how expensive some of this stuff can be. I remember going into a boutique shop on Ventura Boulevard there where I lived in Los Angeles and they were charging just amazing prices for basic furniture. $800 for a bureau that was not very well constructed just because it had baby so it seemed like they could add an extra zero to the price of everything.

This week we're planning your shower! There's plenty to do and the work starts four months before the baby comes. ''Figuring out what kind of shower you want to have. Picking a date and a location and figuring out who you're going to invite.'' We'll help you navigate the minefield of social expectations, ''A baby shower should not be held by a family member.'' And we'll tell you what you really aren't expected to do, ''So many people don't like games but for some reason we think that we're supposed to play them.'' And we'll get you started with a planning time-table straight ahead in this Pea in the Podcast: Planning Your Shower.

You're pregnant and by choice or by chance you're doing it without a partner, Dr. Leah, author of The Complete Single Mother says you may be overwhelmed and with good reason, ''Single motherhood is relentless. You are the person in charge, you are the person with all of the responsibilities, you're pretty much on 24/7.'' So how can you make this work? Dr. Leah says the first thing that you need to do is process any sadness that you may feel about not having a partner to share this experience with you.

It's the 21st century and unlike some of our moms and many of our grandmothers most moms have careers they love or need. Despite that a large number of modern women are making the choice to make their careers motherhood, ''The was the report that said about 47% of all American women stay home for a year or more after they have a baby and that actually the majority of mothers of preschoolers are either staying at home or working part-time. That working full-time is not something the majority of mothers do with very young children.'' Surprised? I was.

Well it's the best news you've ever gotten, you're having a baby but for your boss it may not be good news at all. How do you tell them? Judy Bowman is the President and Founder of Protocol Consultants International, ''Clearly it's a very personal issue and I would tell your manager in private, tell them privately and hopefully they'll way and your demur in which you convey the terrific, exciting, wonderful news which it is will be contagious and let your manager that you are more than willing to work with them on realistic time frames that will help them manage their work environment so that it works for the woman as well.''

This week it's all about what you eat, ''Good nutrition or a well balanced is essential for normal fetal growth and development.'' And getting up off the coach, ''Increasing your level of activity during pregnancy decreases your risk of gestational diabetes and it also makes you fit for delivery.'' A nutritionist, an obstetrician, a nurse turned prenatal yoga instructor help you get healthy in this pea in the podcast.

The pregnancy test is positive. Hurray! But wait a minute, I'm not ready. My life is changing so fast. ''Motherhood is life altering.'' Natalie Gahrmann, coach Natalie is a work life expert and the author of the book Succeeding as a Super Busy Parent , now she says that moment when you realize what you have just gotten yourself into and that you better get ready, well it can be overwhelming. Leah Bassoff is also a writer, she's a mother of two now but she says when she found out she was having her first very much wanted baby she fell apart.

This week you know you have to quit, ''I started smoking when I was probably about 15 or 16.'' Well of course you have to quit smoking but what do you mean you have to watch what you eat? ''It wasn't so hard the donuts, I could give those up pretty easy but I could not eat one French fry.'' In this Pea in the Podcast we're breaking bad habits. You can do it.