Whether you leap for joy or cry in a corner, seeing that little pink line on the pregnancy test can send a newly expecting mom into a pregnancy panic. No doubt life will never be the same. However, there are some things you can do to ready yourself physically and mentally for the big arrival.

Practice Saying No
You are going to need to get use to this word once your little one starts to crawl. However, start practicing saying no as a way to reduce stress in your life. Say “No” to working the extra shift. Say “No” when your Aunt Francis insists on bringing her cat. Say “No” to chairing the silent auction committee. Now is the time to assert boundaries at work and at home. If your life is already stressful, bringing a baby into that world can cause problems for you as well as your child. Start reducing stress – and remember a great way to begin is by practicing saying “No”.

Develop Your Social Support Network
Pregnancy is not something you should attempt alone. Start to educate yourself on the resources available in your community for pregnancy, birth and child rearing. The internet also is a great way to get connected to individuals and resources that can assist you through this major transition. Keep in mind, however, that more so than your doctor, your husband, or even your library – your girlfriends are the best source for information on the down and dirty aspects of pregnancy. Even if it means watching her drink wine while you sip on your caffeine-free club soda, reconnect with girlfriends who have already been down the pregnancy road and have lived to tell about it.

Discuss Parenting Styles with Your Partner
Are you into organic food and your husband’s into fast food? Were you raised with “yes sir” and “no sir” while your husband called adults by their first names? What are your beliefs about spanking? How often should your mother-in-law visit? It is very important that both of you discuss your parenting styles and how they will apply once baby arrives.

Start a College Fund
Even though your baby has not yet entered the world, it is time to start saving for college. If your savings has been used for such things as a spontaneous trip to the beach or for your husbands giant wide-screen TV – it’s time to reign it in. Having a child can have a sobering effect on your finances. Start a savings account for their college fund and commit to contributing to it every month.

Enjoy Me Time
Now’s the time. Take the girls trip, enjoy two-hour baths, and don’t get up before noon on weekends. Find ways to nurture yourself and your partner before your nurturing quota is completely spent on your baby.

Read a Book
This goes with the Me Time. Once I had kids, my reading time pretty much went out the window. So before baby arrives, take the time to read a book. And not just parenting books – although I have a few I recommend.

Belly Laughs – Jenny McCarthy
Jenny McCarthy reveals the naked truth about pregnancy in her typical raw fashion. This laugh-out-loud read provides much needed comic relief for our ankle swelling spirit. Although most of the chapters are too naughty to mention, some of the more G-rated titles are: “Psycho Chick”, “Where the Hell can find a Muumuu?”, and “Can I have a Mustard Sandwich with Pickles, Anchovies, Peanut Butter, and a little Cottage Cheese?… Oh and Throw a few Fish Sticks on there”.

Hot Mama – Karen Salmansohn
Karen Salmansohn focuses on the better parts of pregnancy by celebrating beautiful changes in hair and skin. She refers to the body of the mother-to-be as “sexy” and provides tips for healthy eating, beauty and style. This book inspires women to look great and feel fabulous by unleashing the Hot Mama within.

The Belly Book – Amy Krouse Rosenthal
For those of you into scrapbooks and photo albums, “The Belly Book” offers a place to document the nine month journey of pregnancy. Moms-to-be can note “really jonesin’ for” foods and “the thought of eating is totally repulsive” foods in sections titled, “Honey, can you please pull back my hair” and “Cravings and Aversions”. In addition, there are lots of places to insert photos of your growing belly.

The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy: Second Edition – Vicki Iovine
This enormously successful book has now grown into a series of “Girlfriends Guide To…” books. Vicki Iovine provides the real skinny on pregnancy the way that only a girlfriend can do. Chapters such as “What Really Happens to your Body” and “The Many Moods of Pregnancy” offer insights into things that are too embarrassing to ask or too strange to mention.

When I was pregnant, it helped me to remember all of the women who had been on this journey before me. Movie stars, pioneer women, queens and princesses suffered through the morning sickness and even labor – most without the blessing of the epidural. You have the strength to get through this – it’s part of your DNA. Although I think anyone who says that they have forgotten the pain of labor is a little suspect, I can say that the cravings, the swelling, the puking, the crying, the gorging, the water retention and even the weight gain are all worth it once your munchkin enters the world.