New Pregnancy Checklist: Burn, Baby, Burn

You feel sicker than a dog and lazier than a llama. The last thing you want to do is exercise. Surely pregnancy's the perfect excuse to slouch around and anyway, won't all that jiggling hurt the foetus? Wrong on both counts. As this Mayo Clinic article explains, staying active helps to ease a lot of the aches and pains that come with pregnancy, aids with labour and delivery and speeds up recovery. Just make sure you get the all clear from your doctor and work at a natural pace. Don't suddenly start trying to run marathons if reaching for the remote makes you break a sweat.

Start easy by registering with BabyFit for a free personalised exercise and nutrition plan or join Blooming Fit for a small fee. Invest in a good maternity sports bra and clothes that appreciate your shape. Fit Maternity has a great range of sportswear to kick you and your bump into gear.

New Pregnancy Checklist: Shoot Yourself

There's no better time to own a camera than when you're expecting a baby. Apart from the crazy photographer/stalker (or mamarazzi) you'll become once your bubba's born, it's a great idea to start taking photos of yourself right from conception. Even though nothing's showing yet, your body will never look exactly the same and there's still something deeply emotional about the sight of your flattish belly with its secret life inside.

You can keep a paper and photo journal tracking your body's changes - not just the size of your belly but your blooming bustline, hair and nail growth, or newly popped belly button (we call it the umbilical cork). You can even share these photos with loved ones or an intimate circle of millions via a private or public photo blog. Or you can go one step further and hire a professional like UK photographer Tina Bolton to record this journey. It may cost a bit, but the memories are priceless.

New Pregnancy Checklist: Go Surfing

From the minute I found out I was pregnant, I was online Googling for pregnancy info, advice and trivia. Many hours supposedly working were actually spent calculating my due date, scoping out belly photos, and signing up for programmes to track my pregnancy week by week. I also figured out my baby's horoscope and did the Chinese gender predictor test. This form of 'research' was one of the fun things about a first-time pregnancy. But if you don't have time to waste, here are our top 5 tried and trusted websites that will see you through the next nine months and more:

Babycenter.com - winner of a 2006 Webby award
Pregnancy.org - watch birth videos, share stories and more
Babyworld - top UK site, great forums and fab shopping
Storknet - practical and accessible info
Pregnancy Weekly - all about pregnancy

New Pregnancy Checklist: Show and Tell

So your pee has produced a thin blue line and you're itching to tell somebody. You could surprise your partner using one of these ideas from Baby Center members. You might want to share with a few close friends and family members with a bold yet understated pregnancy announcement, Hip & Little style. Or perhaps you just want to shout it out from the mountain tops. If you're ready to tell the world even though you've not hit the 12 week mark, try on one of these Shhh...Baby Sleeping t-shirts from Foxy Mama Maternity. It's direct yet discrete, will grow with your figure and the message will last until your baby comes screaming into the world.

New Pregnancy Checklist: Stop Fuming

It stinks. It kills. It rots your teeth, causes wrinkles and burns a hole in your pocket. And you still can't put it out. But if you won't quit the cancer sticks for yourself, do it for your unborn child. Smoking is linked to a host of problems for the foetus including birth defects, abnormal lung development and stillbirth. Read the March of Dimes foundation's fact sheet for a quick anti-nicotine fix. If that doesn't shake you up, see the pregnancy and smoking section at Why Quit. For direct help in kicking the habit, visit the US Surgeon General's consumer guide.

And don't think that just because you're a non-smoker, you're off the hook. Second-hand smoking can also affect your baby, so try to avoid smoky areas. Persuade those around you - especially your partner or housemate - to stop puffing in your presence. If you're timid of tongue, this slogan t-shirt should get your message across loud and clear.

New Pregnancy Checklist: Get the Bible

There are tonnes of books out there about the waiting game, but the undisputed bible of first-time pregnancy is What to Expect When You’re Expecting. It’s practical and reassuring advice although, like the Good Book, some may find it a little alarmist in places. I bought this along with Pregnancy for Dummies which appealed to me mainly because of the title. Even if you’ve witnessed pregnancy, birth and the whole shebang up close, there’s something about going bump yourself that makes you feel quite clueless. For a wittier, hipper and downright ruder take on going belly up, check out The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy by Vicky Iovine.

New Pregnancy Checklist: 10 Things to Do

There are many thoughts that may run through your head when you find out you're expecting: At last! Oh no, not again! Why me? I'm so blessed. A whole nine months? Hooray, maternity leave! Here comes the fat chick. Who's the daddy? Perhaps none, maybe all of the above.

But there are loads of things you should do, so many in fact that you're probably feeling drained already. Here's our top 10 Things to do when you find out you're pregnant (and you're planning to keep the baby):

1. Quit smoking. Now. Seriously, there's no better reason.
2. Announce it. To the daddy, to a friend, to a doctor. Somebody else has gotta know!
3. Go buy the book. It's the ultimate guide to What to Expect.
4. Eat healthier. It's not just folic acid and Omega 3 supplements.
5. Go window shopping. Being a hot mama takes planning.
6. Bookmark pregnancy sites. You need advice you can trust.
7. Get active. Your baby, and your body, will thank you for it.
8. Budget. The cost of a child is the cost of a lifetime.
9. Start a photo journal. You'll be amazed by your changing body.
10. Take a break. A pregnant body needs rest and lots of pampering. Indulge!

Comment board: What are your Top 10 tips for mamas-in-progress? What was the first thing you did when you found out you were pregnant?

Brand New Mama welcomes you

Welcome to Brand New Mama, the brand new sister blog to Hype Baby (a blogazine for babies with attitude). Brand New Mama is a resource for new mothers everywhere, helping you along the journey from that twinkle in your eye to that toddler in your face.

We'll be chatting about everything we can think of that relates to pregnancy and early motherhood: whether it's morning sickness or newborn upchuck, cracked nipples or cradle cap. And that's just the fun stuff.

At Brand New Mama you'll find links to the best articles we can find on the web about pregnancy, birth and baby care, no-holds-barred reviews of products you might actually use (and those you'll want to skip), tips, trends and much light relief.

We're not experts and we don't subscribe to any particular parenting method beyond good care, common sense and mother's instinct. Like you, we're mostly making it up as we go along. And loving (almost)every minute of it.

Buckle up. It's gonna be a bumpy ride.

*Photo courtesy of The Baby Website