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How to grow blog traffic with pinterest. Before I started blogging, I used to think that Pinterest was a “picture platform”, yes that’s how I referred to it. I didn’t understand how it worked but all I knew was that it had great pictures. I am sure I am not the only one who viewed Pinterest like this. I never knew that Pinterest was the biggest source of traffic for bloggers until I was a new blogger who wanted to drive traffic into her website. Here’s some few tips and tricks to do well on Pinterest even as a new blogger.

How to create a Pinterest business account?

Before we even discuss the Pinterest monthly impressions, how do you create a successful vusi account on Pinterest that will set you up for success?

Step 1: How to grow your blog traffic with pinterest.

The first step is to download the Pinterest or access it through their website. Click on ‘join as a business’.

Step 2

Insert your email and password and click on the “creat account” button.

Step 3

Insert required information according to the next following steps. Now you should set up your language and country. Insert your business name and select your business type. The next thing you want to do is so link your blog website to your Pinterest business account and then claim your website. You can further connect your other social media accounts to your profile.

Step 4

The nnext step is about running ads on Pinterest. You can click “yes” and if you are not sure yet click “I am not sure yet”.

Now it’s time to choose topics that are related to your niche. Depending on a topic you choose and your interest, Pinterest will add pins to your home feed. Lastly, make sure that you confirm your email so that you can start using your pinterest profile.

How to create good boards on Pinterest

Since you have created your business account, congratulations. You are a few steps away from driving massive traffic to your blog Website or your shop.

Step 1

Ten to fifteen boards is a good start. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself by creating too many boards as a beginner. However creating less than 10-15 boards can be limiting and can cause your growth on Pinterest to be very slow which will result in a lot of frustration.

Name your boards accordingly

When naming your boards, you need to be very precise and try by all means to not use cute or meaningless names or informal names. My particular niche is pregnancy, parenting and lifestyle and I have named my boards :pregnancy tips, breastfeeding etc. When making your boards, you need to make sure that you use keywords in their names to make your boards searchable and easy to find on Pinterest.

A lot of people aren’t aware that SEO is equally as important on Pinterest as it is on Google. Just like you want your articles to rank on Google, you should also want your Pinterest boards to rank in search. There are three important places to include keywords when you are setting up your boards. Put keywords in your board title, category and boards descriptions.

It is highly important to assign each board you create a content category because it affects where your pins will appear on Pinterest search. Like I have mentioned before, boards have the capability to rank on Pinterest search. Therefore you need to think about the keywords that people in your niche are searching for.

How to write keyword-rich board descriptions

Board descriptions explain the content of a Pinterest board in less than 500 words. The are also extremely important for SEO. Your board descriptions must have relevant keywords to help Pinterest rank it in search results. Have a clear descriptive and simple language in your board description whilst putting in keywords. If you are having a hard time coming up with a description, think about what you and your target audience would be searching for around the title of your board. For instance, if your board name is “pregnancy”, your targeted audience could be searching for “pregnancy announcement, pregnancy shoot, pregnancy outfits, pregnancy meal plans”, etc. Now that all your boards are all set and rich in those keywords, you need to start pinning!

How tto create attractive clickable pins

By now I am sure all of you want to know, how do you create clickable attractive pins that will attract your Pinterest viewers to your website.

Step 1

Use clear images. It is so important that you use clear and high quality images in your pins. If you are just putting blurry images, I am sorry but no one will have the interest to see what else you have to offer. For free stock pictures you can use Pexels, Pixabay, Unsplash or Canva.

Step 2

Once yyou have good quality pictures, you need to start creating your pins. Pins with different fonts and font sizes really thrive on Pinterest. Text pins instead of image pins also have a higher potential to go viral on Pinterest. You can play around with colours and figure out which colours your audience likes. Create vertical pins, they do quite well on Pinterest. Try to make catchy captions on your pins that will make people eager to find out more about the topic. Use keywords in your pin descriptions related to the topic that’s mentioned in your pin.

The type of pins that do well on Pinterest are: “how to…”, “list of…” Pinterest has over 290 million users on the platform and they are all searching for answers. If your pins are structured in a way that they answer people’s questions in your niche, then you will most likely succeed on Pinterest.

Make sure that you also post idea pins on your account.. Idea pins usually have the highest number of impressions. However, you can’t insert your website url on an idea pin hence its important to also pin image pins. Before you pin your own image pins, fill out your boards with relevant pins of other users in your niche. Pin about 36 pins to each board before you start pinning your own pins. This should be everything you need to know about how to grow your blog traffic with Pinterest. I wish you all the best in your Pinterest journey.

Here are five Valentine’s day traditions to start with your kids. Hey mama, Valentines season is upon us and I am sure a lot of moms including myself are wondering how we can entertain and include our kids on Valentines day. Speaking of activities. What traditions can we start in our homes that would involve our kids whilst keeping them entertained. I used to find it hard to figure out how can I make this day fun for my daughter. This holiday is usually just celebrated by people who are in relationships mostly and we tend to forget about the kids. Well let me tell you what, your little one doesn’t have to be forgotten this year. I have formulated a list of five Valentines traditions to start with your kids.

Valentine’s day is about presents right? It definitely is. However, as much as it is about receiving nice presents, it’s also about giving. This is also a good chance for you to teach you child the importance of giving. I remember when I was little, we’d have a dress up day at school in red and white and write some cute Valentine’s day cards for our parents. Those were the days and this brings me to the first tradition.

Send Valentine’s cards to relatives

When we used to write cards to our parents on valentine’s day those were one of the highlights for me of the holiday. I used to look forward to that every year oh and the dressing up of course. You can have your children make cards for their grandparents or other relatives. Handmade cards are always so special no matter how messy they are.

I remember how messy mine was when I was younger but man was I proud of myself and looking forward to seeing my parent’s reactions when they saw my card. I can’t wait to see the card my daughter will make for me this year. It is going to be such a proud moment because I remember how many hours I used to spend making one as a kid. It is so special seeing our little ones pour their hearts out into a piece of paper expressing their love for us.

Valentine’s themed breakfast

A nice themed valentine’s day breakfast will have your kids in the mood for the holiday. You can add a couple of treats in their breakfast meals since it’s a special day. Some nice colourful valentine’s themed table decorations could seal the deal.

Matching valentine’s day pyjamas

Since Christmas pyjamas are quite a thing and popular you can also get some valentines themed pyjamas for your kids. The kids can wear their cute pyjamas the night before and this will definitely start their excitement. In the following morning, your kids could make their way to breakfast in their cozy pyjamas.

Valentine’s day family tree

Before you say anything, this tree doesn’t be the size of a Christmas tree. This is another exciting DIY project and kids love making things from scratch. You can use some sticks and combine them together to create some fake branches. Now for the more fun stuff you can use pieces of paper and colour them differently to make the ornaments. Just like Christmas ornaments, write down names of all the family members in the ornaments and get your little one to hang them up on the family tree.

Baking with your kids

Nothing will seal the deal like some valentine’s day cookies. This is the day for your little Baker to showcase his/her talent in the kitchen with your hel of course. I hope you atleast got one tradition that resonates with you. Have a great valentines day.

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How to sleep train your baby or toddler? . I am sure that I am speaking for all moms out there when I say it is every mother’s dream to have a good sleep. We all dream of having a decent sleep without being interrupted by some baby screams. I remember being a new c-section mom who was recovering from a major surgery and grumpy because of the little to no sleep I was getting. All I can say is that it’s possible and after this, you will be just five days away from your beauty sleep.

The ebook I purchased about sleep training literally transformed my perspective on sleep training. I honestly can’t recommend it enough. You can get yourself a copy from here!. Have we ever taken the time as moms and tried to figure out why our kids won’t sleep?. Personally, before I knew anything about sleep training I solely focused on when and how I wanted my daughter to fall asleep and not so much on what she needed to sleep longer . Here’s our sleep training method below.

Our sleep training method

Here’s what I did.

Maybe babies aren’t sleeping well because they are hungry. This got me thinking and I began feeding her thirty minutes before her bedtime. Of course there are night feeds that we have to wake up for especially for new moms. However if they sleep with their tummies full, they will sleep for longer.

We all have different bath times in our homes. What I found to work for me at home was to bath my daughter in the afternoons. Putting her in a warm bath with some lavender flavoured body wash helped to relax her. Nothing beats a fresh clean diaper and clothes after a relaxing bath.

In the evening just before putting her to bed, I used to spend some time playing with her. We’d play with her toys, sing some songs or read short stories. I did all of these things to make sure that by the time she had to go to bed, she would be tired which would help her fall asleep faster.

Babies love calm spaces or quiet spaces. Limit the noise in the house or in your baby’s room. Some babies really love noise machines and they help them relax. Walk slowly, sing some soft lullabies. During this time I would rub her little back maybe gently touch her hair to help her relax even more.

The big step!

Place your baby in his/her crib and spend a minute comforting him/her. e.g. “shh shh” or continue singing softly.

Leave the room if your baby has a separate room. It was easier for me since we shared a room, I would simply walk away from her crib to my bed. If you see your baby starting to get restless or if they start crying you can just head over to their crib and comfort them without picking them up.

You can let your baby cry it out for a few minutes, it could be five to ten minutes or more depending on your choices. Honestly this is a hard process and it takes a lot of effort.. I also gave in the first few nights and let her sleep on my hands after her major breakdowns but it gets better! . What I know for sure is that you will give in until you get it right.

What you should know!

When you are starting out, it is going to be hard but you are going to get there. I remember dreading the evenings because I knew the whole nightmare was about to begin. That caused me a lot of anxiety. Seeing my baby upset was really hard but I knew I had to continue and stick it out.

Our results

It is so satisfying to see that all her screams and my tears were worth it. The fact that I was sometimes the one who would wake her up for some feeds during the night was a great achievement and a proud moment for me as her mother. I would love to know about your different journeys to sleep training on the comments section.

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How to start a blog in 2022?. “Are blogs still a trend?”, “are blogs dead?”. These questions always confuse me because billions of people are constantly searching on Google or Pinterest for information. Blogging isn’t something that was done a long time ago that is now extinct. As long as search engines like Google and Pinterest still exist then there is no way blogging can run out of fashion. There are also misconceptions that certain niches are over saturated and that there isn’t any space for newbies. Here’s how to start a money making blog in 2022.

Do not let anyone discourage you because there is enough space in the blogging streets even for us as newbies. I won’t lie blogging is very competitive and as newbies we are coming in an industry where there are already many established bloggers hence we have to work hard and focus on the tiny things that sets us apart from the rest. The question is now how and where do you start when creating your blog?.

What is a blog?

A blog is a website that has articles about a specific subject and is typically run by an individual or a group of people. What is the purpose of a blog?. A blog aims to provide clarity, to inform, educate or entertain a user that comes into your website.

How much does it cost to start a money making blog?

The amount can range from $35,40 to $100 (R540 to R1500). When you are starting out, I recommend the basic hosting plan from bluehost. It is quite affordable however you can always upgrade if you wish to do so.

Five steps to start a money making blog in 2022

Identify your niche

As much as this sounds cliché and almost every blogger talks about it, it is very important. You need to do intensive research about the niche you are interested in. Is it a good niche with a large audience?. Will it be easy for you to personally produce content about that particular niche?. I always say go for something you love doing so that you won’t run out of ideas. There are different niches you can choose from.

Parenting

Lifestyle

Food

Photography

Travel

Beauty and fashion

Finance

Choose your blogging platform

After you have chosen your niche, it’s time to start the blog making process. You need to choose your blogging platform. Again when it comes to a blogging platform I recommend WordPress. Org. What we want most of us as bloggers is to own our content and websites and you can fully own your website on WordPress.

Choose a blog topic and a blog name

Once you know your niche and practically what your website will be about, you then need a name for your blog. The name of your blog should resonate to the type of content you will be producing and the type of niche you are in.

Buying hosting for your blog

As I have mentioned before, because of their affordable packages I recommend bluehost especially for new bloggers. Bluehost.com

Choose a blog theme

After paying for hosting, thereafter you should start customizing your website. The first thing is to choose a theme and set up relevant pages for your blog. There are hundreds of free themes available on WordPress.

Launch your website

After you have chosen a theme for your blog it is time to launch your website. There will be lots ot of information that you will learn as you go. We all have been there as new bloggers. You can’t consume everything at once. Therefore make sure that you constantly search and teach yourself about the things you don’t understand yet. Join Facebook groups and make friends in the blogging community.

Now that we have discussed the steps on how to start a successful blog, you are probably asking yourself, how do you make money blogging in 2022?. Blogging on it’s own won’t make any money for you as a blogger. There are four ways in which you can make money blogging. Running ads in your Website is the first option. Affiliate marketing is a second way in which you can make money from your blog. You can also make money through sponsored posts or by selling your own products on your blog.

 All of these options require a decent amount of traffic to your website. The only reason why you can’t monetize your blog from the beginning is because monetization of a blog requires traffic. Traffic will build up as time goes on. How do you then drive traffic to your website?. There are two search engines that drive massive traffic to blogs (Google and Pinterest). With Google, it can take time to grow or even appear on Google’s first page even if you have mastered SEO. You can grow a lot faster with Pinterest. It can take you around three to six months to grow and monetize your blog website using Pinterest.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a visual search engine. Just like Google, people go to Pinterest looking for answers, inspiration or information. Before I started my blog I used to refer to Pinterest as a “picture app” because I had no idea how it worked. All I knew was it had great pictures. I am sure I am not the only one who viewed Pinterest like this. However after hearing a lot of bloggers rave about Pinterest I had to explore it and within two weeks I had 20k monthly impressions on Pinterest and the more impressions I have on there the more traffic I get into my website.

Growing on Pinterest is fast as you can tell by my growth however it also won’t happen overnight and you need to put in thhe work. You need to create and optimize business your account with as many keywords as possible in your niche, pin consistently, make sure your boards are named correctly and you need to create clickable pins. It sounds overwhelming I know and I won’t lie and say it’s easy but if a newbie like me could grow this fast anyone can.

Here are some six stunning Christmas tree decoration ideas you can try out this Christmas. The Countdown to Christmas day has officially began. Are you tired of decorating your Christmas tree in that same old way?. If you are looking into adding a new touch into your Christmas tree decorations then this is the place for you.

Elegant Christmas tree decorations ideas

I have been seeing a lot of families over the years master the elegant Christmas tree theme. For this idea you need a white tree or better yet you can spray the tree you already have with some fake snow to make it look white. White, gold and silver ornaments complete the whole look. You can also play around with some light coloured extra decorative items to complete the look. Here is an image above of an example of an elegant Christmas tree.

Red Christmas tree decorations ideas

If you think of Christmas colours I am sure the colour red is the first to pop up in your mind. I love to incorporate red into my Christmas tree decorations. Red is the colour of the entire festive season and will never get out of fashion. For this theme, you can go for your Red and white ornaments. You can add other decorative items as well for final touches.

Colourful Christmas tree decorations

If you are a fan of colour then this idea is for you. I love this idea because it is so colourful and not limiting. With this idea, you can use as many colours as you want. It is also a great way of creating Christmas tree. Kids love this theme because of all the colours and different decorative items used in this theme.

Christmas tree ideas for small spaces

If you don’t have a big enough space to fit in a huge Christmas tree then this idea will be perfect for you. I too have limited space in my living room. Therefore I had to find a tree that would fit just right in my living room. To make up for the size of your Christmas tree, use something like a stool to elevate it and make it look longer. Using presents to surround the Christmas tree is also a good idea.

White Christmas tree decorations ideas

Does anyone want to have a white Christmas this year?. It is so easy to decorate a Christmas tree with a single colour. It is not only easy to decorate but it looks elegant and modern and not too cluttered. Check out the trees below with white ornaments to get some ideas if you are thinking of going with this idea.

Christmas tree with ribbons

A lot of people are skeptical about adding ribbons to their Christmas trees. If you are not sure how to pull this idea off but would love to try it out, check the images below. I hope you found something that resonated with what you were looking for and happy festive season.

Christmas is upon us and a lot of us as parents are trying to figure out what presents are suitable for our little ones. I have been trying to figure out myself what to get my daughter for Christmas. When I look into purchasing a toy for her, I always look for something that she could have fun with and also benefit from intellectually. There is a lot of research and work that goes into picking out a present for a child. Here are five Christmas gift ideas for kids.

Pop it toys

Pop it toys are currently the new trend in children. Not only are they not common toys but they are also very educational. Pop it toys are sensory toys that assist in relieving anxiety and stress. They also assist children with their focus span. This is a good way to ensure your kids are learning, focused and having fun at the same.

Tablets

This Christmas gift idea will depend on how old your child is. If your child is older chances are they already own a tablet. I recently gifted my daughter with a tablet as a second birthday present and as an early Christmas present. From my experience, she has improved so much in her speech ever since she started using it. She has learnt a lot of words and has learnt many rhymes and songs. She has also gotten so good with puzzles and problem solving. It is so amazing seeing her identify the characters she watches in her tablet in real life.

Play kitchen

A play kitchen would be a great Christmas gift idea for your little one. What’s nice is that this is also a gender neutral gift. You can gift your little boy or girl with a play kitchen as a Christmas present this Christmas. Children are curious tiny people and they always want to be help us in the activities we do daily. My daughter enjoys helping me in the kitchen. Everyday I make something in the kitchen I put her on the kitchen counter and I involve her in making our meals. I know that she will always want to be my little helper but getting her a play kitchen for Christmas would make her really happy. It would be nice to visit her in her tiny kitchen where she would host me for a change and make me some tea.

Doll house

A doll house would make a great Christmas present for your baby girl. Girls are known for their nurturing instincts and they are quite glamorous too. A doll house where they can change their dolls into different outfits and have a whole doll house to play with would be a dream come true for your baby girl. This could also be a great way to get them off from streaming online. Buying a dollhouse for your daughter is a great way of limiting screen time whilst encouraging their social, mental and manual skills. It’s a great opportunity for your daughter’s imagination to run wild whilst improving their creativity. Doll houses also instill a lot of discipline in children because they learn to organise things as a result they implement that discipline discipline in their real lives.

Bicycle

Outside play is really important for children and what better way to do that than getting your child their first bicycle as a Christmas present. Instead of being cooked up indoors your little one will be outdoors having fun riding his or her new bicycle. Bicycles have a lot of advantages in children. Having a bicycle will keep your child physically active, their muscle strength and flexibility will improve. Their posture and coordination will also improve.

How I juggled motherhood and my studies during level 1 lockdown definitely took a lot of determination and planning. Covid 19 changed a lot of things in the world. As a result most people’s lives changed to accommodate what was going on in the world. It was quite a testing time for me and I had to be quick and think of how I was going to juggle motherhood and my studies. There is no magical way in which I did it but I just had to remind myself that I was doing a good job and that I won’t get it right everyday.

Set up a timetable for your school work and a separate one for your motherhood role

The first thing I did was to set up a zoom timetable for all the classes I was taking for each semester. I pasted my timetable on my wall so that I wouldn’t forget it. Mother’s have a lot on their plate not to mention full time mothers hence its easy for some things to slip your mind. I set reminders for test dates and other important dates I had to remember. I wrote a personal study timetable for myself.

I spent at least two hours every night studying the two modules that were in my timetable for that day. In order to attend my zoom classes, I would rock sometimes rock my daughter to sleep thirty minutes before the zoom lecture began. However, I couldn’t attend everyday. There were times where I wouldn’t attend my zoom classes. If I attended, I wouldn’t even hear what was being talked about in the lecture. This is the reality of online learning as a full time parent. When I started missing some of my zoom lectures I knew I had to get help. I used to ask my classmates to record lectures for me luckily for me, most lecturers would record the lectures and post them online.

Study when the baby is sleeping

I did most of my studying at night when my daughter slept. I would go through the days work and if there was a specific test to prepare for I’d prepare for that test. I found studying in the evenings to be very productive for me. In the evenings I’d make myself a cup of coffee to stay awake. It was so much better to focus at night since the house was quiet. I could process my thoughts, the knowledge I have studied and just take some time to think about life.

Juggling full time motherhood and school was the hardest thing I have ever done. There were nights where I would pass out without having read a single slide. At the time I used to beat myself up so much for that. Now I wish I was more kind to myself. I was just a mother who was exhausted from all the diaper changes and the feedings during the day to a point where I just couldn’t study at some nights. It is totally fine to feel overwhelmed and tired I also wish I didn’t beat myself up that much. I learnt that what had happened the day before was yesterday’s events and it shouldn’t determine what I do the day after.

Accept or seek help for your motherhood duties and your school work

No man is an island and we can’t do it all alone as much as we may want to. I accepted the help that was offered to me by people and I also looked for help. I would sometimes ask one of my class mates to explain a concept I was a struggling with. I did a lot of revision past papers to prepare myself for my exams. There is honestly no set way to cope and deal with balancing parenting and academics .Time management and a good timetable was a huge help for me in my journey.

Five birthday celebration ideas for kids. Kids parties can be really expensive. When it comes to my daughter’s birthday parties, I try not to splurge. It is totally okay to go overboard with your child’s birthday party if you can. As a mom who is always on a tight budget I always try to be creative when planning birthday parties for my daughter. To save some costs, I usually DIY the things I can so I can spend as little as I can. There are quite a number of options you could choose from as a mom on a tight budget

Photo Shoot or a cake smash shoot

For my daughter’s first birthday, I booked a cake smash shoot for her. To my convenience, the shoot price included her outfit, cake, decor, professional photos and a water bath shoot afterwards. I found this idea to be very convenient because I just payed for the photo shoot and everything else came with it so I didn’t have to plan anything.

A picnic set up

Picnic set ups are quite easy to do. You can use a lot of items you already have at home for this idea. You can use your items from home like a throw for a picnic blanket or an actual picnic blanket if you have it. Cushions, plates, cups are also some items you can get from home. You will end up having to buy snacks, a couple of decorations , food and the birthday cake which is very affordable.

An adventurous trip

Tjis idea is a bit broad. Kids are very curious little creatures and there is nothing better than surprising them with a trip to see the world. It could be any kind of trip as long as you know your child will love it. Perhaps it could be a trip to the zoo, a trip to the aquamarine or a carnival or a concert.

A camping trip

Kids llove camping. For this idea, you can set up tents in your yard. You can also set up a little treasure hunt to keep them on their feet. You can make the fire and have them dip their mashmallows in there.

Movie themed party

You can screen your child’s favourite movie at home. You can just provide kids with some snacks and have each of them dress up as their favourite movie character.

What is inside my hospital diaper bag? or rather what should I put inside my hospital bag. I think all first time moms ask themselves that question when it’s almost time for birth. When I was pregnant, I was a first time mother who had no access to private health care. I searched and searched for what I should put in my hospits diaper bag. I found a lot of things to be confusing since I had no gynaecologist or midwife to prepare me for birth. Before I mention the list of items to pack for the hospital, I highly advise that you have your hospital diaper bag packed as early as 35 weeks. Some babies come early hence its highly recommended to be prepared to avoid last minute hassles.

Sometimes we as first time moms are so overwhelmed by people’s different advices and opinions to an extent where we end up not knowing who to listen to. I remember I packed and unpacked my hospital bag two times. A lot of people have different opinions especially to first time moms because honestly we really don’t have any idea what we are doing yet. From my experience when I went to deliver my daughter the following list is all I needed.

Hospital diaper bag

This is the first thing you need because that’s where you will pack all of the things you need for the baby. Bigger diaper bags are more recommended since you can fit everything into one bag. Carrying a lot of bags can be a lot of work so if you can get one big bag that’s a great option.

Pack a pair of wipes in your hospital diaper bag

Newborns are known for their diarrhea. A pack of wipes is very important to ensure your child is clean and to prevent infections. It is advisable to use a brand of wipes that accommodates the sentitivity of your child’s skin.

Two nursing bras

A small pack of diapers

Getting a pair of nursery friendly bras is a necessesity especially with all the breastfeeding you will be doing once your little one is born.

A pack of martenity pads

Postpartum bleeding is quite a thing and it’s always good to come prepared with a pack of martenity pads to make sure you are as comfortable as you can be with the brand you have chosen.

Two night gowns

It’s always better to overpack a little bit than to underpack especially since everything is uncertain about the birthing process. It may happen that you have to stay a bit longer in hospital hence its better to pack two gowns.

Socks

Pack a pair of slippers in your hospital diaper bag

Phone charger

Two or three vests for the baby

Vests are extremely important to make sure your little one is comfortable and warm.

Two or three rompers

Two receiving blankets or swaddling blankets

Two hats for the baby

Hats are also essentials especially since newborns are tiny and need extra covering.

Breast pads

The first day of breastfeeding for me was a mess. I had forgotten to pack breast pads in my hospital diaper bag and the morning after I woke up with my bed soaking wet from all the breast milk that leaked during the night. This really should be at the top of the list.

Car seat

Before I packed my hospital diaper bag, I checked with the hospital I was going to deliver in what they offered and to my surprise I didn’t have to pack diapers and martenity pads since they offered them. I am sending my love and wishing you a safe delivery.

Dealing with an unplanned planned pregnancy can be emotionally daunting. I received the biggest shock of my life two years ago when I found out that I was pregnant. Back then I was still a student in law school reliant solely on my financial aid meal allowance to get myself by. How was I going to raise this child?. I was a full time student and what money was I going to raise it with as a broke university student. I have formulated a list of five steps that could help anyone deal with being pregnant unexpectedly.

Be aware that you are still in shock.

After you have just become aware of your unplanned pregnancy, a lot of things will not make sense to you even the pregnancy itself. I stayed in the shock stage for a couple of weeks. It is so important to not make any impulsive decisions that may result in a permanent change in your life during this stage. There were a lot of thoughts running through my mind. Some of my thoughts I actually ended up regretting later on in my pregnancy. Try to process the news and get used to the idea of being pregnant.

Allow yourself to feel.

There are a lot of emotions and thoughts that can run into one’s mind during such a time. I felt disappointed, angry, confused and I had never felt so overwhelmed in my life. I allowed myself to feel however I was feeling and didn’t beat myself for how I was feeling inside. As depressed as I was, I spent most of my time alone just to weigh out my options and ensure that whatever decision I take wouldn’t be influenced by anyone else. When we confide in people, some tend to influence our decisions or to make us feel guilty for how we may be feeling about certain situations. I would advise that you pass this phase first before confiding in anyone unless you feel like your life may be in danger then you can seek relevant assistance.

Weigh out different options.

Every choice you make will have a major consequence on your life in the future. There are three known options you can choose if you are pregnant unexpectedly. You can choose to terminate the pregnancy, Give the child up for adoption at birth or choose to raise the child personally. No decision between the three is easy taking. First look at the advantages and the disadvantages of each option before choosing an option. Abortion has often been stigmatised as unethical and unbiblical. However it has been one of the best options for certain individuals. We need to acknowledge that our circumstances aren’t the same. We as women fall pregnant under different circumstances not to mention our different backgrounds.

Prepare yourself for the decision you have taken.

I decided to keep and raise my child. The next decision for me was to prepare for her arrival. Try to fix what you can before your little one comes into the world. Start being more cautious with money. It’s not all of us that will choose to become mothers and that’s totally fine. Terminating the pregnancy needs you to seek medical health care. You also need to seek therapy to assist you and to ensure that you go through this process as safely as you can. If you decide to give the child up for adoption then you need to familiarise yourself with the adoption process and if needs be contact adoption agencies.

Accept and learn to live with the decision you have taken.

This is the time when your mind starts to settle after a very hectic phase of constant worry. Try to cope and learn to live with your decision. For any decision you take. Therapy is recommendable. If it’s not accessible, joining support groups and social media groups with people going through the same thing will be a great help . There is so much comfort when you are surrounded by people who understand what you are going through. To anyone who is feeling overwhelmed right now I am sending my love. Please contact me or leave a comment for further commu