Fortunately I was not pregnant during any of my husband’s deployments. I know for many the addition of pregnancy can make deployment harder then it already is. While I can’t speak on this topic I did share some of my own ideas along with a few of the the spouses on the Army Wife 101 Fb page . I have listed some of the “top 10” tips to coping with a pregnancy while your spouse is deployed.
1. Many wives suggested going home to family (if possible) to alleviate any extra stress or worry that might come on during pregnancy. You can always come back after the baby is born but at least you will have support you can count on. You can also consider staying at your duty station for the majority of the pregnancy and then going home to deliver. If this sounds like to much for you consider seeing if a family member will come stay with you during the last month or so of the pregnancy.
2. If you choose to stay at your base interact with your FRG. They are not as bad as many think and can be an awesome support system. Many will make meals, come to the hospital and be there for you in an emergency.
3. Take pictures of your growing belly and videos of when the baby is kicking to send to your soldier.
4. 3D Sonogram videos of the baby moving can be made, this is a good way to let your spouse share in the moment, where he will be able to watch it online.
5. Join a pregnant moms group or play group onpost or via Meetup.com. Consider starting your own support group possibly for pregnant moms in your area.
6. One spouse suggested having the baby’s heartbeat recorded and placed inside of a Build-A-Bear.
7. Create a diary of your pregnancy and gift it to your spouse when he returns home. In this diary share cravings, things that the baby did on a particular day and more.
8. If you don’t have a webcam invest in one. I have always said in many of my blog posts that I am a huge fan of “Skype dates”. Set these times up to catch up on the baby and other things you may need to communicate about.
9. Surprise your spouse with the gender of the baby by sending him a pink or blue box with goodies and special knick knacks in it.
10. Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts and feelings and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t count the days…count the paychecks :)
Do you have tips for getting through a deployment while pregnant…Feel free to share them below!
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Army Wife 101
Krystel is the mom of two and an Army Wife. In addition to Army Wife 101 she is the Co-Founder of SoFluential.com a digital media agency that connects brands with the military market. She has appeared on MSNBC ,FOX LA and formerly was a weekly contributor to HLN's "Raising America". She has written for various outlets including Sheknows and Lifetime and is a big fan of cupcakes and french fries.
Krystel is the mom of two and an Army Wife. In addition to Army Wife 101 she is the Co-Founder of SoFluential.com a digital media agency that connects brands with the military market.
She has appeared on MSNBC ,FOX LA and formerly was a weekly contributor to HLN's "Raising America". She has written for various outlets including Sheknows and Lifetime and is a big fan of cupcakes and french fries. 2 Comments on First Deployment…First Baby: 10 Tips From Military Spouses On How To Cope
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I think it’d be awesome if you did a follow up to this, with ways to deal with new baby & deployment. There are SO many firsts (smile, rolling over, steps, etc) that will be missed by being deployed
This reminds me of my pregnancy with my daughter. My soldier went to Basic Training when I was about 5 months pregnant. In the end he missed the deliver but he got to meet his daughter on his graduation and the baby was 5 days old. After the holiday break in December he did not see her again until February 2011 when we went to our duty station.