What to expect when you’re expecting…and beyond

What websites did you read when you were pregnant? Like most mums-to-be, I couldn’t get enough of information about the fruit size of my baby that week, what that strange feeling was, and finding out what spectacularly weird thing was going to happen next. I devoured all this during my commute to work (by the way, this isn’t a big surprise! reveal following on my post about not wanting a second baby just yet – stick with me).

One of the sites I always looked at was What to Expect when You’re Expecting, of course; it’s practically a pregnancy rite of passage, isn’t it? Although the information was plentiful enough to sate the appetite of any information-hungry pregnant lady, it was very US-focused. A lot of the fruit comparisons required a quick Google, and I was always baffled by all the references to intense power work-outs at the gym.

So in what will be welcome news to women across the country, the site has now launched a UK version, which you can find at www.whattoexpect.co.uk. As it’s a local version, there is UK-specific information, as well as groups and communities you can sign up to to chat to other mums / mums-to-be in your area.

If you are still at the TTC stage, there’s an ovulation calendar to help you work out the optimum times to, erm, do it. It would be great if they could put this on an app – as when I used one of these I had one on my phone, as I didn’t want the possible horrors of anyone overlooking it.

And what was really interesting to me was to find out that the site it doesn’t stop at the end of first year, but it also tracks your baby well into toddlerdom (you can either use the trackers on site, or sign up to receive regular emails).

You can follow the UK team on Twitter, as well as the Facebook page.

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This competition has now closed – HOWEVER, you can enter my new one to win 5 x £25 photo printing vouchers here.

To celebrate the launch of the UK site, I’m running a prize giveaway where one reader can win a What to Expect UK goody bag (containing a signed copy of the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting, a DVD of the film version of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. and the What to Expect workout DVD).

To enter:

• Leave a comment telling me one of your pregnancy cravings (or just say hi)
• For an additional entry, ‘like’ the A Baby on Board Facebook page and leave a comment here telling me you’ve done it.

The winner will be picked at random from all entries. The competition will run until 11pm on Monday the 6th May. Good luck!

T&Cs as follows – 1) The prize giveaway will open at 2.30pm on 04.04.13 and close at 11pm on 06.05.13 2) The prize in total is one copy of the book of What to Expect When You’re Expecting, one copy of the film What to Expect When You’re Expecting on DVD, and one copy of the What to Expect workout on DVD. There will be one winner only. No cash or alternative prizes will be given 3) To enter you must leave a comment on this blog post, and include your email address. You can also gain an additional entry if you ‘like’ the A Baby on Board Facebook page 4) Winners will be picked at random from all entries 5) The winner will be notified via email by 10.05.13. Winners must reply by 15.05.13 or a new winner will be picked at random from the list 6) The winner will be announced on this site during May 7) I reserve the right to change the entry dates at any time, for any reason. Thanks!