Giving birth is probably the scariest thing a woman could ever face in her whole life. The pain of giving birth is insurmountable and something you should be prepared for. Of course, no amount of detailed planning could ever prepare you for the joys and pains of motherhood, but there's nothing wrong if you try.

To help you prepare for birth, here's a checklist of important things to ask your OB before baby arrives. I've also included a free and downloadable printable that you can bring during your prenatal visits :-)

Note: This is focused on a Philippine setting.

Caring for your baby begins even before she is born. This is why it's important to have regular prenatal visits with your OB-GYN. The moment you suspect you're pregnant, it's best to have yourself checked by a doctor. The earlier you could have your prenatal checkup, the better.

If you're an anxious mom like me, it's helpful to know the frequency of prenatal visits and what to expect during each checkup. It's also a good way to know how much you would be paying each prenatal visit (if you don't have a health insurance).

Here's a simple guide on the frequency of prenatal visits for a normal pregnancy, what to tests and procedures are done, and how much you might be spending for each visit.

Important note: This is focused on a Philippine setting.

The Blogger Recognition Award is an award given to bloggers by bloggers who appreciate the hard work, dedication, and effort in creating posts and in regularly updating their blogs. It’s an awesome opportunity for bloggers to recognize one another for our contributions to the blogging community.

When you are nominated, you have the option to accept or ignore. If you choose to accept the award nomination, there are few simple steps that you need to take:

• Write a post to show your award.
• Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
• Give a brief story of how your blog started.
• Give 2 pieces of advice to new bloggers.
• Select 15 other bloggers to nominate.
• Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created.

I actually started blogging back in 2011 after learning about Google AdSense. Paper and Ink is my experimental blog without a niche in mind. I wrote about a variety of topics from books, movies, travel, to personal reflections on my life events.

A few years down the road, the thought of starting a new blog began brewing in my mind. The moment I got engaged and knew I was expecting, I wanted to create a blog about motherhood. Then early this year, shortly after getting married, I got into Wordpress and started Misis Blog. I used the free plan, so I didn't have my own domain. Being pregnant and all, I got bored and stopped blogging.

Misis Blog was dormant for a few months, until my loving husband gave me the go signal to buy my own domain. He was very supportive and encouraged me to blog again, especially now that I'm a WAHM. I deleted my Wordpress blog and started from scratch here in Blogger (where it's free to map your own domain). Hence, the rebirth of Misis Blog. :-)

1. Find a niche that you're interested in

Learn from my mistake. My first blog didn't really fare well in the blogosphere because Paper and Ink was a hodgepodge of topics. Focus on a topic or group of topics that closely relate to one another—your niche, so to speak—and write about your focus topic consistently. The trick here is choosing a niche that you're genuinely interested in and something that you're knowledgeable of. 

Writing sporadically won't get you anywhere in blogging. To keep your audience engaged, you should post regularly on your blog and on your respective social media sites. Consistency equals commitment to your blog, and this is one mistake I had with my first blog.

Reaping the rewards of blogging takes time: growing your audience, learning SEO, getting on the first page of SERPs, and earning through blogging. Believe me, I'm going through the same pains right now. But just like any good thing, you just need to be patient. Enjoy the journey of blogging. :-)

1. Nanayhood Chronicles
2. Times with Kai
3. Kayla Dene' Blog
4. I Read What I Like
5. Simple Mom Simple Life
6. My Momma Bear Life
7. Smile 4 Mama
8. The Kanga Tribe
9. Thoughts of a Woman Revealed
10. Bibliobakes
11. One Day Today
12. Journeys to Simple
13. Being a Mama Abroad
14. Healthy Dash of Sass
15. Lily and Me

It's not every mother's dream to sacrifice her hard-earned career to stay at home for the kids. But for some moms, it's the ultimate dream. I am one of those some moms. I didn't downright leave the workforce, though; I'm still working at home, so it's a win-win situation for both our family's finances and my baby's welfare. 

Being a work-at-home mom (WAHM) made a big difference to our family, I wouldn't have it any other way. The advantages of being a WAHM outweighs all the disadvantages, and I'm listing all the good reasons I have here for choosing the road less traveled.