Your Total Winter Pregnancy Guide

It's amazing being pregnant any time of year, of course, but winter brings on a few special challenges. How to stay comfy and minimize mama-to-be worries when winter hits? Read on for our smartest tips.

Get the Right Shoes

Truth? We obsess about slipping on ice or snow even when we're not pg -- so what's a preggo gal to do about this common winter hazard? First, invest in a good, stable pair of rubber-soled shoes or boots with good traction (i.e., deep treads) -- you'll walk more confidently. Your "center of gravity is off and changing when pregnant," notes Lillian Schapiro, MD, an ob-gyn in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia, so "you need good shoes whether on ice or not." If you do slip and take a spill, don't worry -- in general, the baby is well-protected in the womb, Schapiro says, "and you have a great maternal instinct to put out your arm to protect the baby if you fall."

In the event that you do take a tumble? If you're far enough along that you've been feeling movement, feeling the baby move again is the best assurance that everything is okay, says Schapiro. If you don't feel the baby move, call your doc -- ditto if your water breaks or there is bleeding.