For as far back as I can remember, I imagined what it would be like to be pregnant. I would jokingly stuff a balloon under my shirt, or push out my stomach while standing sideways in front of the mirror, and picture what it would be like to be growing a human being inside my tummy.

When I became pregnant, I was surprised about how I felt less like I was growing a person and more like an alien was taking over my body. In our first ultrasound, my baby looked like a teeny tiny jellybean, so when I pictured the little one growing in my body - it was sort of just a bean with a face.

Throughout my pregnancy, I looked for ways to bond with my baby so that he/she/it was less like something that was happening to me and more like someone that I was getting to know. Here are some things that helped me bond with my baby-to-be:

1. Talking to the baby. According to studies, babies can hear sounds as soon as 16 weeks, and start responding to sounds at around 24 weeks (www.whattoexpect.com). Knowing that I had a little companion throughout my pregnancy was one of the easiest ways to bond with her.
2. Listening to music together. I created a birth playlist to listen to during my pregnancy and labor - it is a compilation of songs that would remind me of my future child and songs that she would react to while in the womb.