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Pregnancy

What to pack in your hospital bag

December 16, 2013

So I approached my hospital bag how I approach packing in general…

wait until the last minute and if I forget something it’s no big deal since I can improvise, wear something again, or buy it nearby (unless on a cruise).

Thankfully, this approach worked pretty well and I used most everything I packed and didn’t need to have Price run out for much.

I had a scheduled C-section so I had to consider some things prior to heading off to the hospital, such as what clothes would be most comfortable to wear related to the incision and how long I would be staying.  As you are in the hospital longer for a C-section than for a vaginal birth, so you might want some additional things as you are away from home longer. So here is my ultimate list of what to bring to the hospital bag.

What to pack in your hospital bag

Clothes

  • Loose yoga/pajama pants- you’ll want pants that are comfy and breathable. In terms of a C-section, you’ll want pants that will sit at your waist, not at your hips (where your incision is), and I suggest pants with a drawstring so there is some adjust-ability
  • Shirts (tanks, t-shirts, long sleeve, button downs)- bring some soft maternity tops with you
  • A sweater/sweatshirt that buttons up or zips up
  • An outfit to go home in!
  • Underwear- You’ll want underwear that is very loose, like 2 sizes bigger! And if you are having a C-section you’ll want a high-waisted underwear. BUT if you don’t bring underwear you won’t be S.O.L since the hospital will have underwear you can use (which I actually really liked because it was meshy, soft, and disposable.)
  • Nursing Bra- at the very least bring a sports bra that is VERY LOOSE since you don’t want to wear a bra with underwire.
  • Socks
  • Slippers
  • Flip Flops- I didn’t bring them, nor do I think I was missing out, but you might like them instead of slippers or to use in the shower
  • Robe- I suggest having one with pockets

Toiletries

  • Tooth brush, toothpaste, floss
  • Hair brush and hair elastics
  • Blow Dryer
  • Shampoo and conditioner
  • Dry Shampoo- for when you want to fluff your hair a bit before you get around to taking a shower. I suggest one that is unscented/minimally scented. If worse comes to worse baby powder can help rid your hair of extra oils.
  • Body wash/soap
  • Body lotion- use something that is unscented as you don’t want anything to intense right around your newborn. (Our baby was in the NICU and this was a specific note posted around the NICU)
  • Chapstick
  • Face wash
  • Face wipes- for a quick refresher when you don’t feel like washing your face
  • Face lotion
  • Make Up
  • Glasses/contacts and contact solution- if you use them

Electronics

  • Camera with charger and extra SD card(s)
  • Phone with charger
  • Video camera with charger
  • Laptop with charger

Nursing

  • A hands-free pumping bra- this is great to have if you think you will pump so you don’t have to hold the connectors the whole time you are pumping
  • Lanolin- the hospital will have this but I don’t think you can go wrong having it yourself
  • Nipple cream/butter
  • Nursing pads- not so much because you’ll be leaking (hardly!), but just to help protect your new nursing bra from getting stained from nipple cream 

Extras

  • Your pillow
  • A big huge water bottle- makes staying hydrated easier than sipping on cup after cup of water.
  • Baby book
  • Journal/notebook- great for taking notes since there is so much going on that you’ll easily forget who you spoke with and about what as soon as they leave the room. ha!
  • Extra shopping bags- you’ll leave with plenty of goodies from the hospital (bulbs, bottles, lotion, diapers, etc) so it’s best to bring some extra bags to easily carry it all home

For the baby

  • A going home outfit- (in both newborn and 0-3, depends on the size of your baby)
  • Receiving/swaddling blankets
  • Car seat

____________________

We knew that Autumn would be in the NICU and not being going home when I was so that impacted some of the things I packed, like I didn’t pack a going home outfit. Similarly, you can adjust what you pack based upon the time of year you have your baby or what you see around the hospital during your tour.

The one thing that I suggest you don’t bring is a breast pump. Sure, you see pumps at Target but you don’t need one before you go to the hospital since they have them there. As well, you should discuss with your doctor about getting a prescription for a pump so that your insurance covers it.

The biggest thing is that you can’t go wrong if you over pack or even forget something. The hospital where I had Autumn even had a vending machine of nursing/pumping supplies. So don’t sweat it and just enjoy your new baby!!!

Filed Under: Baby & Kid Tagged With: baby, C-section, hospital bag, new baby, Pregnancy, what to pack in hospital bag

35 Weeks- Bump Update

October 27, 2013

I’ll do a weekly bump update so I can look back and see how things progress and what was happening at various points along the way.

35 week bump

28 days to go!

Last Sunday, we went out on a picnic with Kemper to enjoy the nice fall day on The Esplanade (my very belated September date day). We ended up walking 3.5 miles that day. I was so tired at the end of it. Well, so was Kemper since we napped together once we got home. In general, I’ve been forgetting how tired I get from being on my feet, even just being around the house at times can get me so tired. But this was so much so Kemper and I cuddled up and slept for a few hours. Bliss.

I also forget about not picking up heavy things. So I got yelled at this weekend when I picked up the 4moms Breeze playard and moved it so that it was in the zone of stuff to make its way upstairs. I moved it all of 12′ and got yelled at. At least Price is looking out for me 🙂

So for the most part maternity pants are stupid. Well, the ones from Old Navy are since the ‘stretchy’ boot cut jeans I got from them were not stretchy so they were basically impossible to get on without anything like belt loops to grab. So I have 2 pairs of pants to return to Old Navy and I’m thinking of swinging to Target to find something there quickly.

I’m thinking I need to rig something up for Halloween ASAP, even just to wear to hand out candy to trick or treaters.

I appreitate all the sweet emails and messages I received from my post about The Bean and its health issues related to its omphalocele. We have a lot to juggle in the first month while The Bean is in the NICU but we know we can get through it. It’s jsut though thinking about now, esp the part when they warn us we probably won’t get to hold The Bean

35 Week Bump Update

Current Due Date: 12/1/13- BUT I’m scheduled for my C-section on 11/25! Thanksgiving in the hospital!

Weight Gain: per 10/22 ultrasound, The Bean is estimated at 4lbs 14 oz and per 10/25 dr appointment I’ve gained 10 lbs total.

Stretch Marks: none 🙂

Belly Button: getting shallower

Clothing: I’m over wearing nomral pants with belly bands for the most part because of how the open zipper is irritating, more than the fit. Ordered more maternity clothes and hoping to make a Target run where I can grab another pair of maternity pants

Cravings/Aversions: sweets and thinking about chinese food all the time but then I know it will just make me thirsty, which means drink more water = more trips to the bathroom!!!

Sleep: so tired so I’ve been trying to get to bed earlier and earlier, or at least fall asleep on the sofa while we watch the World Series games.

Mood: getting anxious with 1 month to go

Movement: the baby shifts around a lot but I’m not feeling kicks since the baby is Frank Breech.

Milestones: we have picked out both the boy and girl name options. So now we jsut need to wait the month before we know which one we’ll be using!

What I miss: sleeping on my stomach, wine, not constantly drinking water = lots of bathroom trips, etc

What I am looking forward to: Price finishing painting the room this week! He got 2 walls done and will get the other 2 done this week. Then we are assembling the crib and decorating!!

Comparable Fruit/Veggie Size: Coconut (Average size: 17.2 – 18.5 inches head to toe, 4.2 – 5.8 lbs) via The Bump

Filed Under: Baby & Kid Tagged With: 35 weeks bump update, baby bump update, Bump Update, maternity pants, Old Navy, Pregnancy, Target

34 Weeks- Bump Update

October 20, 2013

I’ll do a weekly bump update so I can look back and see how things progress and what was happening at various points along the way.

34 week bump

35 days to go!!

I feel like I’m burning up some days. I am an oven!! I would prefer to wear tank tops and flip flops but that’s a little weird, plus Price is threatening to throw out my flip flops because he can’t handle me wearing them anymore. So we were out shopping on Saturday and I got 2 pairs of shoes to wear into the fall.

I am so determined to get The Bean to flip and get out of the Frank Breech position that I’ve been trying some DIY things to get things going. Like I have been laying back and propping up my butt and legs to elevate things to get the baby to try to right itself, which would actually be upside down. Plus then I read about putting something cold on the top of my stomach so that baby would move away from it. I feel quite insane doing all of this but I don’t want The Bean’s legs all weird after delivery. They said it won’t be an issue but it still bugs me.

We set up the bouncy chair that my sister gave us at the shower so Kemper would get used to having it around. Plus, so he’d get used to hearing ‘no’ 5,000x when he tries to chew stuffed animals that hang from the bar above the seat. He was really determined early on to get them but he’s getting over it now.

I finally took out my belly button ring. I bet I could keep it in longer but I figure i’ll just take it out now before it does get uncomfortable. Now I only hope that my belly button never gets weird since it still looks the same, only slightly shallower.

I have THREE doctors appointments this upcoming week. Ugh.

34 Week Bump Update

Current Due Date: 12/1/13- BUT I’m scheduled for my C-section on 11/25! Thanksgiving in the hospital!

Weight Gain: guessing around 8 1/2 – 9 1/2 lbs total

Stretch Marks: none 🙂

Belly Button: getting shallower, and I finally took out my belly button ring

Clothing: still a big mix of stuff… maternity pants and regular pants with a belly band paired with maternity and regular tops BUT I finally just ordered a few more maternity things from Old Navy which should arrive mid week

Cravings/Aversions: totally in love with Jelly Belly jelly beans, but other than that I am still pretty indecisive when it comes to picking out what to eat

Sleep: getting really tired again so I’ve been going to be really early again.

Mood: pretty even but I was extra sensitive on Monday and was pretty much drained and ready to cry all day for no real reason

Movement: the baby shifts around a lot but I’m not feeling kicks since the baby is Frank Breech. I keep telling The Bean to move but it’s just not listening.

Milestones: picked up The Breeze playard from work. We will use the bassinet part and set it up next to the bed for The Bean to sleep in before it’s in the crib in it’s room

What I miss: being able to sneeze without the fear of one day peeing. lovely.

What I am looking forward to: Pricer is going to start painting The Bean’s room this week

Comparable Fruit/Veggie Size: Butternut Squash (Average size: 17.2 – 18.5 inches head to toe, 4.2 – 5.8 lbs) via The Bump

Filed Under: Baby & Kid Tagged With: 34 weeks bump update, baby bump update, Bump Update, Pregnancy

33 Weeks- Bump Update

October 13, 2013

I’ll do a weekly bump update so I can look back and see how things progress and what was happening at various points along the way.

33 weeks bump

43 days to go!

I was really worried going to the DR on Friday because I was expecting them to give me grief for gaining a lot of weight since my last appointment. It might have been the 6 hot apple cider donuts that I ate weekend. Or the 2 dinners in which I had steak. And maybe it was the breakfast that included a bowl of cereal and then a half of a cheesy bagel with veggie cream cheese. But I stepped on the scale and it said I had lost a pound since the last appointment, which meant I’ve gained 8 lbs total. Well, being pregnant is the best diet ever then. ha!

My baby shower was held for me yesterday, which is why my mom surprised me by showing up on Friday night. Well, Price knew but I didn’t so it was a nice surprise when I got home. Anyway, my baby shower was amazing and beautiful. I was really anxious about it because I don’t like being the center of attention and you kinda are when you are the focus of the party. Opening presents in front of everyone is the stuff of nightmares for me (Christmas is a horror for me). But thankfully Price was there to help out with the presents and speed things along. Aside from the opening presents part, it was so lovely and fun. 

Any tips on getting a baby to flip? Hoping The Bean flips soon since it’s still all tangled up with its hands and feet right up in front of its face. Plus then maybe I’ll finally get to feel some real kicking since I don’t feel any movement related to that now since it’s all balled up. We’ll see how things go in the next few weeks. Fingers crossed.

33 Week Bump Update

Current Due Date: 12/1/13- BUT I’m scheduled for my C-section on 11/25! Thanksgiving in the hospital!

Weight Gain: 8lbs total, according to my DR’s visit on Friday (10/11)

Stretch Marks: none 🙂

Belly Button: getting shallower, but the ring is still in. I feel just stubborn about taking it out. It’s dumb.

Clothing: still a big mix of stuff… maternity pants and regular pants with a belly band paired with maternity and regular tops.

Cravings/Aversions: nothing this past week, but still pretty indecisive when it comes to picking out what to eat

Sleep: getting really tired again. napped yesterday and today

Mood: pretty even but I was extra sensitive on Monday and was pretty much drained and ready to cry all day for no real reasons

Movement: the baby shifts around a lot but I’m not feeling kicks since the baby is Frank Breech. I keep telling The Bean to move but it’s just not listening.

Milestones: had my baby shower yesterday!

What I miss: not having to track how much water I’ve been drinking. I’m getting really tired of water

What I am looking forward to: getting to work on The Bean’s room. Gotta set up the crib!

Comparable Fruit/Veggie Size: Durian (Average size: 17.2 – 18.5 inches head to toe, 4.2 – 5.8 lbs) via The Bump

Filed Under: Baby & Kid Tagged With: 33 weeks-bump update, baby bump update, Bump Update, Pregnancy

32 Weeks- Bump Update

October 6, 2013

I’ll do a weekly bump update so I can look back and see how things progress and what was happening at various points along the way.

32 weeks baby bump

People we are now under the 50 day countdown. less than 50 days!!

It’s crazy to think that we are only 7 weeks away from meeting our baby but it’s true. Also, crazy to think of all the stuff we have to do before then. The baby’s room needs the most work but we’re not really worried about it since we know the baby will sleep in our room for a while anyway.

I didn’t realize how tired I was from the week of crunch time leading up to the fashion show (esp. considering I didn’t feel like I pushed myself, unlike last year’s 3am late nights) and ultimately that ah-mazing night, until Friday midday hit and boom I was done-zo. Both Price and I napped on Friday since we left work early and I pretty much was zonked out on the sofa all day, until I stumbled into bed.

While my sugar test results were great, my iron was on the low side. So my midwife said to up my steak intake and get an iron vitamin. Done and done. Having a steak salad for dinner tonight!!!! 

Speaking of dinner, my sister got us a week (3 nights actually) from Blue Apron meals. I picked it to arrive yesterday so this week we’re gonna have Steak Salad with Chicory, Curried Chickpeas, Walnuts & Apples, Braised Chicken Thighs with Caramelized Peppers & Onion over Creamy Polenta, and White Fish “En Papillote” with Freekeh. They send you EVERYTHING you need. Seriously, everything. They sent us the parchment paper we need for the fish dinner. It’s such a cool concept. My sister got it for us to make having a healthy dinner easier for us to juggle now.  (Can’t survive on mac and cheese and cereal only) Price and I are looking forward to continuing it and having it arrive every few weeks so we get to try some new and healthy dishes. noms.

32 Week Bump Update

Current Due Date: 12/1/13- BUT I’m scheduled for my C-section on 11/25! Thanksgiving in the hospital!

Weight Gain: I dunno. I didn’t care to get on the scale this week as I apparently had the strategy to “Eat Everything in Sight” for Friday’s breakfast. Let’s recap breakfast, shall we… 1/4 of a blueberry scone, slice of a gluten free apple breakfast cake, 1/2 a sausage biscuit from Burger King, and half a cheesy bagel with veggie cream cheese. However, I didn’t eat much Thursday before the binge nor afterwards on Friday. Whatever.

Stretch Marks: none 🙂

Belly Button: starting to get shallower, but the ring is still in. I feel just stubborn about taking it out. It’s dumb.

Clothing: still a big mix of stuff… maternity pants and regular pants with a belly band paired with maternity and regular tops.

Cravings/Aversions: We had the pizza I was craving from Prince’s Pizzeria yesterday. It’s just so damn good. However, the thought of eggs, esp scrambled ones, has me gaggy.

Sleep: sooo tired. I can’t wait to nap later on today.

Mood: good, but certain things has me ready to start the waterworks and not stop.

Movement: I feel the big gestures/shifts but there isn’t too much movement as we were updated that the wee one is still Frank Breech so there isn’t too much kung-fu going on in there, The Bean is just hanging out folded up in half.

Milestones: had a tour of the hospital on Wednesday

What I miss: wine. damn I wanted wine so badly at the fashion show after party. Actually, I wanted to rip the whiskey on the rocks out of my friend Adam’s hand but I managed not to. Less than 50 days…

What I am looking forward to: my baby shower is this upcoming Saturday

Comparable Fruit/Veggie Size: Squash (Average size: 15.2 – 16.7 inches head to toe, 2.5 – 3.8 lbs) via The Bump

Filed Under: Baby & Kid Tagged With: 32 weeks bump update, baby bump update, Bump Update, Pregnancy

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