What's in My Birth Bag: Baby Dos Edition

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When I gave birth to Bonnie, it was at our local hospital (a very nice hospital with a wonderful nursing staff by the way). When you deliver in a hospital, you normally have to stay for at least twenty-four hours after the baby is born; we ended up staying closer to thirty-six because she was born at seven o'clock at night on the day of my admittance. With this baby, I will be delivering at a birth center, then going home that same day/night to my own home, and my midwife will come a couple of times over the course of the first couple of days to check on how Baby Dos and I are doing. I am SUPER excited about getting to go home and sleep in my own bed, stuff my face with non-hospital food, and NOT have nurses come wake me up every four hours to push on my deflated uterus (seriously, I almost throat-punched this poor girl after I had B).

So, this time around my bag will be slightly different (I won't be so prone to over-pack) in its contents! Also, having gone through labor before and being a doula now,  feel like I am more aware of things that I will actually want to have versus things the internet might tell me to bring.

Here is what I have gathered up to pack in my birth go-bag so far...
48oz Bubba Jug
Earth Mama Angel Baby Birth Plan
Earth Mama Angel Baby Postpartum Bundle
2 comfy t-shirts (one for Hubbs if he comes from work)
pajama shorts
1 nursing bra
socks
Trail Mix
SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Body Butter (love this smell)
2 Tennis Balls
Burt's Bees Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm
nursing pads
deodorant
hair brush & hair ties
Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara (because I am slightly vain)
YumEarth Organic Lollipops (these are DELICIOUS)
notebook & pen
maxi pads
a couple of magazines
Little Wife Power House - Serape Baby Blanket & Knotted Beanie (so so so cute)
plain onesie
baby socks
baby mittens
a few pairs of cotton undies that I'm willing to sacrifice
iPhone charger
my tablet & it's charger (in case I want to watch a movie, etc.)
headphones
Tylenol Extra Strength
yoga pants for heading home

I will also have...
my iPhone
my wallet with my insurance card, ID, etc. (in case I have an emergency)
my favorite blanket (shout out to Parris) in case I get cold

That is everything that I think that I could possibly need, especially since we will be going home the same day/night that Baby Dos is born - yay! If we have to be transferred to the hospital due to an emergency, almost all of my bases are covered; someone can bring me shampoo or my toiletries if I needed them. I feel like with Bonnie's birth I over-packed A LOT because I had no idea what to expect; with this birth I am more prepared and have more support; and don't feel the need to look glamorous going home - ha!

What did you pack in your birth bag? Got any suggestions? Let me know in the comments below!

Stay sweet,

Bumpdate: 31 Weeks.

Hello friends! So sorry for my recent hiatus - it has been a busy last couple of weeks, and once again we were dealing with yet ANOTHER stomach flu. I ended up straining my abdominal ligaments and being in some pain for a few days afterwards; but I am feeling much better now!

Baby Dos has definitely been packing on the pounds and is still measuring about two weeks ahead of schedule (so closer to 33 weeks than 31 in development and measurements). His or her movements have become increasingly uncomfortable due to the lack of space, and I can feel my cervix start to thin out; so I am hoping that on Wednesday at my midwife appointment she can reassure me that I have at least six more weeks left! 

Symptoms wise I am experiencing some fatigue and some Braxton Hicks contraction; but otherwise very good! I have gained about three pounds now over my starting weight of this pregnancy - but I feel like it has been closer to ninety. The baby has been hanging out pretty low, but still haven't felt him or her "drop" per-say. Hoping to keep up my energy and hydration up for the next couple of months, and for s good checkup on Wednesday!

Check back later this week on what I am putting in my birth bag!

Stay sweet,

Keep Your Comments & Hands to Yourself.

One of the the biggest complaints I have about being pregnant is when people feel the need to comment on my pregnant body. I know that pregnancy is an exciting time (hello I AM the pregnant one here), but the number of people that I get commenting on MY body (or trying to touch me!) on a daily basis is ASTOUNDING. 

This weekend I was at a family friend's crawfish boil, and several people asked to touch my belly throughout the day. A few of the people who asked were my close family friends and I had no problem letting them rub up on Baby Dos, but some of them were strangers who were friends of my friends; that is a hard pass, folks. One woman, after *complimenting* me about how I was "all baby" and didn't look "that far along", was visibly upset that I wouldn't allow her to touch MY body and told me "you're just like my daughter-in-law! She wouldn't let me rub on my grandbaby either!"

Well, then. 

I wanted to launch into a full tirade about how another person's body is theirs and theirs alone, and that she was in no way entitled to touch her daughter-in-law's body any more than mine; but I didn't. I simply said "I'm sorry that you feel that way", and walked away. This woman was just like so many others that I have met during my last pregnancy and this one as well; people feel like their comments are complimentary, or that wanting to touch my baby bump is some how a universally accepted custom that I should be okay with. 

What people don't seem to understand is that every woman is different; and their journeys to baby are all different as well. Some women may love for you to tell them that they look "little" or "all baby" because they have struggled with their weight before and are worried about it now during their pregnancy especially; or some might take that "compliment" and hear that they aren't as big as they should be - causing them to worry about the growth of their baby. Some women might like to hear how big their belly looks because they have struggled to put on any weight for the baby; while others might start worrying about their weight gain. I have even been told (by both family members and some less-than-friends) that the baby "must have eaten some of my fat because my face looked thinner" or that I "look so pretty - my face looks thinner." The moral of this rant is that if you don't know these pregnant mothers well, please don't feel like you are entitled to touch their bodies. Better yet, go with this motto; "If you didn't put it in there, don't touch!" 

I know that pregnant bellies are hand-magnets, and that everyone thinks that their compliments come from the heart, but it is not always so. 

Next time you feel the need to comment on a pregnant mother's appearance, try something like "you look very nice today", or simply "you look radiant!" And as far as touching someone's belly is concerned - wait until SHE offers or brings it up before you go reaching for that bump! 

Do any of these comments give you dejá vu? Got any funny stories about it? Let me know in the comment below!

Stay sweet,