Hospital Bag!

Welp, it's getting close to that time, so I wanna be prepared! Here is the compilation of suggestions from lots of friends and family that I got. Thanks to everyone who contributed!

A birthing class video my husband and I watched online (see post entitled "Birthing Classes are Free Online!") recommended you bring separate bags. You won't need everything all at once or the whole time you're there, so pack a very small bag to take in with you when you are in labor, then let your sweet husband bring everything else as needed. :)

BAG 1: LABOR & DELIVERY BAG
-iPod/headphones
-House slippers/comfy flip flops
-Snacks and water for hubby
-Phones, cameras, chargers
-Light, dark robe (cover your bum in your hospital gown!)
-Hair ties and bobby pins

BAG 2: Everything Else Bag
-Big sweat pants and comfy shirt to wear home from the hospital
-Big panties
-Clothes for baby
-Nursing bra

-Nursing pillow

-Nursing cover 

-Nursing pads
-Breat pump
-Lotion/chapstick/lanolin
-Hair brush
-Tooth brush, tooth paste
-More snacks, water bottles
-Makeup
-Socks

Poop... Or Not

I was a little hesitant to post this, but this is the kind of thing future mothers gotta know. When I first found out I was pregnant, I was so grateful to the people who said to buy stool softener. I kept thinking, "I haven't had a problem, so I'll buy it when I need it." What I didn't know is that there are a lot worse things than discomfort due to pooping while pregnant. I had heard of hemorrhoids, but I wasn't completely sure what they were, to be honest! And I definitely didn't know you don't have to be constipated to get them. First of all, a hemorrhoid is a varicose vain on your butthole. A varicose vein is a vein that has been extremely strained (you know, spider veins on old ladies' legs). Once you get one, that vein is forever weakened and for the rest of your life you will be easily susceptible to hemorrhoids in that spot. So what I was thinking is too much iron makes you constipated, so if I start to feel any signs of constipation, I'll buy stool softener or fiber supplements or whatever. What I found out the hard way is the baby is putting so much pressure on my lower body (and she's pretty big now that I have less than a month left!) that any solid poop could give me hemorrhoids. I was never constipated, but I've got one! So it's just a little bump in your buttcrack. I didn't even know it was there at first, I just felt sore when I wiped. I figure this was probably because it started small, but by the time I noticed it was the size of a grape! It's been getting smaller and my doctor said it'll basically take care of itself, and all you can do is eat more fiber and stop using toilet paper. She recommended I go to Costco or Sam's Club and buy a bulk sized package of Preparation H wipes because I will probably need them for the rest of my life, and I'll definitely need them after giving birth. 

So when people say "buy stool softener now!" take their advice. And if nobody tells you that, shame on everyone you know! Haha just kidding. But really, tell every first-time pregnant woman to buy something along those lines before they actually need it. You may save their bums! 

One Month To Go!

Today is May 19th (happy birthday to my Mother-In-law!). My due date is in exactly one month, which means I'd better get serious about planning and stuff... 

My husband works nights at the airport, which is about an hour away from where we live but super close to the hospital. So if I go into labor while he's working, my brother-in-law knows he's on-call. And I have his iTunes log in so I can do "Find My iPhone" if he doesn't answer when I call haha. 

My brother lives super close to the hospital, so we might just stay with him when we think it's close, as if we have some way of knowing haha. 

We need a car seat and we need to know how to use it. Our doctor was just telling us to practice on a stuffed animal that's about 20in tall because every car seat is different and we don't want the first time we use it to be with our precious baby. 

Then there's the whole, "how do I know if I'm in labor?" Thing. Ho'oulu's cousin was telling us she woke up one morning soaked and she had no idea if she had peed or if her water broke, and her doctor asked if it smelled like pee or like amniotic fluid... Who the heck knows what amniotic fluid smells like before their first baby?? So she was holding her sheets up to husband like, "does this smell like pee to you?" Haha! 

So in preparation, I turned to Google. I typed in "What does amniotic fluid smell like?" And this was the answer: 

Awesome. 

Other things to do now: 

-buy nursing pads. Your milk doesn't come in until the baby comes but you do start leaking colostrum before then, which is like the pre-milk antibodies and nutrients! Tip: don't squeeze it out when it comes, I read that can cause early labor. 

-Pack your bag! Be ready for the hospital any day. I have a month left and I've had a very healthy pregnancy, but that doesn't mean I can't go into early labor. Better to be prepared! 

-If you're working, get all your paperwork taken care of... It's kind of late in the game, honestly, but I'm turning the last of mine in tomorrow. (FMLA is job protection for your time off, TDI is temporary disability aka money!) Really your should contact HR at like 6 months prego and see what they want from you haha. 

-Buy hemorrhoid cream/wipes in bulk, and maybe a butt donut. It ain't pretty and it ain't fun, but it's going to be necessary after birth! You'll be glad you already have it when you need it. 

Also, here's a picture of me today! One month to go! (Sorry if you follow me on IG or Facebook, it's all the same pictures haha.) my legs look ridiculously skinny under my giant baby bump belly! 

Vinegar Swoob

I sweat a lot. It's not uncommon for a pregnant woman, but what is strange is my sweat smells like vinegar! It's most noticeable in the sweat under my boobs, which might just be because that's where I sweat the most haha. But I started typing on Google "pregnant sweat smells like" and vinegar was about 4th on the list and there were tons of people who said the same thing. Idk what hormones smell like vinegar, but that's what I'm going to blame! 

No Fun: Here's a Whiney Post!

Apparently every pregnant woman is supposed to get a Tdap vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). So I am 100% a believer in modern medicine, science, and doctors, so I got that on Wednesday at my doctor's appointment. Do you remember getting a tetanus shot as a kid? I sure do. It's freaking painful! This didn't actually hurt when I got the shot, but later that night I couldn't lift my arm above my head and I felt like I had been hit in the arm with a baseball bat. I was also coming down with a cold before the shot (Ho'oulu was sick last week, so now it's my turn), and that's completely full blown misery now. As if pregnancy isn't enough to keep you up at night, Wednesday night I had a sore arm so every time I'd roll over to my left side, I'd wake up; the vaccine did make me a little nauseated, so then I couldn't fall back to sleep 'cause I thought I was going to barf; I was completely dehydrated, as usual for me so far in pregnancy (there's not enough water in the world. I think I'm pregnant with a fish), so I was constantly waking up to drink water; and then my throat was absolutely shot and I felt like I was swallowing knives. 

But I went to work Thursday. I was miserable and exhausted and uncomfortable, but I went. I got to leave a little early even though everyone was sick, but I guess sick and pregnant trumps all. 

Thursday night I was so exhausted I only woke up like 15 times instead of the usual 74829194 times. But getting up Friday morning was impossible. There was no way. My whole throat was swollen shut, for one thing; I could barely breathe and I didn't even want to because the air was harsh and painful on my poor sore throat, but my nose was completely blocked so breathing through my mouth was my only option. So I called in sick. My dear husband was doing a fundraiser for which I did not lift a finger (all the preparation happened while I was at work and then I had to go to sleep because I was sick and supposed to be working an 11 hour shift on Friday). So I woke up with an empty water bottle, a full bladder, a stuffy nose that was also starting to drip onto my shoulder, and a completely empty stomach (which makes for an angry, thrashing baby). 

Getting out of bed sucks. 

It already sucks normally because my feet get so swollen at night, so when I first get up I have to limp to the bathroom. I'm lucky because the swelling subsides through the day and I get to sit all day at work if I need to, so I'm so sorry for the pregnant women who don't have that luxury and/or their swelling doesn't go down. 

Here's a hilarious video about the joys of pregnancy: 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=434533246723563&id=367720860071469&ref=bookmark

I hope that worked!