My Favorite Pregnancy Items!

So when I first found out I was pregnant, I was told there were a lot of things I may need to make sure I was comfortable for the next 9 months, however, most of those were completely unnecessary! I assume, however, that everyone is different. These are the things I could not live without!



Here is my top 5!



1.  Mama Mio Tummy Rub

This is my favorite product.  I was really worried (and still am) about getting stretch marks.  I was using Palmers Cocoa Butter for the first two months.  The smell of it really made me sick, especially when morning sickness was at its peak, but I wanted to make sure my skin wouldn't get those stretch marks!  I sometimes watch Kandee Johnsons videos, and she recommended this all natural Tummy Rub.  I ordered a kit, that came with a leg cream (so awesome), and a boob cream (eh), and this.  It smells SO good!  The company only uses organic ingredients, and you can feel comfortable putting it all over your body!  I love it, and so far, no stretch marks!!


2.  Snoogle 

I started experiencing some pretty nasty hip pain starting around month 4.  Sleeping became increasingly difficult, so I purchased this at Babies R Us.  It is very comfortable, and does help if you're able to stay in the same position while sleeping.  The only negatives I found with it is that it does create a barrier between me and Mike while sleeping, and I move around a lot so I usually wake up with it pushed off of me. I'm still using it now in my 7th month!


3.  Tempurpedic Mattress Pad

Right after I bought the Snoogle, my hip pain at night became excruciating.  The Snoogle really didn't do much for me.  In a moment of desperation, I took to good old Facebook.  My friend Marissa, who has had twins recently, suggested a Tempurpedic Mattress Pad.  I was literally in pain every night, had not slept, and would just start crying out of sheer helplessness in the middle of the night.  I drove straight to Bed Bath & Beyond and picked up one of these.  It was not at all cheap, around $400.  I did not care the pain was so bad at that point and I picked out the highest end model they sold.  It was INSANELY heavy, and I had to have Mike carry it up the stairs and put it on the bed.  It took awhile for it to find it's shape, and kind of smelled weird for the first few weeks, but that night I had ZERO pain.  I went from feeling like my hips were going to split apart to feeling NOTHING!  This is probably the best purchase I've made my whole pregnancy.  Thank goodness for Marissa!  Mike also loves it too, and I don't think it will be coming off after the baby is born.  

4.  Sports Bras

I knew my boobs would grow during pregnancy, but I never anticipated how much!  The first few months they really really hurt, but that dissipates after awhile.  They did however get HUGE.  I went from a 34B to a 36C, and I'm still growing!  I purchased a bunch of bras while I was around 5 months pregnant, and that was a silly investment.  I quickly grew out of those.  My go to these days has been a sports bra.  It stretches with you, and there's no underwire to dig into your changing body.  They make some cute ones these days too, so you don't have to look like a preteen girl.  

5.  Lansinoh Nursing Pads

*Possible TMI Alert*

This is something I definitely did not expect to need while pregnant.  One night I was sitting down on the computer, and I noticed my shirt was wet.  I was about 24 weeks at this point.  I finally realized my nipples were leaking!!! I freaked out and called another Mommy friend.  I thought something was wrong, but it turns out, your body can start producing colostrum, the pre-milk, at any point during your pregnancy.  I didn't think much of it after that and thought it would be a one time thing until the baby was born. WRONG! The next day at work my shirt was wet again, to the point it was noticeable.  I decided to pick up a pack of these nursing pads, and they have been a life saver.  I'm at the point now where I have to wear a bra at all times, even while sleeping. Definitely a necessity.  

There really isn't much else you NEED while pregnant in my opinion.  In my first trimester when I was super sick I bought pregnancy pops, lollipops intended to ease morning sickness.  They didn't really do much.  Obviously the real essentials are your Prenatal Vitamins, Folic Acid supplements, good prenatal medical attention, and TONS of water, but my list is more for Mommys comfort during this time!  

Childbirth!

For the first 4-5 months of my pregnancy, I pushed all thoughts on labor and delivery to the side.  It truly terrified me.  "I still have a long way to go before labor" became my mantra. I've seen childbirth portrayed a few different ways on television, which was honestly my only real experience with it.  I've seen my cousins have babies, but was never in the room to witness their actual births.  I know they were almost all induced, given epidurals, had a C-Section (I myself was a C-Section baby), and in one case, my baby cousin was taken out with forceps. The other model of child birth I saw was with super crunchy granola women who had apparently forgot what it meant to shave, and were giving birth outside, or in the bathtub.  I definitely did not like either of these options.  I decided to not think about child birth.  I specifically remember saying to one of my girlfriends that I don't want to know what is going to happen, it scares me too much, and to let the doctors do whatever they want to get me and the baby out of this situation healthy.

Then one day, it's almost as if I had an epiphany.  I can, for the most part, control my labor and delivery.  I can have an active role in this process.  I don't have to be bullied or scared into having the births I've seen on television, or the births my cousins have experienced.  I can educate myself, and in turn, make educated decisions about my health care during the process.  I'm not sick, I'm healthy, and my body is doing something completely normal that has been accomplished by millions of women.  

I started reading everything I could get my hands on about childbirth.  Because I do have epilepsy, I will have to give birth in a hospital (which I would have anyways, I'm sure), but I do still have options.  I have decided to attempt a natural childbirth.  I trust my body, and know that it knows what it's doing, and am going into this process hoping no medical interventions will be needed.  

I've taken a lot from my practice as a yoga instructor and applied it towards my pregnancy.  Breathing exercises, prenatal yoga poses, and the entire belief system can all be employed during this time.  I truly believe my studies in yoga have led me to this mindset.  I watched the Business of Being Born, and it really resonated with me, and have started reading a lot of Ina Mae Gaskins writings.  They all just make sense to me.  I think western medicine has a tendency to be a worrier, just like me.  Sometimes it's better if you sit back and let things run their course without interference.  I also have a healthy respect for complications that can and may arise during this time, and for that I'm very glad I will be giving birth surrounded by competent medical professionals, who will step in at a moments notice, if things go astray.  

In preparing for natural childbirth I have done myself the great favor of hiring a Doula.  I had a hard time finding one at first, and completely lucked out finding an amazing one last week.  Our first meeting with her is this Friday.  She will be teaching Mike and I the Bradley Method.  (I want to do a whole separate post on Doulas ,Midwives and the Bradley Method soon).  I am also hopefully switching to the Stony Brook Midwives.  My OBGYN practice is great, but when I brought up the fact I'd like to go natural, I was met with a lot of resistance, and actual laughter.  It was a real turn off. 

I'm feeling very positive about my decisions for this birth, and can't wait to get started with the Bradley Method classes!

My pregnancy up until now....

This will all be very condensed, I want to squeeze in my first 28 weeks! 

Finding out I was pregnant was one of the happiest and scariest moments of my whole life.  Peeing on a little stick decides if the course of your whole life will change, it's really a mind-blowing 3 minute wait for those lines to show up!  I have a habit of making a joke about everything, so when I told Mike I was pregnant, he immediately thought I was lying. After he saw the evidence, I don't think I've ever seen him so happy.  I immediately started crying. He kept saying "Are those happy or sad tears!?!" Too many emotions in a very quick amount of time.  We hugged and collected ourselves, as we were throwing Brodie his 4th Birthday party an hour later!  How I played it cool and didn't tell every single person that walked in the door that day still surprises me.  I called a few girlfriends who I knew could keep a secret and left it at that.

When I first found out I was pregnant, everyone told me how quickly time would fly.  During my first trimester, I thought they were all liars. My first 12 weeks of pregnancy were spent finishing up my Bachelors Degree in Social and Political Science.  I had never been more miserable.  I was constantly tired, nauseous, and super cranky. I was very lucky to have some amazing teachers that accommodated me greatly during those last few weeks. Imagine writing three fifteen page research papers plus finals while working (all while puking).  Alas, I finished school, and my second trimester started.  I immediately felt better, although I hear some unfortunate women experience the nausea throughout their pregnancies.  I had energy, and I once again felt better about life.  I started to focus on eating healthy and preparing my baby for a healthy life ahead.

Mike and I were thrilled to find out we were having a girl.  We already have a little boy and I secretly hoped we would be blessed enough to give him a sister.  (Plus, girl clothes are really so much more fun!) I've always had a strong connection with women in my life.  It only felt natural to me that I would one day have a daughter.

When deciding our daughters name Mike and I almost immediately agreed.   Mike, owning a surf shop and being a shaper has obvious ties to the water.  I myself grew up in a coastal community, worked my summers at the beach, and come from a long line of skilled sailors and watermen. Our connection to the water is what brought us together, so we both agreed that we should name our daughter Bay.  I grew up with a girl named Bayley, whose name I have always loved, so Bay eventually evolved to Bayley for us.  No other name really ever came up.  (We still have no idea what we would have named the baby if it was a boy!)

We went through all of our genetic testing and beginning ultrasounds and were thrilled to find out that she was perfectly healthy and growing just as she should.  I am a constant worrier. I'm always waiting for something bad to happen, a quality I'm really working on changing. I have epilepsy, a seizure disorder, so my pregnancy could be considered high-risk.  This definitely added to my stress, but I am luckily surrounded by amazing doctors who have managed to (knock on wood) make pregnancy pretty safe for me.  Every test that comes back with good news is always a huge relief to me, as I imagine it is for all moms.

With every passing week I felt more secure and more connected with Bay.  Around 20 weeks I started to feel her kick.  It was the coolest and also strangest feeling I've ever experienced to date.  I was standing in my girlfriend Jens parents kitchen, and she gave me a huge kick to the rib cage.  I remember shouting "OH MY GOD WHAT WAS THAT" and Jens mom who always has something witty to say, replied with "It's the baby you idiot".  And that was her first kick.

I feel very lucky and blessed that I have been given the ability to carry this baby, and in doing so, feel as though I have been given one of the greatest responsibilities one can be handed on this earth.  I'm truly over the moon.

First post!

I've decided to hop on the pregnancy blogging train a little late in the game, but I still feel like I have a lot to offer!  I've spent the past 7 months educating myself in the business of pregnancy and childbirth, and I still have so many bases to cover.  I'd love to share my journey with my friends and family as well as hopefully help other women navigate the sometimes scary waters that surround this experience.  I would also love for this blog to serve as a record of my pregnancy for myself to look back on once my little girl is born.