LATEST NUTRITION

36 weeks along and baby could come sooner rather than later! My hospital bag is packed, and I thought I’d share with you what I am bringing along plus some things I’m doing to prepare for birth! Here’s the video version for optimal wordiness ( ) and photos below for those of you who can’t watch the video. (FYI, you might have to turn off an adblocker to see it.)

 

To summarize what I’m packing, most of it is for after the birth! I know from doing this before at the same hospital that I don’t really need much to actually labor and have the baby. Here are the two posts I reference for packing my bag with Mazen (these posts were so helpful for me to reference this time around!): Packing The Hospital Bag and Hospital Bag Reflections.

Here’s a list of what’s in my bag this time around:

For Me

• Day-after PJs and lightweight robe
• Day 2 PJ bottoms and a more cozy robe/sweater in case it’s cold
• 2 nursing tanks
• 2 nursing shirts
• My going-home outfit (leggings, nursing tank, wrap shirt)
• THIN PADS (because no one wants to sit on a maxi!)
• Nursing pads (because I had to wear these for a year last time)
• Going-home granny underwear
• Slippers + socks
• 3 nursing bras (in case one gets leaked on, etc)
• 1 going-home bra
• Bathing suit top that I don’t think I’ll wear in the tub, but I might…
• Nursing cover (for when visitors are around)
• All toiletries I would need for a weekend away, including nice-smelling shampoo, make up and jewelry because I want to look nice!

For Baby

• Day-after outfit that matches mine
• 2 other outfits for cuteness (I remember Mazen’s day after shirt was so big!)
• 1 going-home outfit and hat
• 2 swaddle/snuggle blankets (for cute pictures!)
• One nice-looking burp cloth
• Diaper bag for everything to go in

To Pack At The Last Minute

• Car seat
• Boppy
• Home pillows x2
• Wallet with ID and insurance card
• iPhone chargers x2
• Apple Watch charger
• Macbook + charger
• Kindles x2
• Hair dryer (something I wished I’d had last time)

Am I missing anything?!

Leaving At Home This Time

• Snacks and food
• Pacis
• Diapers
• Baby mittens
• Books
• Speaker
• Prenatal vitamins
• Tablet
• DSLR (iPhone photos FTW!)

On the planning front, I’m also doing a few things every day to get ready for birth.

1 // Eating Dates!

Most often I have them on a spoon with peanut butter for a snack. This article (with links to research inside) has me convinced dates have magic powers. Plus, I love them!

2 // Drinking raspberry leaf tea

Raspberry leaf tea is supposed to tone the uterus muscles, shorten labor, and prevent excessive bleeding. I’m trying to have one or two cups per day. I make a big french press, add some honey, have one mug hot and then sip it cold the next few days. I like both the tea and dates, so I don’t really mind if they “work” or not. At the minimum, the placebo effect always helps!

3 // Working on a yoga ball

My friend Lynsie lent me her yoga ball so I can sit and rock around while I work at my desk. I’ve heard it’s good to keep your knees lower than your hips, and I try to move around more than if I were sitting immobile in a chair.

4 // Squatting and cat/cowing before bed

At bedtime I’m doing Malasana squat on a yoga block. I reached out to my Facebook mom’s group and borrowed two yoga blocks from another mom. I’m sitting on one each night for a few minutes. It’s my favorite pose we do in prenatal yoga, and I find it really relaxing and helpful for my low back too. It’s also good to get all those pelvic ligaments all loosened up! I’m also trying to do a handful of cat/cow stretches and pelvic circles on my bed each night before getting in. This all takes a total of 3-5 minutes, so it’s not a lot. Also I should add “staying active” as an assumed bullet to this list. Walking a little every day at the min!

5 // Prenatal yoga, chiropractic + massage

I’ve been doing all of these throughout my pregnancy, because I’m a big believer that if the body is aligned and limber, the delivery will go smoother. So I have appointments scheduled for these both in the next few weeks and I’m trying to make sure I get to at least one yoga class per week.

I’m also talking to the baby and making him feel safe and welcome, listening to birth stories, and watching Ina May Gaskin on You Tube! (I love her mantra “You’re gonna get huge!“)

Tell me some of the things you did to both physically and mentally prepare?

The post Baby #2: The Hospital Bag and 5 Things I’m Doing To Get Ready For Birth appeared first on Kath Eats Real Food.

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