MTBW

[corgimom]

Happy Wednesday!

1. How far along are you? Team?

2. Rants, raves, feelings?

3. Do you make New Year's resolutions?

4. I know a few of us are second+ time moms or are getting close - what did/are you packing in your hospital bag?

[corgimom]

1. How far along are you? Team?
38w, 4d - Team Pink!

2. Rants, raves, feelings?
All sorts of feelings! I'm definitely tired and feeling both ready and not ready at the same time! The new glider for the nursery came yesterday so once DH puts that together I'll hang up all the art and the nursery will be pretty much done! I also washed and put away all the newborn and 0-3 month clothes and with the help of my mom, reorganized all of DD1's old clothes and stuff I got from friends and neighbors - I now have SEVEN storage bins of girl clothing from size 3 months to 18 months! Being organized definitely helps me feel relaxed.
Had my weekly visit with the midwife yesterday and baby girl is still head down and midwife is happy with her position but I haven't been feeling any indication it's happening soon, so who knows!

3. Do you make New Year's resolutions?
Meh, not really? Every year I try to commit to making time to reading more books. I'll probably succeed on that this year since I got a lot of reading done when I was on leave with DD. Neither DH or I really make actual resolutions but we both have long term goals or works in progress.

4. I know a few of us are second+ time moms or are getting close - what did/are you packing in your hospital bag?
I can't really remember what I packed for DD1 but I remember barely using any of it! I have a light bag packed but feel like I'm missing things!! 
I have a nursing tank top and some comfy lounge pants if I feel like it post-delivery, clothes to go home in and basic toiletries. My hospital provides a lot so I don't need things to care for myself (I don't even need to bring prescription meds!), bring diapers or things for baby either. I have packed sleepers in 2 sizes, a few onesies in 2 sizes and a swaddle for baby girl. Also a microwaveable rice pack for my back during labor and my boppy to make BF a little more comfortable. DH is on his own but I put out a bag for him, lol. Also, as long as I am covid negative, he is able to come and go from the hospital. If all goes well, they will allow me a release after 24 hours and I think we will go home and get settled, if that's the case, so hopefully I won't need much!

With DD1 I brought so much I didn't use and they sent me home with SO MUCH STUFF, it was awesome to not have to go out and get things for recovery and they even gave a nice gift bag for baby!

[lovesherheels]

1. How far along are you? Team?
37+4 (but 14 days away from c-section), DS2

2. Rants, raves, feelings?
My heartburn is out of control. Buy stock in Tums, y'all, I'm really keeping them in business.

My DH and I are still going through the punchlist of nursery stuff. I think we're close, but it'll feel more finished once the prints get here late this week. Nothing super crazy here, though. Just need to finalize my maternity leave plan with my incoming boss (previous boss okayed it and I think the new one will too but I want to confirm).

At my dr. appt on Monday they said I was 50% effaced with a closed cervix so ... meh. lol. He's head down which also doesn't matter since we're doing a c-section, lol, but it does mean that he's officially more cooperative than his older brother at the moment.

3. Do you make New Year's resolutions?
I don't. I never really kept them anyway, lol.

4. I know a few of us are second+ time moms or are getting close - what did/are you packing in your hospital bag?
Last time I brought and never pulled out my iPad. This time I feel sure I will since we won't have any visitors. And DH is going to probably have some shows downloaded. We'll probably bring a Chromecast, too, so we can watch things on the TV. Plus all the normal stuff. Oh! And this time I'm bringing a couple pacifiers.

achi -- it sounds like you're so ready!! I'm so jealous you have everything as together as you do! lol

[corgimom]

lovesherheels - I feel you on the heartburn! I can't remember if it was this bad with DD1 or not, but I feel like everything causes heartburn. Sorry to hear that we're in the same boat, but at least we're both close to the finish line!
Does your hospital give pacifiers or no? I didn't even think about packing them with DD1 because I wanted her to go without (and she mostly did, thankfully) but apparently my hospital is really anti-paci! I had no idea until I got there. I have some for baby girl because, if it makes my newborn happy or helps her sleep, she can have it, lol!

[achi]

1. How far along are you? Team?

32+2 with DS2. Repeat c-section in 42 days.

2. Rants, raves, feelings?

Mostly feelings this week. Ontario is entering a stay at home order at midnight. We're an essential business, but my boss and I decided that now that my mat leave coverage person is in the office and starting to get up to speed I'm going to start working from home on Monday (I run an HR department). It's bittersweet. On one hand I'm relieved to be able to sit on my ass in front of my computer at home, but it's also nerve wracking to really "hand it over" to someone else before I was truly in that head space.

Had my first NST this morning. Baby is doing fine. Physical aches and pains remain the same.

3. Do you make New Year's resolutions?

No. I usually have thoughts about projects I might want to take on or accomplish for the year but nothings set in stone.

4. I know a few of us are second+ time moms or are getting close - what did/are you packing in your hospital bag?

I've just finalized my list for baby and my hospital bag. This time I'm bringing a wider variety of clothes for baby. We'll be doing lots of skin to skin, but there are huge temperature swings in the maternity ward (even during my 30 minute NST today I went from being cold to very hot) so I want a better selection of things for baby. I'm obviously not packing any vaginal birth recovery things. I am bringing a belly binder this time. I had really bad back spasms around 3-weeks postpartum with DS1 so I got a physiotherapist-approved binder which I'll wear as much as I can in the first couple weeks to hopefully avoid the same problems. I'm also bringing an extension cord for my phone charger. My recovery room last time had electrical outlets in strange places. I told H "we'll be there at least 48 hours after birth and you can't leave. Figure your shit out."

Edit: I am bringing actual swaddles this time. Last time we just brought muslin blankets and used those for swaddling, which naturally come loose. I'm going to bring 2 different kinds and hopefully that will help a bit with night 2. My hospital is not super paci-positive, but I had no issues BFing DS1 and him using a paci, so I'm bring them and they can suck it. 

[achi]

lovesherheels - heartburn sucks sooooooo much. You have all my sympathies. And thanks - but I'm starting to feel less "together" then I thought. The nursery is done and clothes are ready, but I keep finding new things to do. Are they all necessary? No. But they feel that way to me.

corgimom - sounds like baby girl is in a good position! Fingers crossed she doesn't keep you waiting too long.

[achi]

Also - my midwives always recommend bringing a roll or two of good quality TP from home, even if you are having a planned c-section. The industrial grade hospital 1-ply is not super friendly post partum. Even so I had a c-section with DS1 I was glad to have nice TP.

[corgimom]

achi- Thanks!! I was 4 days late with DD1 but a few weeks back felt like this girl would come early... now, I have no clue. We technically are ready and have what we need for her but part of me needs a little more time and another part of me is ready to meet my second little girl!

I'm glad baby is doing good for you and despite some mixed feelings, working at home does sound wonderful!

[lovesherheels]

achi and corgimom, you both seem on top of it. Our nursery still looks like a bomb went off lol.

I don't know if our hospital is pro or anti paci, but I know they didn't give me one last time and I'm not risking a night two like we had with DS1, lol. I'll never forget how I was recovering from my c-section and basically paced and rocked DS1 all night, to the point of standing over his bassinet in tears with him screaming. Some nurse (who may legit have been an angel because I never saw her before or after this interaction) came in, calmed him, got him to sleep, put him down and walked away so I could rest for 90 glorious minutes. (I had told my DH to put in earplugs and sleep because someone needed to be coherent for the doctors in the morning, and he'd done all the walking around/up stuff all day because of my surgery.)

Y'all. The heartburn. Everything I eat and drink. It's miserable, as you both know. I'm sorry that all of us are dealing with it!

Also, I need pregnant lady work-day naps normalized. lol

[achi]

Jan 13, 2021 15:46:51 GMT -5 lovesherheels said:

achi and corgimom , you both seem on top of it. Our nursery still looks like a bomb went off lol.

I don't know if our hospital is pro or anti paci, but I know they didn't give me one last time and I'm not risking a night two like we had with DS1, lol. I'll never forget how I was recovering from my c-section and basically paced and rocked DS1 all night, to the point of standing over his bassinet in tears with him screaming. Some nurse (who may legit have been an angel because I never saw her before or after this interaction) came in, calmed him, got him to sleep, put him down and walked away so I could rest for 90 glorious minutes. (I had told my DH to put in earplugs and sleep because someone needed to be coherent for the doctors in the morning, and he'd done all the walking around/up stuff all day because of my surgery.)

Y'all. The heartburn. Everything I eat and drink. It's miserable, as you both know. I'm sorry that all of us are dealing with it!

Also, I need pregnant lady work-day naps normalized. lol

YES. SO MUCH YES.

My heartburn only seems to strike in the MOTN when I've been lying down for awhile. Tums live on my bedside table. 

[corgimom]

I'm down to support pregnant lady work-day naps! I may not get a lot of sleep at night with a newborn but I am so looking forward to napping whenever I want during my leave! lol

And yes! What is with the motn heartburn? I'm fine before bed and am sleeping fine, wake-up to go to the bathroom and as soon as I sit up BAM! I have tums on my nightstand, in the kitchen and at my desk at work, lol. I also carry around a travel size in my purse. I don't remember it being this bad with DD1!

[jennistarr1]

Jan 13, 2021 10:37:08 GMT -5 corgimom said:

4. I know a few of us are second+ time moms or are getting close - what did/are you packing in your hospital bag?
I can't really remember what I packed for DD1 but I remember barely using any of it! I have a light bag packed but feel like I'm missing things!! 
I have a nursing tank top and some comfy lounge pants if I feel like it post-delivery, clothes to go home in and basic toiletries. My hospital provides a lot so I don't need things to care for myself (I don't even need to bring prescription meds!), bring diapers or things for baby either. I have packed sleepers in 2 sizes, a few onesies in 2 sizes and a swaddle for baby girl. Also a microwaveable rice pack for my back during labor and my boppy to make BF a little more comfortable. DH is on his own but I put out a bag for him, lol. Also, as long as I am covid negative, he is able to come and go from the hospital. If all goes well, they will allow me a release after 24 hours and I think we will go home and get settled, if that's the case, so hopefully I won't need much!

With DD1 I brought so much I didn't use and they sent me home with SO MUCH STUFF, it was awesome to not have to go out and get things for recovery and they even gave a nice gift bag for baby!

My advice on what to bring and not bring
I would skip the boppy and just use hospital pillows for such a short period
will you be able  to microwave the rice thing?
less baby clothes

a bow for baby girl
masks for you and hubs
for labor something to mist your face and a cooling towel
just in case--a pumping bra (unexpected nicu separation)

less is more especially in covid times

[corgimom]

jennistarr1 Thank you! Still no baby so I have plenty of time to re-arrange my bags!

I definitely felt like I was overpacking baby clothes but was also worried that I wasn't packing enough? This is enough to sway me to take some out of the bag. I do have a bow and a cute hat in my bag, though, so those will stay! With DD1 the nurses took the hospital hats and made ones with bows for the girls, I love that and still have DD1's! I hope DD2 gets one for her memento box, too!
I also have a cooling towel thing with my hiking/camping stuff - such a good idea! I'll have to dig that out!

I did check with my midwife and while they aren't letting laboring mamas walk the halls, the nurses will either let DH run down the hall to microwave my rice pack or they will they will do it for me. Some of that will depend on if I'm covid negative or not. They ask that you don't bring plug-in heating pads so they prefer these and were happy to help reheat them last time so DH could stay with me. Have I ever mentioned how much I love the staff at this hospital? They are seriously amazing!