5 things I Learned From Becoming A First Time Mom In A Pandemic

The good, the bad, and the ugly. I’m sharing 5 things I learned from becoming a first time mom during a pandemic.

  1. Family and friends being involved in your child’s life is one of the most precious gifts.

It began with the hospital. Due to restrictions no one else was allowed to be at the hospital. I had always thought I would have my mom there with me while I was laboring. That truthfully was really hard for me to come to terms with. We were blessed enough despite the circumstances to be able to have both sets of our parents around from the day we brought Turner home from the hospital. Having the help was really nice. My mom came everyday for the first few weeks for a couple of hours since Tyler went directly back to work. He has been able to see his grandparents often since we are in the same town. Other family and friends he wasn’t able to meet until months later. Some just met him for the first time this past weekend and some still haven’t met him. I definitely envisioned all my family and friends meeting him within the first few weeks and definitely by two months old. It didn’t happen that way due to COVID but it made me treasure the time I did get with loved ones. I’m so grateful for every moment now and don’t take it for granted.

2. Having an empty calendar is a blessing in disguise.

Due to many things being closed, postponed or capacities limited our social calendar certainly cleared quite a bit. In some ways I wasn’t thrilled with it because I was so excited to get out and about after having a baby for some normalcy. Having a much more free schedule allowed our little family to spend lots of time together. We were forced to slow down and enjoy the small moments with Turner. They pass too quickly not to hold on to them and treasure each one! We have spent more quality time together than we would have if things had been different and I think we will definitely keep it up even as things return to normal.

3. Less is more.

Oh boy, this may also just be a first time mom in general thing but we definitely overdid it on the baby items. Spending all day everyday inside your home makes you analyze what all you have. Babies do not need 5 different options to sit in. They also do not need more than 2-3 holiday related outfits; especially if you have no where to go in order for them to wear them. (Don’t ask me how many Christmas outfits my son had. Far too many.) Additionally, a few toys are more than substantial. Most of the time they would prefer playing with a box, diaper rash cream tube, or your shoe. Trust me, you can always place an order on Amazon for anything you need!

4. Both parents need an outlet outside of being just mom or dad.

This is probably one of the things I struggled with the most. There weren’t as many things to go and do for me earlier on in Turner’s life due to all of things being closed/limited. I definitely had to get creative at times. I got quite a few pedicures and walked around Target. My husband is a little better about this because he actually has concrete hobbies he does. As a couple I think it’s also important to get a break together. We have had date nights and we then day arrived I truly didn’t feel like putting the energy to get ready to go somewhere. Despite that I always found a way to make myself go and we enjoyed the time together every time! It’s so important to put in that effort for your marriage.

5. Modern technology and pick up services are one of the best things to happen to the 21st century.

Call me lazy but being able to roll up to a business and complete my transaction without even getting out of a car is the best thing ever! I’ve done Walmart grocery pick-up since 2019 so I was no stranger to that. I hate grocery shopping and love just going on the app to do it quickly. Due to the pandemic there were many new curbside services taking place. I think I have had a Target pick up order almost every single week. Chick-Fil-A curbside has seen my face more than I care to admit. Not having to get a baby in and out of the car is truly the most convenient thing ever! And, I’ll say what most of you are thinking: driving through to grab Mexican food plus a margarita to go for the house isn’t too shabby either. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to stroll around stores and see things in person or eat a meal in an actual restaurant but; convenience is definitely king when you have a baby. I’m glad these services are here to stay!

If I knew beforehand that I would have my first baby during a global pandemic would I purposefully choose that time period? Maybe not. Now that I have met my son though I can tell you I would do it over a million times just for him! I’m choosing to take the high road and use these lessons I’ve learned going forward. I’ll treasure the memories but I’m ready to move toward normalcy!

10 Baby Registry Must Haves

I originally was going to write this post last summer. In fact, it’s been saved as a draft since June 2020. I think now that I’ve been a mom for almost 9 months I have a much better idea of what we really used daily and what we didn’t. I’ll be honest, we definitely had way too many baby things. If I had it to do again I would definite minimize the amount. I’m sharing the 10 most essential things we’ve used that you should consider adding to your own baby registry!

  1. Boppy Lounger

This is an absolute must have for me. I cannot believe how much we used and still use it to this day! Essential it’s just a specially designed pillow for babies. They start at about $32 and go up to $44 for some of the special prints on Pottery Barn. We have the grey preferred one and it’s great because it’s neutral and doesn’t show dirt as much. You can throw the entire thing in the washing machine and let it dry. It’s not approved for sleeping but if he dozed off on it while I was next to him I allowed him to continue sleeping since I was supervising. Otherwise it’s just a great safe spot to rest them when you need a hands free moment. Do not ever set it on any elevated surfaces even when baby is brand new. Newborns are stronger than you think!

2. Burp Cloths

I vastly underestimated how many of these you use the first few months. I also tried to use the “cute” ones. I have some from Milkbarn and they don’t absorb hardly anything. Get the plain white old school ones from Amazon. I recommend 2 packs and keeping them everywhere in the house!

3. Pajamas

You will live in pajamas especially the first month or so. Zip pajamas or gowns are my recommendation! We personally loved gowns for nighttime sleep. You just whip it up, change the diaper and back down. We did zipper or magnetic pajamas during the day. Do not ever get the snaps. Just trust me. Some brands I like are: Magnetic Me, Milkbarn, Kissy Kissy, Magnolia Baby, and Little Sleepies. They’re all great quality and last through countless washes. They are definitely more expensive than most but I would rather have fewer pajamas and do more laundry. I’m a do laundry everyday person so it wasn’t an issue. If you don’t like doing laundry as much you probably will want more pajamas. I think 5-7 in their size is a good number. We were probably changing 1-2 times a day depending and then a night pair. For more affordable options on pajamas I like: Cloud Island from Target and Burt Bee’s because they both have cute prints and zip up.

4. A Way to Feed Baby

You’ll have to choose what you want to do whether it’s nursing or formula or a combination. We chose formula only so we made sure to have bottles, nipples, and formula before. I wouldn’t buy any formula though because we ended up switching week one but I was able to donate it. The hospital gives you formula bottles as well to take home. We also have the Baby Breeze Formula Pro which I’ve spoken fondly of and is still a real MVP for us but it’s definitely not a must. You can mix a bottle by hand with water! We also have a sterilizer but it’s not essential either. You can wash bottles by hand but it just adds an extra layer of cleanliness.

5. Monitor

You can go old school and get a sound only monitor for around $20 or get a video monitor. Technically this isn’t a must have but it does allow you to let your child sleep without you being in the room with them. I really like the Lollipop Camera since it can be used anywhere. It has a grip that you can mold onto anything so you can move it around your home or take it with you anywhere. It also has a user friendly app that can be accessed from your phone or tablet!

6. Diaper bag

You don’t necessarily have to get a diaper bag but you need to set up a bag with baby essentials. Namely, diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, burp cloths, pacifier, swaddle. I love my Freshly Picked backpack so much. You truly can use a bag you already have if you like! You’ll be the one carrying it so do what you want.

7. Sound machine

It’s not something you have to have but having it is very convenient. Especially once they start going to bed before you. We like our Hatch because you can even control it from your phone. There are also sound machines as low as $10 on Amazon. My husband literally was hammering a drawer in the other night and Turner never woke up. Thank you, Hatch!

8. Car seat

You must have one to leave the hospital and they will check it! Make sure if you get a used one that it’s newer than 7 years old because that’s when they expire. The date is often on the bottom. We love our Nuna Pipa Lite but it’s definitely more expensive than a lot of them. $50 is the lowest I have found for newborn car seat. You want them safe though so it’s worth it.

9. Kick ‘n’ Play Piano

It’s probably the ugliest baby item of all time but it’s perfect for tummy time! Babies love all the colors to look at. Turner would lay under the hanging toys in awe! He still uses it now at almost 9 months and the piano comes off for them to play with when they’re older.

10. Somewhere for baby to sleep

This is totally up to you! It can be a bassinet, pack n play, or crib. A lot of parents like to have baby in their own room at first and the AAP actually recommends it. We did it for 5 weeks and if we were to do it over I would’ve moved him to his nursery the first week. I slept so much better when I couldn’t hear his every move. We used the SNOO Bassinet the first 5.5 months but it’s definitely not necessary. As long as baby has a safe place to sleep you are good to go!

What’s the one thing from your registry you couldn’t have lived without? Let me know below in the comments!

Baby Proofing Your Dogs

Baby Proofing Your Dogs

If you know me in real life then you know I absolutely adore my dogs. My black Labrador retriever, Reese, has been a part of our family since my husband and I were dating. We got her together and she was at our engagement and in the photo for our save the date. After getting married we got our Golden Retriever, Maddux, who is the energizer bunny of our dogs. My dogs were actually the first to know I was pregnant since they waited for the results with me because my husband was out of town! They kept me company throughout my pregnancy and months of quarantine once COVID started since my husband still had to go to work daily. They truly are my best friends! I cried a lot leading up to my due date because I was so worried they would be upset with me for bringing a baby home. Everyone would say when I was pregnant: “Just wait until that baby gets here, things will change!” I’m here to tell you that they do but for the better.

Maddux is technically “my dog,” since I was the one that got him and took care of him from being a puppy onward plus he is a male so he naturally gravitates more toward me. Once I got pregnant Reese must have been able to sense what was going on because she got very protective of me. I’ve heard dogs sometimes know people are pregnant before they even know themselves and I could definitely see how that’s true!

I want to share some tips that helped us with transitioning our dogs to their new baby brother. I obviously am not an expert in dog training of any kind but this is what worked for us!

Before we were ever pregnant we let our dogs be around kids as much as possible! We let kids pet them and love them while closely supervising them both. No matter what kids did to either dog they absolutely loved the attention and were so gentle! I know with COVID this may not be as much of a possibility but if you do have kids you see in your life and their parents are comfortable with it then expose your dogs to them! Of course remember some kids are afraid of dogs and in that case it’s better if they are put up. All of our friends that came around our dogs had dogs themselves so they were fine with the kids playing with them.

Play sounds of baby crying, babbling, laughing! Anything baby noise related play it for the dog often leading up to birth. That way they aren’t startled when they hear any of the noises. Our dogs don’t even bat an eye if Turner cries or makes noise of any sort!

Let the dogs be a part of the preparation process for baby when possible! We went in the nursery every single day and would hang out in there. We let them sniff around and even left the door open for them to go in as they wanted to explore.

Once baby was actually here we made sure to send a blanket and hat with his scent on it home for the dogs to investigate. I had my husband go downstairs and send it with a parent to take to our house. In COVID times this might not be possible but if it is not then maybe send someone in for a few minutes before you go inside with an item with the baby’s scent on it.

Once we actually got home the dogs were very curious. Maddux wanted to be close to him right away but Reese took a day or two to warm up. That’s just her personality though! She’s a bit of a diva. We still let our dogs sleep in our room (yes, they sleep in our bed) even when Turner was staying in there. We left the door open because some nights one or both of them would leave the room at first during the night. We let them be near baby as much as possible but we do supervise them very closely and never leave them alone just to be safe.

I try to show them the same amount of attention I always have throughout the day. They hang out with me during nap time and after Turner goes to bed we all cuddle. I’ve heard people say to only give them attention when baby is around and ignore them when baby is gone. We didn’t follow this advice and just give them attention whenever and it has worked fine for us.

Turner is starting to show a lot of interest in the dogs now! He has started to reach for them, turn his head to watch them and sometimes they actually make him laugh! As he gets older we will make it a point to teach him how to treat them kindly but will always supervise them when they are together. We have had zero issues with either of our dogs and interacting with baby. They do both like to lick him quite a bit so we say “Thank you” to them and move them away instead of saying no. A baby fence or play yard is a great idea to keep them separated if you want to! We don’t do it much yet but definitely will once Turner is on the move.

One last thing I worried about before baby was here was barking. Our dogs only bark if they think someone is at our home. That means every delivery truck, neighbor slamming car door, kids riding their bicycle past etc. I guess Turner hears it so much that 99% of the time it doesn’t wake him up when he’s sleeping. I think he just got used to it so it doesn’t bother him! Overall, the transition has been very seamless for us and it melts my heart seeing my original babies with my human baby!

Do you have any questions about bringing a baby home with dogs? Leave them below in the comments and I will be glad to answer!

Love,

Megan

My Honest Review of the SNOO Bassinet

We are officially a SNOO graduate as of this weekend. We started sleeping in the crib at night for good! Since the SNOO Bassinet is a newer product and technology I wanted to write an honest review about our experience with it. [I have zero affiliation with Happiest Baby – the creator of the SNOO. All of these opinions are my own as a first time mom!]

What in the world is a SNOO?

I got this question a lot. It’s still not widely known in the parenting world even though it was been around for a few years now! I heard of it before I was even pregnant and knew it would probably be what we chose for a bassinet for a baby. In short it is a WiFi enabled smart bassinet that mimics the sounds and movements of the womb. It is supposed to help the baby transition into the fourth trimester! (If you don’t know what that is Google it. It’s a thing.) If it your baby is upset and needs to be soothed the bassinet will use the sound and movement to help do that. It has a special swaddle sleep sack that clips in on either side of the bassinet that you place the baby in to keep them safe. It has an app that connects to it where you can view sleep logs and level the motion and noise up manually if you choose. It was also created by the Dr. Harvey Karp who wrote The Happiest Baby on the Block book which covers helping your newborn sleep more efficiently.

Why did you choose the SNOO?

We thought as first time parents that it would be helpful to have an extra set of hands. We also really liked the safety aspect of it. Additionally, anything that will help you get more sleep in those first few months with a newborn is priceless so we thought it couldn’t hurt!

Is the SNOO difficult to use?

Not at all. Truly anyone could use it. It only took minutes to put together. It was easy to set up and connect to Wi-Fi. It’s also easy to put baby in and and tak out of. The app is very simple and user-friendly as well. You can have the app on as many devices as you like so you and your partner can both have it on your phone as well as an iPad or any other device you would like. If you do run into any issues they have a number you can call or you can email them whether they’ll help you troubleshoot.

Did you feel safe allowing your newborn to have that much motion?

[Disclaimer the pillow pictured in the snow with Turner is not recommended by happiest baby. In fact they recommend that nothing is in the bassinet with the baby other than the baby itself and the swaddle. We chose to use this in order to help combat flat head and the loss of hair on the back of his head but it didn’t work. We quit using it after a couple of months. I probably wouldn’t use it with another child because it was just a waste as well as it’s technically not safe sleep practice.]

Honestly at first, no. They are swaddled with a Velcro band and zipped into their sleep sack so they are in there very safely. The first time that you see this new level up to help soothe the baby it is a little surprising. They don’t have much neck control at first so it looks like it’s moving a lot more than it really is. You can turn motion limiter on at any time which just means that it will not go over level two when soothing your child. We actually turned the motion limiter on for the first month and then turned it off until month three. At month three we found that he was getting much more upset when it would go to level 3 and 4 and could not be consoled and we would have to intervene. He was still responding well to levels one and two though so we just put the motion limit her on so it wouldn’t go up any farther. You also have the option to completely lock it on baseline so it won’t level up at all but I personally don’t see the point in doing that since the point is for the bassinet to help with the soothing process!

Did the SNOO make you feel like you were a lazy parent? 

Not at all. I really thought it would but you still do have to get up to feed and change them and sometimes even soothe them when the SNOO can’t. It just gave us an extra set of hands that could try to soothe him before we had to step in. It’s certainly no miracle worker which I didn’t expect it to be. If your baby cannot be soothed by the motion and sound of this new within a few minutes it will completely shut off and alert you to go to them. You can feel confident that you’re not neglecting your baby because it’s going to let you know if they really need you.


Do you feel like the SNOO really made your baby sleep better?

This is such a loaded question because I really do feel like it is somewhat dependent on how well the baby naturally sleeps. For Turner we have only had to intervene once when putting him down for the night and he’s 5.5 months old now. It’s obvious to me that his drive for going to sleep is very high and it comes easily to him. The first two weeks he was sleeping three hours and we would have to wake him so he could eat. Once we were given the go ahead to stop waking him to eat at two weeks he started sleeping 4 to 5 hour stretches before his first wake up of the night. This is much longer than the average baby this age sleeps at a time! The wake ups typically were 10 minutes or less where he would get changed and have a bottle, burped and back down. At about two months he started sleeping six hours but still doing 1 to 2 wake ups during the night to eat. He gradually pushed his wake up time each night a little further and tell there was only one wake up for a bottle. At four months he slept fully through the night for the first time randomly and then started doing it consistently a few days later. Typically about 12 hours give or take about 30 minutes. This is still what he is doing even having moved to the crib. Overall I do believe that Turner is naturally a good sleeper and I don’t have any other experience with other bassinets to compare it to since he’s my first child. Do do think this new helped especially at first when he was brand new but I do think his sleeping has been a combination of just his natural sleeping temperament and then also the snoo.

Do you have anything that you regret about the SNOO?

I only have two things because I went into it with super low expectations for sleep because I knew it wasn’t going to be a miracle worker and I knew that he was a baby. The first thing that I regret is not moving him out of our room sooner. Happiest baby and the AAP recommend rooming in otherwise known as keeping the baby in a bassinet in the parents room for the first six months. Turner was a very loud newborn sleeper and was waking me up literally all night. I was getting very little sleep and we even had our hatch sound machine on. At five weeks we decided to move him to his own room since we have the outlet sock and camera. The only other regret that I have is not allowing the SNOO to do it’s thing. What I mean by that is a lot of times I would go to him because it was quicker and easier to soothe him before I really let this new intervene in level up to try to soothe him. Sometime after three months I started allowing it to work first for a few minutes before I would step in and it made a world of difference. He quickly started sleeping longer and needing less motion to soothe him and less often.

Did you do all naps in this new like happiest baby suggests?

We tried to at first. They suggest doing all sleep in the snow exclusively until they transition to the crib full-time. For the first month to probably six weeks I tried all day every day to get him to nap in the snow and he would only sleep for about 20 minutes. Finally I gave up and started allowing him to take swing naps or in a carrier etc. basically anywhere where I could supervise him sleeping to make sure he was safe. At a little before three months I moved him to the crib in a Magic Merlin suit for naps. He has done all of his naps in there since then. Recently we moved him to a Kyte baby sleep sack during naps. I know they say that it doesn’t matter but I do believe that having him nap in the crib for that long has helped our transition be a lot easier. As a parent you just have to do what works for you because sometimes it doesn’t matter where they’re getting the nap as long as they’re getting it!


Were you worried about the transition from the SNOO to the crib?

This was like my biggest source of anxiety even though I had read everywhere that the transition is basically seamless and babies don’t have a problem with it. I literally put off transitioning him from this new to the crib for a month and a half. Truthfully, the only reason we finally transitioned him is because he’s in the 99th percentile for height and he was running out of room. The transition so far couldn’t have been smoother. I literally stressed over nothing. 

Does the SNOO sleep train your child?

It does not. Sleep training is essentially helping babies learn tools to help put themselves to sleep or back to sleep when they wake up throughout the night. Turner is not sleep trained as of yet because you can’t begin the process until they are out of the SNOO since the bassinet itself is referred to as a sleep prop! (Something that helps baby fall asleep. Swaddle, pacifier etc are also props.) At this time we will wait until we need to sleep train him since at this time his nighttime sleep is good. Now, naps are a different story for another day!


Is this new really worth the price?

It’s definitely pricey. Currently the price for a brand new SNOO to purchase is $1395. You can also rent it by the month for $129 which for how long we used it would’ve came out to $774 which is still cheaper than purchasing it. We were very blessed to have been able to borrow it from my brother and sister-in-law who had my nephew six months earlier. I’m confident however that we would’ve chosen most likely to rent it anyway if we hadn’t had this opportunity. We really don’t have anywhere to store the SNOO when it’s not in use plus we’re not planning on adding to our family for a couple of years so purchasing really wouldn’t make sense for us. The resell value for the SNOO is extremely high as you can pretty much resell it and get all of your money back if you decided to do that. Overall, I do think for the safety aspect and first time parents it’s worth it. Is it a must have for all parents and babies? Absolutely not! Your baby will be just fine in a regular bassinet or pack and play to sleep their first few months. It’s definitely a splurge item that will make having a baby a little bit easier and I definitely would choose it again for a baby in the future.

I’m thinking about doing an in depth post about our journey with the SNOO plus the transition, would you guys be interested in that? Let me know below!

Love,

Megan

Postpartum Essentials

I’m sharing my must haves for postpartum today. Probably the least “fun” post I’ve written so far but definitely the most practical! I will mention I had a vaginal birth with a 2nd degree tear and some stitches. Depending on your labor and birth your recovery and postpartum period might look different from mine. The things I’m sharing today are obviously just suggestions and things I felt that made my recovery more comfortable. You can shop all of the products I’m sharing by going to the free LIKEtoKNOW.it app: Shop my post

Things to keep in basket in the restroom for easy access:

  • Mesh underwear – the hospital will provide these but I liked the FridaMom brand much better. I will say I felt like I only needed these the first week or so.
  • Pads – I liked the large hospital ones for the beginning of my time at home and then transitioned to regular pads.
  • Always Discreet Disposable Underwear – you technically don’t need both the mesh underwear and these but I found that the Always ones were so much more convenient especially when you are getting up all night with a newborn. They are kind of pricey so I would suggest just getting one package to see if you like them. I ended up getting a second package because they were so easy to use.
  • Flushable wipes – you will want these instead of using toilet paper at first. Do not flush them though because they will eventually mess up your plumbing!
  • FridaMom peri bottle – the one the hospital gives you is nothing compared to this one. It’s amazing. If you only get one thing for postpartum and decide to use the hospital stuff for the rest then make it this! I promise you need it.
  • FridaMom pad liners – I liked these so much better than the round Tucks Pads. They are actually shaped like a pad so they fit perfectly. I rotated these and the next product for the first week or two.
  • Dermoplast Spray – they will give you this at the hospital but I ordered extra. I probably went through a can and a half total. Rotating the spray and witch hazel liners listed above helps speed your healing process and keeps you comfortable!
  • FridaMom ice pads – this was my other favorite product. I loved these so much I ordered another box of them. I used these twice a day. Once in the morning and evening. This is a more expensive alternative to padsicles. I just wanted something convenient that would help with swelling and recovery!

Many of the items I mentioned come as part of the FridaMoms Kit which I was gifted from my sister in law. It also had some perineal cooling foam but I personally didn’t use it much. I found the other items I listed more convenient. If you don’t want to purchase the whole kit all the items listed above can be bought via Amazon separately.

Other items to have on hand:

  • A pillow to sit on at all times at least the first week. Trust me – you will want it. I used my pregnancy pillow most of the time.
  • Nightgowns or other easy access clothing. It was so much easier to take care of myself when I didn’t have to worry about getting off pants or shorts. I love the Star’s Above line from Target and rotated my long sleeve and shortsleeved ones.
  • Ibuprofen or other pain reliever. I was given pain pills but I only took them for 3 days once we returned home because they made me feel too groggy and I truthfully wasn’t in enough pain to need them after that. I switched to over the counter pain reliever after that for the first week and then didn’t take anything after that. Listen to your body though and take whatever medications as long as you feel like you need them!

Supplements to take:

  • Colace – they will give you this in the hospital but you need to continue taking it at home. It is a stool softener. Regardless of the type of birth you have you will want this to make sure you don’t have to strain when the time comes. You can take up to 3 times a day which I suggest and then taper down to one time per day once the first week goes by. I also suggest drinking tons of water!
  • Garden of Life Probiotic – I took their prenatal one during pregnancy and then switched to the Women’s Daily after giving birth. This will help with your digestive system!
  • Pink Stork Postpartum Mood Support – this has vitamins to help your body transition as it gets rid of any lingering hormones.

Other bits of advice:

  • Make sure you are getting a shower once or even twice a day. I know it’s hard with a newborn and you’re tired but I truly feeling like keeping good hygiene will help prevent infection and speed your recovery process. I’m a clean freak though and love showers so this was easy for me. If that’s not your thing still make sure your partner watches your baby so you can make sure you get clean daily!
  • Walk as much as possible! Even if it’s just around your house. This truly will help you so much.
  • You might still be swollen from fluids after. My legs and feet were extremely swollen and somewhat painful. This took a week to subside. I tried to drink tons of water and keep them elevate. Moving around also helps!

Things I didn’t use:

  • Postpartum wrap – I bought one from Amazon and used it once. These are supposed to help your stomach and everything go back but they gave me really painful stomach cramps so I never put it on again.
  • Sitz bath salts – I was told I couldn’t take a bath by my OB until after my 6 week check up.

Overall, postpartum recovery has not been as difficult as I thought. I had a fairly easy pregnancy, quick induction, labor and routine vaginal birth which I know helps. Once you get through the first few days you will feel so much better! Let anyone who offers to help you do so. Don’t feel like you have to have it all together and get it all done. Feel free to ask me any questions about post part recovery! I’ll be glad to answer.

Love,

Megan

What I Actually Used From My Hospital Bag

Today I’m sharing the things are actually used from my hospital bag plus the things I could have left at home.

Packing List for Mom

  • Hospital gown: I loved having my own gown that had been already washed in my own detergent and was soft. I got so many compliments from the nurses. I threw it away once I showered and changed after birth. There was no saving it which was fine since I planned to get rid of it after.
  • Two button up night gowns. Both in dark colors and button up. I have one long sleeve and one short sleeve. I only wore the short sleeve one. The first night I was in the hospital gown actually giving birth and the second night I was in my own night gown. I suggest short sleeve also because they have to be able to get to both of your arms easily every few hours to check vitals and sometimes give you things through your IV.
  • Silk robe – Wore this to take some photos of us together. Otherwise did not wear because it was so cold in our room.
  • Sleep mask – did not use.
  • Barefoot dreams cardigan – it was freezing in our post part room so I highly recommend a sweater.
  • Maternity underwear, two pairs of socks with grips, and bras – did not use the underwear since they give you the mesh kind. Did use the socks and only wore the bra to actually leave the hospital!
  • Cheap fuzzy slippers – added these last minute so I wouldn’t be walking around in my socks only and getting back into bed after that with dirty feet. Threw the slippers away and got a new pair.
  • Dollar store flip flops for shower shoes – used and threw away!
  • Maxi, slip and Birkenstocks for going home – wore all three leaving hospital! I wore the same shoes into the hospital and out. They are rubber so they could easily be sanitized. Plus they fit my swollen feet!
  • Basic toiletries: soap, lotion, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, extra contacts/case/solution, glasses, face wash, makeup wipes, aquaphor lip balm, hairbrush and minimal makeup products. Used everything listed here.
  • Daily medications – did use
  • FridaMom Peri Bottle – added at the last minute and did use! If you do not bring anything else at least bring this. It is a must have and so much better than the hospital one.

Packing List for Dad

  • Two comfortable outfits (athletic shorts, joggers, tee shirts)
  • Sweatshirt
  • Boxers socks
  • Shower shoes
  • Going home outfit (golf polo and shorts)
  • Basic toiletries: we will share most of the things above but added shampoo/hair stuff for him, any medication he might need (Tylenol or Tums…hospital will not dispense these to spouses). I put the toiletries in a gallon ziplock for easy access inside our tote.
  • Air pods

He used everything listed! My husband said his biggest thing was to make sure you have a sweatshirt and sweatpants because of how cold it was in there. I think he also wished he had a pair of slippers as well instead of just his sneakers.

Miscellaneous Packing List:

  • Instax Mini Camera + Film – did use!
  • Portable White Noise Machine – never used at all.
  • Stroller Fan (for me for labor!) – used when I was in a lot of pain during contractions pre epidural!
  • Tripod/Ringlight (no one will be there to take photos for us) – took the photos you see in this post! Highly recommend.
  • Two extra long chargers – used them and very convenient. The outlets are in random places.
  • File for documents – did not use. They give you documents in folders for you and baby.
  • Insulated cups with tops and straws – the nurses would put ice or water in these for us.
  • Insurance info and IDs – a must have!
  • Snacks – definitely another must have. My husband went to go to get something to eat the first night and they had already put the food up. He was glad we had snacks!
  • Electrolyte packets for water – did not use because all I wanted was Sprite after delivery. I ended up bringing some with me at the last minute plus a few huge water bottles of Essentia.
  • Bose speaker for music – never used this since my labor and pain rapidly got worse.
  • Two cheap grey towels and washcloths to throw away after use – we used these and threw them away! Highly recommend.
  • Cheap fuzzy blanket and old pillow to throw away after use – absolutely recommend both of these!
  • Two snack baskets for the nurses (one for AM and one for PM) – these were a huge hit with the labor nurses! I made a mistake by only having two baskets though. I really needed two more for postpartum. Next time I will do four snack baskets for the nurses.
  • Car seat (will stay in car until we need it) – my husband went and got this once we were discharged and brought it up to the room. He ran all our bags down first so we only have the baby and cart seat left to take down. They make you go out in a wheelchair!

Packing List for Baby:

  • Personalized Hello Tag – used for photos
  • Two gowns, mittens, hats, and socks – used them all because he spit up on some.
  • Two swaddles – used only one of them. The hospital gives you swaddles but of course I wanted ours for photos.
  • Going home outfit – put this on right before we left the hospital.
  • Pacifier – did not use because they give you one!
  • Baby Book (For feet stamping) – did not even think to get this out when I was in labor but they give you a card with the footprints stamped on it you can add to the book.
  • Personalized Door Hanger + Calligraphy Pen to write in info – did use.
  • Letterboard – did use.
  • Burp cloths – did not use because they give them to you at the hospital.

COVID DETAILS

I delivered at St. Michael’s Hospital in Texarkana and cannot say enough good things about the entire staff. I had the best nurses, doctor and experience. I cannot recommend giving birth there enough. The policy when we delivered as of July 23, 2020 was only one support person. That meant my husband was the only one allowed for the durations of our stay. He was allowed to leave which he only did to go out to the car or meet our parents at the entrance for food. I’m going to be honest, when I heard my mom would not be allowed I was crushed. I wanted her there as well and had always assumed she would be. While we missed having our parents there to see him as soon as Turner was born it was nice just having the time with the three of us. I had a vaginal delivery and was there about 45 hours total from induction check-in to discharge. I also was tested for COVID via blood test when I arrived and it was negative. They did not test my husband. We did have to wear masks whenever anyone was in the room or if you left the room but I took mine off when we were pushing. I’m not sure if that was allowed but no one said anything to me and honestly I cannot imagine two hours of pushing with a mask on. Other than masks and no visitors that was the only difference I could tell during our stay due to COVID.

Do you have any questions about what I used at the hospital or what it is like to deliver during COVID? Let me know in the comments and I’ll be glad to answer!

Love,

Megan

Turner’s Birth Story

I’m so excited to be sharing Turner’s birth story today! It was such a positive experience overall. I have loved reading other people’s birth stories throughout my pregnancy. I hope by me sharing my own it will help put other moms to be at ease and get them excited for the birth of their own baby!

I decided with my doctor after my due date be induced electively because I had been 1 cm dilated with a rock hard cervix for weeks. I’d been having contractions for days but nothing consistent. The induction was scheduled for when I was 40 weeks and 4 days. We checked into the hospital on July 22 at 5:00 pm. By 6:30 pm I was in a bed, with IV fluids and given one dose of Cytotec orally. I was checked and was 1 cm, 50% effaced and baby’s head was low. Around 8 pm contractions picked up slightly becoming more painful and I got a little nauseous. They gave me popsicles and ice chips and I felt better. Around 9:30 pm I began having back labor. Contractions and back labor progressively begin getting worse around 11 pm and I was given pain medication through the IV. It did nothing for my pain. They checked me and I was only at a 2. It continued to get worse to the point I felt like I was going to pass out and get sick at the same time. Called the nurse and said we had to do something. She called the anesthesiologist even though they don’t like to do the epidural before a 4 cm. I was given another bag of fluid before he could come and place the epidural. At 12:45 am he came and gave me my epidural. My husband had to leave and the poor nurse that had to help me be still was an angel. I was in the worst pain of my life because of back labor. I kept apologizing to everyone because I was SO embarrassed I was getting an epidural at only 2 cm dilated. I didn’t feel the numbing shot or epidural go in at all. It took the first try. She checked me before inserting the catheter and I was 8 cm dilated and almost completely effaced. The nurse was shocked and went to get my doctor. That means all the pain I felt was my body transitioning from 2-8 cm in a very short period of time. In the mean time I had to lay on my left side to get it numb. It took a little while but it worked. My husband came back and couldn’t believe it! My doctor comes in and says we will be pushing soon! He in complete shock as well. I’m feeling amazing with the epidural and so glad I trusted my gut! If I hadn’t gotten it when I did I probably wouldn’t have been able to at all! We started pushing at 3:00 am. Pushing is no joke. It doesn’t hurt but it’s just hard mentally and physically. It was just my husband, nurse and I pushing for an hour. My doctor checked on me and said I just needed to keep working! Baby had turned sunny side up at some point which explained my back labor. It almost meant after every contraction and set of pushes he would slip back in some. At 4:30 my doctor came in and checked on us again. He called in the nursery and other nurses needed for delivery then got gowned up and said it was go time.

I pushed out Turner David Griffin sunny side up at 4:47 am and had to stop when he was almost all the way out because my water was behind baby boy and never broke all the way. He swallowed some amniotic fluid and had to be cleared of that and have a little oxygen. His head was also a little cone shaped because he was stuck for so long. He was fine in a few minutes though! I had a 2nd degree tear and received stitches. Overall, my actual labor process was only 10 hours long which is great for an induction plus first time mom delivering. I was so upset about having to be induced and not going into labor on my own but it was truly the best experience ever. I am so happy with it and feeling so thankful God guided us to the decision and allowed us to have a positive induction and healthy baby boy! We are so grateful Turner is here with us and we are loving being parents so far.

Third Trimester Bumpdate

I cannot believe it’s finally my due date today! (July 18th) Pregnancy is a journey that somehow seems fast and slow at the same time. This baby boy has been 22 months in the making for us since it took us a year to get pregnant. We feel so thankful to be meeting our little miracle soon!

28 Weeks pictured above! This is about the time I really started to show and had an actual bump. It was so exciting to see it and made it more real.

29 Weeks pictured above. This was the weekend our shower was originally scheduled for but COVID canceled and rescheduled it.

30 Weeks pictured above. Third trimester was when I actually started to truly feel pregnant. The beginning of the trimester was fairly uneventful for me other than a growing bump. We spent lots of time getting the nursery ready for baby.

Week 30 pictured again. I somehow did not get a week 31 photo.

Week 32 pictured above. My rib pain started around this time and has worsened as the weeks have gone on. This was also the week we had a scare at the doctor. I was measuring two weeks behind for the first time in my whole pregnancy. We were sent for an ultrasound and found that baby boy was balled up and was completely fine. His position just threw the measurements off!

Week 33 we took our maternity photos! This is something I always swore I’d never do. I couldn’t imagine wanting photos of me big and pregnant. Once I was actually pregnant I couldn’t imagine not documenting this time! I am so glad we did them and especially before it got too hot and I got too uncomfortable. I highly recommend doing your maternity photos before 36 weeks for both of those reasons!

Week 34 pictured above! The bump really started growing around this time and my rib pain started to get extremely uncomfortable. My ankles and feet also started swelling around this time. I was pretty disappointed about that because I thought I was going to make it through pregnancy without that lovely symptom.

Week 35 pictured above!

Week 36 pictured above! My friends gave us a shower outside and it was beautiful. We began our weekly appointment at the doctor. I measured two weeks behind for only the second time in my pregnancy. We were sent for an ultrasound but unfortunately this time he wasn’t in the wrong position. He really was measuring behind especially his stomach. He was weighing about 5 pounds at this time and I was really upset about finding all this out. I felt like somehow I failed him. My doctor explained that I am a small person which often means smaller baby. He was still within 2 weeks of the normal range and not to worry. I concentrated on getting as much protein as possible after this to hopefully help even though my doctor insisted that your body is just going to do pregnancy its own way regardless in terms of weight gain and baby growth.

Week 37 pictured above. This began the most uncomfortable and longest part of my whole pregnancy. Check out my severely swollen ankles above. I also began to not be able to sleep at night due to rib pain and general discomfort. I was crossing my fingers for him to arrive any day!

Week 38 pictured above! We were still going to the weekly doctor appointments. I wasn’t shower any signs of him coming soon at this time at all.

Week 39 pictured above. I just knew he would come this week but no dice. Found out at our weekly appointment that I was dilated to 1 cm but nothing else happening. We got to see him on ultrasound and he was estimated to weigh 6 pounds and 14 ounces which was amazing news for us! Since week 37 I have eaten pineapple (I actually eat it everyday anyway because I love it), walked, bounced and done labor activation exercises on the exercise ball, eaten spicy food (I do this anyway!), drank Red Raspberry Leaf tea, ridden the Peloton as much as possible, and nested. Apparently none of those things are going to induce labor for me. This last few days of pregnancy as been mentally exhausting because I keep waiting for labor to begin. I’ve only had some cramping and Braxton hicks. We go to the doctor Monday and will likely set an induction date at this point. I am disappointed because I really wanted my body to do it on its own but ultimately just really want him here.

Worst third trimester symptoms: acid reflux (was given the okay by my doctor to take OTC medication nightly at week 32 and it basically vanished since then), swollen ankles, swollen hands (began at 39+4 during walking so I had to stop), sleepless nights due to anxiety and uncomfortableness and excruciating rib pain that nothing helps. I gained 14 pounds total during this pregnancy which I am pretty happy with since many weeks I gained nothing and even lost some weeks despite eating plenty.

Now, we are just waiting to meet our sweet boy hopefully next week sometime! I’ve loved sharing my journey here on my blog and cannot waist to continue sharing affordable outfits, home decor, motherhood and life in general in the future! I would love your prayers for a healthy delivery and baby. Let me know below if you went past your due date below in the comments!

Love,

Megan

What I’m Packing In My Diaper Bag

36 weeks over here! Things are getting real. I packed my diaper bag for baby boy last week. I’m not planning on bringing it the hospital but wanted it to be ready for his first doctor’s appointment and anywhere else we may have to go soon after birth. I have been loving my Freshly Picked diaper bag. It’s so roomy and of course super cute! It can be worn as a backpack as pictured above which is most likely how I will wear it.

It can also be worn as a cross body as pictured above. My dogs loved helping me pack the diaper bag! They are good helpers. I also consulted my mom for suggestions on things I should add. I am a first time mom so this is what I am thinking I will need. Here’s what I packed:

*Extra onesie

*Burp cloths

*Diapers

*Diaper Cream

*Wipes

*Premade Similac formula bottles + nipple

*Pacifier

*Swaddle

*Boogie Wipes

*Lotion

*Nail clippers

*Extra mittens

*Extra socks

*Portable changing pad

*Cover for pad

I’m keeping it basic for now and will add more things in coming months when we actually leave the house for more than an hour. Can you think of anything else that should be added for short trips away from home? Please leave me a comment below if you think I am forgetting something!

Even with everything packed the bag is only halfway full at this point! Plenty of room to add more items as he gets older and we need more things with us. I love how sturdy the bag is and that it can grow with us!

My diaper bag comes in so many other great colors if you are not interested in camouflage and black. I love all the different compartments it contains which makes organization a snap! Everything is so easily accessible between the different pockets. Freshly Picked doesn’t often have sales but they have given me a code to share with you for 25% off your purchase: FPXMEGAN25 and you can shop the bag directly here. Have any questions about this Freshly Picked diaper bag? Leave them below and I’ll be glad to answer them!

Love,

Megan

35 Week Bumpdate

We are exactly 30 days from Turner’s due date! I wanted to give an update over the past few weeks of my pregnancy. My bump has grown quite a bit! I’ve gained 12 pounds total during pregnancy so far and baby boy was weighing 4 pounds at the last ultrasound a few weeks ago. We had a bit of a scare at our 32 week appointment as my fundal measurement was 2 weeks behind for the first time. We were sent for an ultrasound and gratefully everything was all right. Baby boy was just curled up in a comfortable position which threw the measurements off! It was so amazing to see him for the first time since our 18 week anatomy scan. He was opening and closing both his eyes and mouth plus playing with the umbilical cord! Starting next week we begin to go to the doctor weekly as we begin cervical checks. It is getting very real at this point!

I’ve mentioned before how easy this pregnancy has been for me. I really haven’t truly felt pregnant and uncomfortable until I hit week 34. My right side back pain began to become more frequent and my nightly heartburn got pretty bad. Thankfully I have started different medication suggested by my doctor that has helped so much. The back pain is definitely still there and I use the heating pad as much as possible. My newest symptoms at 35 weeks are right side rib pain and swollen ankles and feet. Neither of which are much fun! Just trying my best to stay positive.

The nursery is basically almost finished at this point. The diaper bag, hospital bags, and nurses baskets are prepared. I’ll be sharing blog posts in the coming weeks on how I packed all three of those. Just need to install the car seat and wait on baby boy to come! I am interested to see if he comes early, on time, or late. I was born late and my husband was early so it could go either way!

Looking forward to the coming weeks and praying for a safe delivery and baby.

Love,

Megan