A book that I enjoyed reading while pregnant is, "What to Expect when Expecting". It takes you week by week through your pregnancy and helps you understand not only what development your baby is going through but also what physical and emotional changes you may be experiencing. There's even a section for you husband so that he understands what you're going through too! For me, my pregnancy went smoothly overall. I had evening sickness meaning I was nauseous but never had throwing up episodes. I found that when ever I was feeling sick, if I snacked on some grapes or carrot sticks I would immediately feel better. Oh yes, and drinking a lot of water helped too! I also found out that my pre natal vitamins were to blame for a lot of the sickness. I switched over to a simple gummy vitamin from the Vitafusion brand and it helped a lot. The only problem was that this vitamin did not have a lot of iron in it. My doctor just told me I could get Iron from having a well rounded diet. Thank you Vitafusion for making such yummy vitamins too, they taste like candy and you just chew. They are also fairly inexpensive and you can find them at Walmart. The other thing I got used to while pregnant was shopping for new clothes! What a great excuse to shop! But oh my heavens, maternity clothes can be expensive. So, I chose the alternative, just buy a size up and aim for clothing that is loose around your belly. For maternity pants, Burlington Coat Factory became my best friend. However, my favorite most comfortable bottoms to wear were leggings!
Towards the end of my pregnancy I got really bad back pain. Some things I learned: never lay flat on your back! At night I had to elevate my self and sleep with a pillow in between my legs. Back pain was one thing I was so happy to not have anymore once the baby came. :)
Below is a list of things that I feel are essential to have ready to go before you bring your baby home from the hospital:
-Crib or bassinet- my sister-in-law let me borrow a small bassinet that I was able to set up next to my bed in my room. This was convenient for the first 5 weeks. It was so nice to have when I had to breastfeed in the middle of the night. I could just feed him quickly and then get back to bed. If you don't have a bassinet a crib works just fine. Having your baby in your room can be a plus when they are so little, but it is also nice to have them in their own room.
-Changing Table- this is not essential but I loved having one. Realistically you can change your baby on any flat surface but having a nice changing table with a washable pad makes everything easier. Plus you don't have to bend down so much and if your baby has an accident while you are changing them, it's an easy clean up. :)
-Boppy pillow- This saved me when breastfeeding. It goes around your waste and helps you support your baby so your arms to give in.
-Diapers and wipes- don't buy too many newborn diapers. They grow out of them so fast! I really enjoy the LUVs brand or Huggies. LUVs because they fit our budget better, but Huggies are nice too, they come with a blue indicator line so you can see when they are ready for a change. I am anxious to try to Kirkland Costco brand, I've heard they are really nice and a good price! :) Huggies wipes are the best by far. They are thick and soft, and don't break easily.
-Clothes- I have not had to purchase any clothes thanks to wonderful baby shower gifts! I also had some friends give me their old baby clothes that they are done with. Again, don't overload on newborn size clothes as they really only end up wearing them for 2-4 weeks ( especially in my case with my long and heavy baby).
-Baby Laundry Detergent- I bought a big case from Costco to stock up on. Pre-wash all your baby clothes to prevent any allergic reactions!
-Burp clothes- This is a must! You need lots unless you plan on doing a load of laundry every day, which is impossible for me to keep up on with my work schedule. :P My cousin suggested buying simple car cleaning wash clothes to use as burp rags. They are really cheap and work great. You can even sew on a cute fabric edge on if you want to make them look a little fancier. If you buy burp rags, don't get anything too thin as it will not serve it's purpose of catching all that fun baby spit up! :)
-Hooded Towel- This is so nice to have especially when giving your baby her first sponge bath.
-Baby Shampoo/soap- Johnson & Johnson is the way to go. We use the "head to toe" product. You will also want a sponge or wash clothes while washing.
-Nursing bra- get a few if you are nursing. I love the Madela bra we got from Walmart. It is a sleep one and is so nice to use in the middle of the night.
-Breast pump- if you are a working mom and are wanting to still breastfeed then you need a pump. I use a great one called "Ameda-Purely Yours". Even if you're not working, you may want to buy a simple manual one as it is useful to increase your milk production.
-Bottles- if you are pumping then you can store your milk in bottles. We use Avent and Ventaire bottles. Have a variety of 4-8 oz bottles.
-Diaper Bag- especially if someone is going to be watching your baby for you.
-Lansinoh cream- if breastfeeding this will help you with the pain :) Get it from Walmart!
*If you have these things ready then your first weeks home should be smooth for you and your baby (well beside that fact that you're a mom now and live off of zero sleep). I know because I didn't have all these things ready! More baby experiences to come! :)
