Friday marked my last birthday before I’ll officially be a mom. Crazy stuff. I can only imagine how different our lives will be this time next year. I said to Eric that I just wish it was time already because I want to meet her so much. I keep picturing her in my arms and I just can’t wait.
Eric is pretty fascinated with my growing bump and changing body. He rubs it all the time and he likes to play his guitar “for the baby” now and then. I sure love that guy. I like to joke around with the belly a lot. Sometimes I hide behind a wall and just stick out the bump until he looks up and notices it in the doorway. It’s pretty ridiculous. Generally speaking I’m feeling pretty great in my own skin, but I do have moments when I don’t feel the most body confident. It feels a bit like when I was a preteen and going through puberty with so many rapid changes only this time I have the years and experience behind me to trust the process and my body! This week some strangers commented on my pregnancy and I was SO happy and just beaming with pride. hah.
Maternity clothing:
My pregnancy wardrobe up until this point has been all about the stretchy black leggings/crops and fitted tees/tanks. I’ve been amazed by how comfortable my stretchy Lulu crops still are! I had to abandon my “groove pants” long ago though (the waistband just doesn’t have as much stretch to it). I haven’t had much luck shopping for maternity clothes yet. My main purchases so far have been some comfy maternity tees (v-neck and scoop neck) from Old Navy (I seriously bought about 6 of them in various bright colours!), a black Old Navy maternity t-shirt dress (below), and a cropped denim jacket from Garage (not maternity, also below) which I think looks pretty cute with a bright fitted tank/tee and black crops. I think the name of the game this summer will be all about the flowy summer dresses and comfy casual wear!
Latest appointment:
I had an appointment with my OB this week and the anatomy scan results came back normal – whew! I did find out that I have a low lying placenta (the placenta attached low and is partially blocking the cervix right now), but the doctor reassured me that it’s quite common and there’s a good chance it will move up and out of the way in time for my due date. One of my sisters had this with her first pregnancy and she said it moved up by 33/34 weeks. I’m hoping for the same so I have the option of a vaginal delivery. I have a follow-up ultrasound in about 6 weeks.
How I’m Doing:
Comfortable sleeping has been a challenge over the past few weeks. I’m now putting a small pillow between my legs when I’m on my side and this helps a lot. I’m also taking more bathroom breaks than I ever thought possible (and I have a small bladder to begin with). Other symptoms include lower back pain and some pelvic area pain on and off (which I hear is just normal stretching). I feel a bit moody or emotional at times, but I’ve actually been surprised by how level my emotions have been overall. Another thing I’ve noticed lately is that I can’t eat a lot of food at one time – my belly just feels too full and uncomfortable. Small meals are the way to go! On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being amazing), I would say I’m feeling a solid 8 across the board this month. Gotta love the 2nd trimester.
Shower planning begins:
It looks like I’ll be having my baby shower the 3rd weekend in July. I’m so excited that my mom and sister are going to fly out for it and we’ll get to spend some time together! I’m told that I need to get on the ball and create a registry. =) I’ve been working on a document with ideas and registry must-have lists from other bloggers, but that’s about all I’ve done so far. Any tips or suggestions on newborn essentials are greatly appreciated! What did you absolutely need and what did you think you needed that you really didn’t?
Hello!
You look absolutely fantastic, so go out and rock it!
I think this post from another blog will help you out. She is around 36 weeks with her second little one. She just did a post called “Baby Essentials,” that I think will help you decide what is absolutely necessary, versus what you can skip.
Thanks Michelle! :) Do you have a link to the post?
The one part I forgot to add. haha
http://kellyhicksdesign.com/blog/
thanks :)
I’m loving all the baby updates and you look great! The one newborn essential that I loved having and nobody talks about is a small bottle of olive oil for diaper changes. If you put a little on baby’s butt at every change for the first few days it makes clean up so much easier with meconium poop. The one thing that I didn’t need was a crib. My dad made a gorgeous round crib for us and both of my kids have refused to sleep in it. My youngest (16 months old) is still sleeping in bed with us. It makes nursing a lot easier at night so I’m not really bothered that the crib was never used. Waking up to my little man planting a kiss on me is the best. That would never happen with a crib.
I used my baby k’tan carrier as well as ergo a lot the first few months. My husband preferred the Bjorn… Out baby loved beingin all the carriers. Also a good _glider and breastfeeding pillow are essential (if breastfeeding)!
Diaper shirts from Walmart are great! Only $3, and 100% cotton, so if it gets soiled too much you just throw it out!
A must have for nursing is this amazing nipple butter especially early on. It really helped to soothe and heal them between feedings. I kid you not. Saved me from a lot of pain. It’s all natural and safe for baby to ingest.
http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/breastfeeding-support/natural-nipple-butter.html
For your growing belly now, I highly recommend this natural belly butter. I used it all through my pregnancy and didn’t get any stretch marks. I loved it!
http://www.rockymountainsoap.com/productDetails/1008263/1011591/1000144
Hope this helps. Happy pregnancy!
Those cute flannel swaddling blankets…I thought I needed them, but they are pretty much useless, waaaay to small!! I ended up cutting them up into burp cloths instead. Muslin blankets for hot weather and SwaddleMe sleep sacks for cold weather are the way to go…at least I think they are ;)
Angela, you look great!!! Keep it up! And thank you for sharing this special period in your life with us. I am always looking forward for your new posts. I am 23 weeks now & have been working on must-have list as well. Yesterday, I’ve received my first order from Carter. Bodysuits for newborn are so tiny! It says up to 4 pounds only (after is 3 months old size), but what if baby is bigger than that:) LOL So, now I don’t even know how many of those “newborn” I will really need… I’ve heard from many people, that babies are growing very fast. So, I believe just minimum clothes for the first 3 months…
http://www.babycenter.com/0_baby-clothes-for-the-first-six-weeks_519.bc
Hope this will help!
thanks for your tips!
I was the CRAZY lady at garage sales buying newborn and the next size up. They grow so fast. I have just asked people to give me clothes in bigger sizes. I also bought a lot of blankets there as well. I scoured the online sales sites for baby furniture as well. SO spendy. Got bouncy chair for 15.00, bassinet for 35.00. People, when they’re done with baby stuff (and most of it is great condition) just want it gone. Seize their desperation :)
yes that’s so true! I’ve been scouring Kijiji for some finds :)
I think detoxinista.com has some great baby posts on the essentials and stuff like that. Megan’s baby is 8 months old I think so she gives some great tips!
I am 23 weeks now so pretty much in the same boat – as far as maternity clothes go, try ASOS – they have really cute summery dresses. I also found a great pair of skinny jeans from Jessica Simpson’s maternity line (they sell them at Motherhood Maternity, Macy’s…etc). I’ve done sooo much research on baby registries that mine is now like fifteen miles long – I hear that Sophie the Giraffe is pretty important along with a white noise machine and a Snot Sucker…haha. Good luck! =)
As far as maternity wear, you absolutely need Bellaband from Ingrid & Isabel! I didn’t have to buy any maternity jeans, but I could wear my jeans almost up till the delivery. (With last couple of weeks in leggings and dresses.)
For the registry, I recommend that you put two car seats; one that you can put on your stroller with an adapter, and the other that you can use until when your daughter is a toddler :) it’s always good to get big items covered with your registry!!
Good luck!
Im so looking up the Bellaband asap! thanks :)
Go to Rattle and Stroll NOW as I was there today and the Bella Bands are 70% off (store is closing). It’s on Kerr (assuming you’re still in Oakville!). I used mine through my whole pregnancies for things like my expensive jeans (although maternity gear is more comfy)
Thanks for the tip!
Angela,
I’ve been following you for so long now, I can’t believe this is my first comment! And actually I had a question for you as well ~ what are your thoughts about Vitamin K2 during pregnancy and daily in the vegan diet? Do you supplement with it at all? Forgive me if you’ve already answered that in a previous post. I have a 14-month-old baby so my mind is a little all over the place right now. ;)
As far as newborn essentials go, for the first months all I truly needed was my breast pump, burp cloths (I used packs of the plain Gerber cloth diapers, they are wonderful as burp cloths! Stock up on those!), swaddle blankets, baby mittens to keep my little guy from scratching his face, nightgowns with the elastic cinch at the bottom (pants and cute outfits are just not convenient in the beginning, they’re just sleeping and pooping, and you want them to be as comfy as possible), baby pajamas, my little Cloud B Gentle Giraffe noise machine, a baby bathtub, washcloths and towels for baby, and lots of Burt’s Bees diaper cream. Oh, and we did actually use our bottle warmer quite a bit to reheat bottles of breast milk. :)
Things I didn’t find I needed after my baby was born – a wipe warmer (my wipes got dried out, the warm wipes turn cold after just a few seconds once they are out of the warmer, and my baby never minded the cold ones), a diaper bin or diaper genie (we used a small trashcan bought at Target and just emptied daily. Now we do BumGenius cloth diapers), a changing table (I always ended up changing him wherever I was – usually on a soft changing pad on the floor), baby shoes, a crib (our baby slept in the Summer Infant brand co-sleeper in bed with us until he outgrew it, then he slept in his Graco Pack ‘N Play next to our bed until he was just about a year old), or newborn toys (just his surroundings were enough stimulation in the beginning).
I hope that wasn’t too much information! Haha! I am so in love with babies, pregnancy, birth, and everything that goes with it! You make a beautiful mother-to-be and I am so grateful to be sharing this experience with you!
xoxo
Oh! And also a Boppy Pillow! We still use that every day. A must!
Thank you Vanessa! You are so sweet. :) And thanks for your list…I’m taking notes and will look up a bunch of those items for sure. As for K2, I’ve found the info to be very conflicted as well. My doc wasn’t concerned when I mentioned it and I read that the body can convert K1 into K2 as well. I would suggest speaking with your doc about it and hopefully you can find something that works for you.
forgot to mention – fermented foods can be good sources of K2 . A couple vegan sources – Natto (fermented soybeans) and sauerkraut apparently has it as well.
Wow, I agree with every exact item on your list – both the needs and the do not needs! Except for the crib – my kids were in a bedside bassinet until 9 weeks when they both moved to the crib. I still went and nursed them in the middle of the night but everyone slept much better this way.
I also have to recommend the Miracle Blanket (swaddler). My little guy was sleeping 13 hours a night at 6 weeks in that thing. I had to wake him up to make sure he was eating enough. I wish I had it for my first!
now that is a miracle!!!! lol. Definitely will look into it. thanks for your tips!
Second the miracle blanket, or the SwaddleMe for smaller babies. Thing is, I found that babies either love the swaddle (in which case it is truly a miracle), or don’t care for it and it makes no difference. I have had a couple of each, but it’s definitely worth a try.
Also, check out Ask Moxie about “tension increasers” versus “tension decreasers” — very valuable stuff there for babies beyond the brand new:
http://askmoxie.org/blog/2011/01/tension-increasers.html
I can clearly remember all of the “things” that were helpful from the earlier days!
*Swaddles with velcro. You definitely don’t want to deal with remembering how to wrap it the right way, only to have the swaddle come loose. Those are probably your most important material items!!
*Triple Paste diaper ointment. Nothing else we used worked for the diaper rash.
*Black and white books. Newborns see in contrasts so these are great first books.
*BURP CLOTHS. Tons and tons of them.
*A boppy lounger. Newborns are so cozy in them.
*Breastfeeding pillows were take or leave for me… My lactation consultant said she didn’t like them because of the angles. Regular pillows will work fine.
And this isn’t on the registry…. but get a recommendation of a good lactation consultant if you’re planning on nursing…I almost quit after 4 days of pain, but my lactation consultant helped show me better positioning… and also caught the fact that my son was tongue-tied. A year later, and I am breastfeeding. It got so much better!
*Also, find some good books on baby sleep. People will give you all sorts of advice on that topic (and everyone thinks they are right!) but babies are really individuals and it helps to have a toolbox beforehand to reference so you’re prepared ahead of time, and understand more… I learned a lot about sleep in general just from reading those books! (Don’t put these on your registry though, then you’ll get too many unsolicited opinions about sleep philosophies, haha!)
hah wise words, thanks!
Ange…please…please…please…invest in REALLY good and comfortable nursing bras. It was about this time where my boobs were WAY too big and I followed Jenna’s advice and bought the ‘Bravado’ nursing bra. BEST.THING.I.EVER.DID! I promise as the summer heats up your boobs will get sweaty and the bras are the best. THE BEST!!!! :) I wore them throughout my pregnancy and YES they will get bigger as the months pass…scary isn’t it? hahaha Also, nursing tanktops. They’re great for when you just wanna lay around.
I don’t know if there are any essentials… we haven’t had ours yet. Some things we did…again, it’s just what worked for us…
–There was debate about buying a pram/stroller that only fit one as opposed to two (husband is already planning ahead, geeze) so we bought two.
–I’d really stear away from Bjorns, they do not support bubs hips well and A LOT of mom’s say they are really hard on their backs after a certain weight. If you’re looking for little baby stuff look a Caboo, wrap or ring sling. We have a moby wrap and Manducca–like an Ergo, but you don’t need an infant insert. I also really would like to buy a MeiTai or a Lenny Lamb ergo carrier.
–The best thing I did was find like-minded people. I scoured FB and found a baby-wearing group, which led me to other groups. It was SOOOO nice to just sit back and watch and garner advice from ‘the pros’.
–I also found a hypno-birthing lady on I-tunes “Kathryn Clark” which is A LOT cheaper then buying the home-study from amazon…unless you’re gonna do a class with Eric. There’s no way I could get my husband there.
–The book “Be Prepared” — which is a funny ‘how to’ book for dads. I really like it, it’s an easy read with good photos and I would sit and read it with Andrew at night. It wasn’t gimmicky and was good for both of us.
***And best thing we have spent our money on..a Doula. Hands down the best thing we’ve ever done as a couple.***
I 2nd the comment on the doula – we used one with baby #1, and felt it was the best money we spent. She really help my husband to “be his best.” Not everyone feels comfortable with this, but it was terrific for us to have a sounding board, and talk with us about different items before the birth.
Thanks for your list Mish!
We have a doula and love her already. It feels so good knowing she is there for support in the months before, during labour, and after.
Sorry one more thing. I freaked out the first 20 weeks about my body. I have put on more weight then I’ve wanted…but I can tell you something. When I finally embraced that I’m growing a human being, that I’m feeding and breathing life into this beautiful little baby…I have been cleansed. Something switched deep down inside of me and I realised it’s more than more, it’s bigger than me. Of course it means that I’m healthy, but it started to make me look outside of my own transgressions, obsession and thought patterns. It’s a beautiful process. xo
love that…and so true!
Reading your pregnancy posts reminds me so much of being pregnant with my daughter (who will be 5 years old next month – where did the time go?) Such a sweet time to savor. I had some definite body freak-out moments too. What helped a lot for me was reading The Pregnancy Journal. It explains what the baby is doing (getting nail beds today or starting to grow eyebrows) and what your body is doing. Such a science experiment!
Having been through the newborn phase twice I can say that there is not so much that is essential: Your breasts, diapers and something to keep warm in. There is too much marketed to new moms! What I found helpful was the following:
* muslin swaddling blankets. I found some great ones on Etsy so have a look there. My daughter lived for swaddling, my son not so much. If you have a little Houdini then try the Magic Blanket – no getting out of that thing!
* Skip the expensive lap pads and get a couple yards of rubberized cotton from the fabric store. You can cut them to any size you need.
* LOVED this thing from Skip Hop: http://www.skiphop.com/product/prontochangingstation.html
* It was a luxury, but wipes warmer was worth it.
* I wore both my babies. The Moby was my favorite. Lots of criticism about the wrapping, which does take some getting used to. Nevertheless, I LOVED that thing. If the baby is colic-y you can go skin-to-skin without you both freezing. Here’s proof that I wouldn’t have survived baby #2 without wearing him (4th picture down):http://peeperblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/and-exhale.html
* Regular ol’ Gerber cloth diapers. I liked the “light duty” ones. Still use them for EVERYTHING.
http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Birdseye-Diaper-Burpcloths-4-Count/dp/B00ESWAD80/ref=sr_1_6?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1400501235&sr=1-6&keywords=gerber+cloth+diapers
* These are the best for keeping tiny feet warm. They actually stay on:
http://www.amazon.com/Unisex-Infant-Booties-Striped-Zutano/dp/B00FNX56GW/ref=sr_1_4?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1400501358&sr=1-4&keywords=baby+booties+zutano
I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.
P.S. I’m a vet so if you need to reach out to a third party about Sketchie, please feel free to do so. Seems like your veterinary team is doing a great job with his care though.
love that pic, thanks for sharing and for your list!
Some baby essentials that I used and loved:
(1) 100% Muslin Cotton swaddle blankets – super soft and light and make swaddling a lot easier!
(2) Cool Mist humidifier
(3) Diaper shirts that button from the front – Kushies has some at Babies R Us and George Baby at Walmart (I was always worried about my newborn’s neck trying to squeeze the other diaper shirts over her head, the front buttons make it so much easier).
(4) Diaper Caddy – my nursery is on the top floor and I didn’t want want to have to run upstairs for a chance everytime, so this Diaper Caddy came in handy. http://www.safetysuperstore.ca/product/9052/diapers_wipes_caddy_cocoa/
(5) Swing – this one is super cozy and my daughter loved it, she would calm right down. She even tried to climb in at age two (nostalgia :)) http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=4424051
(6) Super soft and gentle hair brush http://www.thebodyshop.com/bath-body/baby/buriti-baby-bamboo-hair-brush.aspx
(7) Non slippery bathtub – http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=3464700
(8) Glass baby food containers – http://www.rattleandstroll.ca/store/index.php?product=GL425
(9) Sleep Sheep – this helps when you are on the go with baby and she needs help to get to sleep. The mini one allows you to strap it to your stroller. http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=4193589
(10) On the go mobile (attaches to car seat, stroller, change table etc.) http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=12552924
Hope that helps! Have fun registering! :)
Thank you Susan!
Everyone has their “go-to” items. Couple things I found useful:
1. Pack-n-play. I kept both baby 1 and baby 2 in the room with me for awhile, and this worked great. Also, we traveled a lot with baby 1, and it was invaluable.
2. Rocking chair.
3. Good breastfeeding bras. Get measured, and buy some that fit now, and 1 that fits immediately after your milk comes in. You may need different sizes. Pay the money; you’ll wear them a lot.
4. Good walking/jogging stroller. I got my single and double used. Still using the double right now. Fantastic for walks.
5. Car seat/stroller system. Very useful if you travel a lot.
6. Simple notebook for keeping notes the first few weeks.
7. “mini” diaper bag/fold-up (just holds 1-2 diapers and some wipes).
8. Baby bjorn (but try out different kinds of wraps, etc.).
9. A toy or other recording of lullabies for baby. This can be part of establishing a sleep routine – it helped with both my little ones.
10. A letter to baby before she is born – it is fun to capture your sentiments, and put in the baby book.
On maternity clothes. . . I’m on pregnancy #3, and my maternity clothes focused mostly on suits/work clothes – and I wore most of my suits with a stretchy band at the waist into the 3rd trimester with previous pregnancies. But I did find that a decent pair of maternity jeans, some good tees/tops, and colorful scarves worked great for casual items. And I didn’t buy much until the end of the 2nd trimester with previous babies. I also bought a new pair of low wedge shoes with both previous pregnancies.
Take good care of yourself – you are doing great!
love this – thank you so much!
You look great!!! Today is my last day of the second trimester and tomorrow I start the third trimester! I can’t believe how quickly it went by. I’m excited to see the comments on your question because I would definitely like to know the essentials as well. This weekend I made four recipes from your cookbook and they were all AMAZING! I am in love with that nacho dip and my mom even liked it who normally is a bit hesitant about my vegan food. The tomato soup was awesome too. Can’t wait for the leftovers for lunch today!
Congrats on your pregnancy Em :) And so happy to hear you are enjoying the book!!!
You are seriously gorgeous!! Of course you would have a glowing pregnancy as well :)
Top 5 Baby Essentials (IMHO):
1. A backpack diaper bag. I bought one that was cute, wish I had a backpack one instead.
2. Sakura Bloom Ring Sling–such an easy way to have your baby close & be able to get things done once you feel up to it!
3. Aiden & Anaiis blankets–we bought 3 different 3 packs and got a few as gifts. We use them ALL the time. They are the best–for swaddle, for covering the carseat while out (breathable), for nursing, everything!
4. We love our BOB running stroller–even though I’m not back to running more than a couple miles yet.
5. A lifetime supply of coffee? ;) Just kidding. Sleep has been a rough adjustment for me. I was never a coffee drinker before, but now it’s a must.
Hi!
I highly recommend a good sound machine, we bought one for my son and the static is supposed to mimic the sounds they hear in the womb. Very comforting and helps them sleep! They don’t sell ours at bed bath and beyond anymore but amazon has a great selection.