Meal Registry

I have quite a few friends who've had baby's recently and only a couple of them had meal registry's set up. I think it's something that new mom's to be don't necessarily think about but doesn't hurt to go ahead and do. And here's the deal: people WANT to bring you food. They WANT to help you right after your baby is born and this is a great way for them to do that. It is not overly selfish or weird to set one up and tell friends about it.

A meal registry is super easy to create and what I like about it is it informs people what you are allergic to or what you don't like/won't eat. Plus people can pick what days they want to bring something for you so you don't get 5 meals all on one night. People are going to bring you food and this is just a way for them to organize when and what they bring. The only challenging thing with setting up a registry is knowing when you need the meals as baby's due date is usually unknown. However, if you're really good, you can go back in and update the dates after baby's arrival.

The meal registry site I like the best is MealBaby (and no, this is not an endorsed post). It's free and simple to use (on both the giver and receiver ends) but there are other sites as well that do the same thing if you just do an internet search. On MealBaby, you can also select specific restaurant gift cards to give if someone doesn't want to actually cook anything.

Packing a Hospital or Birth Bag

For whatever reason, I got a strong urge the other day to start to put together our hospital bag. We are still roughly 10 weeks ago from our targeted due date but after reading a couple birth stories about baby coming in month 7 or 8, I am inclined to have it ready just in case. I put together a list based on ideas from other moms and from what I knew I personally wanted to each list might be a little different but feel free to use this as a starting point or template.

What to bring/pack:

Camera

Phone chargers

Insurance ID & any hospital paperwork

Reusable bag (for gifts, etc.)

Music & any other birthing materials/images

Birth plan copies

Baby's memory book

Books/magazines

Snacks

Gift(s) for the nurses - Not totally necessary but a nice gesture

Car seat & base installed

Receiving blankets

Flip flips (if not wearing them to)

Bathrobe - Most hospitals have these so you can likely avoid packing this one

Clothes for labor - Hospitals provide the gown but if you want to wear your own clothes

Bathing suit for tub labor (if planning)

Underwear - Go get some comfortable black briefs

Outfits for mom - Two outfits are probably sufficient and I will likely just pack yoga pants and tank tops

Outfits for dad

Outfits for baby - You might be surprised at how many you go through

Slippers

Baby nail clippers - Not all hospitals have them

Hat for baby - I am not a big fan of the hospital hats (purely based off looks) so I will bring some of our own

Toiletries for showering, etc.

Pillows - I will probably bring at least 3

Cot or sleeping pad & sleeping bag for dad - We have a cot and it's much more comfortable than a stiff hospital couch but this is totally personal preference

Breast pads

Nipple cream

Nursing tanks & bras

Gel pads

Nursing pillow

Breast pump

What not to bring/pack: 

Jewelry

Certain medications - check with your Dr. on these

Your own pads - Unless you're pads are way better than what they might provide at the hospital, you can leave these at home

Diapers and wipes - The hospital provides these

Even looking at my list, it seems like a lot! Try not to over pack and if there are items you think you can leave off your list, by all means, do. Remember that when you get home with that beautiful newborn baby, you are going to need to unpack and you will probably not be in the mood or have the stamina to put everything away if you packed like a hoarder. 

Feel free to add your own comments, thoughts or items below based on your experience or what you've heard from other parents!

10 Ways to Treat Yourself When Pregnant

Let's be honest, being pregnant is not always fun. There are times when you truly feel like sh!t, there will be days when it takes you an hour to get dressed and then sometimes you will feel great. But it's important to do things for yourself and it certainly doesn't hurt to continue doing some of these things after you have kids. I know for me personally that if I don't take care of myself and do something for me every once in awhile, I will turn into a basket case b-i-t-c-h. :) So, here are 10 ways to treat yourself when you are pregnant:

1. Do something you enjoy that you don't get to do very often. This can mean different things for different people obviously but if there is an activity or outing that you usually don't take part in, maybe due to cost or location, just do it.

2. Get a prenatal massage. I get monthly massages and have for several years (it's really the only "me" money I use every month) and I wasn't going to stop just because I was pregnant. Find a masseuse you like or hear good things about, make sure they can do prenatal massage (that is key!) and get a massage or two.

 

3. Take a bath. Yup, that's right. Fill your tub with warm water (not too hot of course), light the candles, dim the lights, put some aromatherapy oils in your bath water and grab a book or magazine. I did this a lot during the first and second trimester. If you're nervous about using aromatherapy oils, just do a little research online to find out which ones are safe during pregnancy and which to stay away from. 

4. Block out a chunk of time on a day off and partake in one of your favorite hobbies. Many times in our busy lives we don't get to spend as much time on things that make us happy. Literally schedule a morning, half day or full day to do a hobby or work on a project that brings satisfaction.

5. Aside from the prenatal massage, spend some time at a spa. Get a facial, pedicure, wrap, whatever suits you. Just make sure they know you are pregnant ahead of time so they can prepare the right products for you. You will realize later how glad you are that you got that facial or pedicure. Or hit up your favorite little nail shop for a cheaper pedicure alternative. 

6. Treat yourself with a couple new pairs of cute underwear. Yes, they may be in a larger size than you normally wear but that doesn't mean you have to get something basic or ugly. Cute underwear can help you feel cute even on the worst of days.

7. Do things you don't normally do for your hygiene. This probably sounds like a weird one but let me give you some examples. You are going to pee a lot and you are going to have extra stuff going on "down there" (I hate the word discharge), so might as well up the ante and buy some of those flushable wipes (look for the non-scented ones) to help keep things so fresh and so clean, clean down there. Or consider getting the bikini line waxed or getting a Brazilian if you like to keep that tidy as well, especially when your size makes shaving a gymnastics act in the third trimester.  

8. Find some other pregnant girlfriends and hit up your favorite brunch spot or grab a happy hour snack somewhere (minus the alcohol). It feels great to chat with others who are experiencing similar things and/or vent about what set you off this time. 

9. Go for a walk in one of your favorite parks or neighborhoods. I always feel so refreshed when I am out and active. Take your pooch along if you have one or grab a girlfriend or just your iPod and cruise, soaking in the fresh air. If a walk isn't your thing, go for a drive somewhere with scenery you enjoy, with your favorite tunes jamming in the background.

10. Have fun with accessories! Paint your nails fun colors, buy some fun new earrings, get some sweet scarves or cute flats to wear; whatever your "thing" is with accessorizing, have fun with it and pamper yourself with the small and easy ways to look cute.

Pregnancy Style

Being nearly 7 months pregnant with my first child, I've had an interesting time navigating through maternity clothes. Starting right off the bat at 9 weeks, I was so bloated and I figured why be miserable? I went and purchased some maternity work pants and jeans. That was a good decision, one I highly recommend! I've had trouble fitting into maternity tops as they are still all too big for me. I settled on buying regular clothes at my favorite clothing stores in a size or two larger than I'd normally wear and it seems regular stores still carry much cuter stuff than the maternity stores. I swapped my normal high heels for lower heels or flats and thankfully flats are fairly in right now. I figured I'd share some of my favorite outfits right now as I know it can be super hard to feel cute or stylish when pregnant.

I love this look with a colored or gray dress/tunic style top, dark leggings, dark boots and dark jacket. The nice thing about this outfit is you can wear it during any trimester and when you feel fat before your bump protrudes as it hides the fat feeling pretty well (I say fat feeling because I definitely felt like I looked fat from eating too many donuts not from a bun in the oven). The jacket could easily be swapped for a sweater and the boots for flats for warmer weather.

Okay, so I know this isn't a pregnant picture but what I love about this outfit is that the brightly colored skinny's allow for a more neutral top and I've been definitely taking advantage of that neutral top. From a basic black top with black boots, flats or heels or a white top and neutral or animal print flats. I find I wear a lot of dark colors on top to minimize the knockers that have grown tremendously during pregnancy and the color on the bottom adds a nice pop!

I love this look as well: skinny jeans, tank, flats and jacket. I'm big on using colors in accessories so I'd probably add some fun color or print with the flats, scarf or purse. Lastly, here is my list of what I think every pregnant woman should have in her closet:

- Basic black and white tank top (1 of each is probably sufficient and doesn't necessarily have to be maternity so long as they are stretchy and long enough)

- Maternity leggings (2-3 is probably enough and standard colors such as black, gray, etc. plus maybe some fun prints or colors)

- Comfortable pair of flats and get a size with room to grow

- Sweaters or jackets (light or thick depending on the season and you'll definitely want a good selection of these)

There are many ways to style the bump and I just listed a few suggestions of what I've found work for me. Have fun with colors and if you're shy with color, accessorize with it. With those basics, you can easily swap them out and trade outfits to keep it fresh without spending a lot of money on maternity clothes.