Morning RAWRs! Before I dive into today’s topic, I wanted to announce the winner of MadeByGirl’s Influential Print Giveaway. A BIG BIG BIG congrats to lucky winner #9 – Chelsea Tubbs of Chelsea and the City! I just met her a couple weeks ago and you know what they say – everything happens for a reason. This mama has such great style and I can’t wait to see where she will hang this great piece.
So, you’ve hit the halfway mark in your pregnancy. Congrats! Time has flown by, right? Question – how many people have rubbed your belly so far? Probably a lot. Oh, it doesn’t stop…as it grows, they will come. It’s like a gravitational pull and people (strangers included) are naturally drawn to it. Just go with it. Any who, these are things I did during the 2nd half of my pregnancy that may help you.
(7) NESTING IN FULL EFFECT : Move over Martha Stewart! There’s a new crafter/handywoman in town. Around the 5th month, nesting will start to set it. You will wake up one day with this uncontrollable urge to clean, decorate, and organize. Rearrange the pantry? Sure why not. Mop the entire house and refold ALL the clothes you’ve ever owned? Hell yeah. Paint the nursery with chevron stripes? That has FUN written all over it. It’s in our primal instinct to nest and by all means, embrace it! My nesting phase set in at around 6 months and I did all of the above (except for the chevron stripes part). I did, however, paint Marli’s room AND my bedroom in 2 days while my husband was out of town and the results were fantastic. Granted, I laid on the couch all day Sunday from exhaustion and soreness in my back and arms, but it was so much fun. Two notes to make – when I painted, I made sure to have great ventilation (windows open and fan blowing) and also used water-based paint. You should ALWAYS check with your doctor about this to make sure it’s ok. The other note – don’t wear yourself out. Looking back I shouldn’t have painted 2 rooms in 2 days. Opps.
(8) HAVE A PLAN…AND THEN HAVE ANOTHER PLAN : THIS is a great template for writing your birth plan and it’s what I used. It looks really long, but there are just a lot of choices for some of the questions. Feel free to make your own choices too. (Example: last question asks how long you want to stay in the hospital…I made my own box and said “as needed.”) Discuss this with your spouse and share it with your doctor. Make sure everyone is on the same page! This will also be a great chance for your OB/GYM to discuss other options if he/she has concerns and vice versa. Remember, this is ONLY a plan and can change as your pregnancy progresses! And, like some plans, sometimes things just don’t work out the way we expect them to. Be knowledge. Ask questions. Know what the alternatives are. Be prepare. So here’s a snippet of what happened to me:
My Plan A: I wanted to have a natural birth – as natural as possible. This meant no epidural, no pitocin, no inducing/augmenting of any sort. Baby would arrive when she was well and ready. Now, what really happened…
My Plan B: At 20-something weeks, I found out I had GD (Gestational Diabetes), and at around week 37, I tested positive for Strep B. What the hell?!?! That definitely wasn’t in my plan so I had to rethink things just a bit. (On a side note, while my GD was mild, eating healthy and exercising like I posted in Part I was so important in keeping my levels in check. Just another added benefit to staying active during pregnancy.) To top it off, about 2 weeks before my due date, I had a little emergency scare and had to go the hospital. I found out I was already 2-3 cm dilated. They wanted to induce me that night but with my doctor being out of town, I said hell no. Haha (That was on a Thursday.) I made an appointment with him the next morning and we had a chat. Then, I remembered our talk about when he was going out of town since her due date fell on Easter weekend. He said he was no longer going on vacation but he would be out of town from the following Thursday-Monday for a co-worker’s wedding. WHAT? Sigh. So, we went with Plan B. We decided to schedule Marli’s delivery (not in the original plan). Luckily, I was already in early labor (even though I didn’t feel anything) so he wanted to augment me on Tuesday morning. (You can learn the difference between induction and augmenting HERE.) I prayed about it and I felt good about my decision. The best part? My husband was so supportive. :) We checked into the hospital at midnight, was given antibiotics (for the Strep B) and very small amounts of pitocin shortly after (also not in the original plan), slept until 7am when I started feeling the contractions a bit more, broke my water at 730am, and worked on my breathing for 4 hours while wondering if I could really have this baby naturally. Then at about 11:45am, the nurse checked my progress and said I was 8cm! Good lord! Next thing I know, I was pushing while my husband was crying like a little baby, and at 11:56am, the doc plopped Marli onto my tummy like she was a dead fish and all I could think of was “Wow, she is loud. And why is my husband still crying?” It was a great day.
My Plan A: I wanted to have a natural birth – as natural as possible. This meant no epidural, no pitocin, no inducing/augmenting of any sort. Baby would arrive when she was well and ready. Now, what really happened…
My Plan B: At 20-something weeks, I found out I had GD (Gestational Diabetes), and at around week 37, I tested positive for Strep B. What the hell?!?! That definitely wasn’t in my plan so I had to rethink things just a bit. (On a side note, while my GD was mild, eating healthy and exercising like I posted in Part I was so important in keeping my levels in check. Just another added benefit to staying active during pregnancy.) To top it off, about 2 weeks before my due date, I had a little emergency scare and had to go the hospital. I found out I was already 2-3 cm dilated. They wanted to induce me that night but with my doctor being out of town, I said hell no. Haha (That was on a Thursday.) I made an appointment with him the next morning and we had a chat. Then, I remembered our talk about when he was going out of town since her due date fell on Easter weekend. He said he was no longer going on vacation but he would be out of town from the following Thursday-Monday for a co-worker’s wedding. WHAT? Sigh. So, we went with Plan B. We decided to schedule Marli’s delivery (not in the original plan). Luckily, I was already in early labor (even though I didn’t feel anything) so he wanted to augment me on Tuesday morning. (You can learn the difference between induction and augmenting HERE.) I prayed about it and I felt good about my decision. The best part? My husband was so supportive. :) We checked into the hospital at midnight, was given antibiotics (for the Strep B) and very small amounts of pitocin shortly after (also not in the original plan), slept until 7am when I started feeling the contractions a bit more, broke my water at 730am, and worked on my breathing for 4 hours while wondering if I could really have this baby naturally. Then at about 11:45am, the nurse checked my progress and said I was 8cm! Good lord! Next thing I know, I was pushing while my husband was crying like a little baby, and at 11:56am, the doc plopped Marli onto my tummy like she was a dead fish and all I could think of was “Wow, she is loud. And why is my husband still crying?” It was a great day.
Some of my old coworkers – Something was definitely in the water . . .
(9) TAKE A CLASS: There are so many classes offered (such as breastfeeding, life after baby, etc), but for this segment, I would suggest you take a class to prepare for delivery. Mine was called Prepared Childbirth and it was AWESOME! It mentally prepared me (and my husband) for the big day. Whether you are planning on having a natural birth or not, it doesn’t matter. There is so much great information here for first time mommies (and it’s also a great refresher course too). When I was in labor, I would often refer back to the course and think “Oh yeah, I remember learning that. I must be at this point in my labor.” You’ll learn about the ring of fire…and let’s just say when you feel this, your little bubba is about the hit the ground.
(10) STACK & PACK IT: I was really lucky. I had my mom cook for me every day for almost a month. But, if she wasn’t around to help, I would have definitely pre-cooked some healthy meals AND snacks and store them in the freezer. After the baby arrives, you won’t have much time for anything. Your body will be recovering, you will be tired, and if you aren’t nursing, then you’re probably changing diapers. So, take advantage of this time to plan ahead. You need to eat to fuel your body for energy and keep your milk supply up. Ask your friends to help you cook! Don’t be afraid to ask for help mama! In addition to meals, make sure to pack your hospital bag. I….did not do this. Opps. I would suggest doing this 3 weeks before your due date. HERE’S a pretty good list that breaks down the must-haves vs. the optional things.
That’s Marli giving you a BIG ‘OLE CONGRATULATIONS!
You are almost there! Before you know it, you will be holding your sweet little one in your arms and nothing else will matter. It is the BEST feeling in the world and the amount of love you will give your child will BLOW. YOUR. MIND. Enjoy your last couple weeks of pregnancy and take some time for yourself. Get lots of rest. And most importantly, relax. You’re already a pretty damn amazing RAWR for carrying this baby around for almost 10 months!
You are almost there! Before you know it, you will be holding your sweet little one in your arms and nothing else will matter. It is the BEST feeling in the world and the amount of love you will give your child will BLOW. YOUR. MIND. Enjoy your last couple weeks of pregnancy and take some time for yourself. Get lots of rest. And most importantly, relax. You’re already a pretty damn amazing RAWR for carrying this baby around for almost 10 months!
I really hope these tips help you ladies. Feel free to contact me, share your experiences, and ask questions. I’d love to hear from you. Oh, and I expect to see some pictures once baby arrives.
Marli is too dang cute! I can’t take it. Really great tips!
Loved reading your labor/delivery experience, especially that part about your husband. I’ve heard so many stories of things not going the way you plan, but it’s good to know your options and keep an open mind about things. Good read!
Wonderful post. I’m not pregnant, but I have a few friends who are. Will definitely share this with them. U r awesome, linh!
Sam, Ashley, and Traci – thanks ladies! hope these tips help you for future purposes 🙂
Great insight! Not pregnant either but about to be an aunt 🙂 Thank you for sharing! xx
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Dea, congrats on being an aunt! I am sure you will spoil your neice/nephew rotten 🙂
LOVE this post! and your part 1. I so wish I had it to read while I was pregnant.
and holy cow that marli is ADORABLE! She and Georgia would be best friends i know it! xox
Aww thanks! I LOVE seeing Marli interact with other babies. Cutest thing ever…esp when they have their own language (aka babbling) 🙂
I love both looks especially the night time one. Great post girl! And I can’t believe you got such a great deal on that sweater. -jenna
love these tips! when that time comes i will be sure to take as many classes as i can! xo jillian