pregnancy – Page 2 – scrunchymomz

What’s In My Hospital Bag–Second Baby

Published on January 18, 2019January 14, 2019 by scrunchymomz3 Comments

Hello my Gals! 😁😘

⏳⌛It’s getting so close! I can’t believe soon we’ll be welcoming little Michael Antonio into our family! 👪👨‍👩‍👦‍👦💙💚

I’m excited, but also nervous! I’ve been through it all before, and my first delivery went more or less perfectly, but just like each pregnancy is different, every labor is different, so I can’t be sure how this time will go. 😐😐

(btw if you read the link, so sorry about the formatting! Haven’t had a chance to fix it yet…)

I’m also petrified of c-section rn. 😰😰😰 Of course dying in childbirth is still a concern, but for some reason this time I’m particularly worried about having to have a c-section. I really don’t want to have to go through that. 🙏🤞

But I know I’m in God’s hands and He will carry me through regardless. 💖💯

So having been through this once before, I thought I’d do a post on my hospital bag.

Because you know, there’s a shortage of those types of blogs/vlogs. 😂😅🤷‍♀️

But hey, maybe I have something they don’t? I think it’s good to get a few different perspectives on things anyway!

👀Looking Back🔙

They say it’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared, but in the case of the hospital bag, sometimes less is more.

👶💐🎁I actually overpacked the first time, and we ended up getting a lot of flowers and gifts from visitors at the hospital, not to mention free swag from the hospital itself. So all of this combined with the new baby we had in tow, we ended up needing to make a few trips to and from the car. 😪😪

We’ll be going to the same hospital as with our first, and we actually moved to a place that’s literally a 30 second drive from it, 🙌🙌 so we are fortunate that if we forget something my husband can quite literally walk to our house to get something and be back within 15 minutes. 😄😄

Still, I’m tryna be as prepared as possible, you know?

‼Quick Pro Tip: I recommend calling ahead to the hospital or center you plan on delivering at and asking them if they provide any supplies for you and/or the baby, and then plan on having some extra space in your bag, or a separate tote entirely to be able to bring home some extras. 👜🎒🧳

Or if you really don’t want to end up lugging additional things home with you, just gently let people know if you don’t need/want anything extra, and that their presence is present enough! 😘😘

🏥I also highly recommend seeing if they offer a tour of the maternity ward. My husband and I did this with Vinny and it really helped me feel more at peace when the time actually came. 😌☺

Anyway, on with it!

👜The Bag💖

I found this little guy on Poshmark, a used clothing app that I’m currently obsessed with! (#notspon) It was super cheap, and I only had to pay half shipping after using credit I had from selling clothes on the app! 🤩🤑

Supposedly it’s a an original throwback PINK dufflebag, which I took to mean one of the first promotional totes they give you with a certain dollar amount in purchases. 👍 I haven’t been able to verify this, but that wasn’t a huge deal to me anyway. I just thought it was spacious and cute, and would fit everything I need this time, with even a little bit of room to spare. 😊😊

🤱Mama’s Essentials✅

💘I got a cute little Valentine’s Day robe/top from Poshmark–another Victoria’s Secret piece (I’m a little bit of a sucker for VS/PINK 😅😅). It was only $5! 🙌🙌 I know it’s going to be way too short to wear as a robe, so I plan to wear it as a nursing top with some leggings. I just thought it would be cute to wear since we’ll likely be meeting our newest little cherub around Valentine’s Day💝

♥A little something to help me feel cute after delivery☺

I also have my robe from the first time I went to the hospital if I need something a little warmer. It’s also very comfy. I got it on sale at Motherhood Maternity the week before I had Vinny.

I brought just a couple pairs of big, old underwear I don’t mind having to say goodbye to worst case scenario just in case. My hospital provides a pretty generous amount of disposable underwear, so I’m just bringing a couple pairs as backup.

Not aesthetic, but comfortable and gets the job done!

I also brought a comfy nursing bra. It’s not very supportive, but it’s comforable and that’s top priority after having a baby and your bewbs are sore af. 😖🤕

I have these IceWraps cold/hot packs for pretty cheap on Amazon for my b00bz as well, in case they get sw0l.

I’m bringing my pair of kitty slippers I wore last time so I have something to walk around in. I have a pair of–you guessed it–Victoria’s Secret slippers from–you guessed it again–Poshmark. 😂😂😂Last time my kitty slippers didn’t fit quite right from swelling, so I picked up some actual slippers in a slightly larger size than I typically wear for shuffling around my recovery room.

💄I will be grabbing my makeup/toiletries bag filled with my makeup essentials, hair ties, chapstick, a small hairbrush, and some hotel-sample sized shower stuff. I have some delightful tea-tree shampoo and some calming lavender body wash to help soothe my nerves once I’m able to take a shower. 😌✌ I’m also going to bring my VS PINK (LOL) sponge to help me feel more at home.

I also have a couple pairs of dark leggings and tank tops to go with my nursing robes/tops, along with my going home outfit, which consists of a loose tank top, comfy shawl, and my nicest maternity leggings. Something comfortable and flattering for my postpartum body. You still look pregnant when you leave, so don’t bring your goal outfit with you! Trust me, comfort over everything! 👍💯

I have three days worth of prenatal vitamins to take at the hospital to take as I begin my nursing journey. I’m determined to make it work this time…

👶Baby’s Essentials✅

Of course I have his going home outfit that I showed you in a previous post but I also brought a couple more warm things just in case. 😙😙

This hat was custom made for Mikey by my talented and loving cousin-in-law 😍😍

I also brought some extra scratch mittens because newborn nails are little but fierce! 😬😬Vinny ended up scratching himself up pretty good the first few months of his life when I was too afraid to clip his nails and filing didn’t work very well. 😰😓

The hospital provided a few white half-onesies with scratch mittens on them last time, and I’m going to actually take these home with me because now that I think about it, I don’t think they reuse them and I put them in the linen basket last time. Missed opportunity! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I brought a few pairs of socks for his little feet, too. 👣

I always fold socks in a ball like this to save space. I’m no Marie Kondo, but I’m trying my best to be more organized!

I will also be bringing a couple of swaddles from when Vinny was born. The hospital provided us with a sleep sack last time, but we already have so many I’m going to tell them to hang on to it for someone who might really need it.

My favorite swaddle from when Vinny was just a sm0l–I love giraffes! 🦒😍

I have a blanket and some burping cloths as well for nursing and in case he needs a little extra warmth.

We’re taking a Boppy with us to help make nursing a little bit more comfortable. I just wrap it around my armpits and cradle the baby to me in a football hold, 🏈 as that’s the most comfortable for me. I might do a post later on about how nursing went the second time and what I wish I knew before. Hit like if you would be interested in reading about that! 😜

I brought a couple of newborn diapers and a travel pack of wipes just in case, but again the hospital provided all of that for us so I didn’t go too crazy.

These diapers are actually leftover from my baby shower with Vinny! That’s how fast these little things grow!

🧔Daddy’s Essentials✅

🤷‍♂️Generally speaking, the husband’s hospital bag is pretty low maintenance–a change of clothes, pajamas, his wallet, and maybe some snacks and water. But it depends on the person! Your husband or boyfriend or whoever your support person is might feel like they need more than you do! It’s up to them what they bring, but generally, the aforementioned will just about cover it. 👍

accessory bag briefcase buckle — Something like this ought to do it for your Mans. 😙

👜My husband always has this “bug-out bag” prepared for himself in his trunk in case he gets stuck somewhere, with a change of clothes, a towel, and a bag of toiletries. I don’t have a picture, but if you can imagine an old, beat-up green dufflebag with leather straps, that’s it! 😅

👝👛We’ll both have our wallets on us and they will both be in this bag as well. I’m also having him take an extra towel for me. 😙

I think that’s about it! It seems like a lot, but it’s about half of what we brought last time. We mainly overpacked the baby stuff because we didn’t realize our hospital had the hookup, so I didn’t bring much for him this time. 🤷‍♀️

💬Hope this helps a bit! How many of you are getting ready for the big day for the first time? 🤩😍 How many of you have been there, done that? What other sorts of things have you brought with you? Think I’m missing anything? Can I ask any more questions? Let me know in the comments!

👀Thank you so much for reading! If you’re new, add your email or follow so you don’t miss any of the upcoming content if it sounds interesting to you. 😁😁And if you’re already following, thank you and bless your heart and soul! 🥰🤗

Upcoming content: My Son’s “Home Nursery School” curriculum, Why Time Away From My Son Makes Me A Better Mom, and My (Stay-At-Home) Mom Guilt.

Same But Different: Pregnancy Journies, 2 Under 2

Published on January 14, 2019January 12, 2019 by scrunchymomzLeave a comment

Henlo, my Gals! 😁🥰

🤰2️⃣My second pregnancy is coming to a close! Only about 5 weeks left as of this past weekend! 🗓😱

It went by so fast! And yet, I honestly feel like I’ve been pregnant forever. 😅😪

Granted, that may be because I only got about a 9/10 month break from my first one. 😅😅 But still!

I’ve heard time and time again (and by that I mean for as long as this sort of thing has been relevant to me) that every pregnancy is different. Not just from mama to mama, but I mean from baby number one, to baby number 2, etc, etc.

And speaking from experience, that is so totally true. Things have been a lot different this time round. A little harder in some parts, tbh. 😰

💖But it’s all for the cause. 😌🤱

So I thought I might do a quick post on what was different this time to kind of give some insight on how no two pregnancies are exactly alike.

💭❔Weird thought just now, maybe it’s like the very first peek into the baby’s personality? 🤔🤔 Not likely, lol, but just a weird thought that popped up just now. 😅😅

Anyway.

🤢First Trimester🍞

In my post about my first trimester with my first baby, I mentioned that I was pretty nauseous. It was a little rough, but more or less par for the course. I puked a couple of times, 🤮 felt like puking most of the time, 🤢 but I feel that period didn’t last all too long. 🤷‍♀️

This time, I was N A U S E O U S. 🤢🤢🤢 I seriously had no break in feeling sick from morning through night this first, nay, WORST Trimester. 😣😫💀

With my first, I didn’t really feel sickly until about 8/9 weeks in. This time, the nausea is what tipped me off that I was pregnant before I took the test! 😬 I would have breakfast and not be able to finish because I felt like I would throw it all up. And this lasted all the way up to the end of the “worst” trimester. There may have been a few days of overlap into the second, even.

From probably about week 3 or so it was brutal sick-to-my-stomachness after every meal. I had been keto prior to this, and wanted to try to stay modified keto/low carb this pregnancy, but alas, all I could tolerate was English muffins and oatmeal. I had quickly become an obligate carbivore. 🥐🍞🥖

But no matter how much I dry heaved, no matter how much water I tried to force down my gullet, I still would not puke (aside again for a couple of times)! It was misery. 😰😰😰

😵😴I also felt extremely weak on top of being tired. Like I’d see spots and get dizzy moving around. Which was hard to deal with with a newly walking 10 to 11 month old who wasn’t content to snuggle or be contained for more than a moment. 😟😭

Aside from that, I didn’t have many other noteworthy symptoms. Just the usual sore breasts, tiredness, headaches, etc.

Oh, except I swear I felt this baby move at about 10 weeks! 🤯 Like there were little popcorn kernels pop pop popping in my belly! 🍿 Last time I didn’t feel movement until after 20 weeks! It’s most likely I just know what to look for now, but it’s crazy how early I felt it.

I also showed a lot sooner this time, as is typical for each subsequent pregnancy. Here’s the bump at 10 weeks!

🥣Second Trimester🤕

(TMI ahead) 😰I had some freaky spotting in the second trimester this time! It looked like the beginning of my period for about a few days, so it was very unsettling. I only had a day of normal spotting in the very, very beginning last time. I had never experienced anything like that.

I was nervous something was wrong. Of course I got everything checked out, and luckily everything looked good with the baby. 🙏🙏🙏

They could never tell me quite why it happened, but as long as everything was okay otherwise, I could deal with it.

🙌Thankfully it hasn’t happened since!

I also had a week or two of irritating round ligament pain this time. Last time, it was just uncomfortable and for the most part I only noticed it when I was moving. But I think chasing after a toddler must have made my ligaments angry, so I would have to take time to rest because the discomfort would get to be too much. 😣🤕 Luckily this went away after a couple of weeks though.

😪I still never got that rumored second trimester energy burst. At least for no longer than a couple of days or so. But again, having a toddler and being pregnant will drain your HP like nothing else. 😵

Aside from that, everything else was more or less par for the course! Cravings were more or less the same as last time, too. Lots of spicy food and Panera Macaroni and cheese! 🤤😋

Going swimming the beginning of the second trimester, feeling fly as a mother 😎😂

🤰Third Trimester😣

This time the biggest difference is Braxton Hicks. 😬🤕 I’ve been having them since I want to say about 25 weeks. Last time I didn’t have serious Braxton Hicks until about 30ish weeks, and they were mainly that gross muscle tightening feeling. Later on, after 35 weeks, I’d sporadically get what I can best describe as mildly intense cramps, but they would quickly subside.

This time at least a couple times a day I get episodes where I feel like my period is starting. 😣 It mostly happens at night, but it does go away after a bit. I know it’s mostly because I’m not being good about staying completely hydrated.

Braxton Hicks can act up if you’re not getting enough water, so if you’re pregnant rn, go drink some water! I know it makes you have to pee every other minute, but honestly it’s worth it! Stay Hydrated, My Friends! 💧💯

🤕🤕I also already have already been experiencing pelvic floor pain and “lightening groin,” or shooting pain down, well, the groin. 😅😓 Which is fun when I’m trying to take my son out for a walk at the Mall. I never felt anything like that until literally the day before I had my son last time. 😬 But from what I understand, you start to feel all of that lovely stuff sooner with each pregnancy because your body has already been through it before.

I also thought I might have preeclampsia because I’ve been getting a lot of headaches, seeing spots in the corner of my eye occasionally, and have minor swelling in my fingers overnight. But everything checked out fine! Blood pressure and urine tests all good! 😌😌

🙏Otherwise, so far so good! Measuring on track! Just super duper tired. 😴💤🛌 No labor signs or anything like that.

🗓I went three days early last time, and they say that more often subsequent babies come sooner. I feel like with my luck this one will be late, though. 😰😰We will see! 🤞🤞

*insert Donald Trump ‘UGE’ here* Bump at 34 weeks!

And that’s pretty much it! As difficult as many moments in this pregnancy were and are, all things considered I think it’s still been very good! 😌😌

Like I’ve been saying, I think the major factor here is I have such a young, needy baby still so it’s been a little rougher this round. I can only imagine how it will be when and if it happens again…

But it is what it is! Who knows? Maybe that one will end up being the easiest! 🤷‍♀️😂 Either way, it’s all worth it. 🤰🤱🥰

💬How have your pregnancies been different? Or had they been more of the same? Let us know in the comments!

Thanks for reading, my Gals! 🥰😘

👀If you’re new here, and if this or any of my upcoming content seems interesting to you, add your email and follow so you don’t miss any updates! 😁😁 And if you’re already following, thank you and bless your heart and soul! 🤗🙏

📋Upcoming Content: What’s In My Hospital Bag Round 2, Why Time Away Makes Me A Better Mom, and My Son’s “Home-School” Curriculum: Toddler Months/Years