What to Pack in Your Diaper Bag for Labor and Delivery

What to Pack in Your Diaper Bag for Labor and Delivery

In about 7 weeks, we’ll be meeting our 2nd baby girl, which means I need to start thinking about what I need and don’t need for my labor and delivery hospital stay. Most people recommend a ton of useless things, but just remember, most of us will only be there 1 or 2 days so you don’t need to bring your whole house with you. But before we get into what you need to bring, let’s go over some things that your hospital may provide.

The items Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital provided to Me:

Mesh underwear: These things saved my panties from being ruined since you will be bleeding heavily and leaking. They gave me as many as I needed.

Hospital gown: I just stayed in these my entire stay because I kept leaking on them. If you’re not comfortable in the hospital gown, then bring something you’d like to lounge around in. I didn’t feel the need to ruin another clothing item that I’d have to have my husband take home to wash right away.

Non-skid socks: If you don’t have any of these, they make you wear theirs so that you don’t accidentally slip and fall. Liability reasons.

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How to Help Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy

How to Help Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy

“This post is in partnership with Boppy®. All opinions and experiences are my own and were not influenced in any way.”

Did you know that 32% of pregnant women experience pelvic girdle pain, otherwise known as symphysis pubis dysfunction? I didn’t even know such a thing existed until I was pregnant with my first daughter, and lucky me, I am experiencing it this time around too, only it came on quite a bit sooner than last time.

At 28 weeks, the excruciating pain from sudden movements, rolling over in bed, or even getting out of the car started. Anytime you have to spread your legs to move, you will feel this pain, and it is not pleasant, especially when you’re in bed sleeping and you’re already uncomfortable from the pressure of everything that’s going on in your growing belly.

Ohhh….. 3rd trimester, where you’re happy the end is almost near and you get to hold your adorable bundle of joy that you endured all the unpleasantries of pregnancy and birth for. LOL

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Pregnancy After a Miscarriage

Pregnancy After a Miscarriage

 

I haven’t really announced my pregnancy on the blog yet even though I am 25 weeks now. Hell, I wasn’t even sure if I would bring it up on social media to personal Facebook friends since I was scared of disappointment again, but I did it, and I am okay with it since every life created should be a happy and celebratory moment.

I knew I wanted to try again after our miscarriage because I had this empty feeling knowing that I should have been a mother to 2 but instead I was still only a mother of 1. I was ready to try after my first period but knew I should wait a little bit longer to actually grieve and process it all. My husband wanted to wait 6 months just to be on the safe side but we kind of compromised and started in May. I then got pregnant in August.

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My D&C Experience: For a Miscarriage at 10 Weeks

My D&C Experience: For a Miscarriage at 10 Weeks

The main goal of treatment during or after a miscarriage is to prevent hemorrhaging and/or infection. The earlier you are in your pregnancy, the more likely your body will expel all the fetal tissue but 10 weeks and on is not recommended to do naturally according to my doctor.

Let me just say, the D&C was the best option for me mentally and physically. There’s no way I’d be okay birthing my dead baby at home.

My surgery was set up for noon on Friday, March 24th, 2017.

That dreaded day had come…

I arrive at the surgery center at 10:30 am to check-in. They call me back, get me undressed and in bed right away. Take my vitals and plug a fluid IV in me. At least this nurse knew how to work with veins, unlike the one I had when I was giving birth to my first who ended up blowing my veins out with her unnecessary prodding.

Then my husband and daughter get to come back into the curtain room with me and visit before I go in. Even though it was a few hours, I needed her there to give her love and kisses beforehand.

Honestly, I freaked myself out more than I should have worrying about anesthesia, but for this procedure, they can give you as little or as much as you’d like and I opted for light twilight. Essentially I was still asleep and don’t remember anything but you come out of it feeling less groggy and not nauseous. The last thing I needed on top of my worries was to feel more sick to my stomach.

The anesthesiologist was kind of funny, so he lightened the mood a bit. I explained my concerns about anesthesia and how I wanted to not be in a deep, deep sleep.  I told him I was nervous about it so he ended up bringing me anxiety meds for my IV, which made me feel calmer and better about the procedure.

I had about a half an hour to go…

Dr. then came in and introduced himself and then the nurse came back and started wheeling me to the operating room.

They switched me to a different bed and then put an oxygen mask on me and then about a minute later, I was asleep because that’s all I remember.

I didn’t wake up during the procedure, nor did I hear them talking and I didn’t feel anything. I woke up shortly after they were finished with them trying to put mesh panties on me.

From the time I went in, to the time I got wheeled out, it was about 40 minutes.

I immediately felt light period type cramping and had light bleeding which is to be expected.

The Dr. came out and told me everything went well and was sorry we had to meet under such circumstances. He’s not my normal Dr. but he is a decent one around here. I checked out reviews beforehand and everyone loves him. Definitely look into Dr. James Calvert if you’re in the area and need an OB/GYN.

Also, I wanted to state that they never did another ultrasound, so make sure if you’re still feeling uneasy about the results you received to get another one. It may end up making the pain more real but at least you now know and can have a peace of mind that you’re doing the right thing and won’t be lingering with “what if”.

I hope everyone who has gone through this heals both mentally and physically and goes on to have happy, healthy babies.

Now I need some much-needed rest because this has me all kinds of exhausted.

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Not the Announcement I Wanted to Make

I was saving up a post to talk about our new pregnancy, but after having my first prenatal visit at 11 weeks on Monday, we got unexpected and unfortunate news. Our babies heart beat could not be found on the sonogram, but she told us not to worry and that we’d try the trans vaginal ultrasound, which unfortunately gave the same results. Now they were treating it as a serious matter and had me go do an ultrasound in the radiology department.

I was completely shocked and saddened to hear this news. In a way, almost guilty feeling because I’ve been feeling so sick with this one for the past 10 weeks and I haven’t felt too excited about it. Now I wished I had nausea, the bloat and the crazy bowel movements just so I know that my little one is alright.

Unfortunately, the ultrasound yielded the same results, and she showed us where the heart should be flickering. Baby measured at 10 weeks and I was 11.

miscarriage quote

You never really expect anything like this to happen to you after having a healthy first pregnancy, but miscarriages are so unpredictable that it happens to 1 in 4 people who are under 12 weeks pregnant, which I didn’t realize. That’s way too many. I feel for all who have gone through this.

Now I get to somehow mentally prepare myself for a D&C Friday afternoon since I can’t bare to sit and wait for my baby to come out naturally and see it. That would be too heartbreaking to deal with right now.

I am sad that we don’t get 2 babies to love on, but I am at least grateful for the one I do have. If I didn’t have her, I am sure I’d be going a little crazy right now.