Continuing after my post on our first pregnancy and the loss we experienced last year, I’m excited to share all about our current pregnancy with Brooks!

Hello September!! It is baby month and we are now officially on baby watch. I am a little over 38 weeks now, so we are getting close and I can hardly believe it! I’ve learned that every woman has her own story to share when it comes to experiencing pregnancy for the first time. However, there is something to be said about having people who have gone through it before you to share their experience, their symptoms, and discover a new sense of community with a support system unlike any other. Luckily, I’m surrounded by so many mamas who have helped prepare me and give me insight on what I might experience through these 9 months and beyond.

The most common questions I’ve gotten were around cravings, symptoms, and pregnancy during COVID, along with a few others. I’ll share what it was like for me and add in some pieces of advice that I think are helpful to know in your first pregnancy.

How far along were you when you found out? Did you use anything to help you track ovulation?

We were in Lake Tahoe on a vacation with Matt’s family in January to ring in the New Year! I knew it would be in the time frame that we could find out so I brought the digital tests with us. I was about 3 1/2 weeks at this point. Very, very early! I bought a Clearblue combo pack that had the digital and rapid tests that say they can tell you 4 days before your cycle should start. I took it the last day of our trip which was 3 days before, early in the morning, and it was positive! I ran back into our room to tell Matt and we were both so excited. Knowing it was still so early, we waited until we got back home and could go see my doctor before telling anyone the news. I also started to use ovulation strips after our loss and I was interested in knowing more about my cycles. I used the Clearblue Advanced Digital Ovulation Strips and found out that mine was actually different than what the apps were telling me just based off of my period alone. So I recommend using this if you are trying to get pregnant! I also started taking the One A Day Prenatal vitamins. They provide women support for before, during, and after pregnancy so if you are trying, start taking them now.

Did you have morning sickness?

Luckily, I didn’t experience any morning sickness throughout my pregnancy. I did have a few days where I woke up and felt a little nauseous but I would keep an almond protein bar next to my bed and if I felt uneasy at all, I would eat it before getting out of bed and it went away. I’m not sure if the gender has any affect on morning sickness or not, but I’ve heard that women are more likely to have it with girls. I feel for the ladies who suffer from this big time in the first trimester, you are so strong!

When did you start to feel kicks?

I started to feel little “flutters” around 16 weeks! They got stronger at about 20 weeks and that’s when Matt first got to feel them from the outside. He’s the most active at night so every time we get in bed we watch my stomach to see what he will do! Now at 38 weeks, the kicks and turns are very strong and have been the coolest thing in the world to feel. I’m getting ready for him to make his way out but I know I will miss the bond of holding him right under my heart at all times.

What did you think of the glucose test?

Leading up to the test I was a little nervous because I was gaining more weight than I was supposed to and I didn’t want to have to deal with gestational diabetes. Luckily, it came back negative so I worried less about the weight and focused on just being healthy. I thought the glucose drink was super sugary though and I did not like it at all. It tasted like a very strong Gatorade syrup. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but I had to force myself to drink the last bit of it because it was just so much sugar all at once.

Where do you shop for maternity clothes?

I actually didn’t buy too many maternity clothes. One of the plus sides of being pregnant during COVID was that I worked from home almost the entire time and didn’t have to purchase a lot of new maternity work clothes. For comfort around the house though, I bought several leggings and pants/shorts that would last me through the third trimester. I mostly shopped maternity at Target or Amazon and had a partnership with PinkBlush Maternity so I got some clothes from there. They have really cute casual and dressy options! I’ll link a few of my favorites that I got the most use out of here.

How did you handle being pregnant during COVID?

What a crazy time to be pregnant am I right?! There have been pros and cons to this. As I mentioned, it’s been so nice working from home for almost my whole pregnancy. I’m able to be more relaxed and comfortable at home, not really having to dress up too much or do my makeup every single day. It has also been a huge blessing to have Matt here this whole time. He usually has to travel quite a bit for work and with the travel restrictions and new company policies, I got to have him home the whole pregnancy as well. For me, that outweighs the cons. I was really disappointed in cancelling our baby shower. We could have done a drive by shower in place of it, but I felt like this was a lot to ask of people who lived out of town and just seemed easier on everyone to send something if they wanted and FaceTime us from their homes. I love a good party and the girls that were throwing it for me had some really cute ideas they were coming up with, I was so excited for it! I’m really looking forward to the day we can get together with friends and family again. The venue that was going to be used for my shower has been rescheduled for next year to do a small “sip-and-see” where everyone can come meet Brooks so that will be a lot of fun!

One other thing that has been a little upsetting is that Matt hasn’t been allowed to come inside for my doctor appointments since about 20 weeks. He was going to every one of them before COVID. What I am most disappointed about is not being able to have my Mom in the hospital with us. I always imagined I would have both Matt and my Mom in the delivery room. I ask her about anything and everything and she always has a calming presence so I’ll just have to have her on FaceTime or something instead. She’s really good about not imposing her opinions on me unless I ask. She never tries to tell me what I should be doing or what’s right, but if I ask, she will tell me what she did or what she thinks might help. I’m so glad my parents will be coming to stay with us soon though to help get things all prepped and they are going to take care of the animals and house while we are at the hospital, and be here when we get home. I am so thankful for that!

What were your cravings/symptoms?

First Trimester (0-13 weeks):

Cravings

• Meat, potatoes, and all the carbs! It was a little strange because I don’t typically eat a lot of meat. I eat a lot of salads, mostly Chipotle, but during this stage salads didn’t sound filling enough to me.
• Pickles/Pickled Okra
• Cheese/Mexican food
• Chocolate
• Oh my gosh ice cream!
• I ate soo many eggs. We usually make breakfast tacos at home or some kind of scramble with bacon and veggies but I was craving eggs more than I usually do.
• PB&J on English muffins. My mom used to have this for breakfast all the time and it sounded really good! I’ve actually craved PB&J through the whole pregnancy.

Symptoms

• How much can you possibly pee?! I felt like I was going alll the time. Just wait until the third trimester though.
• Vivid dreams! Gosh I have never had so many dreams that were so vivid and they felt so real when I woke up. There was one night I was mad at Matt in my dream and I woke up SO mad at him haha, poor guy. I seriously couldn’t help it, they felt real!
• Cramps – some days made me question if my period was going to start or if it was just my body adapting to the new roommate. I learned that cramps are completely normal in the beginning, you just want to tell your doctor if it gets to be really painful or out of the norm.
• The girls were super sore. Some of this might be TMI, but if you’re like me, more info makes you feel more prepared! It would come and go, one week really sensitive, the next week perfectly fine.
• Fatigue – I never took naps during the day and there were some days in the first trimester that I would be knocked out right after I finished work. Your body is working really hard, so let yourself relax when you feel like you’ve hit a wall and take a break!
• Headaches.
• Increase in appetite.
• Emotional – Wow my hormones were just all over the place and I would cry at the most random things. I remember crying during reality tv shows where people would explain their stories and I would just start bawling haha. Matt was so sweet, he would kinda laugh and hold my hand and I would start laughing because I knew it was the hormones.

Second Trimester (13-28 weeks):

Cravings

• Things actually balanced out quite a bit in the second trimester. I still had an increase in my appetite and I still craved cheese, pickles, and chocolate every once in awhile.
• More fruits and veggies and less carbs. I craved Chipotle and Salata again. I could eat one of those two almost everyday for lunch or dinner. (Big salad fan)
• Turkey and cheese sandwiches started to sound really good, mostly because I wasn’t eating them. I cut out cold deli meat and not having sandwiches has been tough but I would eat a lot of rotisserie chicken or tacos. We looove making tacos around here!

Symptoms

• Sensitive and sometimes bleeding gums when I brushed my teeth.
• Heartburn – more so toward the end of this trimester.
• Backache! With the bump growing my lower back started to become more sore and needed all the massages.
• Round ligament pain.
• Congestion.
• Still some headaches occasionally.
• Pregnancy brain!! Big time. I started to really notice in these weeks that I wasn’t able to remember things as well as I used to. For work, I had to write down everything so I wouldn’t forget and I made lists of things for baby that I needed to do because I would get frustrated that I would have a thought and then couldn’t remember it later.
• Innie became an outie!
• It started to become more uncomfortable sleeping. I recommend getting this “c-shaped” pillow to help with sleep.
• Still hormonal and definitely had some mood swings.

Third Trimester (28-40 weeks):

Cravings

• Fruit, fruit, FRUIT! Oh my gosh I’ve never wanted watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, and grapes so much in my life. We go through these so fast right now. I guess it’s not a bad thing but I’m talking like I order it weekly from HEB. Ha
• Still wanting all the eggs.
• Cheese and milk. Dairy cravings have been pretty consistent throughout. More items common on our grocery list are jalapeño pimento cheese and wheat thins or triscuits.
• I switched to getting decaf only when I do get coffee. I know there’s still a little bit of caffeine in decaf but in the lattes I get, there’s not much espresso, it’s mostly milk! So I indulge when I want a PSL.
• Towards the very end, like these last few weeks (35-38 weeks) I haven’t really wanted as much to eat in general because I feel so huge all the time haha. My belly feels firm and kind of like a rock sometimes so eating big meals doesn’t sound appetizing.
• I drink lots and lots of water! I’ve always drank a lot of water though, even before pregnancy. To mix things up sometimes I’ll go for a sprite or I’ll make a virgin Moscow Mule. This is just ginger beer and lime, there’s no alcohol in it obviously. But ginger is helpful for heartburn and just a nice drink to sip on when you miss the occasional cocktail 😉

Symptoms

• Lack of bladder control – I thought I was peeing a lot in the first trimester. Girlfriend, I had no idea! There is no exaggeration in this whatsoever, I probably have to go every 2 or 3 hours. I wake up at least twice in the middle of the night to pee. I go right before I get in bed and first thing when I wake up. Haha, it really is a nonstop thing.
• More congestion.
• Bleeding gums when I brush my teeth. This happens every once in awhile, not every single time.
• Heartburn – I don’t think mine has been absolutely horrible but I have nothing to compare it to. I take TUMS at night if it’s bothering me and that helps. There were a couple weeks around week 36 that I felt like it was bad and I had a hard time sleeping, I had to sleep more upright instead of all the way flat.
• Exhaustion – Feeling this much more now than I did in the first trimester. Naps during the day and I want to sleep more at night but that usually doesn’t happen.
• Constipation – Yep, it isn’t glamorous but something you should know. Several mamas told me to start taking fiber to help with this so I got Metamucil and take 2 pills multiple times a day. I’ve also been told that I need to get Colace. I haven’t yet but will probably order some today. My doctor said they will give me some at the hospital as well because you definitely need it for after delivery.
• Uncomfortable sleeping – One week I was so uncomfortable, Matt asked if I wanted to try sleeping on the couch so that I could be more upright and just cushion myself with a bunch of pillows. It was so sweet of him and he slept down there with me. It helped for that week but then we switched back to the bed because my neck started to get sore from sleeping that way. I mostly take turns going back and forth between my left side to my right side with that C pillow.
• Lightning crotch!! Ok, this is a real thing that I heard absolutely nothing about from anyone until I experienced it and then looked it up to try and figure out what was going on. The first time I felt it I was 32 weeks and it woke me up in the middle of the night. It was a shooting pain that felt like a lightning bolt or a shock of electricity in my right groin area. They say this can sometimes happen when the baby is dropping and their head pushes down putting pressure on your nerves.
• Braxton Hicks Contractions – I don’t think my contractions have been too painful so far other than one night after a doctor appointment at 37 weeks. She did a cervix exam that day and I hadn’t dilated at all but she said baby had for sure dropped and my cervix had softened. That night, I had what I will say was BH contractions for about an hour or so.
• Typical back pain and soreness.

Timeline

Some other random timeline things that I think might be helpful to know about if you are a planner like me. Every woman and every doctor is different so this doesn’t mean this is how it should be for you, just what it was like for me.

• 5 weeks – First time we saw the heartbeat! We had a confirmation appointment with my doctor a little earlier than most people because of my first pregnancy. This was such a great feeling knowing everything looked good and the egg implanted in the correct location this time.
• 9 weeks – Non Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) this tests for chromosomal abnormalities and can tell you the gender as well if you want to find out. Everything came back normal and we did the blood test to tell us the gender but we waited awhile to find out.
• 13 weeks – Huge relief, we made it into the second trimester and could announce the good news! We told our families and a few close friends before this though.
• 15 weeks – Gender Reveal, it’s a BOY!!
• 16 weeks – Felt his first kicks!
• 17 weeks – First time we heard the heartbeat!
• 21 weeks – Anatomy scan
• 25 weeks – Glucose test
• 27 weeks – Created baby registry
• 28/29 weeks – Went on our babymoon to Wyoming and Montana! I still can’t believe we drove there all the way from Texas.
• 29 weeks – Decided on his name, Brooks William Barron!
• 30 weeks – Got the Tdap shot at my doctor appt. You’re supposed to get this every 10 years. Matt and I got ours before we visited my niece when she was born 3 years ago so he didn’t need another one, but they typically have pregnant women get a booster somewhere between 27-36 weeks. I am a major supporter of this because whopping cough is no joke for newborn babies.
• 32 weeks – Took maternity photos
• 33 weeks – When we would have had the baby shower
• 34 weeks – Registered at our hospital and decided on the pediatrician we would like to use for once Brooks is here.
• 35 weeks – Growth ultrasound
• 36 weeks – Hospital bags packed!
• 37 weeks – Nursery done!
• 37/38 weeks – Registered for Cord Blood Banking
• 38 weeks – All I’ve been doing now that I started maternity leave is watching the labor and delivery videos from my hospital and reading the books that I never finished. We went and got our flu shots since flu season has officially started in Houston and we are technically supposed to have it at least 2 weeks before being around a newborn. Trying to do all the last minute laundry and organizing but mostly just taking it easy until Brooks is ready to make his big debut. We cannot wait!

I think that covers all of the questions I’ve received about my experience so I hope it was helpful in some way!! I have loved connecting with new moms and moms-to-be along the way, y’all have shown us so much love and support. I really can’t say thank you enough! Thank you for the prayers and well wishes and the encouragement along the way. I’m so excited to continue sharing our experience and new life with a newborn.

Lots of love,

Maddie

In this age of technology and social media, I think it’s great that we can share stories and connect at lightning speed with each other, but it lacks insight into a large portion of my life that you would never know unless I told you. On social media, people tend to share only the good things because it’s hard to be vulnerable and talk about the struggles you go through. I’ve always tried to focus on the positive things in life and be thankful for those rather than dwell on the negative. The reality is, we all go through tough times and we seek to find others who can relate. So, I’m sharing this now in hopes that anyone else who experiences pregnancy loss or something similar to my situation, will be comfortable talking about it and not feel alone.

I’ve typed and retyped this section so many times! It’s hard to figure out the right words to say and how to begin. I’m going to answer several questions that I’ve gotten throughout my pregnancy and break them down by trimester to be a helpful resource. To give you some background, I’ll start with these:

Did you get pregnant on your first try? / How long did it take for you guys to get pregnant?

This actually is not our first pregnancy. We first got pregnant when we were not trying, last October (when this photo was taken and we were expecting a baby in June 2020). It’s a little easier for me to talk about now, but at the time it was the worst heartache and sadness I had ever felt in my life. When we first found out we were pregnant, we were surprised. Matt was speechless when I told him. We were both extremely happy but a little hesitant if this was even possible for me at the time because I had a blood clot and had been taking a blood thinner. Long story short, we were having conversations about having surgery that December to remove the blockage of the clot and then we could try to start a family after that. Thankfully, I don’t have a blood disorder, there is only one spot in my body that has a partial seclusion in my vein, making it a structural issue in the one location rather than something that could appear anywhere and require me to monitor my blood levels for. A million questions were running through our minds. Was this ok that we were pregnant? What would I need to do differently now to keep the baby healthy since you can’t take a blood thinner pill while pregnant?

After discussing with my doctor, I learned that I should be ok to healthily carry a baby while having my blood clot, I would just have to switch from taking the blood thinner I was taking once a day and instead give myself an injection of the blood thinner in my stomach twice a day so that it would not pass through the placenta and affect the baby. So that’s what I did. Absolutely dreaded it, but I would have done anything I had to. I’m going to skip the details and just get right to it, several weeks later I started to experience the warning signs and we initially thought we were miscarrying. That alone was heartbreaking and an awful feeling. I knew this was not uncommon and a lot of women experienced it, but I couldn’t understand why it was happening. I felt like there was something wrong with me and had already dreamt up so many ideas of starting our family, thinking of baby names, nursery ideas, the countdown until our June baby.

Well, we eventually came to find out that the fertilized egg implanted in my Fallopian tube rather than my uterus like it is supposed to. Meaning that my Fallopian tube had ruptured causing the bleeding, and I had to be rushed in for surgery to remove the tube. There was nothing they could do to save it. I didn’t really have an option on the surgery because it’s life threatening and they had to go in, remove the tube, and stop my bleeding. It’s a terrible helpless feeling and, again, I wondered why this was happening in my body. What was wrong with me? After surgery, the doctor told us that there was quite a bit of endometriosis on my right side and what she believes caused the egg to get stuck in my tube. She was able to clear that out and said my left side looked perfectly clear. That was great news, but also concerning to only have one Fallopian tube left to support getting pregnant in the future when we are made to have two. The exact cause of endometriosis isn’t known, but it has something to do with your menstrual cycle. Don’t let this scare you, my case is very unique. It affects only 10% of women so it’s highly unlikely you would experience it, but if you do you’re not alone! My personal belief is that I probably developed inflammation through my cycles over time and the blood thinner I had to take made it worse. There’s not enough cases like mine out there for them to confirm any studies on that, it’s just what I think makes the most sense.

This is why I’m sensitive when it comes to pregnancy to say things like, “our bodies are made for this” because, unfortunately, not all women’s bodies are and it can be very frustrating. Instead I try to say things like, “it’s amazing what your body can do!” It is incredible how my body has adapted and created other small capillaries to transport my blood basically going around the clot and keeping me from having to have surgery, at least for the foreseeable future.

Heartache and loss like this isn’t easy for anyone. I know there are many women out there who experience miscarriage or struggle trying to get pregnant or go through multiple rounds of IVF. Now after experiencing it first hand, people who go through this are always in my prayers. I turned straight to God and spent a lot of time reading the Bible trying to remember that He already has a plan mapped out for us, the importance of pain and hardships, and get my mind right to be hopeful in our ability to get pregnant again in the future.

Matt was also the best supporter during this time. When I mentioned above how I questioned what was wrong with me, I also hated the fact that this felt like 100% my fault. What if I would never be able to carry a child for us. I’ve always thought Matt would be the best Dad and it would devastate me if I were never able to give him that. The way he talked about it though was the best way to support me. He referred to everything as “us” or “we” instead of “Maddie”. He never made me feel like this was my issue to experience and deal with alone. He never made me feel like it was my fault, just a battle we had to overcome together and he remained positive that we would be able to get pregnant again.

Surprisingly, a couple months later, the first time we tried, we did! It felt like such a God-wink moment because we determined that we conceived Christmas Eve/Christmas Day and our baby’s due date is my Grandpa’s birthday, September 16th! Six days after Matt’s birthday, September 10th. After we got married and we first talked about kids, I told Matt I wanted to have a September baby so they would be like him and have his personality. Haha 🙂 nobody is perfect, but he is a perfect match for me! He is incredibly patient, he’s confident and strong willed but compromises, he’s loyal, and he never takes anything too seriously. I can be in a terrible mood and he will be his goofy self and make me laugh. Even when I’m mad at him! Anyway, I look back on what we went through and even though I will never understand why those things happen, I can be at peace trusting in God’s plan and timing and know that Matt and I are stronger because of it.

If you have experienced or are currently experiencing something like this, know you are not alone. I’m always here to listen and sympathize with you. All I can say is to continue praying, seek advice from your doctor, and try to stay positive. We aren’t the ones in control, but in every battle, we have to keep faith!

I will continue in the next post, “Baby Steps: 38 Week Pregnancy Update” to share more about our current pregnancy. It felt appropriate to have a post completed focused on our first loss and a separate one dedicated to our experience with Baby Brooks.

Lots of love,

Maddie

I cannot believe I just typed out those words and we are already so close to welcoming our baby boy to the world!! I am so excited for him to be here, I started making a list weeks ago of everything we needed to have ready and have slowly been adding to my suitcase. I will never take for granted how great of a husband Matt has been supporting us through this experience. Before I had even packed my suitcase or asked him to pack his bag, he came in and said to me, “Alright what else do we need, I’ve got this, this, this in my bag, it’s pretty much done”! He always brings me peace of mind in stressful situations.

As we have all felt in one way or another, times are a little different these days. COVID is still impacting hospital policies making my packing list just a tad longer than normal. With only 28 days until my due date, it takes away all the worries of feeling like I’ll forget something when we have everything packed up and ready to go!

This is what I know as of now as far as hospital policies: only one support person is allowed to accompany me, my support person can’t leave and come back once we are admitted, no visitors allowed at all, I will be tested as soon as we get there and they will assume Matt has the same result as me. If I were to test positive, we would be sent to a different floor for COVID patients and have to wear masks the entire time. Fortunately, I did recently find out that they are not separating mothers from babies anymore, which I think is the right move. If I test negative, we would go to the regular delivery rooms and only have to wear masks when people are in the room but not while pushing. That’s good news! I could not imagine.

Generally speaking, I’m known for packing a little more than I need to on a normal day, but I will just say this, it is all about what makes YOU feel most comfortable for during and after delivery. Most of these things I’m 99% sure will be provided by the hospital, but a lot of what I’ve packed are things that will bring me comfort and are just nice to have and, of course some cute outfits for the 3 of us to have for pictures. You know me! I also used these packing cubes to organize everything in compartments for my suitcase.

I have been very fortunate to have my sister-in-law, Chantel, go through this before me (twice now) and be able to share so much wisdom with me and pass down lots of cute baby clothes and things that we will need! You have been so helpful!! I love being surrounded by so many wonderful mommas who have shared their experiences and try their best to help prepare me.

First, I’ll start with the list for Mom:

• Medicines: Prenatal, Probiotic, Fiber, TUMS, Tylenol – I take a prenatal vitamin, probiotic, and fiber everyday and TUMS usually comes in handy at nighttime when I start to feel heartburn so I’m bringing all of these things plus Tylenol if Matt needs it because I don’t think the hospital provides spouses with any meds. I have heard mixed things about whether or not hospitals let you take your own medicine, I’m packing ours so we don’t get charged crazy amounts for Tylenol if we can take our own.
• Glasses, contacts, contact case
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash
• TULA skincare
• Make up, make up remover
• Travel shampoo & conditioner, brush, hair ties, hair dryer
• Palmer’s Cocoa Butter lotion – what I’ve always used haven’t gotten stretch marks yet!
• Lip balm
• Deodorant
• Baby Be Mine Hospital gown and Pillowcase (matching set with baby hat and swaddle)
• Baby Be Mine Gown to change into after delivery – A friend recommended to get short sleeve gowns so that your IV’s are easily accessible for the nurses. Just bring a sweater or something to wear if you tend to get extra cold.
• Caden Lane Robe
• 3 Target short sleeve button down night gowns
• Sweatpants – probably won’t wear but packing in case I get cold
• Comfy slippers, no slip socks, compression socks
• Shower flip flops and towel
• Nursing bras and the True & Co V Neck bras from Target (the most comfortable bras I have ever owned)
• Going home dress from Kinley & Mal – this dress feels like a blanket and is the softest material!!
• Stay Dry disposable nursing pad
• Earth Mama nipple butter, breast shields, breast pump
• Dermoplast
• Tucks medicated cooling pads
• Always Discreet postpartum underwear (adult diapers)
• FridaMom Instant Ice Maxi Pads, FridaMom Perineal Cooling Pad Liners, FridaMom Peri Bottle
• 2 extra long phone chargers for Matt and I
• Camera, camera bag, tripod
• Diaper Bag
• Steamer (probably won’t use but bringing for Matt’s polos just in case)
• Snacks (almond protein granola bars, Cheez-Its, fruit snacks, beef jerky), water bottles, YETI, Gatorade
• Cheap pillows for Matt and I
• Cards (keep us busy and distracted)

List for Dad (lol at how much shorter his list is than mine):

• Toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash
• Deodorant
• 3 t-shirts – Dada shirt linked here
• 1 polo
• 1 long sleeve shirt
• Athletic shorts, golf shorts, sweatpants
• Socks, and underwear
• Towel, sheet, and I’m packing the Barefoot Dreams blanket for him so he will be comfy when he sleeps
• Coins for the vending machine – I would be surprised if the vending machines don’t have an option to pay with a credit card, but I’ve read this a lot so we’ll bring some change.

List for Baby:

• UPPAbaby MESA infant car seat (installed and ready to go in the car)
• Owlet Smart Sock (will practice using this in the hospital to make sure we know exactly how to use properly before we leave)
• Hatch sound machine (good to have a small light so you don’t have to turn on the overhead light when nurses come check you and option to turn on sound if needed)
• Boppy pillow
• Fitted sheet for the bassinet they place him in to sleep
• Hospital announcement sign
• Soothies
• Barefoot Dreams blanket
• Swaddle and hat set that matches my gowns
• Personalized gown and hat set for newborn photos from Etsy
• Welcome to the World onesies from Jason & Alona
• Swaddle and hat set from Milkmaid Goods
• Gown and hat sets from Caden Lane
• Going home outfit from Goumi Kids
• Socks, mittens, burp cloths

I am also bringing a basket full of goodies for the nurses including Cheez-Its, Fruit Snacks, Nature Valley Almond Butter Biscuits, gum, mints, and I got a few Starbucks gift cards to say thanks. This really isn’t necessary, I have just heard from several friends who did this and said how much the nurses loved it. I hope this will make them feel appreciated!

You can watch my video stories on Instagram to see me walk through everything we packed in a little more detail, here. I will save them to a highlights tab so you can go back and reference it at anytime. I hope this is helpful for any soon-to-be mommas like me in thinking through your list of what to pack! If there is anything I have forgotten, please feel free to let me know in the comments. I will share another post after he is born of what we actually used.

Here’s to the official countdown!! We love you so much and can’t wait to meet you, Baby B!