Packing up the Hospital Bag

It's about that time to have everything ready to go for the hospital, just in case our little one decides to make her entrance into the world early :) I think I've put more thought into packing these two bags (one for Baby and one for me) than the luggage for my four month abroad trip in London!

Many packed items are no-brainers (i.e. comfy pants and buttoned shirts to sleep in, slippers or slipper socks, toiletry items, nursing bras, etc.) but there are a few additional items I've added in there that were recommended on a Today Show segment last week:

The Homedics Sound Spa Relaxation Sound Machine

I fall asleep to a relaxation sound machine every night, so I was pretty excited to have already purchased this additional one last month for the baby's room. It can be plugged in or battery operated and isn't too cumbersome (great for traveling!) This will definitely come in handy at the hospital while trying to get some (well, a little) rest!

Bath Robe

Although they suggested to bring a thick terry cloth bath robe, I've decided to leave that one at home because I don't intend on sitting around in my robe (or primping in the bathroom) for too long. I packed my comfy silk robe instead, which fits a lot better into my hospital bag :)

CHARGED Camera

Seems obvious, but this is definitely something I've already put in the bag fully charged.  I can't tell you how many times I throw the camera in my purse and turn it on to find out it has very little or no battery. I've also packed our Flip Video Camcorder as well

IPOD and some reading material

At this point we have no idea how long my hospital stay will be, but bringing along the IPOD and a few good books/magazines sounded like a great idea to me. I plan on bringing one pregnancy related book, a couple magazines and whatever book (or two) I'm reading at the time I go into labor. 

My Tempur-Pedic Pillow (with an old pillow case!)

I had planned on bringing my own pillow to the hospital, but hadn't thought of covering it with an older pillow case versus our really nice silk ones. Great idea because I wouldn't want a case from one of our nice bedding sets to get ruined. Same thing goes for slippers/socks here... definitely not bringing my nice UGG slippers with me - packed a few comfy pair of slipper socks instead :)

                   

There are several other little things that I've thrown in the bag -- among them are a pack of organic lolli pops, some Clif Bars, water bottle... the munchkin's bag is pretty basic but a few of the items include her coming home outfit, the infant bundle me for the car seat (which we installed in the car a couple of weeks ago!), and a warm blanket and coat. Every now and then you'll hear of people bringing the breast pump with them to the hospital, but that seems quite silly to me. You aren't supposed to start pumping until a couple weeks after you give birth, so unless you need another tutorial from a nurse/lactation consultant on which gadget goes where there is really no need to bring it!

A cure to my restless nights?!?!

We are strong believers in tempur-pedic in this household, and the last couple of nights I discovered what could be the cure to my "mild" nightly backaches. I guess I could have figured this one out a while back, but I simply flipped the tempur-pedic pillow so that it lays vertically under my body versus horizontally so that my upper body is more elevated. Sleeping on my left side, I also have the body pillow in front of me and a firm support pillow behind me. I had the best night's sleep in weeks!!! 

If you don't have them already, I'd say that a good body pillow and a SIDE tempur-pedic pillow (they have a specific design for "the flip" I do with my t-p pillow) are great purchases to make for your pregnancy :) I really hope this set-up continues to work!!

There are definitely other stores that carry the tempur-pedic side pillow at a reduced price, but here is the pillow at tempurpedic.com:

http://www.tempurpedic.com/Contoured-Pillows/Tempur-Pedic-SidePillow.asp

The home stretch!

Today marks the beginning of my last month of pregnancy (if our baby girl decides to come into the world on her 1/1 due date!) She hasn't decreased her activity level yet (at all hours of the day and night) so with my growing tummy it has gotten a lot harder to get a good night's sleep.
Overall I think pregnancy has treated me very well -- can't complain about a few rough nights of sleep and a little back pain (which my husband can usually fix very quickly!)
It's been tough being home alone all week... every time my husband travels it makes me realize how much I love having him around, especially during this exciting time in our lives! Even though she's been quite active in my tummy for months now, sitting/lying down with my husband and feeling her move around will never get old!!
I'm so excited for him to come from NJ late tomorrow night, and will be even more excited mid-December when he is home for good for a bit!
My next doctor's appointment is December 7th, which should be quite telling in terms of her current weight/length and positioning. I'll definitely be checking in with all updates on our little munchkin!
Each week I get a few updates from different pregnancy websites. Today I got a little blurb on the positive effects of exercise during pregnancy:

Fit Pregnancy, Happy Baby

There's science behind it, but who cares? It works! Here's a surprising payoff to exercising during pregnancy.

How's this for a payoff at 36 weeks pregnant?  Babies of pregnant exercisers tend to sleep through the night sooner, are less prone to colic, and are better able to soothe themselves. Scientists attribute this to these babies being stimulated by their moms through changes in heart rate and oxygen levels, as well as the sounds and vibrations they experience in the womb during workouts.  But who cares about the science?  Pass the sneakers! 

Happy Thanksgiving, All! 35 Weeks... :)

He's leaving on a jet plane...

... and here's to hoping he comes back before the little one is born! It looks like my husband's expertise is needed with a client in Princeton, New Jersey for a few weeks... no signs of an early baby arrival right now, but I'm a little bit nervous about being in a city on my own during "high alert" time! SO GLAD we got most of the "baby prep" done these past couple of months. It would have been a lot more difficult doing it all on my own.

Last night I started filling in pages of the baby book... some of the pages are pretty detailed so this new project will keep me busy the next couple of weeks :)

                                       

My little Saturday morning of sterilizing

It's time to wash and sterilize breast pump accessories and bottles... I'm actually looking forward to it because the pump is probably the coolest "toy" I've ever played with. Unfortunately I have to be very careful with this "toy" because it's a $300 loss if I break something, not including some of the added accessories.
Obviously I don't have first-hand experience with the pump yet, but in my opinion it is definitely worth the money if you think you're going to be a devoted breast feeder/pumper. I decided to go with the Medela Pump 'N Style (see below) -- in addition to the A/C adapter I got the car adapter as well. I may never use it, but now that we're so far away from family and friends (and with all of the hassle airlines put you through today) I'm thinking we'd like to drive more often than flying with all of the baby gear.
**I did a little research and found a much more efficient way to sterilize some of the pump and bottle components... MEDELA MICRO-STEAM BAGS. Even the tubing can be sterilized this way as long as you put the appropriate amount of water in the bag. The bags are also great for sterilizing pacifiers for your little one :)

...and we're ready for the little lady to take over our home

New area rug delivered and ready for activity mats, toys, swings, etc... we think she'll enjoy the softer surface :)

Shelves are no longer bare...

Crib is ready for her to sleep in, although she won't be sleeping in it for a bit :)