Tips/Info for Moms-To-Be

I recently typed up a document for my good friend and sister-in-law who are both pregnant and had some questions/wanted some recommendations. After reading a similar thing on my friend Whit's blog, I decided to copy mine over as well. I have added a lot to what I originally had b/c I thought it would be a good idea to write these things down for my own memory when the time comes for round 2. These are just some tips/recommendations for Moms-To-Be and some things I wish I had known before I had a baby. In no way do I claim to be an expert of any kind but I love reading/hearing what other Mom's have to say as well, so I hope somebody gets something out of this. Disclaimer-this is really long and it can get graphic at times- I'm a nurse, so talking about bodily functions is no big deal and we're all girls anyways right?!...

·            Pregnancy: There are so many different symptoms and degrees of severity for each symptom so I’ll     just tell you some key things I learned or used during pregnancy.

o   I’m going to start at the very beginning and put a plug in for a book I borrowed from my good friend while we were trying to get pregnant that I loved! It’s called “Taking Charge of your Fertility.” Some people get pregnant really quick or even without trying, but I would say it takes time for the majority of people. This book just talks about your cycle, how to know when your ovulating, etc. Even if you think you already know everything about your cycle (which I thought I did since I’ve had to learn it about a billion times in school) it still gives a lot of great insight. Everybody that I’ve recommended it to has said that they really liked it as well. 

o   Zofran. If you start feeling really sick and are throwing up, ESPECIALLY if you can’t keep anything down, call your OB (even if you haven’t seen them yet, which is usually the case). A nurse will usually just talk to you about it over the phone and they will call in a prescription to your pharmacy. There are multiple anti-nausea medications but I only used Zofran. It never completely took my nausea away but helped take the edge off so I could survive working-don’t think I could have without it! The main side effect of this med is constipation so do what you can to stay regular!

o   Pregnancy pillow. If you are a stomach sleeper like me, sleep can be very disturbed during pregnancy. Something that definitely helped me was a pregnancy pillow. I just got the Boppy brand one at Target. It was pretty good, really big though. I swear by the end of my pregnancy, I took up over half our Cal King between me, my huge belly, and my pillow!

o   Be sure to take your Prenatals as soon as possible, in fact, if you’re trying, start taking them now. The main thing in them that you need plenty of is Folic Acid. These can be hard on your tummy so I always took mine at night.

o   There are medications you can take for heartburn, talk to your OB to see what he/she recommends. I had to sleep propped up almost every night by the end b/c it hurt so bad.

·            Delivery/Recovery:

o   Some hospitals don’t let you eat or drink anything except ice chips in case of an emergency and you have to go to surgery, so try to eat before you go. Especially if this is your first baby, I can pretty much guarantee you will have a pretty lengthy labor so a stop at the drive-thru won’t be a big deal and will really help. Although, this would depend on how severe your contractions are and if you even want to stop. My hospital let me have “clears” –water, jello, and broth-I’m glad we had just finished dinner when I went to the hospital b/c after 19 hours of labor and only eating clears, I was obviously starving.  

o   Epidural: I loved mine and plan on doing it every time. I think they are gifts sent from heaven. Others might not agree with me and want to go natural and that’s great, but I’m an epidural girl ALL THE WAY! It’s a little scary getting it placed but it’s over before you know it and totally worth it in my opinion.

o   During the hospital stay, request to see a lactation specialist if you are questioning his or her latch at all b/c you don’t want to crack at all like I did. The nurses should be able to help you too but I would take advantage of the lactation specialist’s knowledge while you are there. Just know that the latch is KEY to successful breastfeeding so really work on this during those first hours. If you are questioning it or aren’t comfortable yet, always wait for the nurse to come help before feeding, even if they are crying. Newborns are designed to not need a lot of food for the first day or two before your actual milk comes in, so I promise they will be ok if you have to wait a little bit for your nurse. It’s so much better in the long run to get it right at the beginning. Try to keep it within every 3 hours at the beginning so that it stimulates your milk to come in and you can get a good milk supply, but if you have to wait a little longer, it will be just fine. Thinking back, I think I can pinpoint the feeding that caused me to crack. It was a few hours after she was delivered, I had breastfed once already with the nurses help and Brooklyn had done good, she was now crying and I started freaking out thinking she was starving, Scotty had left to go get food, it was during shift change with the nurses, so I decided to give it a shot by myself. It must have been too shallow of a latch-they have to be a lot deeper than you think-and I cracked. I have a feeling that a lot of my problems could have been eliminated if I had just been patient and waited for my nurse.

o   I wish I would have taken a breastfeeding class before she was born. But I was being cheap and didn’t want to spend $30. I think I’m going to before the next one even though I know how to do it now. It can be really tricky and hard so I figure the more knowledge I have, the better. I think I had almost every problem with breastfeeding and it caused me a lot of anguish. I had everything going against me with cracked, bleeding nipples, yeast infections in both that didn’t clear up till after 2+ weeks of antibiotics, a baby that would refuse to nurse, a baby that we think had a milk allergy and cried all day long, etc. I went to see the Nurse Practitioner at my OB’s office when Brooklyn was 4 weeks because the first round of antibiotics hadn’t helped, and I was still having stabbing pains in between feedings, even when I pumped. I was so frustrated and tired and just broke down crying to her. She said something that helped me realize it was ok to stop breastfeeding if I needed to. She said, “All that matters is that you have a happy, healthy baby and a happy, healthy mom.” I’m a total advocate for breastfeeding and think it is awesome, if it works for baby and mom. If you want to breastfeed but are having problems, I would say to give it some time, don’t give up right away, and get some help. But if it just doesn’t work out or you just don’t want to, DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT! I had a really hard time dealing with it, but I have realized it’s really not the end of the world-it sucks to spend the money-but there are a lot of positives to bottle-feeding as well. My baby is growing and thriving perfectly, so I’m just enjoying the positive aspects and hoping for the best with the next baby.

o   “Newman’s Ointment.” I had never heard of this but I later looked it up when I was having a million problems breastfeeding and it was basically the same ointments the lactation specialist had Scotty go get me while I was in the hospital because they really help with sore and/or cracked nipples. It’s totally safe for the baby and you don’t have to wipe off before you feed because it gets absorbed really fast. I would have these before you go to the hospital and use them right away:

§  Clotrimazole Cream (antifungal)

§  Cortizone 10

§  Polysporin (Bacitracin Zinc-Polymyxin B Sulfate)

§  Directions: Squeeze out a little and equal amount of each ointment into hand (total amount should equal around the size of a pea or just enough to apply a thin layer to each nipple) and mix them together. Apply after each feeding.

o   If you tear at all, make sure the nurses give you a stool softener around the clock and DON’T stop taking them once you get home. They will probably give you Colace (Docusate Sodium) in the hospital and you can buy this over the counter. I would have this already before you have the baby. I took 100mg liquid gels 1-3x per day. It’s totally safe for the baby. I will spare you the details but believe me when I say that you DO NOT WANT TO HAVE STOOLS THAT ARE HARD AT ALL!!!! I had a pretty traumatic experience my first time going to the bathroom and I would venture to say that it was more painful than anything in labor. I ended up drinking lots of Metamucil and prune juice as well. 

o   Also if you tear at all, make sure they give you topical anesthetics in the hospital. You should get a spray, Tucks, and some sort of foam (can’t remember the name). The spray they gave me was Dermoplast and I’m pretty sure you can get it at the pharmacy if they don’t give it to you. You can also get Tucks at the pharmacy as well-they are pads soaked in witch hazel and you just put a couple on your pad. I switched them out all day long and they really helped with the pain. They also give you a squirt bottle to clean down there b/c you can't wipe for awhile and they are awesome.

o   Nursing bras: I bought a couple regular nursing bras from Motherhood Maternity outlet and they were pretty good. I used the Lansinou pads which people have told me is the best. The best thing I bought though was a couple just cotton nursing bras, they aren’t as tight as a sports bra, super comfortable, and I lived in them pretty much all day to keep nursing pads in. I loved these and actually wished I had more because they can get soaked in milk and start to smell bad pretty fast.

o   Baby Blues. This isn’t something a lot of people talk about but I wish we would. I know first hand that Baby Blues is real, totally normal, and OK to experience. I think I cried everyday for the first few weeks after Brooklyn was born. I also know that Postpartum Depression is a real thing. I never got to this point, but I would say I was borderline when the problems with breastfeeding and Brooklyn’s crying around the clock was at its peak, so I can see how it can progress to that point. Women have so many dang hormones shifting to-and-fro, ESPECIALLY during pregnancy, during/after delivery, and while breastfeeding that can do crazy things to your emotions. I think sleep deprivation can also fry your nerves and make you go a little crazy/make you irrational at times. Newborns (and I’m assuming kids in general) can be hard and exhausting. Anybody who tells you otherwise is either lying or has superhuman powers or has an angel baby/kid. If you experience baby blues or are having a hard time at the beginning, just remember that it’s normal, you are doing an amazing job, and it doesn’t mean that you love your baby any less than the neighbor or friend who seems to have had it all together during that stage. If you think you need some help, please get it. Every pregnancy, delivery, recovery, baby, mom, and situation is so different and unique, that we really shouldn’t compare ourselves with others. I know this is a lot harder said than done with women. Having your first baby is in my opinion, the biggest change of your life, so if you are having a hard time, are discouraged, need to vent, or just need a little “pick me up,” CALL ME. I am so grateful for all the family members and friends that were there for me. I also just want to be clear in that I’m not trying to scare any moms-to-be or put a damper on the amazing experience it is to bring a baby into this world because it truly is such a blessing and sacred time. There is nothing more incredible than to hold and take care of your baby and I view Motherhood as a sacred responsibility that women have been blessed with. I don’t think there is anything more fulfilling or that can bring you more happiness. When it comes to getting pregnant, pregnancy, giving birth, and being a parent, I like to remember what the Savior said… “I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.” After one pregnancy and 5 months of being a mom, I can testify that that is true. 

Ok, on a lighter note, here are some baby supply recommendations/feedback. I know that trying to register and figure out what you want/need for a new baby is pretty overwhelming as a first time mom. Lots is based on the preference of the parents AND the baby. I made some mistakes because I hadn’t considered the fact that your baby will have his or her preference as well! I know a lot of the stuff is pretty expensive and there are so many things out there, but one thing I had to keep reminding myself was that I can reuse pretty much everything for the rest of my kids. I have learned that quality is better than quantity when it comes to baby supplies. Again, I’m no expert, but here are some things that I have learned from this first time around…

·      When it comes to bottles, pacifiers, etc. only buy the minimum amount until you figure out what kind your baby and you like the best. I bought a bunch of bottles and pacifiers that I thought I loved and it turned out that she would take a certain type so much better and others she didn’t want anything to do with. Once you figure out what you think is best, then go buy more. I definitely wasted some money because of this.

·      Carseat/stroller: I think this is the hardest decision of them all when it comes to baby supplies. In fact, I’m still trying to decide if I made a good decision or not. I love our carseat. It is the Chicco Keyfit 30 and we ended up getting the travel system for a stroller. We actually really like the stroller, it’s easy to maneuver and open/close and I love that I can just snap the carseat in it. However, it does take up a lot of our trunk space and is NOT good for jogging-I have tried and it’s like running in slow motion. The biggest dilemma I had/still have is whether I should have gotten a jogger instead or just need to get it in addition to a travel system. Now that I’m working out again and she is old enough to support herself enough to not need the carseat for runs outside, I wish I had a jogger and am looking into getting one. I was going to get the BOB initially and they have a carseat adapter you can buy, but honestly the thing holding us back was the $$. But now that I know I want a jogger it might have been the better choice to just get it in the first place. But if you don’t plan on going jogging outside very often, I don’t think it would be worth the money. I need to research more if the B.O.B. or City Joggers are really worth the money in the first place or if the cheaper joggers would work just fine. This decision is hard and is totally based on your lifestyle and what you think you would get the most use out of.

·      Swing: I debated a lot over this one too. I ended up getting a cheaper Graco one initially because I didn’t think she would really use it that much anyways. Well, I was wrong and it turns out that she loved her swing and this is where she used to sleep the best during the day. She was using it so much that we would go through 4-C batteries within a few days (expensive!) We should have gotten re-chargable batteries from the beginning. It really didn’t run very well either so we ended up buying a new, nice one that plugs in. I wish we would have just gotten the better one in the first place but we were trying to save money and space (the first one was a lot smaller than the new one). We bought the Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Cradle n’ Swing and she loves it!! This is all preference though.

·      Bouncer: We have gotten a lot of good use out of our bouncer as well. It’s nice to just sit her in it and she can chill there while I try to get other things done. When she was a newborn she slept in it a lot too. She also loves when it is on vibrate. I got mine at my baby shower and it was only around $30.

·      Play mat: You will learn that a lot of the things you buy are to give your baby something that they can entertain themselves with so you don’t have to be constantly entertaining them yourself. I ended up buying a play mat so that she had something to play with on her own at times and I’ll get down and play with her too while she is on it. I wouldn’t say this is necessary but definitely nice to have.

·      Bumbo: This is nice to have her sit in to eat solids now. She doesn’t like to sit in for long though because she likes to be able to move around but other moms have said their kids love it.

·      Breastpump: I got my breastpump as a group gift at my CA baby shower and I’m so glad I did! Especially with how many problems I had, it was so nice to have a nice, efficient pump. I have the Medella Advanced Pump in Style. It is a double pump so you can pump from both sides at the same time and it would only take me 10-15 minutes to get drained. Even if you don’t have any problems breastfeeding, it would be great to have if you work part-time and need to pump while you are away from the baby-that was the main reason I got this one in the first place. It’s expensive ($300) but I think it’s worth it if you think you will need to pump fairly often.

·       We got the Baby Bjorn baby carrier. She didn’t like it that much facing in but has loved it facing out. I wouldn’t say that my back didn’t get tired or a little sore from having her in it though so I’m not sure if there is a better one out there.

·      Crib sheets- I initially got the super cheap ones but they were seriously so scratchy and she wasn’t loving her crib for a while so a friend suggested the “Heavenly soft chenille sheet.” I bought one off of Amazon and it is sooo soft. I think Brooklyn really loves it too because she sleeps on her side with her face pressed against it most nights. I think anything that will help her sleep through the night in her crib is worth the money.

·      I love Baby Aquaphor 10x better than Desitin (multiple people recommended this to me too) and it’s all I use now. Even if she doesn’t have a rash, I put it on at least once a day (usually before bed) to prevent it. It clears it up so fast too.

·      Baby Gas Drops: I would have this before you bring baby home. This doesn’t always do anything (My Ped. Said it only works 20% of the time) but it’s worth a shot if baby seems gassy and fussy. You can give it multiple times throughout the day and when she was super fussy I would just put it in her bottles.

·      Baby Genie: I got one as a shower gift and I don’t even use it anymore. I got tired of spending the money on the refills b/c we go through them so fast and they aren’t cheap. We are right next to the trash so I just use a grocery sack to take them out whenever they start piling up but if your trash is a ways away, I would just get a trash can and take it out every night or every other day, or whenever it really starts to smell (breastmilk poop really doesn’t smell that bad, and even if they get piled up a lot, I don’t really even notice the smell anymore lol) There are also bags you can buy to put diapers in if they are really smelly, I just keep these in my diaper bag but you could use some on really smelly ones so you don’t have to make as many trips outside.

Phew, I'm done. Now I'm off to bed. This peanut of mine will be up in no time...