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When I was pregnant with Little J, I decided I wanted to make my own burp rag and bib sets. So I made a bunch of sets with all these cute boy fabrics I found and I LOVED them. The burp rags I made were incredibly easy, I packed them in his hospital bag when he was born, and I used them the entire time I nursed (eight months).

The best part was that they lasted that long, and I’m sure they would last even longer if I wanted to keep using them, but I definitely wanted to make new girl burp rags. Hence, this tutorial!

Note: I used the first set of burp rags I made with my second son four years later, and they still held up great!

Now when I say these are the easiest and best burp rags you will ever sew, I really mean it. Two rectangles of fabric sewn together, flipped right-side out, and then topstitched. I am not kidding, they are that easy.

So now that you’re not scared of this sewing, let’s dive right in!

Yield: 2 burp rags per 1/3 yard

The Best (and Easiest) Burp Rags You Will Ever Sew

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Difficulty: easy

This is the easiest tutorial for a burp rag you could make! Only three steps, and they are the best DIY burp rags!! Great for easy baby gifts, and they last through multiple babies!

Print

Materials

• 1/3 yard minky fabric, prewashed
• 1/3 yard patterned fabric, prewashed
• thread to match

Tools

• Cutting Mat
• Rotary Cutter
• Ruler
• Sewing Machine

Instructions

1. Cut a rectangle 10×18″ out of both the minky fabric and the patterned fabric. I used my cutting mat and rotary cutter and it made it so easy.
2. Sew the two rectangles together, right-sides together, with a 1/2″ seam, leaving a 1″ opening in the middle of one of the edges.
3. Flip the burp rag right-side out, and topstitch all the way around, including on the opening to close it.
4. Just kidding, there isn’t a step four. You are done! I told you that was insanely easy! And they work so well.

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  Cutting Mat Ruler
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  Rotary Cutter
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  Cutting Mat

The minky is super soft on baby’s face, and the cotton is breathable and you can pick any cute fabric you want!

I love the set I made for baby girl and I can’t wait to use them!! These also make for great gifts!!

Good luck and happy sewing! And if you want to try out sewing something else for baby, you can use my tutorial for a standard car seat cover or a quilted car seat cover! Or check out my best and easiest bib tutorial!

This post was originally published on September 4th, 2014.

The post The Best (and Easiest) Burp Rags You Will Ever Sew appeared first on Life With My Littles.

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I read a lot of books and articles about labor and delivery. I thought I was 100% ready for childbirth and that nothing was going to surprise me. Oh boy, was I wrong! I wish I had read more about what to expect during labor and delivery, because there were a lot of things that nobody had told me about that really caught me off guard!

I thought about things that I wasn’t expecting, and I asked all of my mama friends what things surprised them that they wished they had known about, and I have come up with this big list of what to expect during labor and delivery. This is a great post to read if you’re a first-time mom delivering at the hospital and you have no idea what to expect. This is basically what I would (and did!) tell my sister when she had her first baby!

What to Expect During Labor and Delivery

The mucus plug

Before you go into labor, you lose your mucus plug. It’s basically like a giant booger in your underpants, and it’s gross. It’s a blob of mucus that has been in your cervix to block bacteria from getting in. It’s not a great sign that labor is starting because it can “grow back,” and you may lose it two or three times. But it is a sign that you’re getting close!

The bloody show

The mucus plug is NOT to be confused with the bloody show. THEY ARE DIFFERENT! The bloody show is a better sign that labor is coming, because it means that your cervix is “ripening,” getting ready for childbirth. It shouldn’t be a ton of blood, and you might miss it if you go to the bathroom at night, and it usually happens after you lose your mucus plug.

Diarrhea 

It’s gross, but as your body gets ready for labor, you may get diarrhea, or at least runny poops. As your uterus starts contracting (even if you can’t feel it yet), it irritates your bowel, which makes you poop a lot. So get ready.

Water breaking

Your water doesn’t always break on its own. I know in movies and on TV they always show pregnant women out in public and all of a sudden their water breaks and completely gushes all over and they’re like “time to go to the hospital!” all happy and cheery. Nope. That’s a pretty rare occurrence.

And when it does break, it is WEIRD. It feels like you’re just peeing a ton and it’s all warm and weird, and with each contraction a little more comes out.

Also, if there’s “meconium” in your fluid, that means that your baby has pooped inside and the NICU team will probably have to be there at the delivery to make sure your baby is okay after they’re born.

Checking in

Depending on the hospital you go to, you might have to go to a triage before getting admitted. The hospital I went to with my third baby, I had to go into a triage and get checked there before I was admitted. They were slow and took their sweet time, and I had to be 5cm dilated before they admitted me. The hospital I went to with my first two babies, I was immediately put into a private room where I was monitored.

Getting checked

Several times throughout labor you’ll have to get checked. It’s the same thing as at your OB appointments toward the end of pregnancy where they have you lay down with your knees bent and laying out to the side and they check to see how far dilated and effaced you are. It’s uncomfortable. And it’s even worse when you’re in labor. Just be ready for it.

Monitoring

The way they monitor your baby and your contractions during labor is with two big circle things strapped to your belly. They move around a lot and in my experience, have to be adjusted pretty often. They make it hard to get comfortable, and you obviously can’t get out of bed when they are on.

You can ask to be monitored intermittently, which is what I did with my third labor so I could walk around and help things progress. I just came back to the room every 30 or 45 minutes and they put the monitors on and made sure everything was still good. I much preferred this, but everyone is different!

Getting induced

I was induced with my first and second babies, and both experiences were good for me. However, getting induced can prolong labor, and it can make your contractions even more painful. I know it’s hard to wait until you go into labor naturally, but having been induced and having gone into labor on my own, I recommend trying to wait until your body goes into labor on its own (unless you have a medical reason for getting induced!).

Labor takes a long time

I guess in some situations it can go pretty fast, but in most cases (and especially for first-time moms), it takes a long time. There’s a lot of waiting during labor, and it can be boring. Make sure you have something to do, like a book, a game on your phone, or a movie on your laptop. It can help pass the time and it helps when you’re trying to relax so your body will do its part.

Throwing up

You might throw up during labor. Sometimes it’s because of the pain, and sometimes it’s because of pain medication. But just be warned that it can happen.

The epidural

It is dang hard to sit still for that epidural. You can’t get it until you are dilated past a certain point because it can slow labor down, and usually when you are that far along it’s already pretty painful. And then the anesthesiologist comes in and is like “sit on the edge of the bed and curl your back and don’t move” and you’re like “are you kidding me?” You have to sit there for a while and you’ll probably have a few contractions during the process, and it’s hard to sit still. It’s a little scary, but once you have it in and the medicine is going, it’s magic.

You should also know that if you do get an epidural, you have to get a catheter (basically a tube that continuously drains your bladder) and that feels really uncomfortable when it goes in.

Once you do get the epidural, you will probably have to switch sides and move positions a few times in order for it to balance out and spread evenly on both sides of your body. You’ll need help to do this because your epidural will pretty much make it impossible to move from the waist down.

You might also experience shaking and chills when you get an epidural. My doctor husband told me that this is because the epidural medicine is cold, so when it goes in your body it feels cold and makes you feel cold.

One of my mama friends also told me that you can ask for a partial epidural instead of the full dosage, which if you want to be able to feel a little bit, might be a good option for you.

You can’t eat during labor

Both of the hospitals that my babies were born at didn’t allow women to eat during labor. The only thing they allowed was clear liquids (Sprite, water) and ice chips. I have heard that some hospitals don’t even allow that. And since labor takes a long time, you should probably grab a bite to eat before heading to the hospital, and prepare to be starving after your baby is born.

Your nurse

She will be in and out of your room while you’re there. You’ll probably get a little button you can push to request her to come in. Nurses also change every 12 hours (in my experience), so you might not have the same nurse at delivery as you do when you get checked in.

You might poop

I know this sounds absolutely horrible and so incredibly embarrassing, but it’s actually quite common. I wasn’t able to find a statistic on it, but it happens all the time. Your doctor will have seen it, your nurses will have seen it, and it’s really not a big deal.

I made my husband promise me that he would never tell me if I pooped during labor, and to this day I have no idea. But because your contractions stimulate your bowels, and you use the same muscles to poop as you do to push your baby out, it might happen.

There will be lots of people in the room

One thing that completely caught me off guard with my first baby’s delivery was how many people were in the room when it was go time.

Besides the nurse (probably more than one) and the doctor, there were also medical students, nursing students, and the NICU team. Plus my husband was there. If you have any other family that you want there, they’ll be there, too. It can get crowded real quick. And yes, you are allowed to request no students be in the room if you really care (but speaking as the wife of a doctor, that’s how they learn!).

By the end of labor, you have zero modesty

With everything that goes on (lifting up your gown to fix the monitors, lifting up your gown to get checked, and pushing your baby out) during labor and childbirth, you’ll have zero modesty by the end of it. You probably won’t care about nursing your baby with the nurses and doctors in the room, and you certainly will get used to having people inspect your lady parts. I’m a pretty modest person and I don’t even like nursing in public, but during childbirth, that’s all thrown out the window.

Things don’t always go according to plan

I had a formal, written birth plan with my first baby, and with my second and third babies, I just had an idea in my head of what I wanted my birth to be like. While I do think it’s important to prepare as much as you can and know what kind of childbirth experience you would like, it’s also important to remember that things don’t always go according to plan. Your birth plan may have to be thrown out, so don’t get 100% attached to it.

The #1 most important thing during childbirth is a healthy baby and a healthy mom. That might mean that you have to get an emergency C-section or that even though you wanted to go natural, you end up getting induced and getting an epidural. That’s totally okay. There’s no wrong way to have a baby (whether that’s in the hospital with an epidural or at home in the water with a midwife). Mentally prepare yourself for things not going according to plan.

Along those lines, one of my mama friends recommended learning about natural labor techniques to manage the pain even if you’re planning on getting an epidural, because sometimes you don’t have time to get one and you have to go without!

Stand up for yourself

I love listening to pregnancy and birth podcasts and one thing that I have heard several times is that moms wish they had stood up for themselves during labor. You might have an amazing doctor and amazing nurses who take great care of you and listen to your requests, but you also might end up with the doctor on call who you have never met and who just wants to go home.

There are good and bad doctors and nurses, just like in every profession. If you feel like you aren’t being treated well, stand up for yourself. If your nurse is mega grumpy and rude to you, ask for a different one. Stand up for yourself. You want your baby’s birth to be a good experience!

Pushing

Don’t expect to push through two or three contractions and suddenly have your baby. Most women have to push for a long time before their babies are born. Don’t push until your body is ready (you’ll feel like you need to poop because of the pressure of your baby’s head).

The best advice I can give you is to push like you’re trying to poop. Yes, you might poop, but like I said, it’s not a big deal and that’s common. I have pushed out three babies and every time I’ve pushed using my lower ab muscles like I’m pooping and it has worked great for me.

The ring of fire

Ever hear someone talk about the ring of fire? The ring of fire is when your muscles and skin around your lady parts are stretching as far as they can as your baby’s head comes out. It’s also called crowning. I haven’t felt it since I’ve had epidurals all three times, but I’ve heard it’s incredibly painful and that even with an epidural, you can still feel it sometimes.

Take notes

If you’re planning on writing down your baby’s birth story, take notes. Write down when you start feeling contractions, your emotions, your nurses’ names, when you get checked and how far you are, and anything else you can think of. Labor can be such a blur and at least for me, I can’t remember the little details if I don’t take notes.

Delivering the placenta

It might seem super obvious to some people but I completely forgot about delivering the placenta when my first baby was born. After your baby is born, you have to push again and deliver the placenta. It might be easy, it might be hard.

After my first baby it was easy, but after my second baby, the placenta broke inside of my uterus and the doctor had to scrape it out and push on my stomach to help free it up. That was very painful, even with the epidural I’d had. Hopefully it’s easy for you, but just know that you still have a little work to do after your baby comes out.

Stitches

If you tear at all (I have with all three babies), you’ll probably have to get a few stitches. The doctor will do it right after your baby and placenta are delivered, and the most I’ve ever felt is a little tugging while they did it. Depending on if you get an epidural or not, you might feel more or less.

Meeting your baby

Let your doctor and nurse know if you want to immediately hold your baby and delay weighing and cleaning. If your baby is healthy and there aren’t any concerns, they should let you do skin-to-skin immediately. I wasn’t able to do this with my first baby because there was meconium in my amniotic fluid and they had to make sure he hadn’t ingested it, but I did with my second and third babies and it was magic.

Let them know what you want to do, and don’t be too upset if you can’t immediately hold your baby. Remember, a healthy baby (and healthy mama!) is the most important thing.

Going to the bathroom the first time

When you’re all done and ready to change and get a little cleaned up, your sweet, sweet nurse will help you into the bathroom and she will show you how to take care of yourself postpartum. She’ll help you get some of those nice mesh cotton undies on and help you get the big maxi pads in there. She’ll show you how to gently rinse off after you go to the bathroom and how to use dermoplast spray to help ease the pain. Don’t be shy and let her help you. You’ll feel super awkward, but you need their help, and after you’ll feel so grateful!

Peeing after the catheter

If you got an epidural and had to have a catheter, be warned that peeing after it comes out is hard at first.

Postpartum pooping

It’s also hard to poop postpartum. Make sure you take those laxatives they give you, drink lots of water, and just relax. Try not to push very much.

Postpartum bleeding

You’re basically going to have a heavy period for a week or two, and then lighter bleeding for 2-4 more weeks. Your doctor will tell you 4-6 weeks, but my last one was closer to 7 weeks before I stopped bleeding. DO NOT use a tampon, and just change those maxi pads often.

Squishy stomach

One of the weirdest things after my first was born was how squishy and jello-y my belly was after he was born. It was super weird.

You may not want to shower or get dressed in the hospital

I brought my own clothes and shower stuff to the hospital with all three of my children’s births, but I have not used them once. And that’s totally okay if that’s you.

You may just want to stay in hospital gowns the whole time you’re there and wait to shower until you get home. You also might want to wear your own clothes. Either way, it’s okay. Don’t feel a ton of pressure to look your best. You just had a baby!

Sore boobs

Whether or not you choose to breastfeed, your breasts are going to hurt for a few days as your supply either adjust or dries up. One of my mama friends told me that having cabbage in your fridge to put on your boobs can really help with engorgement!

Having a baby is absolutely crazy. Our bodies are amazing and it’s wild that they can grow a human baby and then push it out and we can get up and walk around so soon after. Hopefully this post was helpful and now you know a little more what to expect during labor and delivery at the hospital! Good luck, mamas!

This post was originally published October 11, 2017.

The post What to Expect During Labor and Delivery appeared first on Life With My Littles.

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I am a list person. I make grocery lists, to-do lists, lists of things I want to buy, lists of things I want to make. I’m a list person. So needless to say, I had a whole big list of things to do before while I was pregnant before my first baby was born.

It was actually super helpful because not only did it keep me busy until he got here, the things I did were things that helped me out once he was born, too. I wasn’t rushing around trying to get addresses for announcements or worrying about little things like what we were going to have for dinner once we got home, because I had prepared before he was born. I was able to stay relaxed and enjoy the time with our new bundle of joy!

This list I’m sharing today has 25 things to do before your baby is born to help make having a newborn easier and more enjoyable for you! These are 25 things that I personally did that you may or may not find helpful. They aren’t in any particular order, and if you have anything else to add, feel free to leave a comment and contribute! (Or check out my post that has 15 more things to do before your baby is born!)

25 Things to Do Before Your Baby is Born

1. Pick a birth announcement

If you live far from family and friends, or if you just want to show off your perfect new baby (who doesn’t want that?), a birth announcement is a great way to introduce your newborn. You can either do something simple yourself by copying something on Pinterest or you can use a photo website with premade layouts (Shutterfly is a great one!).

If you decide what you want before your baby is born, you won’t have to stress about picking a birth announcement after they’re born.

2. Gather and print addresses

If you do decide you want to send out birth announcements, it can be even more stressful to gather all the addresses and figure out who you want to send them to after baby is born.

The solution? Gather them all before! You can compile them all into a Word document with a label template and print them out while you are pregnant so once you get your announcements, you just have to put the sticky labels on the envelopes and pop them in the mailbox.

Plus if you work on it while you are pregnant you can have time to think about who you want to send them to.

3. Get a waterproof bed pad

Not for baby, for you. My husband and I have a nice pillowtop mattress that my parents bought us when we got married, and I was not about to have my water break on it and ruin it. I was very worried that if my water did break in the middle of the night, we would have to leave fast and the amniotic fluid would do some serious damage to our mattress while we were away at the hospital. So instead of being nervous to fall asleep as your due date approaches, invest in something like this waterproof bed pad that you can just put under the sheets on your side of the bed.

And don’t try and be cheap and think you can get one of those plastic drop cloths that you use for painting. I tried that at first and it made way too much noise for me to even be able to fall asleep. Which at that point in your pregnancy you need to try and get as much as you can between the ten bathroom trips each night. And even if your water doesn’t break until you are at the hospital, it’s better to be safe than sorry!

4. Pack your bags

Since you never know when baby is going to come, the sooner the better with this one. You should pack a hospital bag for you, a hospital bag for baby, and if your husband is smart, he will let you pack a little bag for him.

I had my bags packed and sitting by the front door a month before my due date. Yes, I was excited, but I was also prepared!

Here is a list of what I packed in my hospital bag, and here is a list of what I packed in my baby’s hospital bag.

5. Get your carpets cleaned

Now this may not be appropriate for everyone, but living in an apartment that has nasty carpet and weird stains from the previous tenants made me really want to get our carpets cleaned because I knew we were going to be spending a lot of time on the floor with our new baby.

So, about a month before my due date I went and rented a Rug Doctor machine and cleaned our carpets. Not only did they smell amazing and look amazing after, I felt much better about our Little J rolling around on the floor. Plus, if you haven’t done this in a while, it might be a nice thing to do before baby is born because after, you are not going to have time (or energy) to do this.

And here’s a tip: I did a Google search for some coupons and called around at a few stores to get the best deal. So if you are going to add this to your list of things to do before your baby is born, do some research and get the best price!

6. Pick a pediatrician

If you don’t have a pediatrician yet, ask friends, look online at websites like healthgrades.com (but be cautious of how many people have reviewed them), and see if your hospital has contracts with any local offices so they can come to the hospital and visit your newborn right after delivery.

It’s much easier to have this done before you have your baby because you don’t want to be at the hospital holding your perfect little baby and have a minor panic attack when the nurse asks you who your baby’s pediatrician is and then tells you how soon you need to schedule your first appointment. Having a pediatrician picked out prior to your baby’s birth is nice because you can get home and immediately schedule their appointment without worrying about if you are calling a good one.

Some pediatricians actually will let you come meet with them while you are pregnant for a kind of “meet and greet” appointment. I actually did this the month before our first baby was born and felt very good about the pediatrician my friends recommended. One less thing to worry about!

7. Pre-wash baby’s clothes

Again, this is something you don’t have to do and which won’t be for everyone, but I did it with all three of my babies’ clothes (especially after I got all my first son’s clothes out of storage!). I used Dreft because it’s hypoallergenic and I loved the way it smelled. It was really fun to wash, fold, and put away all of their tiny clothes!

8. Invest in a nursing bra (or two)

If you decide you are going to nurse your little baby, you will want to get a few nursing bras. You aren’t supposed to use underwire until you’ve been breastfeeding for three months, and I personally like ones without because I can use them when I’m sleeping and still be comfy.

I would definitely recommend getting at least one nursing bra because trying to put nursing pads in a regular bra and readjusting them every time you feed baby is pretty tough and it’s just easier to have an actual nursing bra that clips and makes things easily and quickly accessible for when baby is screaming because he’s hungry.

9. Check to see if your insurance covers a breast pump

If you are going to nurse your baby, a breast pump is really nice to have for the times that you won’t be able to nurse baby or for when baby decides to sleep through the night and you wake up engorged and crying in pain because you have two rock-hard lumps on your chest.

This particular point was very important for me, because the hospital called and got the wrong information from someone at my insurance, and after being told it was covered, we got the fancy breast pump, only to find out four months later that it was not covered at all and we owed like $300.

I would recommend calling yourself (maybe even a few times to verify information) to see if your insurance covers a breast pump. If you aren’t sure what kind of breast pump you want to try, this post of the best breastfeeding products talks about both manual and electric pumps.

There’s also a company called Aeroflow Breastpumps that does a lot of the work for you, and while I haven’t personally used them, I’ve heard great things about them making the process of getting a breast pump through insurance easy!

10. Make freezer meals

My best friend and I were due two weeks apart with our first babies, and we got together a month before our due dates and made a ton of freezer meals. This is a fun idea because it can take one day or it can take a few days (and when you are getting close to your due date you want to keep yourself busy). Our tiny freezer had almost no room for anything else after two days of making freezer meals, but it was so worth it. 

My husband and I found out that the recipes that we liked most were actually not crockpot ones, but ones that were casserole-like and were baked in the oven. Lasagna, pasta, chicken fajitas, those types of meals were our personal favorites.

And making freezer meals is really nice for after baby is born because once your family goes back home and you are left alone, the last thing you want to do is make a hot meal for you and your husband. Here’s a great post about freezer meal tips and recipes to make before your baby is born!

11. Attend classes at your hospital

Most hospitals offer free baby classes for expectant parents. I would highly recommend checking to see what kinds of classes you can take.

My husband and I signed up for three, and even though he only went to one and I only went to two, it was really helpful. I took a notebook and filled up multiple pages with things like how to give baby a bath, how to care for a circumcision, breastfeeding tips, how to swaddle baby, and how to change a diaper (somehow I made it through life without changing a single diaper until my first baby was born).

Plus you can ask the teachers/nurses any additional questions you might have. And you may even make some pregnant friends who are due around the same time!

12. Install baby’s car seat

I seriously think I drove around for about five weeks with an empty car seat in the backseat of my car before my first baby was born. Car seats aren’t super hard to install, but you don’t want to get to the hospital and realize that you left your new baby’s ride at home.

A lot of places will offer car seat installation checks where you can bring your car in and they will check to make sure you’ve installed the car seat correctly. I was going to do this with our first until my husband made fun of me and told me he knew what he was doing. I did however go and do this with my second baby, despite him mocking me. I also took our our convertible car seat in to get checked when we got that. Very helpful.

For more information about keeping kids safe in their car seats, check out this post about 8 Car Seat Mistakes You Are Probably Making.

13. Bake cookies to thank your nurses

I know this one is kind of silly, but it’s a nice gesture! And this obviously shouldn’t be done until pretty close to your due date, but it is really nice to have a bag of cookies that you can give to the nurses once you are officially checked into the hospital.

And if more than a few days goes by and you aren’t in labor, it’s always nice to have a bag of cookies waiting for you to make you feel better. You can make more for the nurses after you eat the first batch.

14. Get 2 waterproof mattress pads for the crib

I think most people probably only have one waterproof mattress pad on their crib, but we layered a waterproof crib mattress pads and then a fitted sheet, and then another mattress pad and another fitted sheet. That way, when your newborn wets the bed or throws up in the middle of the night, you can just pull the first layer off and they still have another protective layer there in case it happens again. You don’t want to be trying to wash and put on a new mattress pad and sheet in the middle of the night! 

It’s definitely worth the extra bit of money to have a spare mattress pad on the bed. Trust me, you’ll be grateful in the middle of the night!

15. Paint your nails

This may seem silly, too, but you are going to be taking a lot of pictures at the hospital holding your new baby, and since you probably won’t feel your best after your baby is born, it’s nice to have a little bit of glam to make you feel better!

I painted my nails a nice baby blue color (since I was having a boy) and it actually turned out really nice for the pictures that we had taken at the hospital.

16. Buy some “in-between” clothes

One of my friends actually suggested this and I didn’t do it the first time around and I regretted it.

As much as you want to be your pre-pregnancy size after your baby is born, it will not happen immediately. And since you won’t be pregnant anymore, you probably won’t want to wear your maternity clothes. So before you have your baby, go buy some “in-between” clothes that you can wear until you fit back into your regular clothes.

I really wish I had done this the first time because I couldn’t fit back into any of my jeans or shorts until my baby was about 2-months-old, so I ended up wearing sweatpants or my maternity pants until then. And without a large, round belly, the band on my maternity pants sagged and wasn’t the best self-esteem booster.

So, before you have your baby, just get a pair or two of in-between pants, and maybe a few looser-fitting tops. PinkBlush Maternity has some great clothes for looking good during and after pregnancy.

17. Look through your baby’s baby book

If you haven’t gotten a baby book, I highly recommend it. There are usually sections you can fill out before your baby is born about you and Daddy, the day you found out you were pregnant, the ultrasound, and things like that.

Plus you can see if there is a spot for a newspaper clipping from the day they are born and baby hand and footprints. Otherwise you might not remember to get a newspaper or baby’s footprints in the actual baby book. And it’s cute to see the pages that talk about baby’s birth and you will cry and be excited and scared and thrilled all at the same time while looking through them (yes, that is from personal experience).

18. Charge your camera battery

I know that everyone has a smart phone and can take pictures on their phones, but I’m old-fashioned and I love taking pictures on my DSLR rather than my phone.

My camera takes really nice pictures, and it was nice to be able to have my phone as a backup instead just in case. Plus, you will be taking like a million pictures at the hospital of your perfect new baby so you want to make sure your camera can handle all that pressure.

19. Do a test run to the hospital

If this is your first baby, or you haven’t delivered at the hospital you are planning on, it is always a good idea to do a test run and see not only how long it takes you to get there, but to make sure you know exactly where to park and go once you get there.

I didn’t think the signs outside of our hospital were super clear and it was nice to go and make sure we knew where to park and then where to go in and what floor to go to and everything. Because once you’re in labor, you don’t want to waste any time.

20. Stock up on hand sanitizer

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about having a baby, it’s that people will ALWAYS ask to hold them. It’s nice to have some hand sanitizer stashed around your home (especially by the changing area!) and in your bag so that when people do ask to hold your baby, you can politely have them sanitize their hands first, since there’s not always a sink around to wash hands.

21. Make your birth plan

Some OBGYNs or hospitals will give you a sheet to fill out, but some don’t, so it’s always nice to be prepared and at least feel like you are going to be in control. Your hospital may provide you with one when you pre-register, or you can check out this helpful post with things you should include on your birth plan.

It’s important to remember that your birth plan is Plan A, and sometimes, for your health or the health of your baby, things will have to change. Your birth plan should discuss your ideal birth situation, but you also need to remember to be flexible when the time comes and not panic if you can’t do everything the way you wanted. The most important part of a birth plan is that you cover all possible situations so you can prepare ahead of time and you won’t have to make decisions when you are in the moment and your nurse is asking you what you want to do.

You can fill in things about how you want your labor to go, what you want to do during labor, who you want in the room with you when baby is born, and if you want the chance to breastfeed right after baby is born. It is a really handy tool to have, and it can help put your mind at ease about delivery, even if you don’t completely stick to it during labor (which you probably won’t!).

22. Get a special baby notebook and folder

Both before your baby is born and after, you’ll probably get a lot of handouts and a lot of information. It’s really helpful to have a special place to store papers and write down all of the things you are told, because you’re most likely not going to remember everything they tell you right before you are discharged and sent home.

I also decided to use my notebook to write down questions that I might think of at home so that I wouldn’t forget to ask them while we were at the pediatrician. And for the first few months, I also recorded when my babies ate, when we bathed them, and how many wet and dirty diapers they had.

The folder is really handy because you get a lot of paperwork at the hospital and instead of shoving it all in your bag, you can nicely store it in your folder and keep it organized so that when you get home you know exactly where to look for that handout on immunizations. If you decide to go to baby classes at the hospital you can also use the notebook and folder for information you get there.

23. Get a package of milk freezer bags

I actually didn’t even think about using these for what I’m going to tell you, but I wish I would have because it would have helped a lot. If you are going to have a pump, having a box of milk storage freezer bags is really helpful.

Sometimes baby decides he doesn’t want to eat on one side and you get engorged and it’s miserable. It’s super handy to have some milk freezer bags so you can pump and then save the milk that you pump so that later, if you are going to be away from your baby, there is some milk for him ready in the freezer.

Sometimes you’ll get engorged and need to pump just a little bit so that you can sleep at night. It’s a waste to pour milk you pumped down the drain, so go ahead and freeze it! These 1 oz milk trays are the perfect way to freeze just a little bit of milk so it won’t go to waste!

24. Look up a newborn photographer

Some hospitals have contracts with baby photographers and they will actually come around to your rooms while you are there and take pictures. We were lucky and had the chance to get our first and second babies’ pictures done while we were still in the hospital. Check to see if your hospital has something like this, and if they don’t, you might want to start looking around for a newborn photographer. Or, if you want to save money but still want pictures of your perfect baby, you can look on Pinterest at the many tutorials on how to photograph babies on your own.

If you’re doing baby announcements this is especially handy, because once your baby is born you don’t want to have to try and look around for a photographer last-minute. The last thing you want to do after giving is birth is to stress about finding the perfect photographer and getting good pictures. It’s nice to plan ahead and have that all set up before.

25. Make Daddy feel special.

A lot of times the mom gets pampered and showered and the dad can feel left out. Let him know how much you appreciate him and the support he has given (and will give you during labor) by putting together a special “new Dad” kit for him.

I put in some soap, some Pop Rocks, tissues, a few books about daddies, a sports onesie, some Sour Patch Kids, some Diet Mt. Dew, air freshener, earplugs, and a few other little personal things to make life as a new dad easier. Not only was it fun for me to put together, it was nice to be able to be able to recognize his part in all of this, too!

Most importantly, just get excited! I know it is the worst waiting around for your baby. Then once your due date passes you are just trying to do everything you can to pass the time. Just enjoy it and try to relax. Babies come when they are ready, and when they do, it is an incredible experience.

This post was originally published in August 2013.

The post 25 Things to Do Before Your Baby is Born appeared first on Life With My Littles.

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Note: This is my opinion on what you should do when you find out you are pregnant. It is how I feel, and I feel strongly about it. I know others will either agree or disagree, and that is fine, but it doesn’t change my experiences or my thoughts. So please be courteous about what you comment.

The second you find out you are pregnant, a lot of things can run through your mind.

“We are going to be parents!”
“Oh my gosh, we are going to be parents!”
“We are going to have a CHILD.”
“I am going to get so huge.”
“It’s going to cost so much money.”
“I’ve never diapered a baby before.”
“But we are going to be parents!”
“What in the world do we do now???”

Don’t worry! I am here to tell you some helpful tips and things to do once you find out you are pregnant! During my first pregnancy, I was just so full of excitement that I didn’t think about some of these things. But after being pregnant three times and having three babies, I’ve realized that there are several things that you’ll want to do as soon as you find out you are pregnant, and then throughout pregnancy.

14 Things to Do When You Find Out You Are Pregnant

1. Decide when to announce your pregnancy

I always wait to announce my pregnancies publicly until the second trimester. I think family is okay to tell, but it can be smart not to tell the whole world until after the first trimester is over.

Yes, it’s hard not to tell your friends as soon as you find out you are pregnant, but try not to post it to Facebook just yet. One of my biggest fears is having to go back and tell people that something has happened and you have had a miscarriage. The baby is most vulnerable during the first 12 weeks you are pregnant, and after the first trimester, the chance of a miscarriage drops dramatically (down to 10-15% of all known pregnancies).

Everyone is different any you may decide to tell people as soon as you find out, but think about where your support system lies in the small chance that something does happen. If you want to read more about why I think you should wait, you can read this post about why I wait until the second trimester to tell people I’m pregnant.

2. Document your pregnancy

One of the best ways to do this is to use a pregnancy journal. There are tons of cute ones on Amazon, and my friend Aubrey recently published her own pregnancy journal (it’s beautiful!). The best ones ask questions about each week or month, and provide lots of places for you to write down how you’re feeling, what you’re craving, or changes you’ve been experiencing.

It might seem silly if you aren’t pregnant, but there’s a lot of stuff that happens and it is fun to write it all down! Plus, then you can go back during subsequent pregnancies and compare! You’ll be amazed at how different pregnancies can be even in the same person! And if you’re not a big writer, try taking pictures to document your growth! (Here are some cute ideas for documenting your pregnancy in photos.)

3. Take lots of pictures

This sort of goes along with documenting your pregnancy, but it is really fun to take lots of pictures. You can do weekly pictures or monthly pictures. With all of my pregnancies, I took a picture every two or three weeks. It’s fun to see how you grow, and you can even get creative with a little sign or use your computer to put in text.

This also makes it so you can compare what you looked like with different pregnancies, and you can see how much sooner and bigger you are the second time around! And get Dad and other kids involved, too. There are lots of cute pictures I have seen on Pinterest with kids kissing their mom’s belly or with couple maternity shoots. Just take lots of pictures!

4. Check your medications to see if you can still take them

I had some allergy medications that I was taking before I got pregnant the first time and after my first appointment, my doctor recommended not taking them anymore. Some things like ibuprofen shouldn’t be taken during pregnancy either, so you may want to consider switching to Tylenol for any headaches or cramps that get severe. There are other things that you shouldn’t take during pregnancy, too, so check with your doctor in your first prenatal visit to find out what you need to be careful of. It’s much better to be safe than sorry!

5. Take a before picture

With my first pregnancy, I took a “one month” picture as soon as we found out we were having a baby. Then with my second pregnancy, I took a “five week” picture. It was fun to see how much different I looked, and then to compare the before picture with a picture from right before my baby was born.

“That will make you feel bad,” you say. No. Trust me. It will be fun to compare and see how pregnancy changes your body! And while not everyone may think this is funny, it was crazy to see where I had gained that 50 pounds. With my daughter, I only gained 35 pounds, and you can tell in the pictures below that most of the weight gain was in my belly and not in my face and butt like it was the first time!

6. Use lotion early and everywhere

During my first pregnancy, my skin decided that it was going to have stretch marks all over. And I mean all over. My chest, my thighs, my butt, and yes, my stomach. So as soon as I started seeing those little lines I started slathering on Palmer’s Cocoa Butter and Palmer’s Tummy Butter. And while I still had the stretch marks, I think it definitely helped me not to get them as bad as they could have been.

So, my advice would be to use lotion early and everywhere, because you don’t know where you are going to get those stretch marks, especially if it is your first pregnancy. You will go through a lot of it and it’s not the cheapest stuff, but it really is worth it!

7. Find a workout plan and stick to it

Not only is it important to workout when you aren’t pregnant, it is important to stay healthy and workout while you are pregnant! Your body is going through a lot of changes and you want to keep it healthy. When I was pregnant the first time I used the stretches and exercises in the What to Expect When You’re Expecting book and I did them every day. They helped me stay flexible and I think especially the ones that strengthen your pelvic floor helped me have a really fast delivery.

The second time I did a combination of the Gaiam Fit Plan for Pregnancy and Blogilates. I felt great and I felt strong. I did a combination of cardio and strength training and stretching, which will help you stay healthy as long as you aren’t eating too much.

And make sure you have all the pregnancy workout essentials you need, too!

8. Shop around for maternity clothes.

I have found that my favorite places to buy maternity clothes are Target and Old Navy. They have cute clothes other places, too, but Target and Old Navy are both affordable and cute, and you can try them on in the store, which is helpful since not all pregnancy bodies are the same!

You don’t want to spend a lot of money on maternity clothes because you don’t get to wear them all the time. But at the same time, you still want to look cute and show off that bump. The Liz Lange line at Target is my favorite for maternity clothes. I pretty much want all of their dresses, and the tops I got from there are my favorite of all my maternity shirts. I also really like PinkBlush Maternity‘s maternity clothes!

Pants are a little bit harder, because they usually just come in small, medium, or large and I have yet to find ones that are long enough. I’ve had success at Old Navy, but only because I was able to order long ones. Try on a bunch and if you still can’t find any that are perfect, just remember that you only have to wear them for a few months!

9. Start taking a prenatal vitamin.

You may already be taking one if you were trying to get pregnant, but if you aren’t, start now. They’re jam-packed with lots of good things your baby needs to get a head start on life. Folic acid, iron, and calcium are especially important. Prenatal vitamins are not only important for your baby, but they are important for you since your baby is zapping up all those vitamins that you would normally get. So, you need extra, and that is where a prenatal vitamin comes in.

As soon as you find out you’re pregnant, get some! And you can even buy giant bottles that will last all of pregnancy, so that’s fantastic. And if taking a pill isn’t your thing, now they have gummy vitamins that I’m assuming are delicious and a lot easier to take. You really have no excuse to get your baby those extra good vitamins and minerals they need while growing!

10. Research baby products

Especially the big things like strollers, car seats, and cribs. One of my favorite places to look (not necessarily buy) is Amazon. They have such a wide selection of items, and they have tons of great, helpful reviews for each product. The reviews are SUPER helpful when you’re trying to find something you’ll like! You should also ask any moms with babies who have recently bought things and see what they like and don’t like. They may even let you come check out their favorite items!

Once you do have a few in mind that you feel good about, try and see them in person at the store. I mean really, you have nine months to find these things and you obviously want the best for your child. And the second time around you will already have a lot of the bigger things and won’t have to look again (plus, you won’t have time). You can read about the best baby products we ever purchased here and the best list of baby essentials here.

11. Make a list of what to do before and after your baby is born.

This was super helpful to me because it helped me feel more prepared before my first was born, and then I knew exactly what I needed to do after he was born.

Lucky for you, I have compiled a few lists and they’re some of my most popular posts. They’re the things that I did, and they were super helpful. Check them out so you can be prepared (did anyone else just sing that like Scar from “The Lion King?”).

There is a list of “25 Things to Do Before Your Baby is Born,” “15 More Things to Do Before Your Baby is Born,” “17 Things to Do Before Your Second Baby is Born,” and “15 Things to Do After Your Baby is Born.” Trust me, a lot of good info there. And you don’t have to use all of it, but they’ll give you a head start!

12. Write things down throughout your pregnancy

This can be questions for your doctor, feelings you are having about being a parent, or stories about the firsts (when you first found out, first felt baby, first heard the heartbeat). These are special things and there’s usually a place in the baby book for at least important dates and how you felt when you found out you were pregnant (or you can write it all in a memory journal for your child!), so you will want to make sure you remember! And since pregnancy is notorious for making you forgetful, writing down things will help you solve that problem (especially the questions for your doctor thing)!

Pregnancy is weird and you can easily question the things that are happening with your body. And since you probably don’t want to call the doctor every day, write those questions down and bring them to your next appointment. Super handy to have them right there in front of you when the doctor asks, “Do you have any questions for me?”

13. Download an app to follow along

Now I haven’t been pregnant for three years, so I’m not super in the loop here, but I personally love the apps where each week they tell you how big your baby is in terms of fruit. My two favorites from my pregnancies have been the “What To Expect Pregnancy” app and the “Baby Bump Pregnancy” app.

The “What To Expect Pregnancy” app is really nice because you have access to daily tips, weekly updates, and discussion boards for people who are having babies in the same month as you. And it’s exciting to have it right there on your phone every week so you don’t have to go looking it up. Even if you aren’t big on reading books at least you get some tips this way!

14. Read as much as you can

When I was pregnant with my first I pretty much read everything I could get my hands on about babies and pregnancy. I read “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and “The Happiest Baby on the Block” and then a few other books that were about the same thing.

Especially if it’s your first baby or you haven’t been around babies much, you want to get as much information as you can about how to be healthy and help keep them healthy and growing and happy, right? Fortunately for me I love to read, so this wasn’t hard, but even if you aren’t a big reader (which, if you got through all my previous tips you may be), it’s different when it’s about trying to raise a child.

And side note, if you aren’t a big reader, you can try listening to podcasts about pregnancy!

I’ve also written a pregnancy book, “Preggers,” that’s a less medical, fun, helpful guide to pregnancy! Parenting can be scary stuff, especially when you are first starting out and have no idea what you are doing. So go pick up a book and start learning all you can, because it really does help!

So congratulations on being pregnant, and don’t worry! You have eight months (depending on when you are reading this) to prepare for your new little bundle of joy. Yes, it can be scary to find out you are pregnant, but being a parent is the best (especially being a mom!). Work on some of these things to do when you find out you are pregnant, get excited, and don’t worry! Good luck!!

This post was originally published on April 28, 2014.

The post 14 Things to Do When You Find Out You Are Pregnant appeared first on Life With My Littles.

Whether it’s your first or third pregnancy, chances are going to have some questions about what’s safe and what’s not during pregnancy. Some of them might be obvious (no roller coasters, please), but some you might not even realize.

Today I wanted to put together a helpful list of the don’ts of pregnancy for expecting and experienced mamas alike. Because if there’s one thing I know about pregnancy, it’s that you want everything to go right!!

And before you continue, these are not meant to scare you. I’ve been getting a lot of hateful comments from people telling me I’m wrong and making pregnant women panic and worry unnecessarily. Guys, I’m not making these up. I got them all from pregnancy books and medical websites (like the American Pregnancy Association). If you really are worried about one of these or have any more questions, please talk to your doctor. Don’t whine to me.

• Don’t smoke. Duh.
• Don’t do drugs. Duh.
• Don’t drink alcohol. DUH.
• Don’t eat too much. You really don’t have to eat for two. You don’t even need any extra calories until the second trimester.
• Don’t eat the cookie dough. I know it’s hard, but try to hold off until the cookies are baked! No salmonella for you!
• Don’t get dehydrated. I did during my first pregnancy and it was not my favorite ER trip.
• Don’t eat sushi, any other raw meat, or seafood with high levels of mercury.
• Don’t eat deli meat. That sub is going to have to wait until after delivery. And same for that hot dog.
• Don’t eat unpasteurized dairy products. Sorry to all the blue cheese fans.
• Don’t use a hot tub or take hot baths. Not good for your baby or your body temperature.
• Don’t drink too much caffeine. Avoiding caffeine is the best, but if you can’t drop your morning coffee, the recommendation is between 150-300 mg per day.
• Don’t clean your cat’s litter box. Ever heard of toxoplasmosis? You can get it from a cat’s litter box and it can cause serious pregnancy complications.
• Don’t get your nails done. As fun as it is to get pampered, try to avoid nail salons because of the strong chemical smell. In general, if it smells strongly, it’s probably not good for you during pregnancy.
• Don’t sleep on your back. There’s a blood vessel called the vena cava that can get squished when you’re pregnant and you lay on your back. Squishing it can disrupt blood flow to your baby while you sleep, so obviously you don’t want that to happen. Also avoid sleeping on your tummy after the first trimester.
• Don’t skip your doctor’s appointments. I know they can seem silly and like you’re only with the doctor for a few minutes each time, but if you don’t go you might find out later there’s a complication or problem that could’ve been prevented.
• Don’t take over-the-counter medications. Always ask your doctor before you pop those pills.
• Don’t hang out around chemicals. If you’re going to clean with chemicals, make sure you do it with the windows open and do it quickly. Don’t stay in the room after you’ve cleaned. Let it air out!
• Don’t stress. Easier said than done, am I right?
• Don’t go on a diet. Pregnancy is not the time to try out the latest fad diet.
• Don’t get x-rays at the dentist. Going to the dentist is important, but make sure you let them know you’re pregnant and don’t get any x-rays until after delivery.
• Don’t go out without sunscreen. Your skin is more susceptible to UV rays during pregnancy, so use at least SPF 30 and reapply every 2 hours.
• Don’t do intense activities like skiing, horseback riding, wakeboarding, or anything like that. Again, duh. You could get hurt and that could hurt your baby.
• Don’t expose yourself to paint fumes. If you’re planning on painting the nursery, wear a mask, or better yet, ask the hubby to do it for you.
• Don’t spray pesticides, fungicides, or insecticides. Let your hubby do this one, too. You want to stay away from those chemicals that can sink into your skin and then into your bloodstream.
• Don’t lift heavy things. I’m not going to give you a weight limit on this, but just be smart about it. And always remember to lift from the legs, not the waist.
• Don’t stand on your feet too often. Exhaustion happens easily during pregnancy.
• Don’t overheat. If you’re hot, your baby is hot, which can lead to problems you don’t want to deal with.

So I know that list is long and depressing and makes pregnancy sound super lame, but ask yourself this: do you want a healthy pregnancy that ends in a healthy baby? If the answer is yes, then it’s really not a big deal to sacrifice some of these things for nine months.

And on the bright side, it’s awesome to be able to sit on the patio and drink lemonade while you watch your whole extended family pull weeds and work in the yard all day.

If you think of anything else to add to the list or something that you aren’t sure about, ask in the comments and I will do my best to look it up for you guys! And don’t forget to check out the do’s of pregnancy here!

The post The Don’ts of Pregnancy appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This post is sponsored by Disney Baby at Walmart.

The day we found out we were having a daughter was a day I’ll never forget. It was our fourth anniversary and we went in to the doctor to see if we were going to be adding another boy to our family, or a little girl. When the ultrasound tech told us we were having a girl, I immediately started crying because I was so excited.

Don’t get me wrong–I love having a boy. My son is the best. But there’s something special about the bond between mother and daughter. For a lot of girls, their mom is their best friend, and that’s something I want with my daughter.

With Mother’s Day a few weeks ago, I’ve been thinking a lot about the relationship I have with my daughter. It can be hard to find moments to bond with her when she’s so little and when I have another child to take care of, too. But spending some one-on-one time with her (as well as with my son) is super important to me. Being a girl is super hard, and I want her to always know that she can trust me and talk to me about anything. So enjoying some mommy daughter time with her while she’s little is important!

In honor of Mother’s Day, I thought it would be fun to share some ideas for mommy daughter activities to do with girls 0-2 years-old!

1. Watch a favorite movie together. I grew up with Disney, and that’s something I want for my daughter, too. We went to Disneyland for the first time with our kids last month, and it was incredible. It was so much fun to share the magic of Disney with our kids. Anyway, our daughter loves watching movies, and it’s even better when we get to sit down and watch one together. Especially ones that I loved when I was little!

2.Have a tea party. Real or pretend, having a little tea party is a lot of fun! Even if it doesn’t last very long, it’s a fun mother daughter activity. So break out the tea pot, cups, and tiny treats! Your daughter will love getting all your attention while you sit and pretend to drink from teacups together!

3. Manicures. I don’t know if it’s just my daughter, but she rarely sits still. It was easier when she was smaller because she would nap and I could do it, but that doesn’t work anymore! But now she will usually sit still is when I clean and trim her nails. And then for days after she shows them to me and is just so excited. I love sitting and talking to her while I do it. It’s a great mommy and me activity!

4. Dance. My kids both love music, and my daughter especially loves dancing. We love putting on music and spinning around the room while we hold hands and giggle. And it’s easy to hold your baby girl and dance if she can’t walk yet!

5. Cuddle! My son isn’t big into cuddling but my daughter will if you’re lucky! And I love getting the chance to snuggle up with her, even if we’re just sitting and I’m telling her a story or reading a book.

6. Dress-up. What little girl doesn’t love dress-up? I remember when I was little I loved dressing up in my mom’s old dresses, and even my grandma’s old clothes and jewelry! And ever since she was big enough to walk, Little A has loved dressing up. She has a few princess dresses, some princess aprons my mom made her, little felt crowns, and even some cute bracelets! So let her dress up in some of your old clothes and jewelry. It’s a great way to have special mommy daughter time!

7. Read books. I kind of already mentioned this, but reading books together is another great activity. I’ve been reading books to my daughter since she was a newborn. Now, we go to the library every week and I let each of my kids pick out a few new books to try. Little A usually gets a Disney book (she knows where they are!). We love reading new stories and ones from our own little bookshelf, too!

8. Go shoe shopping. Okay so that might sound silly, but letting your daughter try on high heels or sparkly flats is a lot of fun! My daughter is obsessed with shoes (we can’t let her near them or she holds on to them with a death grip!). If your little girl is the same way, shoe shopping might be a fun activity for you two!

9. Do a craft or color. Crafts with babies don’t have to be complicated, and since you have to help a lot and give a lot of attention when you’re crafting with kids 0-2 years-old, it’s a great activity for bonding. Coloring is the same way! We have a few Disney coloring books and I love sharing a page and coloring with my daughter!

10. Cook. When my daughter was smaller, I would put her in the high chair next to me while I cooked. She was interested in what I was doing, even if she couldn’t help. Now that she is big enough to stand on a chair at the counter, I love having her help me bake. It usually is a lot slower and messier with her help, but it is fun to get her involved!

11. Go to a petting zoo. If your daughter loves animals, a petting zoo is a really fun way to get out of the house and have some 1-on-1 time together. Little A loves anything that looks soft, so she is a huge fan of animals. And I love watching her joy when she is around them!

I love having a daughter. I love bonding with her and sharing special moments with her, and I hope that because of the time I’m spending with her now, she’ll think of me as one of her best friends! I know having a daughter won’t always be easy, but it’s even more fun than I thought it would be!

The post Mommy Daughter Activities to do with 0-2 Year-Olds appeared first on Life With My Littles.

Today Little A turns one! Yay!

I can’t believe how fast the year has gone by. I am in denial that she is now technically a toddler. It’s crazy to me that I don’t have a baby anymore!

But at the same time, it’s so much fun! She is such a sweet, energetic, and happy baby and we are all better because she is in our family.

To celebrate her birthday, I am going to do a few weeks of birthday-themed posts! Today I’m sharing cute monthly baby picture ideas, on Monday I’m sharing a roundup of first birthday pictures, then cake smash tips, and then a series called “How to Throw a Pinterest-Worthy Party” with four separate posts featuring the rainbow sprinkles first birthday party I am throwing for her next weekend. To say that I’m excited about her first birthday is an understatement.

Anyway, I have seen so many cute ideas for documenting your baby’s first year, and I wanted to share some of my favorite ways with you today!

Monthly Baby Picture Ideas

1

Monthly Onesies

Photo Credit: www.lifewithmylittles.com

Dress your baby in monthly onesies and take pictures to document their first year

Check it out

2

Baby in a Frame

Take a picture of your baby inside the same frame every month to see how much they grow

Check it out

3

In a Chair

Photo Credit: rachspiegel.com

Set your baby in the same chair and take a picture of him every month

Check it out

4

In the Crib

Photo Credit: adorkableduo.com

Lay baby in her crib and take a picture from above every month

Check it out

5

With a Stuffed Animal

Photo Credit: www.eventcrush.com

Compare your baby to a stuffed animal and take a picture with the same one every month

Check it out

6

In a Laundry Basket

Photo Credit: www.pinterest.com

Take a picture from above of your growing baby in a laundry basket

Check it out

7

Age Spelled Out with Magnets or Felt Letters

Photo Credit: famillesummerbelle.typepad.com

Use magnets or felt letters to spell out how old your baby is above their head

Check it out

8

Write Details of Each Month on a Chalkboard

Photo Credit: pinterest.com

Include their name and age on a chalkboard, with some of their favorites, size, or things you don't want to forget

Check it out

9

Add a Balloon for Each Month

Photo Credit: momtog.com

Take a picture of your baby each month with balloons for every month old they are

Check it out

10

Mom Holds Baby

Photo Credit: simplyrosie.ca

Start with a belly bump photo, then take a photo each month holding your baby to see how big they grow

Read More

11

With Wooden Numbers

Photo Credit: mimipalmer.blogspot.com

Take pictures of your baby holding wooden numbers that represent how many months old they are

Check it out

12

On a Whiteboard with Details

Photo Credit: tonyateranphotography.com

Another way to include details like height and weight or favorite foods

Continue Reading

13

Being Lifted in the Air

Photo Credit: littlemeg.com

Take a picture of your baby being held aloft each month. This one may require an extra pair of hands!

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Aren’t those all such cute ideas? If you want to do a monthly picture to document your baby’s growth, I recommend picking one BEFORE your baby is born! That way, you can get started right when they are born! And don’t forget to check out these first birthday picture ideas!

Happy birthday, Little A!!

The post Monthly Baby Picture Ideas appeared first on Life With My Littles.

My most popular post is “14 Things to Do When You Find Out You Are Pregnant.” It has almost 1 million pageviews since I wrote it a year ago, and I have gotten a lot of great feedback from it.

But one thing that has bothered me is that while I have gotten a lot of comments from people saying how helpful it was for them, I’ve also gotten a lot of people attacking the first thing I suggest.

“1. Don’t tell people until you are past the first trimester. I think family is okay to tell, but it can be smart not to tell the whole world until after the first trimester is over. I know it can be incredibly hard not to tell your friends as soon as you find out you are pregnant, but try not to post it to Facebook just yet. One of my biggest fears is having to go back and tell people that something has happened and you have had a miscarriage. The baby is most vulnerable during the first 12 weeks you are pregnant, and after the first trimester, the chance of a miscarriage drops dramatically (down to 10% of all known pregnancies). So just to be safe, try your hardest to wait until you are 13 weeks pregnant before you spread the glorious news.”

That is all. And for some reason, people pounced on that. I actually had to include a note at the beginning of the post. It says “This is my opinion on what you should do when you find out you are pregnant. It is how I feel, and I feel strongly about it. I know others will either agree or disagree, and that is fine, but it doesn’t change my experiences or my thoughts. So please be courteous about what you comment about.”

Despite that little disclaimer, I still get people all the time making rude comments about how I am wrong. So I thought it was finally time I explained myself. I want to tell you why I don’t tell people I’m pregnant until the second trimester.

With both of my pregnancies, we have told our families that we were pregnant before the second trimester. We told our families we were pregnant the first time right after we had it confirmed by the doctor, and our families the second time when I was 8 weeks pregnant. But we didn’t announce either pregnancy to everyone else until I was in the second trimester.

I think it’s totally fine to tell your family and close friends. It’s super hard not to share your exciting news with someone! The thing I recommend avoiding is posting to Facebook or Instagram that you are pregnant before the second trimester.

Like I said in my post, the chance of having a miscarriage drops from up to 25% to 10% when you hit the second trimester. It’s still possible to have a miscarriage, but because the chances are lower, I think 13 weeks is a better time to announce your pregnancy to the world.

I am going to assume that most people have friends and followers on social media that they maybe met once or twice, but probably won’t ever see again. They probably are friends with people from high school that they haven’t spoken to since graduation. That’s a pretty common thing. The problem that I personally have with announcing your pregnancy before the second trimester is that if something does happen, you then have to go back and tell everyone that you lost the baby.

I would SO much rather just tell my family and close friends because that is where my support system lies. Not in my Facebook friends I never talk to, and not in my Instagram followers. My family and close friends are the ones I want by my side in the event of a miscarriage, and I don’t want random people telling me they are so sorry for me through an online message or comment.

I think it’s completely fine if you want to mourn the loss of your baby publicly. It’s not shameful to have a miscarriage, because they are very common. I am not trying to say that we need to hide miscarriages, but if it was me, I would hate to have to tell people over and over again that I lost the baby.

Yes, you can lose your baby at any time. You might be in that horrible 10% of women who lose their baby after the first trimester. And that sucks.

The decision of when to tell people you are pregnant is personal, and it is different for everyone. But this is my blog, and I am going to share my advice and my opinion on it, even if people disagree. Because I really do think that when you find out you are pregnant, it’s one of the first things you need to decide. And personally, I would wait until after the first trimester.

The post Why I Don’t Tell People I’m Pregnant Until the Second Trimester appeared first on Life With My Littles.

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My second most popular post is called 25 Things to Do Before Your Baby is Born. It has almost 750,000 views since I posted it two years ago. It’s the post that made me realize I could actually blog, and I consider it the start of me becoming a mommy blogger.

Since I posted it two years ago, I’ve had another baby, and thought of more ideas to add to the list. So today I want to get right to it and share 15 more things to do before your baby is born!

1. Set up baby’s room. When your baby is born, you want to make sure that their nursery is ready! You don’t want to come home to a room that isn’t completely set up, because honestly, you are not going to want to set it up after you have just given birth. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but you want it to be somewhere peaceful that you will enjoy being in. Before our daughter was born, I put together her gold, mint, and pink nursery. I did a lot of the decorations myself, and it was really easy. It was nice having it all done before she was born, and it’s a great way to stay busy with that nesting instinct!

2. Pick out baby’s “going home outfit.” And also bring a backup! For our son, we had this super cute little outfit picked out. Unfortunately, the bottoms were way too big and we had to bring him home in a little sleeper. For our daughter, we brought a little dress and it fit great. You can’t be sure how big or small your baby is going to be, so bring two outfits that will work. It’s so fun picking it out while you are pregnant and imagining how your little one will look in it!!

3. Decide where your baby is going to sleep when she comes home. For the first few nights with our son, he slept on our floor next to the bed in a little bassinet. We had planned that, so we had it all ready when we came home from the hospital. With our daughter, we decided to put her in her crib the first night. It doesn’t make a huge difference where you put them, but you want to be ready when you get home. Whether it’s a crib, a portable bassinet, or a pack n’ play, just know where you are going to put your baby when you get home from the hospital.

4. Set up a designated changing station. You want to make sure you have a place that will have wipes, diapers, and diaper cream handy. And if you’re having a boy, you want to include some gauze pads and ointment for post-circumcision care. If you have a single-level home, you can just set up one spot in the baby’s nursery (probably a changing table). If you have multiple levels in your house, it might be best to set up a spot on each floor. That way you won’t have to always be running around when baby needs a change. It might seem silly that I’m including this on the list, but it’s really nice to have everything in one place!

5. Buy Baby Tylenol. When your baby gets his shots, you are going to feel super bad for him. He will cry and it will be so sad, and you will just want to take away his pain. Buy some Baby Tylenol so that when the time comes and your baby is in pain, you will have it right there and you will have a way to help. And make sure you ask your pediatrician before you give it to your baby. Dosage is different for little babies!

6. Make a baby registry. One of the best parts of being pregnant is getting to register for your baby. Amazon has a special baby registry program called the Shop Amazon – Create an Amazon Baby Registry. With their baby registry, you can add items from any website (which means you can pretty much add anything!) and there are free 90-day returns on Baby Store purchases. And one of my favorite parts about it is that 60 days before your due date, if there is anything you haven’t received off of your registry, they will send you a discount code for 10% off so you can buy them yourself. I love their program and I can’t imagine a better way to register for your baby! And a special tip, add big things you might like to your registry because sometimes people will buy you big things! If you need ideas on what to add, check out these posts about what to add to your baby registry and the best baby items we ever purchased.

7. Take maternity photos. When I was pregnant with Little J, I gained 50 pounds. So I knew that when I was pregnant the second time, I wanted to be healthier and take better care of myself. Consequently, I only gained 35 pounds with my second baby. And I felt so much better! One thing that I loved during doing my second pregnancy was getting maternity pictures taken. Pregnancy is such a unique (although crazy) time in your life, and I recommend getting maternity photos taken during at least one of your pregnanices! If you want some inspiration, check out my maternity photo shoot.

8. Decide a way to document your baby’s growth. Something I have loved doing with both of my babies is taking monthly pictures to document their growth. And thanks to Pinterest, there are so many great ideas out there for ways to do it. Next to a teddy bear, on a blanket, with monthly stickers, or even in their crib. I’m going to share a roundup of my favorite ideas next week, but until then, just search Pinterest. The first month goes by so fast, and you’ll want to have an idea ready for how you’re going to document your baby’s growth! (Check out this roundup of ideas for monthly baby photos)

9. Clean your car. After your baby is born, you are not going to want to (or have time to) clean your car. My friend Katelyn from What’s Up Fagans wrote a great post about how to properly clean your car before your baby is born, and I love the tips she shares. It’s something you might not think about, but it makes a huge difference to have a clean car after your baby is born. One less thing to worry about, and it definitely will give you something to do while you’re waiting for baby to get here!

10. Stock up on essentials. Things like toilet paper, laundry detergent, shampoo, and conditioner are super easy to stock up on before your baby is born. If you are anything like me, you are going to avoid going to the store for the first few weeks after your baby is born. So having essentials that you can’t really live without already in your house is going to help. And if you forget (or have a small house with not a lot of storage), check out Amazon Prime Pantry. You can get essentials at great prices delivered right to your house if you are a member of Amazon Prime. It’s perfect for new moms who don’t want to leave the house!

11. Let family members know when you want them to come. When you have a newborn, the last thing you want is a million family members coming to your house all at the same time. So let them know when the best time to come is, especially if they live far away. For both of our kids, we had our parents come at separate times so that our house wasn’t super full. And if you are totally fine with having everyone over at once, then let them know. You are the parent now and you are allowed to tell people when they can and can’t come over. If you need some more tips about this (or this makes you anxious, like me!), check out this post.

12. Pre-register at the hospital. One of the most helpful things we did for both our babies was to pre-register at the hospital. We sent in all of my medical information and insurance paperwork so that when it was time to go, we only had to sign a few papers before we were checked in. Call your hospital (or ask your OB) to see if you can pre-register because it really makes a difference when you check in at the hospital! Especially if you are in a hurry!

13. Have a baby shower. Having a baby shower is another super fun part of being pregnant. If nobody has offered to throw you one, ask a close friend or your mom or mother-in-law to host one for you. Especially if it’s your first baby, you want to get as much help on buying things as you can! And if it’s your second baby, ask someone to throw you a diaper shower! My two best friends threw me a diaper shower when I was pregnant with Little A, and it was awesome to have people buy us diapers since we had everything else we needed!

14. Buy undies you don’t care about. If you haven’t already heard from other moms or your doctor, post-pregnancy is rough on your body. Specifically, it’s rough on your lady parts. You pretty much have a super heavy long period for a while, and even though the hospital does give you some disposable mesh panties, you might want to have some extra cheap ones as backup just in case. Make sure they are cotton and breathable, and definitely not too tight. You are going to be sore and uncomfortable. So get some pairs that you won’t care about if they need to be thrown away after you’ve recovered.

15. Buy some extra maxi pads. Going along with #14, you are going to be having a heavy period and won’t be able to use a tampon after your baby is born. And yes, the hospital gives you some maxi pads, but you will probably go through them all and need some more once you get home from the hospital. So get some as backup and just keep them in your bathroom cabinet. It’s much better to be safe than sorry in this situation!

Hopefully those 15 things will keep you busy and help you prepare for your baby! And if you need some more ideas, check out these posts!

The post 15 More Things to Do Before Your Baby is Born appeared first on Life With My Littles.

When I was pregnant with my son, I made a set of matching burp rags and bibs so I would have a bunch of cute ones to use when he was born. They worked AMAZING.

The tutorial that I posted for “The Easiest (and Best) Burp Rags You Will Ever Sew” currently has over 170,000 pageviews, and has been featured on several other websites as an easy baby shower gift. In that post, I mentioned that I also made some bibs for my son, and there were a ton of people who asked me to do a tutorial for the bibs.

Now, almost a year later, I am finally putting together this tutorial for the easiest (and best) bibs you will ever sew. I made one change to the bibs I made my son to make them even better, but they are still easy and the best bibs.

In fact, I actually got out my son’s old bibs and have been using them on my daughter for months, and they still work great. So rest assured, these bibs are fantastic and can withstand multiple babies!

If you could master my tutorial for the burp rags (aka, sew straight lines), then you should easily be able to move onto this tutorial for bibs. I promise it is an easy bib tutorial. Obviously you will have to sew some curved lines, but don’t be scared because they are super easy and if you go slow, you will have no problem making yourself some cute little bibs.

To make one bib, you will need my fabulous free bib pattern, 1/3 yd cotton fabric, 1/3 yd minky fabric (also called Soft n’ Cuddly or Soft n’ Fluffy), matching thread, and a size 16 snap and fastener (like this one I got from JoAnn).

Now onto the tutorial! Don’t be scared. It may seem like several steps, but some of the steps are super easy and could’ve been combined (like pin your pieces).

First, assemble your pattern. Tape piece A over piece B and then cut around the edges.

Next, pin your pattern piece to your cotton fabric, like in the picture. You can pin it up-and-down too, but you won’t make as many bibs from your strip of fabric.

Cut it out, and repeat with the minky fabric. You should have two matching bib pieces.

Pin your pieces together, right-sides together.

Now the only tricky part of the bib. The snaps. You will want to grab one top snap and one bottom snap, plus your fastener.

Now attach one side of your snap so the snap part is on the inside of the top of the cotton. Make sure you center it, but don’t put it too close to the top. You may have to fold down part of your fabric to get it.

Next, attach the other side of your snap so the snap part is on the opposite bib top, but on the minky. It should look like this:

Now pin the top of your pieces again and sew all the way around, leaving a 2″ hole on the bottom side of the bib.

Flip your bib inside out, and then press with an iron. It will make topstitching your bib a lot easier if you press it with an iron first.

Now topstitch your bib all the way around! Aka, just sew about 1/8″ away from the edge, all the way around. Now you have a bib!

The first bibs I made for my son had velcro, but he learned to pull those off pretty fast. The snap fasteners have been so much better because I can keep the bibs on my daughter (she drools SO MUCH) and she can’t get them off!

You can make 4 or 5 bibs from each 1/3 yd. of fabric. So you could make several of the same fabric, or if you wanted you could make a bunch of different ones in matching fabrics. Either way, your baby will be super stylish and people will compliment you on how cute your bibs are!

See, I told you that was a super easy tutorial! Now good luck, and happy sewing!

The post The Best (And Easiest) Bibs You Will Ever Sew appeared first on Life With My Littles.