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.

This post contains affiliate links.

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.

This post contains affiliate links.

One year ago today, I published my pregnancy book, Preggers. It was a long process, took a lot of hard work, and it was 100% worth it.

Since today is the anniversary of my book’s publication (and coincidentally my oldest son‘s SIXTH birthday!), and because March is National Reading Month, I thought it would be fun to write a post featuring the best books to read during pregnancy! 

There are TONS of pregnancy books out there, and lots of them didn’t make my list. I tried to pick a wide variety of books that have great reviews, I’ve loved myself, or I’ve heard recommended several times. They aren’t all for everybody (depending on if you’re planning on a natural birth or a medicated birth), but hopefully, you’ll find a book on this list that speaks to you! 

1. Preggers. Of course I’m kicking it off with my own guide to pregnancy! Preggers is NOT your mother’s guide to pregnancy. It ranges from trying to get pregnant all the way up to labor and delivery. It’s informative without being overwhelming or too medical, and it will make you laugh, cry, and feel like someone else actually understands what you’re going through. It’s bright pink, awesome, and definitely worth checking out! 

2. What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Another classic. It’s great for learning about what’s going on with your body and your baby. I liked following along with it each month with my first pregnancy. It also has answers to a lot of common questions and talks about labor and delivery. 

3. 50 Things to Do Before You Deliver. This book is written by my friend Jill Krause of Baby Rabies, and it’s a great book to help moms prepare for the arrival of their baby. It’s really easy to read and has cute pictures. Jill is a pregnancy genius, so of course, her book is fabulous! Plus it was published around the same time as mine! 

4. Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. If you’re worried about the actual birth part, this one is perfect for you. I’ve heard this book recommended over and over again. It’s filled with birth stories and information on the birth process. It’s focused on natural birth, but even if that’s not what you’re planning, it’s still a great way to prepare for childbirth!

5. The Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy. A book I haven’t read, but I have heard good things about it. The tagline is “or everything your doctor won’t tell you.” It’s written like it’d be written to a best friend and is filled with things you’re too scared or embarrassed to ask about. A practical and funny book for moms-to-be! 

6. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. The Mayo Clinic is a very well-known and respected name in medicine, so you know the Mayo Clinic’s pregnancy book is going to be full of helpful information about pregnancy! It has week-by-week updates on baby’s growth and month-by-month changes for mom, a 40-week pregnancy calendar, a symptoms guide, and a review of important pregnancy decisions. A great read if you want a book more on the medical side of things! 

7. The Sh!t No One Tells You About Pregnancy. The fourth book in Dawn Dais’ “The Sh!t No One Tells You” series came out in 2017, and it’s all about what pregnancy is REALLY like. It’s blunt and very honest and doesn’t cover a ton on the medical side, so if you’re looking for a medical book, don’t get this one. It’s a great book for preparing yourself for the realities of parenthood! 

8. Birth Without Fear. This book actually just came out yesterday, but I’ve listened to January Harsche on a few podcasts and I’m sure her books is a great resource for pregnant mamas. It’s described as “an honest, positive, and passionate message of empowerment surrounding everything that involves having a baby. It’s a guide that fills in the considerable cracks in the information available to women and families when they’re preparing to welcome a child–covering care provider choices, medical freedom, birth options, breastfeeding, intimacy, postpartum depression, and much more.” If I have another baby, I’ll definitely be picking up a copy! 

9. The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth. If you’re planning on a very natural pregnancy and childbirth experience, this one is for you! It’s written by Genevieve Howland, writer of the pregnancy and parenting blog Mama Natural. The book “demystifies” natural pregnancy and goes through pregnancy week-by-week, which as a pregnant person I always appreciated. This probably isn’t for everyone, but if you’re on the holisitic side, I’m sure you’ll love it!

Pregnancy is a special, magical, uncomfortable, confusing, crazy time of a woman’s life. Fortunately, there are lots of great pregnancy books to help you through the joys and miseries that come along with growing a baby. Hopefully this list of books to read during pregnancy was helpful and taught you about a few new pregnancy books to read, and if you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment and let me know! 

The post Books to Read During Pregnancy appeared first on Life With My Littles.

When I got induced the first time, I didn’t know what to expect. To be fair, I hadn’t really done a lot of research on the subject, other than typing “how to get this baby out of me” into Google.

I went to the hospital thinking I was in labor only to be told I wasn’t, but got induced anyway because I was past my due date and would probably get induced within the next few days.

With my second baby, I was induced at 39 weeks because of some health concerns. Nothing serious, but I was Strep B positive and because my first baby was born so fast, they wanted to make sure I had enough time to get the antibiotics before my second baby was born. Because the induction was planned and I had been induced before, I felt more prepared because I’d been through it before.

There are a lot of articles online about induction, why you might get induced, and ways people get induced, but there’s not a lot of helpful information on what to expect during the actual process. Which is crazy, because it’s a fairly common thing!

To clarify, this post isn’t about how to decide if you should get induced or what type of induction method is best (because there are other articles you can read for that), it’s more about what it’s like and what to expect when you get induced. So if your doctor has started talking about an induction and you’re worried or have no idea what it will be like, here are some things you can expect when you get induced:

1. An induction might be done due to health concerns or going past your due date. In my case, I was induced with my first two babies, each for one of those reasons. Either way, inductions are not bad! Don’t freak out if your doctor starts to talk about an induction.

2. If your induction is scheduled, you will call in at a certain time to make sure they have a room for you. You may have to push it back a bit because if the labor and delivery floor is full with moms going into labor on their own, you’re not top priority. So just be patient, relax, and know your baby will come out eventually.

3. Morning inductions are the best. I know you may not have a say in whether your induction takes place in the morning or at night, but getting scheduled for a morning induction is awesome. You can go in after a good night’s sleep and be ready for a long day. If you do end up getting scheduled at night, try to take a nap before you go in!

4. You can also feel very put-together when you have a scheduled induction. If your induction is scheduled, you can do your hair and makeup so you feel and look good when you go in to have your baby. I felt much more put-together when I had my second baby than I did my first baby because I wasn’t sure if he was actually coming when I first when in!

5. Eat before you head to the hospital. Once you’re there, you can’t eat. They’ll let you have clear liquids and ice chips and sometimes jello, but no meals. So make sure you eat before you go or you’ll be ravenous!

6. When you get induced you’ll get an IV put into your hand that stays there the whole time. It’s annoying and if you have sensitive skin it’s very uncomfortable. I actually ended up taking my own IV needle out the day after my daughter was born because it was bothering me! 

7. Once you’re hooked up to the IV, going to the bathroom is complicated. Go to the bathroom before you get started because otherwise you have to unhook everything and bring the whole IV pole in with you. It’s a mess.

8. The way you’re induced will depend on how dilated you are. If you’re already beginning to dilate, you may just get started on Pitocin right away. If you’re all closed up and your body hasn’t even started getting ready, you may get Prostaglandin (a cervix ripening medicine) inserted to help you start dilating. A foley balloon is another option before starting Pitocin. 

9. Induction is slow. It’s definitely not a fast method of having a baby. It can take hours and hours before your baby is born, and it often takes quite a while before labor begins. I’d recommend bringing a book or a movie or some games to stay busy! 

10. Pitocin is delivered through an IV. You may have picked up on this from #6, but when you get Pitocin, it’s delivered intravenously via an IV. 

11. Pitocin makes your contractions more painful. Speaking as someone who has gone into labor on her own and been induced, the contractions from Pitocin were way worse than contractions from going into labor naturally. It’s a lot of cramping and definitely hurts more with induction. 

12. You can still have an epidural-free birth when you get induced. Just because the contractions are more painful doesn’t mean you can’t have your baby without pain medicine. If you’ve prepared for a natural birth and find out you have to be induced, don’t feel discouraged. It’s possible to still have your baby without any pain medicines or even an epidural!

13. If you do want an epidural, get it as soon as you can (or ask for other pain medicine). With my first baby, I wasn’t able to get the epidural as soon as I wanted so they gave me some other pain medicine first. Unfortunately, that made me feel really out of it and throw up a few times. With my second baby, I got my epidural before the pain was too bad, and it made such a big difference. Epidurals are the best! 

14. Pitocin can slow dilation while increasing contractions. What this means is that you may have to lower your dosage and then up it again. Contractions that are coming too close together are bad for your baby’s heart rate. So they may have to play with the dosage a little bit before they find the sweet spot (this happened to me!).

15. You have to wear belly monitors when you’re induced. I guess this could vary from hospital to hospital, but both times I was induced I did have to wear the belly monitors pretty much the whole time. I was only able to get up and walk around a little bit, and it wasn’t very much. They just want to make sure your baby is doing okay and your contractions aren’t coming too close together.

16. Sometimes the nurses break your water if it doesn’t break on its own. My water had to be broken both times I was induced, and it is a WEIRD feeling (imagine you’re peeing yourself over and over again in gushes each time you have a contraction). Not a big deal, but just be ready in case it needs to be done!

17. You’ll get pelvic exams a few times to check your dilation/effacement. The nurses will check to see how dilated and effaced you are a few times during the induction process. It’s not super fun, but it will help them know if the medicine is working and it will give you an idea of how things are progressing! 

Induction is not as scary or as big a deal as people sometimes make it seem. About 30% of hospital births are medically induced, and if you’re prepared and know what to expect, it can be a good experience! Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have and try to do everything you can to prepare for your baby. When you know what to expect when you get induced, it will go a lot better and you’ll be even more ready to meet your baby! And if you have more questions about what to expect when you have a hospital birth, check out this post!

The post What to Expect When You Get Induced appeared first on Life With My Littles.

There are so many decisions surrounding childbirth that are incredibly personal decisions. Where do you want to have your baby? Do you want to go natural? Do you want to be induced? Do you want to delay cord clamping? Do you want to save the placenta? And on and on and on! It’s exhausting!

One of the most important questions that needs to be decided is who you want in the delivery room. It sounds easy enough, but actually trying to decide who you want by your side can be a source of anxiety for a lot of women!

Today I want to talk specifically about how to decide who you want in the delivery room. It’s not going to be a particularly long post, but if it’s something causing you stress, I’ve got some tips for you!

The most important thing you need to remember is that this is your decision. You’re the one giving birth, you’re the one who is going to be pushing a watermelon out of your lady parts, and you’re the one who gets to make the decision. Don’t feel pressured by someone if you don’t feel comfortable with them being present during delivery. They can be there after your baby is born to visit, but who is there for the actual childbirth part is completely up to you.

The second most important thing you need to remember is that whomever you choose, they need to be supportive of your childbirth decisions. If you’re planning on having a home birth or going natural at the hospital and your mom doesn’t think that’s a good idea (or that you can do it), don’t invite her! You only want people around you who are going to support you in the decisions you’ve made and help you accomplish what you’ve set your mind to. Anyone spewing out negativity is not someone you want around you when you’re about to have a baby.

The third most important thing you need to remember is that you need to be comfortable with the very real possibility of them seeing parts of you that you don’t normally show other people (I think you get what I’m saying). If you think that it would make you feel awkward to have your father-in-law be there for your child’s birth and then to see him at Thanksgiving a few months later, don’t invite him into the delivery. Make sense? Good.

I also want to point out that this decision is going to look different for everyone. I’d say most people probably just have their spouse or partner in the room, but a lot of people choose to have their mom, sister, or friend there, too. Just because your sister invited your mom to her delivery doesn’t mean that you have to invite her to yours. Do what makes you comfortable, even if you have to ruffle a few feathers.

Now, who do you choose!? It can be tough to decide who you want there, but making the decision early on and being clear about what you decide will alleviate stress and prevent conflict when the time comes to have your baby. You might want your spouse or partner in the room (that’s what we did all three times!), you might invite a parent (most likely your mom, but if you have a good relationship with your dad then go for it), or you might even include an older, mature child in the process (especially if you’re having a home birth). You can also ask a sibling to be there, your best friend, or even another family member like a grandparent or aunt you’re close to. If you have a doula, you’re definitely going to want her to be there (I mean that’s what you’re paying her for, right?) As long as they’re all supportive and your’e comfortable with them being all up in your business, you could invite any of these people!

I should mention that most hospitals do have a limit on how many people are allowed in the delivery room at one time (usually 2-3). So if you have several people you’d like to come support you, you’ll probably have to rotate them in and out. If you are delivering in a hospital, make sure you check the limit before inviting your entire extended family to the birth.

How to decide who you want in the delivery room can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be something that causes you stress and anxiety! You’ve got enough of that going on just preparing for childbirth!

The post How to Decide Who You Want in the Delivery Room appeared first on Life With My Littles.

When you’re about to have your second (or third, or fourth) baby, it’s a good idea to have a plan (and a backup plan) in place as far as what to do with older siblings when you go into labor.

There are lots of different options, and I promise that having a plan in place for your older kids as soon as you hit the third trimester will alleviate some of the anxiety and stress that comes from preparing for childbirth.

This is a very personal decision, and while it might be hard for family members to accept it, it is your decision. With our second baby, we had family come out immediately, and with our third baby, they didn’t come out for a few weeks. That was hard for them, but it made things easier for us because we were able to adjust to our new life in a way that was better for us. You really just have to know yourself.

That being said, there are a few different choices for what to do with older siblings when you go into labor.

What to Do With Older Siblings When You Go Into Labor

If your family lives close, drop your older children off with their grandparent, aunt, or uncle (or whoever lives close that you feel comfortable with)

We’ve never had this luxury, but it’s what a lot of people decide to do when they have their baby! It’s also nice because you typically don’t feel as obligated to pay them back for watching your kids.

If your family doesn’t live close, you can have them fly in before your due date so they will be there to watch your older children when you have your baby

This can be tough (unless you’re getting induced or having a scheduled C-section) because you might have family in town for a week or two before your baby is even born, or they might miss your baby’s birth if your baby is late and they had already purchased plane tickets home. It’s an option, though, so keep it in mind!

It’s also good because your family can watch your kid(s) the whole time (especially if they are close enough that they can drive or if they have a plane ticket with a date they can adjust!).

Have friends watch your older children when you go into labor, and then while you’re at the hospital until you’re discharged

If you’re going with this option, make sure you have people ready during the night, too, just in case you go into labor at night. And having several different families willing to help out is important.

When our third was born, we had friends watch our older two when we went to the hospital and that first night, and then set up two playdates for the kids while we were in the hospital. That way, it’s not all on the same person! My husband also went and stayed with them at home the second and third nights while I was still at the hospital so we didn’t have to have more than one family watch them at night.

Regardless of what you decide, it’s helpful to have a written list of any information about your kids, including allergies, a typical schedule (especially if they nap), and a bag for each child packed (just in case, especially if you’re planning on having family fly in or having friends watch your kids).

The most important thing when deciding what to do with older siblings when you go into labor is that it needs to be YOUR decision. Not your mom’s, not your mother-in-law’s, but yours. You might ruffle a few feathers if what you decide isn’t what they want, but you’ll be happy you did what you wanted when the time comes!

Make sure that you make the right decision for your family and make it before you get to the end of your pregnancy, especially if it’s something that’s stressing you out! The sooner you decide, the more relaxed you’ll be when preparing for childbirth!

The post What to Do With Older Siblings When You Go Into Labor appeared first on Life With My Littles.

Even before I got pregnant, I knew that I was going to have an epidural. I’m not big on pain, and I knew that if there was a way I didn’t have to feel a baby the size of a watermelon coming out of my body, I was going to jump on that. Now I’ve had three babies, and each time, I’ve had an epidural. I thought it might be helpful to share a few tips and insights for anyone who is thinking about getting one. Here’s what I learned from having three epidurals:

1. Epidurals are not for everyone. If you’re not someone who wants an epidural, that’s absolutely okay! If you want to have a natural birth, good for you! Epidurals are not the answer for everyone, and that’s okay.

2. Epidurals are not bad. Guys, they are fantastic! They aren’t evil, they help so much, and they really are a fabulous medical invention.

3. Getting an epidural is a personal decision. Don’t let other people influence your decision, one way or the other. And that being said, also don’t judge people who make a different decision than you. You might choose not to get one, and you shouldn’t hate on your friend who decides to get one. The only person who should be making the decision is the woman having the baby.

4. Getting an epidural doesn’t mean you’re weak. Just because you don’t want to feel pain, or even if you try to go natural and end up getting an epidural before your baby is born, you are not a weak person! You’re strong, you’re amazing, and either way, you’re pushing a baby out of your lady parts so props to you.

5. Epidurals helps you get rest during labor. My labors haven’t been particularly long, but with my first, I was able to take a nap for a little over an hour before it was time to push. And for people who have long labors and who haven’t slept in over 24 hours, an epidural is a great way to help you get some relief and rest before you have to tackle the feat of pushing your baby out.

6. Before you get an epidural, you have to sign lots of paperwork. It seems a little scary, but it’s really not. There are lots of papers to sign no matter what when you go into a hospital, and don’t let the epidural papers scare you and more than you let TV commercials for prescription drugs scare you (“May cause blindness, loss of feeling in limbs, or DEATH!”). Just be ready that it’s another medical procedure that you are having, and you have to sign some more papers to get it.

7. When you get an epidural, you have to sit completely still on the side of the bed, and it’s hard. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I didn’t realize that in order to get an epidural (which is basically put in through a long needle in your lower back), you have to sit on the edge of the bed, hunched over, and completely still. ALL WHILE STILL HAVING CONTRACTIONS. It’s hard, but you’ve got to try your best to do it.

8. You can’t move around when you get an epidural. Obviously, you’re going to go numb from the waist down, so you aren’t going to be able to move around. If you need to even roll over, you’re going to need help from your nurse.

9. You have to have a catheter put in when you get an epidural. Since you aren’t going to be able to get up to go pee, you’re going to get a catheter inserted. It is a little weird and will make your first pee postpartum kind of weird, but it helps you not pee yourself so that’s good.

10. You may have to lay on one side or the other to even out the medicine. Sometimes the medicine goes in and it isn’t even in your lower body. One leg may be completely numb, and the other might be in your full control. In this case, your nurse will help you change positions and lay on one side to help even out the medicine. You want no feeling down there, not half.

11. Don’t wait until it’s too late to get one. If you know you’re going to get one, just get one. You don’t want to wait too long and then not be able to get one. After a certain point, you can’t get an epidural, and if you get to that point and you want one, you’re in trouble. I’ve always let my nurse know as soon as possible that I want one, and only once have I delayed getting one (I still got it, of course). So make a decision and go for it. Don’t wait.

12. When the medicine starts going in, it’s super cold. This caught me off guard the first time. The medicine feels like ice going in, and it’s super weird. I got really shivery and it wasn’t fun, but I couldn’t feel the pain of contractions anymore so it was worth it.

13. Epidurals don’t always work. Epidurals can have less of an effect on some people. They also might not be administered long enough to be able to work effectively. I think it’s pretty rare for it not to work, but know that it does happen. I recommend that every pregnant woman learn about some natural pain management techniques too, just in case.

14. You can ask for a lower dose of the epidural medication. If you don’t want to be completely numb but just want to take some of the pain away, you can ask for a low dose epidural. I personally haven’t done this, but I know it’s an option you have!

Hopefully what I learned from having three epidurals is helpful to you. Whether you’re trying to decide if you want an epidural or you’ve already decided you want one, these tips can help you prepare and make the decision that’s right for you! And remember tips 1-3 especially. Getting an epidural is okay if it’s what you want to do!

The post What I Learned From Having Three Epidurals appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This post is sponsored by Pampers. I am a proud member of the Pampers Baby Board.

One of the hardest parts about having a baby is naming them. From the day you announce your pregnancy, people start asking you what you’re going to name your baby. And no pressure, but the name you pick is going to follow them around for their entire lives. Yikes! You want it to be timeless, original, and unique, and you want it to be a name that means something. People are going to call them by their name for their entire life, and you definitely don’t want to give them a name that doesn’t fit!

So now you’re probably wondering how to choose the perfect baby name, right? I’ve definitely felt the pressure each time I’ve been pregnant! I mean it’s a big decision! Fortunately there are a lot of resources and helpful tips to make sure that the name you pick is going to be one you won’t regret choosing! Here are some of my favorite to help you out:

1. Use the Pampers Baby Name Generator. This is an AMAZING resource! The generator allows you to sort names by gender, first letter, origin, name length, and theme (royal, mythology, flowers, etc.). It also provides fun facts and information about each name, plus meanings, pronunciations, and popularity rankings! To access all the features you have to sign up for a free Pampers account (which you should have anyway so you can take advantage of their loyalty program), and it’s so worth trying out! I even had fun looking up my kids’ names! It’s awesome whether you have no ideas for your baby’s name or if you’re trying to narrow it down from a few top choices!

2. Flip through a baby name book. I know it’s sounds old fashioned, but there are seriously so many names in those books! It’s a great place to start if you have no idea. Sometimes baby name books also have lists like popularity by country, lists of famous names, lists of literary names, and lists of historical names, as well as names listed alphabetically, which can be helpful if you want it to be a name from a certain time period or start with a specific letter. If you can’t find a baby name in a baby name book, you might be in trouble!

3. Check popular baby name lists. I remember growing up and only ever meeting one other Chelsea in school. It was amazing. My husband on the other hand has such a common name that I think I had a kid with his same name in almost every class growing up. If you want your child’s name to be unique, make sure you check out popular baby name lists!

4. Check ancestry.com for family names you might like. If you are thinking about using a family name but don’t know where to start, check ancestry.com. You can quickly and easily find genealogical records and learn about ancestors you might not have known. If you want a family name or a more old-fashioned name, this is a great resource!

5. Make sure baby’s initials won’t spell something bad. This might sound kind of silly, but it’s definitely something you’ll want to think about. If your last name is Smith, don’t name your baby Amelia Sue. Just don’t.

6. Don’t tell people what you’re planning on naming your baby unless you’re ready for honest feedback. No matter what, some people just aren’t going to like your baby’s name. If you think that might bother you, just keep it a secret until your baby is born!

7. Think about possible nicknames. If you don’t like nicknames, don’t give your baby a name that people will shorten. My sister is named “Rebecca” but goes by “Becca,” which is what my parents had planned on. You may love the name “Samuel” but not like the nickname “Sam.” Think about what people might shorten your baby’s name to because if you don’t like the nickname, you may want to pick a different name.

8. Narrow your list down to two or three. Of course it’s okay to have a favorite, but it’s good to have a backup name, too. We had planned on a name for Little A before she was born, but when she was born, it took me a day to feel like that was the right name for her. Sometimes you just need to see your baby before you make an official decision!

9. Make sure the first name and middle name sound good together. Some names just don’t go together. When you’re choosing your baby’s middle name, make sure it sounds good with your baby’s first name!

Choosing your baby’s name can be overwhelming at first, but it’s a really fun part of having a baby, too! Luckily you’ve got a few months to narrow it down, and luckily you can use all these tips so you’ll know how to choose the perfect baby name! Make sure you check out the Pampers Baby Name Generator, and good luck, mamas!

The post How to Choose the Perfect Baby Name appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This post is sponsored by Pampers. I am a proud member of the Pampers Baby Board.

When we stepped into the giant baby store to register for our first baby, we were handed a list several pages long of “essentials” that we needed to put on our registry. Being naive, first-time parents, we were overwhelmed and had no idea how much of what was on the list was actually necessary. A lot of what we registered for ended up not getting used, or used once and then donated, simply because those things weren’t practical or helpful. What a bummer!

A recent Pampers survey found that we weren’t the only ones feeling that way (thank goodness!). More than half of moms who created a registry felt it was more overwhelming than they expected, and 62% of moms have regrets about their baby registry. Of those who do, the top regret is that they didn’t register for enough practical items!

Now that I’ve had three babies, I feel like I have a pretty good idea what practical things to put on your baby registry. I know what you’ll actually use, what you’ll wish you registered for more of, and what you won’t regret adding to your registry later!

1. Diapers. Of course the #1 thing on this list is diapers! I’ve registered for all three of my babies, and each time, Pampers diapers are the first thing I’ve put on the registry. You can never have too many diapers, and they are definitely the most practical thing you can put on your registry! And please don’t feel guilty about adding a ton of diapers to your registry! 88% of moms that Pampers surveyed said they wished they had included more diapers on their registry, yet more than 1 in 3 (35%) moms who included diapers on their baby registry felt guilty about registering for them. Please make sure you add diapers to your registry! All sizes, and different kinds. I love Pampers Swaddlers for newborn and size 1, and then Pampers Baby Dry for sizes 2 and up!

2. Baby wipes. If you’re registering for diapers you have to register for wipes, too! You need wipes for every diaper change, so add them to your registry without hesitation!

3. Baby wash and lotion. Babies have extra soft, sensitive skin, and you’re going to want to keep it that way! Register for some baby-specific wash and lotion. Baby wash and lotion are always something you can use!

4. Healthcare and grooming kit. One of the best things we registered for (besides diapers!) was a healthcare and grooming kit. It had a nasal aspirator, a little hair brush, nail clippers, a tiny toothbrush, and other little things like that to help take care of baby. We still have the one we registered for with Little J almost five years ago, and I still use it with Little R!

5. White bodysuits. You can never have too many of these! I love layering them under button-up shirts and pajamas (in the winter), and they work great for monthly baby pictures, too!

6. Portable playard. These are perfect for traveling, keeping your baby in your room before moving them to their crib, naps in other parts of the house, or even as a playpen when you just need to contain your baby!

7. Baby monitor. We’ve tried a ton of different baby monitors (plain audio ones and video ones) and either way, I think they’re great! You can even use them when your baby gets bigger!

8. Car seat. Some people don’t register for big items like this, but I say why not? You’re absolutely going to need a car seat, and putting one on your registry gives people a chance to go in together and get one for you! One less thing you’ll have to buy yourself!

9. Stroller. Again, a big item that you might not think to register for, but you’re going to need one, so why not?

10. Bouncer or swing. I wouldn’t say you need both of these, but having one is nice because it’s a great place to put your baby when you just need a minute! We had a little bouncer that vibrated and all three of my kids would hang out in it while I showered in the mornings. And I know my sister loves her swing for helping her baby fall asleep when he won’t any other way!

11. Bibs and burp rags. Even if your baby doesn’t spit-up much, it’s handy to have at least a few of these for feeding (especially once your baby starts solids!).

12. Baby carrier. Ask some of your mama friends what carriers they liked (maybe even try one out with a friend’s baby!), and register for one! I still get use out of my carrier and my baby just turned one! They are great when you need your hands free but your baby doesn’t want to be put down.

13. Crib pad/ fitted sheet. One of the best tricks I learned as a new mama was to layer a waterproof mattress protector underneath my baby’s crib sheet, and then do it again. That way if your baby gets sick or gets their sheet wet in the middle of the night, it won’t soak through to the mattress and bonus, you can just pull off the top layer of crib sheet and waterproof mattress protector and still have a sheet on the mattress so your baby can go right back to sleep and you don’t have to do laundry in the middle of the night! Genius!

14. Swaddle blanket. Swaddling your newborn may help them sleep longer and prevents them from startling themselves awake. You can use a stretchy muslin swaddle or one that has velcro, but either way, they are definitely a practical thing to include on your registry!

15. A baby book. I know some people aren’t a fan of traditional baby books, and that’s fine. If that’s you, just ignore this one! I personally like having a place to write down milestones and glue baby pictures, so I use baby books. I have one of these for Little R and I love it because I can customize it and add or remove pages.

16. A nursing pillow. Regardless of whether or not you are planning on breastfeeding, these are amazing. I used mine for nursing and bottle feeding my first two babies, and they work great for tummy time and supporting your baby when they are learning to sit. Definitely a great, practical item to have!

Registering for your baby can be a little overwhelming at first, but if you do your research, you’ll quickly realize babies really don’t need that much stuff! Follow this list of practical things to put on your baby registry, try to stay calm, and go in with a plan. You’ll find that registering for your baby can be a lot of fun!

The post Practical Things to Put on Your Baby Registry appeared first on Life With My Littles.

Even before I got pregnant, I knew I wanted to know if I was having a boy or girl. I’m not big into surprises and I like to have everything ready when there’s a big life change coming up. Being surprised just isn’t my jam.

But some people love the anticipation of not finding out their baby’s gender until he or she is actually born, and that’s fabulous! If you’re one of those people, then this post is for you! Here are some helpful tips for keeping your baby’s gender a secret until delivery.

5 Tips for Keeping Your Baby’s Gender a Secret

Let the tech know immediately for any ultrasound

Obviously you want to let the ultrasound tech know right away if you’re planning on keeping your baby’s gender a secret. That way they won’t let tell you what you’re having!

Have the ultrasound tech tell you when she’s going to look at the reproductive organs

You don’t want to be looking at the screen when she heads down south because you might accidentally see what’s up. You’ll want to look away during that part if you’re planning on keeping your baby’s gender a secret!

Look away at the start of the ultrasound

Since you might not know your baby’s position before the ultrasound, your tech might put the probe on your belly and immediately see your baby’s reproductive organs! This happened to us twice with our third baby (there was no doubt he was a boy after that!), so just be aware that if you’re planning on not finding out, look away!

Let the doctors and nurses know

Your doctor will have access to the ultrasound images so make sure he or she knows that you don’t want to know what you’re having. It’s okay to bring it up at every appointment just so they don’t forget. You might sound like a broken record, but that is totally fine!

Ask if you can put a note in your chart so the nurses and doctors don’t let it slip

This might sound excessive, but it could be a good idea to have a little note on your record so that your nurse doesn’t come in and ask you how baby boy is doing before you know you’re even having a boy! Whoops!

Keeping your baby’s gender a secret until delivery can be a lot of fun (I mean I’ve never done it, but I assume it is!). Hopefully these five tips will help you be surprised when your baby is born! And boy or girl, babies are the best!

The post 5 Tips for Keeping Your Baby’s Gender a Secret appeared first on Life With My Littles.