Maternity Necessities

Well, I'm winding this pregnancy down. Just saying that sends kind of a jitter through me.

It's so bittersweet. I probably won't be pregnant again. This is it. The final countdown.

Two of my friends had their babies this week - within a few hours of one another. I'm ecstatic for them and it makes me giddy to think about meeting Mo....and yet I'm so conflicted at the same time.

A very close friend of mine just had an intense labor and delivery experience and I was texting with her and her husband throughout the process. Consequently, I was so wrapped up in her labor that I couldn't sleep that whole night. The following evening as I laid down to bed, weak with exhaustion both physically from not sleeping and mentally from the highs and lows of labor via text (she delivered a perfect, beautiful baby boy) all I could think was, "Thank God tonight I do not have a newborn to wake up and nurse all night. Thank you, Mo, for brewing a little longer."

Then the flip side...I can't wait to dress Mo in all of LW's clothes. I already have his going home outfit laid out. (Full disclosure: last night I had a moment of not being able to sleep because I was worrying I may forget socks for Mo to wear home. As if a baby will need socks. In June.) 

I can't wait to nurse him and snuggle him and wear him in a ring sling. And at the same time I am so enjoying feeling all of his kicks and wiggles and thumps around inside me. See the conflict? The struggle is real, people.

All I can REALLY do is try to enjoy as much of the remainder of this pregnancy as possible. All seven weeks one day of it. Give or take.

Here are a few things I've really loved this time around:

1. Maternity pillow

I started using this...maybe the night after I found out I was pregnant. Sleeping in it is the happiest place to sleep on the planet. I even brought it along for a weekend getaway with my Jamily. Right now I have to sleep 3/4 of the way on my back because if I put any pressure on my belly, Mo has a meltdown in there. This pillow always offers the right amount of support for me in all the right places, no matter what position I'm sleeping in. 

2.  Good maternity jeans (Kohl's)

I have Gap jeans from my previous pregnancy and they are fine, but I feel like they are always falling down and it drives me crazy. I assumed all maternity jeans did this since they lack a waistline but these jeans from Kohl's taught me otherwise. Plus, they're boot cut so I can wear my big, dorky gym shoes without feeling like a big dork. 

3. Sleep nursing tanks

Is there anything Pea in the Pod doesn't do well?! I only own two or three items from them and they are the softest, most magnificent things I've ever put on my body. My sister in law handed down some of her maternity and nursing items and the sleep nursing tanks (different from pictured above but still amazing) are SO comfortable. I wasn't sleeping well wearing a maternity sleep/nursing bra but I needed SOME kind of support. These camis are the perfect blend. And give me another reason to look forward to putting on my jammies at night. Plus, these I will be able to use through nursing Mo. Bonus! 

4. Smoothies 

There is no surprise when I say being pregnant is tiring. The thought of being sick while pregnant and having a toddler to manage is downright unbearable. Somehow I have discovered a smoothie that has *knock on wood* kicked every tickle in my throat since I've tried it. 

I'm not kidding. Every time I get as much as a tummy ache or a tickle in my throat, this smoothie is magical. Originally posted on WIFMK. It is: 

50% Kale or romaine (I prefer kale) 

a thumb of peeled ginger

1 peeled lemon

honey

chia seeds

splash of elderberry syrup

handful of frozen fruit

water and ice to suit 

So simple. So random. So epically powerful. It just KNOCKS the ick right out of me! This blender has also been priceless because I use it for everything. Including muffins. 

5. Maternity belt

I have been SO LUCKY this pregnancy to have little to no sciatic pain. SO LUCKY!!!! But, my low abdomen and my low back feel very strained if I don't wear this puppy a majority of my day. It's also helped limit/stop my contractions if I'm out on a walk. 

I always used to find these things unnecessary, but two babies in two years does a number on your body...and some of us need all the support we can get! 

What were your maternity necessities - the first or second time around?? 

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Pregnancy: 31 Week Update

How far along? 31 Weeks

Size of Baby:  Coconut (3.5lb!!!)

Weight Gain: We all know the answer to that from last week....so let's not talk about it again until next week, shall we? 

Nursery: It is coming together!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited. 

This week I ordered the monitor as our item of the week. Only a few things left on the list! 

I did add a white noise machine to the list, however. After some research, I picked this one: 

The humidifier I picked that we've ended up using in LW's room bc his kicked the bucket isn't as noisy as our previous humidifier. I really like it (once I painted over the nightlight which was actually like EXTREMELY BRIGHT HEADLIGHT) because it has great output, is small and lasts all night long on one tank, but I specifically remember needing white noise for LW in his newborn days, and really until recently we had the really noisy humidifier in his room that buffered out sounds. This is the humidifier we have now: 

So since the new humidifier is so quiet, I decided a white noise machine is a good thing to have. For LW we used an old iPhone in a docking station with a free white noise app. Problem with that was the home button on that iPhone didn't work consistently, and if I forgot (in my sleep-deprived state) and hit "play" on the docking station, Carrie Underwood would start BLASTING through the speakers at the volume we had been playing soothing waves sounds previously. 

That made for plenty of panicked mommy moments, LW jumping awake, and a lot of frustration. So, I'm not doing that again. $42 will be well-spent on that little noise maker machine. It's gotten great reviews. 

Movement: This little dude is a WILD MAN. He's moving around so much lately! It's really fun. I feel like he's very long because I already always feel him very low in my pelvis while simultaneously feeling him up at my rib cage. I have a feeling my dreams of a baby under 8lb may just be that....dreams :)

Symptoms: Well, this is where it gets interesting. Thursday afternoon LW and I visited my dad in the hospital (he just had both knees replaced) and I got stuck in traffic on my way home. I had to use the bathroom REALLY BADLY by the time I finally arrived to my door and had been contracting from the need to use the bathroom (or so I thought). Turns out the contractions didn't stop once I "emptied my tank" and continued fairly aggressively for over an hour.

I contacted my midwife and made a plan on what to do if they continued but thankfully after a lot of water, sitting with my feet up and completely relaxing 100%, the contractions slowed and eventually stopped.

That said, we're considering Mo a bit of a flight risk so I'll be taking it easy more often than not the remaining 8 weeks....as much as I can possibly stand to do so.

Also, I have SO MANY BRAXTON HICKS lately! It's like my uterus doesn't realize it's done this before and thinks it needs to practice. Earth-to-uterus: YOU GOT THIS. CALM YO'SELF.

I've had a little heartburn this week, but nothing crazy (thankfully). My back hurts now and then. I'm tired. You know...third trimester woes.

Cravings: I think it's probably just residual from Easter, but CHOCOLATE THE MINUTE LW GOES TO BED. As much as possible, get it in my belly. Just thinking about it right now I think I need to bite the ears off of a bunny.

Looking forward to: Getting the final items done in the nursery. I have a craft list of things I want to do and between that, freelance work (blessed!), Jamberry, What I Feed My Kid, housework, LW, sewing ring slings, and oh, trying to "relax" I don't know how I'll do it all!!! One day at a time, I guess :)

Things I can't stop thinking about: Nothing, really. I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and get all of my tasks done on my various lists as I go. 

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Banana Bread Oatmeal

I think I discovered something magical. I found a way to get LW to love oatmeal as much as I do. As in, he shovels it into his mouth....and I'm not loading it with brown sugar (which is how and why I love oatmeal so much...it's a vehicle for my dark brown sugar).

I'm calling this "Banana Bread Oatmeal" because that's really what it tastes like. And the way I do it is so easy, it's totally cheating.

First off, we buy a million bananas. And sometimes we just can't eat them all. So when they start to get brown I peel them, cut them in half and toss them in a bag in the freezer. This way, we have bananas ready to go if I feel like baking, want a smoothie, or now....if it's an oatmeal kind of morning!

I start with old-fashioned oats. The quick-cook kind just don't have the same texture, to me. Plus, I'm old-fashioned at heart. We should all know that by now.

Next, the secret to the whole recipe....half of a frozen banana.

As bananas freeze they tend to get sweeter and when they defrost, they're so soft that they basically melt. Pouring super-hot oatmeal on top of the frozen banana melts it pretty quickly (I will stab at it with a spoon to push the process along). Plus, the cold banana brings the oatmeal down to toddler-appropriate temperature very quickly!

A cute helper is required for this process:

I use fresh bananas for my own oatmeal and dark brown sugar. I added a tiny sprinkle of dark brown sugar to LW's bowl too but you definitely don't have to. The bananas are VERY sweet.

Once the banana has melted, I top with whatever I have on hand. This morning was strawberries, whole milk and crushed pecans. LW literally shoveled it into his mouth.

That's it! Super simple, easy to make with things on hand, sweet as can be and toddler approved without being loaded with artificial sugars. What more could you ask for?!

For more toddler meal ideas, follow @whatifeedmykid on Instagram!

Banana Bread Oatmeal
2C cooked old-fashioned oats 
1/2 frozen banana
sprinkle dark brown sugar (optional) 
1T whole milk 
3 cut strawberries (garnish)
1tsp chopped pecans (garnish)

Place frozen banana in bowl with sprinkle of brown sugar. Pour cooked oats over banana and sugar. Mash/stir until banana has melted completely and oatmeal is cool. 

Pour on cold whole milk to continue cooling oatmeal (looking for toddler-appropriate temperature). 

Top with favorite toppings. I used strawberries and pecans. 

Enjoy! 

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