Hospital Bag

For those of you pregnant, nearing your last month...the anticipation stinks, and you'll probably get anxiety about when you're gonna go and how your labor story is going to be. As you are trying to pack your hospital bag, you think to yourself what do I bring to make myself feel comfortable? Well, nothing about delivery is comfortable...but I did the typical, goggled Hospital Bag Checklist and thought to myself, I am going to look retarded walking in with 5 bags of crap! Haha! So I then asked around to friends who just recently had babies about what they brought, used or wished they had. I packed a little each week, starting at week 35, and when my water broke at 38 weeks 2 days, I still had time to finish packing. So don't worry about it too much. Here's my list after I experienced it...

Typical stuff already in your purse:
· Wallet, ID & insurance card · Cell phone & charger · Glasses & eye drops · Chapstick · Makeup bag (at least your compact, eyelash curler & mascara - to look alive) · Digital camera & charger · Change for vending machines (when café is closed)

For Momma:
· Sweatpants & zip up (you can wear home the same thing you wore in, if you didn’t dirty it, because you change into hospital gown the second you get there) · Tennis shoes/crocs/slippers/flip flops (whatever is easiest, you really don’t get out of bed much) · Comfy T-shirt or tank top (to wear home) · Shorts/Capris (to get ready in after you bath) · Socks (however, they gave me a grippe pair that I really liked) · Dove bar of soap (because hospital soap is dry) · Shampoo & Conditioner · Toothbrush & Toothpaste · Deodorant · Hair Brush (ahhh its amazing to brush through your hair after labor) · Ponytail holders/headband · Lotion (for after your bath, its real dry in hospitals)

Other:
· Birthing plan (the nurse will ask about your preferences) · Snacks (cheez-its, granola bars, animal crackers, raisinets) · DVD movie (there isn’t anything on daytime TV) · iPod docking station (if you want to play your own music - I didn't) · Pillow & blanket (for husband to sleep with or just bring your own pillow case) · Comfy cloths for husband to sleep in, and or T-shirt, shorts & boxers for husband to change on day 2 (although, Kevin went home quick to shower and came back)

For Baby:
· I brought this stuff in the diaper bag · A couple newborn onesies or T-shirts (careful around belly button) · Mittens (they scratch their face!) · Newborn hat (they’ll put one on right when he/she comes out, but if you want a cuter one) · Receiving blanket (you’ll use theirs but we brought one home for the dog to smell) · Baby blankey (to snuggle up in car seat to go home) · Outfit for baby to wear home (think of what size they'll truly be, and they will be cold no matter what the season is) · Baby book (if you want the nurse to stamp their feets on page) · Notepad & pen (to record labor story and gifts people bring) · Car seat (leave in car until time to go home)

You Don’t Need:
· Robe (they gave me a nice warm soft robe to keep) · Large underwear (you’ll wear the large hospital shorts-undies they provide you with, along with their “diaper” pads and ice packs, and they'll give you some to go home with) · Nursing bra or tank top (you’ll wear the hospital gown the whole time, easier for skin-to-skin) · Shower Towel (I took a bath once right before going home and their towels were fine) · Nipple cream (your nipples won’t be dry & cracked yet) · Maxipads (have medium and light flow ones for when you get home) · Diapers & wipes (they give you all you need and you take home what you don’t use) · A bottle (you’ll only be nursing the first 2 days, or they’ll give you what you need) · Burp cloths (she never really spit up yet) · A pacifier (we brought our own, the soothie ones were too big for her) · Breast pump (if you need to pump in the hospital they will provide one)

**A friend of mine that delivered at the same hospital a month before me said, "You really don't need to bring anything. They have it all there for you!" Which I was like, "Yeah right, I need my own stuff." But really, they do have everything. They took care of me very well :)

1st week as new parents...

We checked out of the hospital after we got our 24 hour clearance. We didn't want to sleep in the hospital another night and were super excited to bring Lainey home to meet Colbie! However, from the picture below, she wasn't happy about the car seat, but once we started moving she was sound asleep :)

Our first night home was the hardest. Lainey hated her diaper changed and didn't like any ounce of her skin exposed to air, she screamed bloody murder...being in the womb for so long, babies have a rough time adjusting to the outside temperature. And she didn't want to be put down to sleep in her bassinet. I was exhausted, and needed sleep badly...I took the first shift, and Kevin the second. He took her out to the living room and got her to sleep in her swing around 3am, while he slept on the couch. We finally got about 3 hours of shut eye.

Thursday (4/25) we were zombies! We went in to see the pediatrician, since we left the hospital so quick (24 hours) they wanted us to follow-up to check her weight and check her risk of jaundice. Her weight was now 5lbs 8oz (typical loss of 5% birth weight) and her jaundice level came back real low, so there was no concern. I hated watching her get her little foot pricked. Her thyroid level came back good too!

Lainey did well latching on to breastfeed right from the start in the hospital, however, as days went on, as she would drink, she'd stop & start, fall asleep or startle herself, and wouldn't re-open wide enough to latch back on correctly, she just wanted to keep sucking, which hurt very badly! By Friday (day 4) my milk came in and by Saturday I was extremely engorged. Holy cow engorgement is painful!! As Kevin would say, I went from a "B" to a "D" over night. It feels like rocks inside! It hurt so bad I was sick to my stomach! Kevin went to Target and got me a cheap manual pump (since an electronic pump isn't covered under our insurance until June 1). The manual pump worked very well actually. Took me only about 8 minutes to drain out both sides...a workout for my forearms :)

Lainey took my breast milk in a bottle right away - Avent bottles. Since then, I have been strictly pumping and bottle feeding. This has helped me get through engorgement, and easier for us to switch off feedings, and during the days, we have been having so many visitors, its been nice that I don't have to step away to nurse. It has also allowed me to heal. I knew these first couple of days as a new mom were going to be hard taking care of a newborn baby... sleepless nights, crying,  pooping, peeing, soothing, bathing, feeding...but I didn't realize how much healing I have to do for myself as well. I am not use to using my abs again yet, and sitting on my tailbone hurts, my "birthing area" is still healing. So needless to say, its hard to move about, but each day gets better and better. Warm baths are awesome - if you can find time! Kevin goes back to work tomorrow...

Bath Time

She doesn't like being cold, wet & naked, but she loves the head massage of getting her hair washed!

Look at all my fluffy hair!!! Just like Daddy :)

Lainey Mae Raasch has arrived!!!

Kevin and I are pleased to announce the arrival our sweet baby girl, Miss Lainey Mae!! She was welcomed into this world, perfectly happy & healthy, on April 23, 2013 at 6:18pm, weighing 5lbs 14oz, and 19-3/4in long. She is just a little peanut...we are soo in love!!

My Labor Story:
2:00am  My water broke over night
7:30am  Woke up wet, mucus plug?/membranes in toilet - TMI sorry
8:30am  Brownish blood on pad - TMI sorry
9:00am  Called nurse line - I'll be there in an hour :)
10:40am  Admitted at St Francis Hospital
11:20am  Swabbed for amniotic fluid & was dilated to 1+ and 85% effaced
11:40am  Confirmed water has broken
11:45am  Moved to delivery room
12:00pm  Met Dr. Druckman (my Dr. Nelson was off for the day)
12:15pm  Started IV fluids, contractions were 3-4 mins apart, pain = 2
12:40pm  Started Pitocin
2:00pm  Contractions got stronger, pain = 4
2:30pm  Still dilated only to a 1+ and 85% effaced
3:30pm  Contractions 3mins apart, lasting 60-90 seconds, pain = 6
4:00pm  Got into bath tub (helps body relax and dilate)
4:40pm  Got out of bath tub, contraction super strong, pain = 8
4:50pm  Dilated to 10 - complete!! Told can't get epidural, pain = 10
5:00pm  Anesthesiologist gave intrathecal (lasts 2 hours)
5:05pm  Started pushing
6:10pm  Baby crowning
6:18pm  BABY!!!

37 Week OB Appt

Baby Shower #5 - Coworkers

My coworkers threw me a baby shower at work today!  We had cake and I got some really nice things - sippy cups, bowls, toys, rattles, first aid kit, bumbo tray, blankets, couple outfits, and a few more books! So nice of them!!

36 Week OB Appt

At todays OB Appt, I am 36 weeks & 4 days. Again I was put on the NST machine to listen to baby's heartbeat. She sounded great - heart rate ranging from 130-140. But baby was a bit sleepy. Funny how she is moving all the time, and when I get to the Dr and get up on the table and hooked to the machine, she falls asleep. The nurse had to zap my belly a few times to wake her up. Of course, then she got hiccups like she always does. So cute! Then I got a Tdap shot, because even though a tetanus is good for 10 years, they now want every pregnant woman to get one during their pregnancy because of the whooping cough outbreak. And they want Kevin and grandparents to get it too - anyone that is going to be around baby a lot in the first 3 months, because baby doesn't get the shot until then. And she measured my belly to be at 35 weeks, and I am still at 126lbs, so haven't gained anymore weight since my last appt...guess I am just having a small baby, thank goodness! She did the strep B test on me, and checked my cervix. I am not dilated or anything yet, but she did feel baby's head and said she is way down there! So I have offically dropped, and baby is in the birth canal. Yippee!! I said, "yeah I know, I can feel her fluttering down there, in my pubic area, like she's try to swim out," hahaha!

Mama Pizza Party Playdate

Baby Shower #4 - Kevin's Fam