Monitoring your baby’s fetal kick count can save your baby’s life. It’s a very important skill you’ll need to learn.
It’s important for expectant mothers to keep track of their baby’s movements, especially if your pregnancy is high-risk.
Fetal movement is a good indicator that things are going well, and can offer you the reassurance that the baby
is healthy, Lack of a certain amount of movement can be a sign of something seriously wrong.
Counting fetal movement isn’t difficult and it can be a relaxing time for both you and the baby.
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How To Monitor Fetal Kick Count
It’s easy to do, first, you’ll want to find a comfortable place to sit or lay. You’ll need a piece of paper or journal and a timing device (a stopwatch or app on your phone should work just fine).
Start by lying or sitting on your side. Once comfortable begin the timer and count each movement your baby
makes.
All rolls, kicks, jabs, and flutters count. Once you’ve gotten to 10 movements, stop the timer and record
how long it took from the first movement to last.
It’s as simple as that!
Most babies will move at least 10 times in an hour.
While monitoring fetal kick counts, here are a few additional tips for tracking movement:
Try to count movements around the same time every day. Try evening or dinner time, after meals, or after
snacking is when babies are most active.
Write it down. A daily log or journal is a great way of keeping track of movement and is a great tool for
communicating with your doctor during checkups. Your doctor may or may not ask to see it, but still do it because they certainly should be asking about it and you want to be prepared.
Lay on your left side for better circulation for the baby.
As your pregnancy progresses the baby has less room to move and those sensations won’t be as
noticeable as they once were. Overweight women, too, may struggle to notice kicks or movement.
For some women, tracking fetal kicks can lead to increased anxiety. If that does happen for you just
make a conscious effort of being aware of the baby’s movements throughout the day; over time you’ll be
able to recognize when something feels different. Report any concerns to your doctor or midwife.
In the end….
Movement is an important indicator of your baby’s health.
If a baby does not move at least 5 times within a two-hour period contact your doctor right away. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Good luck to you mama!
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The Third trimester has crept up on you and here you are, about to have your baby. It’s a very exciting and busy time and the things you have to do to prepare seem endless.
So I have created a monster list just for my readers of all the things that need to be done, ( that you can download as a pdf with the purple button ) to get you fully prepared for baby while you’re in nesting mode.
I’m proud of this list because I read tons of posts from others on this subject and most fall short. I don’t leave anything out here so this is a great resource to help get you ready.
By the way, this post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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3rd Trimester List | 26 Critical Things To do In 3rd Trimester
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Write Your Birth Plan
Writing your birth plan is an important step in getting you ready for childbirth. It will make you feel very prepared and it will help others around you know what you expect. Often times birth plans don’t get followed too closely because things happen and change.
But it still helps everyone stay on the same page with your priorities. You can download a birthing plan that you can fill out for free right here.
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Put Together A Hospital Bag
It’s a good idea to go ahead and put together your hospital bag pretty early during the third trimester. It just seems like a wise thing to do.
It’s not likely that your baby will come early but in the off chance that she does, you’ll want to be fully prepared in every way.
Here’s a list I have created that is really thorough. It has everything for mama, baby, and breastfeeding too. You can download a checklist for your bag as well.
Get Car Seat Installed In Car
Getting a good car seat installed is important too. You cannot leave the hospital after your baby is born without one. So get a good one now and go ahead and have your partner install it very tightly.
Here’s a good one from Safety 1st. It’s the one we used and I highly recommend it.
Figure Out All Baby Gear
This is an important step in getting ready for the baby. You need to figure out how all your baby equipment works. Some of it can be surprisingly tricky.
For example, be sure to know how to pop open that stroller and know where all the settings are on it.
Equally important is knowing how to break it back down to put in your car. I always had trouble with this and so do other moms so give it some practice runs.
Take A Childbirth Course
If you haven’t already you should take a childbirth course. These are so helpful in preparing you and helping you understand exactly what to expect.
You can take one online in just a few hours if you don’t want to go somewhere else to do it. I know that’s tiresome when you’re pregnant and already busy. Who wants to go to a class when you have a thousand other things to do?
This goes back to taking that course. It will teach you how to deal with the pain of labor. But if you just want to learn coping mechanisms I have added a video below that will at least help some. Check it out.
Download A Contractions Timer App
Downloading a contractions timer app will be really helpful when you think your labor is about to start. Often times you’ll have a lot of Braxton Hicks at the end of pregnancy and sometimes it will feel like real labor.
You will be able to tell the difference by timing the contractions. This will help you know if it’s real or false labor.
Once real labor starts it will also help you decipher when it’s time to go to the hospital. Here’s a popular one called Full Term Contractions App.
Tour The Hospital
Visiting the place where you’re planning to give birth before you deliver can help relieve some pre-birth anxiety and make your birthing experience more fun. It will allow you to have a sneak peek at what will happen on your big day and you may even get to meet some of the staff.
Seeing who you may be working with and seeing a familiar face when you go into labor can be comforting.
Overall it will help you feel much more prepared and you’ll feel like you know where you’re going. Call your local hospital to set up your tour and get it scheduled.
Have you heard of Delayed Cord Clamping? It’s when they wait to cut the cord for a few minutes and the benefits are incredible. You can learn all about delayed cord clamping right here. It’s easy and totally free and it will do your baby a world of good.
And Consider Blood Banking
The blood in your baby’s Umbilical cord is an amazing source of Stem cells that can be used in the future if she becomes ill. It could also be used by another child in your family if needed.
If you decide to bank your baby’s cord blood make sure you use a bank accredited by the American Association Of Blood Banks. You can learn all about Blood Banking right here.
Learn About C-Sections Just In Case
No one plans for a C-section ( unless there’s a medical reason for it ) but sometimes it just happens. It’s good to be prepared and aware of how things would go in this situation. It takes the scare out of it.
Most women don’t plan for postpartum. I guess it’s because they’re so focused on baby afterward and no one really teaches you about what will happen to your own body and how you’ll feel in the aftermath.
But this is a huge mistake. You need to be educated on how you’ll feel after birth and how to deal with the pain and issues that come up. Honestly, it should be part of pregnancy education but unfortunately, it’s not.
The hospital staff can and will help some but a lot of it is on you and how prepared you are.
Planning ahead and cooking a bunch of meals for the weeks ahead is a brilliant idea. You won’t have time to be in the kitchen nor will you feel like it. This just makes things so much easier. Here are 40+ Freezer meals you can make ahead of time. I hope it helps!
Choose A Pediatrician
Choosing a pediatrician is very important because they will need to see your new babe in the hospital before you can go home. They have to do the initial exam to get care started.
Make sure you read reviews on your local pediatricians because all are not created equal. Let me tell you when I had my first child we went through a couple of really bad ones until we met the right one. Our mistake for not checking better. So choose yours wisely.
Prepare To Breastfeed The Right Way
Many new mamas make the mistake of not preparing for breastfeeding. They assume it will be an easy process or it will come naturally. That is rarely the case and only some hospitals offer support.
It’s up to you to learn ahead of time so it won’t be so stressful and hard for you and especially your hungry baby.
You should absolutely take a course ahead of time and you can do so very cheaply online. The most popular one online is called Milkology and it’s only $19. Thousands of moms have taken it and learned to breastfeed easily and successfully on their first try.
Creating a nice Breastfeeding station with everything you need is a good idea. You’ll want a quiet place with all your stuff in arms reach. Here’s a breastfeeding guide that shares everything you’ll need.
Create Your Baby Book
If you are wanting to create a baby book now’s the time to get started. You can buy one of those ready made books or you could just create your own scrapbook. Here’s a lovely floral one on Amazon that I like.
Or you could use Blurb once your baby is born to create your very own hardcover books of all the photos you take. It’s really easy, you just upload your photos, order your books and they send them to you. It’s pretty cool. You can check out Blurb with the banner below.
Take Maternity Photos
Speaking of photos and scrapbooking, many women like to take maternity photos for their memory books these days, and I think it’s a brilliant idea.
This was not on trend when I had my three babes and now I really regret not having photos of my pregnancies. Well, I have photos but they’re not professional ones. It’s disappointing.
Don’t make the same mistake I did. Get those pretty pictures made.
Get LOTS Of Rest
This! Get SO much rest. Then get some more. You will not sleep for a month once your baby is here.
I mean you will some… but not REAL sleep. Sometimes you may go much longer. It will all depend on how well your baby sleeps and what kind of schedule they develop.
So take advantage of that bliss that only your bed can bring you and enjoy every minute of it.
Get A Hair Cut
You should definitely get a hair cut before baby arrives. You just won’t be able to after for the longest time. You think you will be you won’t.
You will hardly have time to even bathe.
I know what you’re thinking. You won’t become that mom. But you will believe me. It may only last the first year but that’s just the way motherhood goes.
Have Sex. Seriously.
Sex during pregnancy is so good. All those hormones make your body go crazy and they will really affect your orgasm.
Best. Ever. And you have to keep in mind that after baby comes you’ll have to sustain for at least 6 weeks. That can seem like a long time for some so get in some good sessions and Enjoy yourself. Then get some more sleep.
Begin Perineal Massage
Perineal massage is the stretching of the opening of the birth canal. This type of massage done in the last month of pregnancy will increase your chances of having a natural vaginal birth and it will also help prevent tearing.
You can learn more about preventing tears and Perineal massage here.
Your baby’s skin is really delicate and there is often dust and chemicals on new clothes that can cause irritation and rashes.
New babies are really prone to becoming rashy so doing this will really help prevent skin problems.
Clean Your House When You’re Getting Close
When you feel like you’re getting close to birth give your house a really good cleaning. But I don’t really have to tell you this.
You’ll go into nesting mode and clean everything in sight. It’s good to do this because it will be a lot less stressful after the baby is born if everything is in order.
Pay Bills Ahead Of Time
This is a big one. If you don’t pay bills ahead of time you’ll forget! I know you think you won’t be you likely will unless someone else takes care of it for you.
It won’t even come to mind. When I had my babes it was like the outside world didn’t exist. It just all falls away and it’s hard to remember certain responsibilities.
I learn this the hard way by the time I had my third. I Paid everything in advance for two months so I wouldn’t forget again.
Buy Any Last Minute Items That You Didn’t Get On Your Registry
You probably have most of what you need by now but there may be one or two things you didn’t get on your registry or that you just forgot. Grab them now so you’ll have them handy.
So this is your 3rd Trimester list of Critical things to get done. I think I covered just about everything and I hope it helps. If you want to download it as a pdf for reference you can use the purple button below.
If you enjoyed this post or thought it was helpful, I would love it if you would share it with your friends.
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Delayed Cord Clamping is a really good idea and the health benefits of this practice are so compelling.
When your babe is born, as much as 25-60% of the fetal blood supply remains inside the placenta. Waiting to clamp the umbilical cord, for just 30-60 seconds after birth, allows the placenta to pulse this extra blood to the baby. Crazy right?!
With this particular post, I will be covering exactly what delayed cord clamping is, the benefits and negatives of delayed cord clamping, a case study
around this topic and more.
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There are a lot of aspects to consider when investigating the merits of delayed cord clamping and I am here to help guide you (in-depth) so you can make the smartest decision for your little one.
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What Is Delayed Cord Clamping Exactly?
Delayed cord clamping is a medical practice of simply waiting a minute or two to clamp off your baby’s Umbilical cord.
It has been a common practice for a long time that the cord would be cut straight away. The main reason was that it would supposedly prevent heavy bleeding.
But It has been long since discovered that the delayed cord clamping does not prevent nor change the outcome of bleeding.
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The benefits of delayed cord clamping are awesome. The baby benefits by having an increased number of red blood cells, stem cells, and immune cells. Delayed cord clamping provides essential life support, restores blood volume, and protects against organ damage, and brain injury.
It’s especially beneficial for premature babies as it helps to lower the risk of infection and blood transfusions. Within the scenarios of planning an emergency c-section and giving birth to twins, delayed cord clamping can also be applied.
***Have You taken a prenatal birth course yet? Don’t have time? Here’s the best Premium online birthing course and the first part of it’s totally free! You will learn absolutely everything you need to know and it will help tremendously so make sure you sign up. A Class is a must and I think the online ones are the best. Here’s a free Birth Planner Too!
The Official Guidelines around Delayed Cord Clamping According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), the National
Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and the World Health Organisation say it’s better to wait between 30 to 60 seconds after the birth before cutting the umbilical cord (if both you and your baby are healthy). Maybe a little longer if you want.
This approach is suggested for both term and preterm infants.
When Delayed Cord Clamping may not be appropriate
Delayed cord clamping may not always be right for the baby or mother, depending on the situation. Sometimes there are times where the mother’s and baby’s health may be at a higher risk.
The situations, where delayed cord clamping may not be appropriate are as follows;
There is a problem with the placenta, such as placenta praevia or placental abruption
(where the placenta detaches early from the uterus) before birth.
There are concerns about the baby’s heartbeat.
The umbilical cord is damaged or bleeding.
If the mother is bleeding heavily
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Why Delayed Cord Clamping Is So Beneficial
There are stark contrasts between applying the cord clamping procedure immediately and
waiting a few minutes to do so. Here are the biggest benefits to the baby in more detail:
Increased blood volume to thirty percent.
For the first couple of days, an increase in red blood cell density (increased blood
volume by 30%).
Improvement of blood circulation.
The decreased likelihood of the need for a blood transfusion.
Lower incidence of the following issues; necrotizing enterocolitis and intraventricular
hemorrhage.
Increased and improved iron levels for around six months. It is found that this
particular influx of iron helps contribute to a reduction and prevention of iron
deficiency during the first year of the baby’s life.
The delay can ultimately allow for transfusion from the placenta to baby to take place.
This allows more time for immunoglobulins and stem cells, to be transferred
between the placenta and baby. These are absolutely essential for both the repair of tissue
and organs within the body. Immunoglobulins and stem cells, also help support the
healing of cells, inflammation, and organ dysfunction, which occur often in preterm
birth.
The Negatives of Delayed Cord Clamping
Overall, there aren’t many negatives to delayed cord clamping but there is at least one:
May increase jaundice, which would need light treatment (phototherapy). This is
caused by a build-up of Bilirubin.
Most experts agree that the benefits of delayed cord clamping far outweigh the risks.
Case Study
Delayed umbilical cord clamping has been evaluated in a small number of case studies, to
see what the major differences would be and whether there would be any effect, in terms of
development and growth.
In one focused case study, the ages studied were from 4 months to 4 years
Development within the brain pathways did not differ within the different timings of
umbilical cord clamping, but….
To further support and encourage the use of delayed cord clamping, it was found that
those that had the delayed cord clamping procedure applied, had moderately higher
scores in both social and fine motor skills. The group that was tested on were 4
years old.
Umbilical Cord Milking
Umbilical cord milking is an additional or alternative procedure to delayed cord clamping, that can be applied to newborn babies.
It’s a procedure, where the doctor holds down the umbilical cord between the thumb and forefinger, squeezes gently, and pushes the substance held within the umbilical cord, right down into the baby’s abdomen.
In this way, newborns can receive all of the additional blood flow and ultimately, all the important nutrients and hemoglobin from the mother to the baby.
• It is highly useful for situations, whereby the 30 – 60-second delay in cord
clamping may be too long (in certain risk situations). Umbilical cord
milking can be implemented very quickly (less than 15 seconds).
So as you can see, Delayed Cord Clamping is an excellent idea! It such a small thing yet it makes such a huge difference. I don’t know why they don’t always wait and I wish I had known about this when I was having my three babies.
Best of luck to you and your upcoming babe!
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Having a baby is totally exhausting and it can sure take a while. A first-time mama will labor for 12-24 hours on average. Sometimes longer.
But there are things you can do before and during labor that will help make the process just a bit easier and shorter.
Below are some things you can do to speed your labor up so you don’t end up so exhausted that you can barely push.
***Have You taken a prenatal birth course yet? Well here’s a great online option that is very popular. You can take it at your own pace and it only takes about 3 hours to complete. It will teach you everything you need to know!
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15 Ways To Speed Up Labor And Delivery To Avoid Being Exhausted
The first few on this list are things you can do before labor has started at home to help get things going. The rest of the list are things you can do during active labor to keep things moving at a good pace. Read On!
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Exercise is Important (Get physical in different ways)
Dance
Consistent movement can be good for your body as a whole in terms of breathing, and loosening muscles.
Dancing specifically can get you moving and also help put the right amount of pressure on the baby’s head so that it will push against the cervix.
Dancing can also irritate your uterus, which can help to encourage contractions.
High impact dance movements and exercises can have a negative impact so definitely talk to your doctor on the intensity and duration of the activity.
Sex
Getting sexually intimate is not just for pleasure, it can also help get your labor going.
Having that all important orgasm can help to not only stimulate your uterine muscles but also release the hormone oxytocin, which can help onset birthing contractions. The semen released during sex can also contribute to the softening of the opening of the cervix. Sounds fun right?!
And Sex is always especially good during pregnancy so get indulge yourself and your partner.
Specific Stretches And Exercises Can Help Speed Things Up
Birthing Ball
Birthing Balls can be used to help encourage dilation and effacement during labor. They also help while at home as well. They work wonders!
Sitting down on a birthing ball can help put pressure on the baby’s head, right onto the cervix. Some specific movements and exercises that can help support this process include doing a figure 8 and hip circles.
Kegel Exercises
Kegel Exercises are specifically used to tighten the muscles within your pelvic floor. A steady repetition of tightening and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles can help get you ready for birth.
Despite not being scientifically proven, doing repetitive kegel exercises can help get your labor started in some instances. Just the stimulation they provide can move things along nicely.
One approach to doing this type of exercise is to stand against the wall with your feet on the ground then go ahead and tighten and relax your pelvic floor muscles. Do a repetition of 100 of these. This will be difficult but it so good for your pelvic floor and very stimulating.
Get A Massage
Treat yourself with a massage to help get your labor started.
Getting a massage is, of course, good in any circumstance. It helps relax your muscles, deep down, as well as enhance your all-around well-being.
There are certain places the massage therapist can work to help stimulate your body so that contractions can start. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s worth a try. At least you’ll get a good rub down if nothing else.
Acupuncture
This might be one of the more squeamish options to try but utilizing acupuncture in a focused way can be very beneficial.
Acupuncture is used to apply pressure to certain points on the surface of the body using tiny needles, fingers or thumb.
This can be used to help the cervix soften and dilate allowing the start of contractions in some cases.
Believe it or not, Acupuncture can be particularly helpful for repositioning babies from breech to a natural vaginal birth position. I’m not sure how this would work exactly, You’d have to see your local Acupuncture expert if your babe was breech.
Certain Foods And Drinks Can Make A Difference
There are foods that can not only speed labor along but can also serve the purpose of alleviating things that may arise in pregnancy.
Tropical fruit
Some fruits contain special enzymes that can help start the onset of contractions, for example, pineapple, papaya, mango, and kiwi.
Pineapple is full of Bromelain, which can help soften and ripen the cervix,
and also aid in overall labor and delivery. Eating Pineapples in different forms can help with your digestion, and help alleviate constipation too.
Iron filled food
Eating dried fruit and other such iron-filled foods like spinach can help reduce anemia.
Anemia can be a negative side effect of heavy bleeding, which can occur during and after birth.
Drink Tea To Help Ease the Pain
Drinking tea can be conducive toward shorter, earlier labor, and Certain kinds help relax muscles (and in turn, the uterus).
Raspberry tea, in particular, can help with treating anemia, toning the uterus, and helping prepare for labor and delivery. It can also help with the pain of contractions that occur during pregnancy.
Additionally, Raspberry tea can also help with any irritability concerning the uterus and It can also reduce acute pain post-birth. It’s good stuff and every mama to be should be drinking it.
Take a bath
This will have more of an impact on your emotional and spiritual state, which will in effect, helps with your physical state too.
Warm water will help relax and loosen your muscles and that is certainly helpful during labor and birth too, so get the room with a tub if you can.
Remember to keep the temperature at midrange, as hotter temperatures will have a negative effect on your babe.
Consume Caster Oil
Traditionally castor oil was given to kick start labor. But only do this if you are at your due date or past due. It really does work so you don’t want to do it early. It causes uterine stimulation and that often starts contractions.
I did this with my third and it worked well. I had a baby less than 24 hours later. Many other women share the same story online.
Now Your labor has started! Let’s talk about what you can do to move it along quickly!
Your Environment Matters
A stressful environment will cause you to tighten up in every way. You really do need to be relaxed as much as possible.
The best thing to do is to labor as long as possible in the comfort of your home, then when you’re ready to come to the hospital bring things that will make you very comfortable.
Bring your own pillows and music. Have them dim the lights and speak quietly. Whatever you need, just make sure you put it in a birthing plan beforehand so they’ll be able to accommodate you. You can print a free birthing plan right here.
**Want Freebies For You And Your Baby? It’s not too late to get $330 Worth Of Gear! I have partnered with many companies to give you the best baby freebies online including Nursing Pillow, Pregnancy Pillows, Nursing Covers, Baby Leggings, Baby Clothes and so much more. You can find out how to get your freebies in this post right here.
Movement Is Important
Sitting or standing up and moving around is the best way to help your labor progress quickly. This helps gravity pull the baby down and it takes some pressure off your back and pelvis. That’s a good thing.
Just sitting in the bed puts a lot of pressure on your lower body and it doesn’t allow you to open up very well. You want to give your body as much space as possible to do its thing.
If your water still hasn’t broken the doctor can assist you in getting it done. This really helps speed things up.
The doc will insert fingers into the cervix and peel off the membranes from the inner surface of the cervix. It triggers the uterus to release prostaglandins that dilate the cervix and stimulate contractions
This procedure is really uncomfortable but afterward, you’ll have a babe before you know it.
Get Medication
Medication can be given in certain circumstances and scenarios. Pitocin is often given to help speed up dilation and labor in general if things are moving slow.
This is also what they give you if you’re having your labor induced.
It can be given as a:
→ A tablet or gel that is inserted into the vagina to start.
→ A hormone drip to move things further along.
I hope your labor moves quickly and you enjoy it. These things will definitely help speed things up.
Best of luck to you!!
If you enjoyed this post or thought it was helpful, I would love it if you would share it with your friends.
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Your baby will be here soon and you feel prepared for the most part. But there may be some important things that you are forgetting.
I have created a checklist of those last minute things that you’ll need to do below that you can print out. These are important because if you don’t do them now you’ll find yourself overwhelmed after birth, especially when you get home, so be sure to read the whole post so you’ll be fully prepared.
Here we go!
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***Have You taken a prenatal birth course yet? Don’t have time? Here’s the best Premium online birthing course and the first part of it’s totally free! You will learn absolutely everything you need to know and it will help tremendously so make sure you sign up. A Class is a must and I think the online ones are the best. Here’s a free Birth Planner Too!
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10 Things To Do Before Baby Arrives Checklist And Resource Guide
To Download this checklist, go to the very bottom of the page when you’re done reading it and click the Purple button. It will download a pdf for you that you can use for reference.
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✅ Install The Car Seat
Installing a car seat in your vehicle is one of the most important things to do to prepare for baby that you may be forgetting. The hospital won’t even let you leave without one so get in there and install it.
Make sure you put it in very tightly. Here’s a video that will help you get it in right.
✅ Freezer Meal Prep
Before your baby comes it’s a good idea to have two full weeks of frozen meals prepared. You will be so busy and even if there’s someone there to help you, you’ll want to do this.
You’ll need there help with other things instead of having them in the kitchen all the time.
Here’s a list of 25 frozen meals you can create so you don’t have to worry about what everyone’s going to eat later on. You’ll be so grateful you did this once your baby arrives.
✅ Catch Up On Laundry
This is another chore you won’t want to think about. Make sure everything’s done so you can attend to the more important things like cooing and your newborn.
✅ Wash All Your Baby’s Clothing And Sheets
While you’re doing all the laundry you’ll want to wash all your baby’s things in Dreft. Dreft is a hypoallergenic detergent that contains no dyes that can irritate your baby’s skin. It is the recommended detergent for babies and it works great.
Wash sheets, blankets, clothing, and anything else that will come in contact with your baby’s skin.
✅ Prepare For Labor
Preparing for labor is one of the single most important things you can do to get ready for baby. It’s a big event and there are lots to know!
I highly recommend you take an online birthing course like this one right here. They’re cheap and easy and you can do it right from your home at your own pace.
This one was created by a medical professional and it teaches your EVERYTHING you need to know. The first part of it is totally free so that can help get you started. You can sign up for free right here.
✅ Prepare A Breastfeeding Station
You’ll need to prepare a quiet place for your breastfeeding station. A place that has supplies you’ll need in arms reach. Somewhere that you can relax too.
Especially if there are other kids in the house. Here’s an article on setting up a great breastfeeding station for you and your babe.
The list below are the things you’ll need at or near your breastfeeding station:
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✅ Prepare For Breastfeeding
So you have prepared a breastfeeding station. But are you truly prepared to breastfeed?
You may think the hospital staff will teach you but in many places, this just isn’t the case.
You are responsible for learning how to breastfeed your baby and the easiest way is to take this cheap online course right here. It’s called Milkology and it’s only $19. It takes about three hours to take and it’s all in the video so you can really learn how to latch your baby on right the first time.
This will help to avoid tons of pain and frustration. Knowing how to latch will also help bring in a strong milk supply so it’s vital you go in knowing just what to do.
She also has another $19 course that teaches you how to pump when you go back to work without losing your milk supply. It’s an excellent resource for breastfeeding moms.
This is also something many women seem to forget. They get wrapped up in having their baby and they don’t think of the bodily destruction in the aftermath.
Postpartum is a painful time and the recovery can be rough. You need to fully prepare yourself for this with an arsenal of tools that will allow you to be pain-free so you can concentrate on what matters most, your new bundle of joy. Read more about the postpartum experience here.
There are a few things you can get and they’re cheap and easy to find on Amazon.
Here’s a basic list of what you’ll need to help you manage the pain and discomfort:
The next step in your final preparations for baby is to have your hospital bag packed. You need some very specific things plus some of the stuff that was mentioned above.
✅ Here’s the list:
✅ The basics:
Your ID, Insurance Card, and paperwork.
✅ For you:
Bring your phone, charger, camera, and batteries. Bring something to read, a tablet to watch movies on. Bring a newborn book to read and maybe a novel. Music too.
Bring your pillow from home, a Maternity robe and gown or two, slippers and socks.
Plus bring your postpartum supplies mentioned in that section. You’ll need them at the hospital as well as at home.
✅ For Baby:
Bring outfits, receiving blankets, socks, and installed car seat, and a quilt or wrap around if it’s colder.
✅ For Nursing:
Bring nursing bras, nursing pillows, nipple pads, and nipple ointment and anything else you think you’ll need that was mentioned on the breastfeeding station list above.
✅ Extras:
Bring Toiletries, a soft towel from home, snacks, and a photo of siblings so they know you’re thinking about them during this transitional time.
Here’s a great post on what to expect when you go to the hospital from check-in to check out.
✅ Take Maternity Photos
If you’ve been thinking of taking maternity photos the time in now. Maternity photos are a very special keepsake that every mama should have.
I’ve had three babies and I had none taken and I’m very regretful. I just didn’t know it was a thing to have them done, but what a brilliant idea. I really wish I had thought about it when I was pregnant.
So don’t miss out on getting those special photos before your babe comes. You’ll be glad you did.
So there it is. This list covers everything you need to do to prepare for baby and it also covers baby things you need to buy before birth. If you want to print this checklist just go to the very bottom of this post and push the purple button. You will receive this post as a PDF download that you can print and keep.
I hope this helps and good luck mama!
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Hey, I’m Toni and I’m the mama of 3 Little Birds. I love Writing about all Things Mama. Learn more about me here. Grab a Tea or Coffee and come see what you find.
