Good Books on the Topic of Pregnancy

Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy by Roger Harms, MD (this book had lots of detailed medical information and was a great resource when questions would come up during the pregnancy)

The Pregnancy Book by Dr. Sears (comprehensive book which is arranged by month during the pregnancy--lots of good information)

The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine (funny book)

The Mother of All Pregnancy Books by Ann Douglas (detailed information on all aspects of pregnancy)

For Expectant Dads:
The New Dad's Survival Guide by Scott Mactavish
My Boys Can Swim! by Ian Davis
Father's First Steps by Robert and James Sears

All of the dad's books are super short and rather goofy, but had some pieces of useful advice in them.

A Cool Chair for While You Are Pregnant

As you move along in your pregnancy, you will find it more and more difficult to get comfortable when sitting or lying down. When I was about half way through my pregnancy, David bought me this awesome beanbag called the Sumo. This is not an ordinary beanbag chair. It is huge and can be configured into many different positions. I actually slept in my Sumo on multiple occasions, especially in the last trimester. It was so comfortable. The only drawback was getting out of it, but nothing that a little rollover can't accomplish. I would highly recommend it. Now I also use it with Alex. You can lay it flat on the floor as a big mat or make it into a chair that he can be put in. He likes hanging out in it as well. The link to the version which David purchased is here:

http://www.sumolounge.com/omni.shtml

Enjoy!

What to Bring to the Hospital

If you are like I was, you have read quite a few books during your pregnancy and everyone seems to have a take on what to bring with you to the hospital. I remember some of the lists were quite long and as an eager and optimistic pregnant woman, I thought that I would bring all of the items which them mentioned, because one would just be camped out at the hospital and need all of these things with you. It was my experience that things moved quite quickly and by the time I was actually admitted to the hospital, most of the items which I had packed in my bag were not needed. Depending on your situation, though, you may be at the hospital for awhile and would need some of the items for entertainment or your laboring process.

Here is what I had in my bag:
*Deck of cards
*Comfortable outfit to wear home
*Lanolin
*Lip balm
*Brush and toiletries/cosmetics
*Nursing bras
*Underwear--bring a few pair. As crazy as it sounds, they have disposable underwear at the hospital. Bring as many pair of these home as you can. Ask for extras. You will be happy you did.
*Eyeglasses
*Fruit
*MP3 Player
*Bathing suit for you and your partner, in case you do some of the laboring in the shower or a tub.
*Camera (fully charged)
*Videocamera (fully charged)
*Cell phones (fully charged)
*Snacks and drinks--these are primarily for your partner...I brought Clif Bars, granola bars, instant noodle bowls, Rice Krispie bars and some fruit, as well as bottled water and Vitamin Water. I think that the only thing consumed was the noodle bowl and a couple of Clif Bars.
*Pen/paper/notebook--I brought a pregnancy planner which had all of my notes in it.
*Money for vending machine
*Stopwatch--for timing contractions
*Cell phone charger
*Birth plan/childbirth class notes and insurance paperwork
*Program all necessary phone numbers into your phones
*Diapers for baby---wasn't really necessary, as the hospital provided them.
*Outfit for baby---also wasn't really necessary, but I used it anyway.
*Receiving blankets
*Laptop or handheld device which you can send e-mail from. This is useful for sending out the birth announcement. Make a distro list ahead of time, so that it can just be typed up and sent out without alot of hassle.

Things move quite quickly once things start and you get quite amped, so it is good to have the bag packed well in advance of the due date. Remember, babies don't always come at their scheduled time, so I would back at least three weeks in advance. I was happy that I did, since Alex came 10 days early.