Full Term! (Update, Hospital Bag List, Name Reveal)

I made it! I am officially full term at 37 weeks. A good time for an update and sharing what's in my hospital bag. Hopefully she won't come this early but you never know. And, really, it's not likely. Only 5% of pregnant women actually deliver on the due date they are given; hence why it's called Estimated Due Date. (A reason why I tended to tell people 'mid-September' when they ask when I was due. I digress.) And I learned the first time pregnant women have a tendency of going into labor PAST their due date. So yeah, ideally, I would love for her to arrive the first week of September but baby has all the control right now.

How close to the due date will she arrive?

Oh, and we finally have a name for Baby Lyons!



Update:
Things are going along swimmingly. I am now going to the hospital every week to meet with the midwife. And all my appointments have been good. Baby's heart rate was always good (150 beats/min) and my blood pressure has been good. I did go through a few weeks with mild anemia so they have me take an iron supplement. The last blood work done had me not anemic any more but she wanted me to continue to take it just in case. My platelet count came up a little low though, but that's not a big deal unless you were planning on having an epidural and I'm not.

Stretch marks have finally made their appearance around my belly button. I always thought it would happen on my sides, but I guess I don't have as much skin around my belly button as my sides so that's where they are. I don't think my belly button will ever pop. It is now completely flat with the rest of my belly, but I don't think there's enough skin for it to pop out.

Almost overnight my ankles decided to get really swollen. Usually it just came and went depending on what I was doing but now they're always swollen. It's not that big of a deal but it does getting annoying especially when I'm hot. To get relief I sit on the love seat, prop my feet up on the coffee table, and point the fan right at my feet. Oh, and I make sure wiggle them every so often to help the blood flow back up. Walking also helps but not for very long or they get hot and that does not help with swelling.

And since I mentioned 'hot'. My body seems to be running at 1000 degrees. I am always hot. I can't remember the last time I actually slept with the blankets on me. For those who know me, I am normally always cold and being in a 75 degree room could still get my feet to freeze. Not anymore. Now I can be in the living room (which is technically the basement), with the fan pointed directly at me and the AC running at the same time and I am so comfortable. Poor David will be fully clothed, with a cup of hot tea and a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. How the tables have turned.

Bathroom breaks are many and when I am in certain positions or move a certain way I feel pressure in my pelvis region. A couple of signs to let me know that she is starting to drop. It looks like in my case, it will not be an overnight drop like some women can experience. It will be more of a gradual drop and I have noticed that my belly doesn't seem as high as it used to. The midwife also mentioned that her head seemed to be lower. Go figure baby would take her sweet time while I end up going to the bathroom 50 times a day.

Hospital Bag:
So I have looked at a lot of articles and blogs in regards to packing your hospital bag. And, of course, something like this is always subjective but, oh man! Some of the stuff these women would pack is ridiculous! You would have thought they were staying at the hospital for a week. But, going through the more reasonable lists and ridiculous lists, I was able to get a list down that seems like it would work for me. At the hospital I will be delivering in, the maximum stay for a natural vaginal birth is 2 days, max 3 days, depending when you actually deliver; so more like 2.5 days.

Also, I had to make 2 lists, one that has items I can pack ahead of time and one that I need to pack last minute because I still need to use them. Sure I could buy some of the stuff and have it packed but it would be extra stuff that I really don't need to spend the money on. And things like my glasses and kindle, I use everyday. Also, there will be plenty of time to pack the last minute stuff during early labor since it can last 8-12 hours. Lastly, I did not include things like my insurance card or phone because they will be in my purse. And, honestly, who would forget their purse? It's a given that it's going with you so that stuff will go with you. And we are now in the 21st century, your contacts should be in your phone or some other database like Google not paper. So here are my 2 lists.

Packed Ahead:

• Clothes: nursing top, leggings - I know they have the hospital gown but if we get visitors, I can be presentable
• Slipper socks
• Charger
• Plastic Bags: for soiled clothes, I do not like mixing dirty clothes with clean clothes
• Toiletries Bag: I have always had a toiletries bag ready to go so I just made sure I was stocked up on everything
• Snacks: (recommended by a friend) There is a possibility that food will be unavailable by the time you have time to eat and sometimes they will not give you enough food
• During Labor Items:
• Birthing outfit: comfy skirt, sleep bra - Again, hospital gown, but just in case I want to be as comfortable as possible and they don't take up a lot of space
• 12-in foam noodle - for massaging while in labor
• Stress Ball
• Trigger Ball - great to get to really specific spots that you want massaged
• Granola Bars - you're allowed to nibble although this may be more for early labor than transitional labor but I packed it so that it wouldn't be eaten by accident
• Post Delivery Items:
• Depends - it sounds weird but I've seen a few blogs that mentioned it because it was a lot more secure staying in place for those first few days when lochia is the worst. So I am taking a couple to try it out
• Maxi pads - I packed a few to see which I prefer
• Breast pads
• Tucks pads - I think they provide something like it at the hospital but just in case they don't
• For Baby:
• Going home outfit - Since I won't know how big she will be, I packed 3 different sizes
• A pair of socks
• Hat

Last Minute:

• Dress to go home in
• Nightgown (nursing friendly)
• Bra, panties
• Glasses
• Make up bag - my hair stuff and glasses travel in it
• Camera
• Ipod
• Kindle
• Pillow - strictly for comfort, not necessary
• Hospital folder - holds pen and paper, and my birth plan. It's last minute packing because I put all my pregnancy related stuff in it
• Vitamin water - need to get tasty electrolytes and sugars, but probably more for early labor like the granola bars
• Cookies for the nurses as a thank you

This will all fit in one bag. I've read lists where they had to have one bag for themselves and one bag for the baby. What? If anything it will be one bag for me and baby and one bag for David. The hospital supplies a lot of what you need even if it isn't "high quality" or necessarily comfortable. So I could pare down even more if I wanted to but because it will all fit in one travel bag, what's the harm. Also, you are allowed some comforts, you just went through a harrowing experience. Not to mention, your partner can always leave and bring anything you have forgotten or need more of. David is planning on staying with me the whole time but I'll be alright for the little bit of time he is away getting something for me.

And the last awesome piece of news.......

And yes, I saved the best for last.... 

We have Baby Lyons' name confirmed!!!

Her name is............

Emily Ginny Lyons

So we can now call her by a name and not "Baby Lyons" or "Baby". Because we decided her name a couple weeks ago, it's still new so I catch myself calling her Baby. I just need to say it over and over again. Emily. Emily. Emily. Our baby's name is Emily Ginny Lyons. Emily Lyons. Emily.

What do you guys think of her name? Any suggestions on what else could be packed in the hospital bag?

And probably the last photo.....

37 weeks and full term