Category: Pregnancy

Pregnancy

Preparing for Labor

by Rachel Stoops1 Comment on Preparing for Labor

I’m just over here doing my best to get as prepared as possible for the big event that is on its way: labor! As I’ve mentioned before, in the times of COVID, all of us expectant mothers have had to get a little bit more creative in finding resources as so many have been cancelled.

I’ve included some of the things I’ve done so far below.

BIRTH PLAN

This one was hard for me. I felt completely lost. What even goes on a birth plan? I looked up templates and generators online and they were all so very different. What is actually necessary? What is overkill? Do I even need one? I feel that it’s important to have at least something for the nurses to look at, or for Mike to know just so that when we are in the thick of things I won’t have to be answering a ton of questions. I wanted something super simple though. Not like pages and pages of information that would be too hard to decipher. I finally ended up liking the one that came from the Baby Center App. They have some pretty basic questions that you answer; some for labor and some for after delivery. Once you check the boxes that you want to happen, it will generate a PDF that you can email to yourself to print out. It also has a box for notes on the bottom for anything that wasn’t included in their questions. I did make a few notes of items I had seen on other birth plans, and most importantly wanted to include that while these are some of my birth preferences, I ultimately just want a healthy baby and mama, so whatever needs to be done to achieve this, I will be open to (within reason).

Of course I’ve never done this before, and haven’t yet, but do feel comfortable having a little something down on paper to help out and am hopeful that some of the things will go accordingly to plan, but know that if it doesn’t, that will be okay too.

BIRTH CLASS

We actually have two birth classes coming up that I signed up for virtually through our hospital system. I was a little bit nervous that these were too late, but as long as I haven’t gone into labor yet we should be good! 😂 We did end up taking a newborn care class online, and I also took a breastfeeding class (both through the hospital). I don’t feel that either of these were super helpful or had any breakthrough information, but I am hopeful that the birth class may have a bit more. I’m mainly interested in learning some breathing techniques and pushing techniques, but I am sure there is a whole lot more to it that I don’t even know! This is certainly the most foreign topic, so hopefully these will be good!

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

Heck! There are some great (and free) resources on YouTube that have been so great to take advantage of. Many Doulas, Nurses, health professionals, etc. have YouTube channels and upload videos on all things pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and more that have been so great to watch!

A more recent favorite find is Bridget Teyler. She is a doula and childbirth educator, and has some really amazing videos. I have watched almost all of them and just love her calm and comforting demeanor. She truly makes me feel like I can do this and has so many wonderful tips. I’m just hoping I can remember them while I’m in the hospital!

Nurse Zabe is another really great channel to watch. She is currently a labor & delivery nurse, as well as a childbirth educator. I find her videos so helpful because she comes from the nurse side of the picture so she has truly seen it all and gives you the truth from the opposite perspective of my mindset, which I love! It’s comforting to hear that we shouldn’t be embarrassed by things they might see or help with because while this is so new and foreign to us, this is everyday to them and they just want our healthy baby here as well.

These are the two that I’ve probably watched the most and have really enjoyed. Sarah Lavonne also has TONS of videos that I should probably watch more of, and of course I can’t forget random vloggers that post their birth vlog or birth story. I just love hearing how other women’s experiences went. Searching positive birth stories also comes up with a plethora of videos that can help to ease the nerves.

If the birthing classes fail, I’m sure YouTube will get me prepared with all of the breathing techniques I could hope for!

 BIRTH AFFIRMATIONS

This is something I’ve heard about before but didn’t know if it was something I saw myself doing. Birth affirmations are positive quotes that you can print out and put up on the walls around you so that you are surrounded by positivity, or you can keep them as more of flash cards to read them off to yourself and repeat while you are in labor to keep you going.

Some that I found that I really like are:

  • I feel confident. I feel safe. I feel secure.
  • My mind is relaxed, and my body is relaxed.
  • Each surge brings baby closer to me.
  • My body was designed to do this.
  • My baby is strong and healthy.
  • I am present. I am doing this. We are doing this.
  • I trust my body and my baby.
  • My body and pelvis open wide for my baby to pass through.
  • Good, strong contractions will help me meet my baby.

I think these will be a great aid in staying calm and getting into the right mindset. Our bodies were made to do this, and I think telling myself some of these things in a hard time when I might just want to give up with help get me through it. If not, there is nothing wrong with some extra positivity!

LABOR PLAYLIST

I have absolutely no idea what mood I will be in come the thick of labor. I’m assuming a really bad one, but in trying to prepare and finding as many ways to make it a positive experience as possible, I am trying to set myself up for success. I’ve heard that making your environment a comfortable one is key to staying calm and having that positive birth experience.

Music is an incredibly powerful tool. There are so many songs that as soon as they come on, you can’t help but sing along and do a little shimmy. I have been doing my best to think of as many as possible to compile into a playlist that might just help give me that extra motivation to push (literally).

This list will probably look vastly different from person to person, but I am a huge Kelly Clarkson fan, so definitely had to get a few of her songs on there, some old school N’Sync and Backstreet Boys, and you of course can’t forget All Star by Smash Mouth. Do any 90’s babies not know all the words to that song?! And some for fun like ‘Push It’ because you can’t miss an opportunity like that.

Though I’m trying to be extremely optimistic and have a very positive mindset for this experience, in bringing things back to reality, I also am creating a second playlist of more relaxing, instrumental songs. I love the Piano Guys, so I have added many of their songs to this playlist, and my current favorite relaxation song is River Flows in You by Yiruma. I just find it so calming and could listen to it over and over.

So hopefully despite my mood, I will have some great options, and who knows – maybe I will just want some peace and quiet, but at least I am prepared!

After writing all of this out, I am starting to feel a little bit more prepared than I thought I was! I can’t wait to see how my experience goes, and will definitely do a follow up with what helped and what didn’t.

Laugh Often – Rachel

Pregnancy

Baby Nerves

by Rachel Stoops1 Comment on Baby Nerves

As I grow closer and closer to my due date, I can’t help but think about how our lives are about to change forever. A rush of feelings are constantly running through my mind. Excitement is high up there, but along with this comes fear, nerves, joy, curiosity, wonder, and the list goes on.

This is our first time doing this, so to be completely honest, I have absolutely no idea what to expect. When I say this, it is in regards to so many things: the rest of pregnancy, labor, delivery, bringing baby home, raising a child, etc. Are we actually ready? What the heck are we doing?! I hope I am not alone with all of these feelings. I assume these are normal first time parent thoughts.

When I think about the rest of my pregnancy journey and beyond, there are a few questions that stand out:

1. How will I know I’m in labor?

So far I’ve heard that very few women have that movie moment where their water bursts everywhere and then you are immediately in labor with regular contractions, and have the need to get right to the hospital. It sounds like many women don’t experience their water breaking on their own, or before contractions begin. I’ve kind of always wanted that movie moment (but hey – who doesn’t?). Although due to the fact that I’m pretty much always home, it doesn’t sound like I’ll be out and about doing anything exciting if the moment happens. In all honesty I think this is a good thing. 😂

2. What the heck is labor going to be like?

I think we have all heard stories from friends and family of their birth experience in one way or another. Everyone’s is so incredibly different – it is wild. What will my story be like? I can’t help but to think of all the different things that could happen. I certainly have an idea of how I would like it to go in my mind, but am doing my very best to remain open minded as the most important thing is that baby and mama remain safe and healthy during this time. I am trying to keep my mind at ease and remove fear from this very new and different experience. Once I get into my head, I know things can start to go south, so remaining calm is going to be key. **Cue laughter from my family because Rachel and staying calm don’t always go together. 😂 But with proper preparation, I am hoping I can remain strong and keep mind over matter.

3. What is baby going to look like?

(This is more of a fun one). But really… what is baby going to look like? What will she get from me, and what will she get from Mike? We decided not to go to one of those ultrasound boutiques for a 4D scan in the third trimester. This is the chance when you really get to see baby’s face and features. As I mentioned in my 36 week update, we didn’t get to see baby girl’s face in our last ultrasound at the Doctor’s office because she was face down and all squished up in there, so we really don’t know what to expect! I’m assuming she’ll have a head of hair, just like her mama had when she came out. Okay… I’m just totally expecting a mini-me. 😂 That’s okay; right? In completely biased motherhood – she will be beautiful no matter how she looks or who she takes after. I’m just hoping she’s a little thing!

The final and biggest fear is…

4. How do I take care of this tiny little human?

Isn’t the idea of having a baby the craziest thing? You go through 9 months of growing this precious little life inside of you. One day, they decide to make their entrance into the world. At first you are surrounded by help in the hospital with a plethora of medical experience and knowledge. Then, after a few short days, or even hours, you are released back into real life with this tiny human being that you are fully responsible for. What?? At least when they are on the inside, there isn’t much thought that goes into it. Be healthy, take my vitamins… and they grow. Now suddenly, they are completely dependent on us, and little do they know… we have no idea what we are doing! 😂

Both Mike and I don’t have much experience with kids; especially newborns. He is an only child and I am the youngest in the family. Sure, I’ve changed a diaper before, but heck – it’s been like 15+ years. I don’t think Mike has ever changed a diaper… I am just hoping that what everyone says is true, and that motherly instincts will just kick in once baby is here. It’s going to be trial and error, and learn as we go, but the one thing that I know for sure is this baby is already so loved, and we are ready to give her the best life possible.

Despite our fears, and nerves, and the unknown, it’s going to be a beautiful new life. We can’t wait to meet you, baby girl!

Laugh Often – Rachel

 

 

 

Pregnancy

COVID Baby Shower

by Rachel Stoops1 Comment on COVID Baby Shower

My sweet coworkers wanted to throw me a baby shower, despite the current circumstances that have made it so hard to see each other or celebrate. We of course wanted this to be done as safely as possible to keep everyone healthy. We initially planned for it to be outdoors in a backyard, although it ended up being a 95 degree day so that idea went out the window rather quickly.

We did our best to stay distanced inside, and held our breath for the few group photos that we quickly took. Also what better party favor than hand sanitizer?! That sure sums up a 2020 pregnancy. At least it was the cute, good smelling Bath & Body Works kind.

We had the best time. It was so nice to catch up with the girls that I used to spend 45+ hours every week with. To go from a majority of our time together to none is a huge adjustment and I have missed them all so much!

The girls spoiled the heck out of me and Baby Stoops (a.k.a. Baby Bubbles), and I am so beyond grateful for all of the wonderful goodies I got, but most importantly their friendship and excitement for me during this not-so-great of times to be pregnant.

Baby Shower 1

Baby Shower 2

Baby Shower 3

Baby Shower 4

Baby Shower 5

Laugh Often – Rachel

 

Pregnancy

36 week update

by Rachel Stoops1 Comment on 36 week update

How the heck am I at week 36 already?! In certain ways this pregnancy has felt like an eternity, and in other ways it seems to have flown by. I have literally been pregnant all year. One month left. Is this the home stretch? I have to admit I’m a little sad that we are nearing the end, but also beyond excited to meet this sweet little bundle of joy!

This morning I had my OB appointment, accompanied by a growth ultrasound to make sure that baby was looking good and growing well. My belly has been measuring a few centimeters behind, so they just wanted to make sure that baby girl was growing as she was supposed to be! What mama doesn’t want an extra ultrasound?!

The even better part was that Mike got to join me – something that hasn’t happened since week 13 (thanks COVID!).

I didn’t really know what to expect baby girl to look like at this point! Last I saw her was at week 24, when she was nicely tucked in and you could see her cute little profile. She still had plenty of room to float about. By now, she’s squished in there and most of the scan I had no idea what I was looking at. Good thing the ultrasound tech is there to explain along the way. She’s head down (way down, apparently), and in birthing position – so that was the best news of the day! I thought she might be, but also felt like she might still be transverse. One less thing to stress about, though!

All of her measurements were right on track for where she should be and she was in the 40-ish percentile. Hoping she stays a little thing for mama’s sake. 😉

We unfortunately didn’t get any pictures to take home today – just not any photo-worthy moments to capture at this point. I’m just grateful I got to see her again and that she is looking good! It’s so hard to know what’s going on in there.

The tech confirmed that she’s got a head of hair in there! I cannot wait to see her sweet little face. 😍

After the scan, was my follow up OB appointment. This was the week for the GBS swab. Apparently this is something very normal that many women carry, but can affect baby during delivery. We’ll await the results in the next week or so, though it’s nothing to worry about; just takes a round of antibiotics during labor/delivery – no harm to mama.

From here on out, we are officially onto the weekly appointments! By far my most looked forward to plans of each week. 😁

36 weeks

Aside from appointments, I am just doing my best to get everything organized and put away. Our dining room/living room area have been full of baby items since the virtual shower, and I guess it’s about time for it to find a home. 😂 It sure is fun to sort through, but to be completely honest I have no idea where to begin! There is just so much stuff. Surely it’ll all come together, right?

I was also waiting for today’s ultrasound to make sure she was still a girl… I was so afraid that if I took the tags off of all of the clothes and started washing that it would be a boy again! So now with one more confirmation, loads of laundry it is, and the folding begins! Luckily we have a spare bedroom that I can hide extras in if I can’t find the perfect spot just yet. I just want the nursery to stay tidy and pretty!

I did do some major shopping over the last few days. One was a sale at a baby consignment shop where I scored some great deals! TONS of cute and barely used outfits for a great price. I also had a gift card to TJ Maxx, and had to hit up Ross as well. I feel so much more prepared and cannot wait to see our baby girl in these adorable clothes!!

The dogs are becoming more and more interested in all of these goodies in our house. They are usually the only ones to be spoiled with fun new toys around here. I haven’t quite figured out how I’m supposed to break it to them that none of this stuff is for them, but rather for baby sister… Oh well. I’m sure they will be the best big siblings we could hope for! Here is Yoda who thought he got a new dog bed.

I guess this play mat will be shared. 😂 He can be her little cheerleader/snuggle buddy.

Next up is packing my hospital bag because I promised myself I would be ready to go at 36 weeks and here we are. We’ll just say ready by 37 weeks is okay too. I’ve at least ordered my postpartum supplies on Amazon, so they are on their way! Just got to get it all into a bag and make a list of the grab-n-go items!

Still feeling really great most of the time, though the heat is certainly not helping. I know the temperatures aren’t nearly as bad as Las Vegas, but we moved to Denver for a reason! Upper 90’s for weeks on end, and 100 today is not what I signed up for. Thank goodness for a cool basement to escape to.

Here’s to a few more weeks until we get to meet baby girl!

Laugh Often- Rachel

 

 

Pregnancy

Nursery Progress

by Rachel Stoops1 Comment on Nursery Progress

Ever since getting our nursery furniture in place, I’ve been slacking on completing everything. I finally decided I had to get it mostly finished up before our virtual shower since we were planning to do a nursery tour.

I ordered some adorable prints on Amazon of woodland animals with flower crowns that I thought were perfectly feminine, yet not too ‘baby.’ I also got some inexpensive frames from IKEA as the perfect finishing touch.

We don’t have a ton of wall space in the nursery because of all the doors (entry, closet, bathroom), and the window. I ordered seven prints in total, and once in the frames, I realized I was going to have to get creative with placement because it was just way too much for one wall.

My mom had the brilliant idea of cutting papers into the size of the frames and taping them to the walls so I could see where they would all go and how it would look without having to put holes in the walls. This was a HUGE help. It instantly made me feel so much more confident that the walls weren’t going to look cluttered.

Nursery progress 1

Not fancy or professional at all, but got the job done!

Once all of the papers were in place, it was time to hang! Having the papers on the wall also helped us to keep everything lined up as planned. Though I’ll admit we didn’t measure – just eyeballed it. I think it worked out just fine! No one will look too closely; right?!

Nursery progress 2

Olive was in charge of guarding the pictures to make sure they didn’t run away before we could hang them. 😉 Isn’t she just going to be the best big sister?

Nursery progress 3

I decided to do three prints above the crib, and used the other four to frame the window. I think this helped to spread the theme throughout the room.

After the prints were all hung, we moved onto the book shelf. This is also from IKEA and they are actually spice racks. I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it was too cute to pass up. Of course we will have more books than will fit here, so it’s not the most practical, but looks nice! I will probably add a small bookshelf/bin on the floor down the line.

My trusty helper is always in charge of the power drill. 😄 I can’t seem to be trusted with that.

I also ordered some curtains off Amazon because the blinds on the window are just blah and it needed a little something.

Lastly, we just had to add some shelving into the closet that we thought would be so easy to redo. Boy was I wrong… the closet ended up being such an odd size that I couldn’t find any shelves that would fit well. We did get one wire rack to go across the top, but were falling short in finding anything for the sides.

Again, my incredible mother remembered that she had some of the plastic storage bins in one of her closets, and what do you know? These fit perfectly! So we picked a few up at Walmart and popped them right into place.

I didn’t manage to take any progress pictures of us working on the closet because… well it wasn’t the smoothest of processes. 😂 I may have dropped the shelf on Mike’s head at one point when I was supposed to be holding it up. There were just a few technical difficulties and choice words. But hey – at the end of the day, the shelf is now up and looks great! So it’s just a funny story to think about.

A post will come soon with the full nursery reveal! 😄 I am loving how it is turning out and love just sitting in there, taking it all in and imagining spending the many late nights rocking our precious baby girl. 🥰

Laugh Often- Rachel

Pregnancy

Planning a Virtual Baby Shower

by Rachel StoopsLeave a Comment on Planning a Virtual Baby Shower

Among all of the ‘fun’ things that I have gotten to experience during this pandemic pregnancy, the lack of your traditional baby shower was a big one. Especially being a first baby, I think everyone imagines being celebrated with friends and family gathered all together, playing games, enjoying snacks, opening gifts, and the cute decorations. Since my family is mainly up in Seattle, as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I pictured a baby shower at my Mom’s house with friends and family by the lake – a beautiful summer gathering. This would of course involve travel for me, so I knew that it would need to be an earlier than normal shower. Once COVID hit, I assumed it would last for a month or two and then be a thought of the past. Boy was I wrong. Here we are in August, and I would not even think about hopping on a plane at this point. Needless to say, this idea was out the window.

Anyway, a few months back, my mom mentioned the idea of having a virtual shower. At first, I hated the idea. I thought it felt like a desperate ask for gifts, but she was pretty adamant about having a celebration of some sort however it had to look. If you know my mom, once she has an idea, she doesn’t let it go, so I began to research ideas online of fun things we could incorporate. Suddenly this idea didn’t sound so bad after all.

I wrote down a number of different ideas I had seen and liked to play off some family members and ultimately came up with the outline that I’ve included below. I also got lucky that my brother and his girlfriend had just attended a virtual baby shower so they were able to help tell us what worked well and suggestions to make it more inclusive and interactive for guests, which was a huge help!

Virtual Baby Shower Outline

  1. Arrival (wait on any stragglers) Make sure everyone has their beverage ready (see toast below). Explain key parts of Zoom for those who may be unfamiliar (chat box, mute, etc.)
  2. Welcome from Host
  3. Introductions – go around and un-mute/spotlight guests one at a time to say hello, how they know the parents-to-be. This way guests will know who others are.
  4. Toast (at end of introductions) go back to host to make toast. **In invitation, we recommended that everyone make a ‘MOM-osa’ to their liking (or another fun cocktail) so we could all toast together as if we were all in one place.
  5. Games
    1. Name that Tune (used as more of an ice breaker)
      1. Create playlist of songs either with baby in the title or about babies
      2. Play song from beginning
      3. Have guests type answer into chat box – whoever submits correct answer first gets a point
    2. DIY Diaper Challenge
      1. Ask each guest to find something in their house that can be used as a baby, a cloth diaper, and two things to hold the diaper in place. (can’t be a real baby, a person, or a baby doll, real diaper, pins, etc).
      2. Give guests 4 minutes to run around and find their objects and come back. Play fun song over Zoom while guests are on the hunt.
      3. Guests must then put their cloth diaper on their fake baby and hold it up to the camera. Again, going around and un-muting/spotlighting guests to share their baby.
      4. Award points for completing the task and creativity.
        1. Select categories for prizes – we selected best (most practical/solid), nice try (biggest fail), and most creative.
          1. When it came down to it, everyone’s turned out great so I didn’t want to pick a ‘bad’ one so I changed the last category to honorable mention instead of biggest fail
        2. Parents to be will select their favorites of each category and winners will get prizes (e-gift-card)
    3. Guess Who
      1. Compile a list of ‘who is more likely to…’ questions and have the couple hold up a prop for who they think will do this task more
        1. Examples: who will change more diapers, who will the baby look more like, who will spoil the baby more, etc.
      2. We also sent a Google Form to guests via email prior to the shower so they could answer who they think. Once the parents reveal their answer, host will share what the guests thought.
    4. Baby Guesses
      1. Also included on the Google Form are some guesses for baby: name, arrival date, height/weight, etc. Guest answers can be shared using word cloud for popular guesses
  6. Open Gifts & Bingo
    1. A bingo card was sent out via email for guests to print (can also create their own if they don’t have access to a printer). You fill in the boxes with gifts you think the parents-to-be will receive and cross them off as gifts are opened.
    2. Prizes will be awarded for first bingo and first blackout. This way guests have something to do while gifts are being opened
  7. Nursery Tour  – show off the nursery
  8. Diaper Raffle
    1. We put this on the invitation as optional for anyone who wanted to send diapers or wipes.
    2. I will admit this part is a little bit trickier for a virtual shower because you can’t physically hand out raffle tickets as guests arrive with their diapers/wipes.
    3. This is for our grand prize – a larger Amazon gift card.
    4. We asked guests on the Google Form to tell us how many packs they sent, and I will also be able to see who purchased them directly off of the registry, but for anyone who ordered from elsewhere we will need to know in advance.
      1. This way we can put the names into a jar to draw for the prize!
  9. Advice for Parents
    1. Collected via Google Form – host will select a few to read off and send the remainder to the parents-to-be so they can read them all
  10. Thank You & Good Bye

 

In planning I had no idea how long this would actually take, but imagined it would be right around an hour or so. It turned out to go about an hour and 15 minutes or so, which seemed great – not too long or too short.

My mom and Aunt were the official hosts, but my brother quickly jumped in with his large personality to help run the show. I am so grateful for all of their help in making this such a special day in an unprecedented time.

This virtual shower was a HUGE success and I feel so lucky to have such great friends and family in my corner. Baby Stoops is already so loved (and very spoiled) and we cannot wait for her arrival. 😍

I didn’t really take any pictures unfortunately, though we did record the Zoom. Below is the little decorations I put behind where Mike and I were sitting.

Virtual Shower Background

Laugh Often – Rachel

 

 

 

 

 

Pregnancy

34 week update

by Rachel Stoops1 Comment on 34 week update

Is it just me or is time absolutely FLYING by? Here we are in nearly mid-August already. Less than 6 weeks until baby girl makes her debut!

Now that we are in the home stretch I feel like the changes are so much more noticeable. Baby girl is on the move far more often. She’s doing her thing in there and hopefully enjoying her cozy and happy little home.

The aches and pains are getting out of control. Some days are far better/worse than others. By evening time, some days my body feels like it might just snap in half. Whether it’s my lower back, pelvis, or pressure in the front, every movement makes you stop and think. And it’s only going to get progressively worse for the next 6 weeks? 😬 Yikes!

The simplest of tasks have become so hard. Bending over to put socks on? It’s a production, and I’m going to need a few minutes to catch my breath afterwards. Getting up off the floor after a workout? Forget about it… Just kidding. It’s totally doable, but not without a groan or two.

Bedtime used to be a comfort and relief. This is no longer. 😂 I finally understand what everyone else talks about not being able to find a comfortable position in bed. You can strategically stack as many pillows as possible around you and still feel like you’re melting away in pain. Eventually it seems to go away, just in time for your hips to be sore from all of the weight, needing to flip to the other side and it all starts over. Or, better yet – as soon as you get comfortable, you realize you have to pee for the 17th time.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. Just simply noting all of these wonderful feelings to look back on. Looking forward to the weeks ahead, and more uncomfortable nights until we get to meet this sweet baby girl. And then, sleepless nights will have a whole new meaning.

Based on the belly measurements, we are measuring just a bit behind as I have been for the past few appointments. Though not a huge concern, warrants another ultrasound at my 36 week appointment! Is there any pregnant lady that doesn’t want an ultrasound?! I cannot wait to see this sweet baby girl. Last ultrasound was at 24 weeks, so I’m sure she has changed SO much. Will she have hair?!🤞🤞 Even better news – Mike is allowed to attend the ultrasound portion of the appointment!  🙌 He wasn’t able to attend the last two ultrasounds or any recent appointments due to COVID restrictions so we are beyond excited for this.

I also scheduled the rest of my appointments to take me up until my due date. That makes it really real. So much excitement!!!

34 weeks

 

Laugh Often – Rachel

Pregnancy

Favorite Pregnancy Snacks

by Rachel StoopsLeave a Comment on Favorite Pregnancy Snacks

I am a snacker. Always have been, always will be. Do I always make the healthiest choices? No. 😂 But I’ve certainly tried a little bit harder while pregnant. I’m no saint though. Sometimes I just have to sit down and eat some candy. I also find myself in snacking sessions where something sweet sounds good, and then I need to balance it with something salty, and then I keep going back and forth and it’s a never ending cycle! Okay, it eventually ends, but sure is hard! 😂

More so during pregnancy, I have focused on trying to sneak extra protein in during snack time so that I don’t just eat all day. I have listed some of my favorite snack ideas below.

 

Hummus with Whole Wheat Pita and Carrot Sticks

This is a great ‘salty’ snack, and I don’t feel bad about myself after eating it! I love to warm up the pita bread in the microwave for 10-15 seconds so it’s nice and soft and warm for dipping. Bonus: the whole wheat pita tends to have a few grams of protein. You also can’t go wrong with crisp, cold carrot sticks. I always know my buddy, Yoda will be close by if I whip the carrots out of the fridge. 😂 It’s like he knows the sound of the bag and comes running. He’s a huge fan and is great at catching them now.

Apple Slices with Peanut Butter

This is a classic and just SO good. It gives you a little bit of the sweet and salty, which is often perfect for me! I recently found a more natural peanut butter that I really like and it doesn’t separate in the fridge!! It is just the Kroger brand and the only ingredients are peanuts and salt. Perfection! My favorite apples are Honey Crisp (no explanation needed  😂).

Apples and Peanut Butter

Sargento Balanced Breaks

These have been a favorite for a while now. You can get a pack at Costco that comes with 12 packs – 6 are the cheddar with cashews and cranberries, and 6 are white cheddar with almonds and cranberries. I like the white cheddar ones just a little bit more, but both are so tasty. I noticed Costco came out with their own store brand of these, so next time I need to stock up, I will try their brand and see how they compare. These too give you the sweet and salty. I always try to get a bite with cheese, nut, and fruit, and it’s so good! They also have 7g of protein in each little pack, so it’s a great snack to fill you up!

Sargento

Fruit

If I haven’t mentioned it before… fruit has been my one true love this whole pregnancy. I cannot get enough fruit! After failing my one hour glucose test, I was so nervous to be diagnosed with GD because what was I going to do without fruit?! Thank goodness I got out of that one. I’ve been loving blueberries for a long while now. Grapes have recently become a hit (like going through Costco packages by myself), along with watermelon. It’s perfect that it’s summer so that I have so many great options! Nectarines are delicious too. I also love oranges, and pears. Any of these can help to curb a sweet tooth, and taste so fresh on a hot day. If you want to add some protein to this snack, eating fruit with cottage cheese is a great option.

Skinny Pop Popcorn

Popcorn is a great salty snack that doesn’t come with a lot of calories. This is something that’s great to munch on in bed while watching tv, or in those moments when you just need to mindlessly snack. I was hoping to find the giant bag at Costco, but they only had the individual snack baggies. Though more waste, it at least helps me to eat less at once. 😂 Boom Chicka Pop also has a delicious sweet & salty kettle corn that you can get a giant bag of at Costco. Probably a few more calories, but SO delicious.

Popcorn

Make Your Own Snack Trays

These are fun, and also work great as a little lunch if you are feeling more snacky. Many of the things from this post can go in the tray, but it’s basically a way to get a variety of options and make a little meal out of it!

I tend to take a little Tupperware, and then I have these silicone muffin tins that I’ll fill with different snacks. You can add anything that you like, and again I always like a mix of sweet and salty to satisfy all of the taste buds. 😊 Some items that I’ve used are baby dill pickles, black olives, apple & peanut butter (or sliced cheese), trail mix, Cheez-its or Cheddar Bunnies, blueberries, grapes, carrots & hummus, candy, nuts, etc. Honestly you can take just about anything that you have around the house, and make a little tray of it. So fun! This is a great idea for feeding kiddos too.

Snack Tray

Greek Yogurt with Granola

I’ll admit, I don’t love yogurt, or Greek Yogurt for that matter. Especially if it’s plain. I always want the fun, sweet and fruity flavors, but these tend to have so much added sugar in them. And then if you are going to add granola into it.. is it even a healthy snack anymore? I’ve tried to force myself to eat more of the plain yogurts because it is so good for you! Not only does it have protein, but great probiotics that my tummy needs. Then if I add a granola that has some sugar, I don’t feel quite as bad. Berries are great to add to! You could also do a splash of honey, agave, or maple syrup to sweeten slightly if you really can’t stand the yogurt taste – just try not to overdo it. 😉

Also if you haven’t tried the Safe & Fair Birthday Cake Granola yet, you are missing out. Again, I don’t know if this counts as healthy but it is SO good.

Yogurt & Granola

Yasso Bars

This is a new found love for me and how did I not know about these sooner?! These are Greek Yogurt bars, but I swear they taste exactly like an ice cream bar. I’ve only tried the chocolate chip cookie dough flavor so far, but it is phenomenal! I have a feeling that will remain a favorite, but I also see that they have mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream, fudge brownie, sea salt caramel (to name a few) that I definitely need to try!

Depending on the flavor, it looks like they have anywhere from 80-140 calories (most are right around 100), and 5g of protein! If that isn’t a healthy dessert snack, then I don’t know what is! They are honestly so satisfying; I wish I was eating one right now.

Yasso

Okay I could go on and on about food, but these are some solid healthier options that have helped me through this wonderful journey and I’m sure I will continue to eat beyond.

Happy Snacking!

Laugh Often – Rachel

Pregnancy

Childcare Hunt

by Rachel Stoops1 Comment on Childcare Hunt

I feel like one thing no one warns you about is the wonderful hunt for childcare. Of course you know it’s something that you need to find eventually, but when you have months until your due date, and then a few months of maternity leave left to go, it isn’t exactly at the forefront of your mind.

Come to find out nearly everywhere has waiting lists and infant spots are pretty much always full! I started my hunt in June for a December daycare start date and received so many rejections. The freak out began. I initially felt a little silly reaching out so far in advance, but now was second guessing myself. Was I too late already?!

A few places did have availability, but tended to be the higher priced. (If no one has told you… childcare is unbelievably expensive!) Some places also didn’t have ideal pickup and drop off times. The other issue of doing this during COVID, was that many places are simply unsure of what the circumstances will be in a few more months. Some families were waiting to make up their minds depending on what the public schools were doing for bringing older kids back to school.

I hate to put the search off any longer, but it has honestly turned into a waiting game. It’s stressful, and overwhelming but I know the issue isn’t going to go away until we find something that we are happy with.

Of course there is always the option of finding something temporary until a spot opens up that we really want, though not the most ideal.

I just know how protective we are of who watches our dogs when we go out of town, so the thought of leaving a human child with a stranger is terrifying! It’s also hard being new to town, so we don’t have many people to ask for recommendations. Luckily neighbors have come in handy, as well as local mom groups on Facebook. Otherwise, this is torture!

Here’s to hoping we find something soon so we can check this off our list and move onto the next thing. 😬

Laugh Often – Rachel

 

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Support Groups

by Rachel StoopsLeave a Comment on Pregnancy Support Groups

Bouncing off of my last post and feelings of having a lack of resources sent me on a hunt to see what else was out there that might be a bit more creative in these trying times. After all, I couldn’t be the only one feeling a bit lost; right?

Facebook was the first place I turned to, naturally. 😂 The great thing is that you can type just about anything into the search box and groups will most likely come up! I can’t remember what exactly I searched, but in looking now anything close to pregnancy group, pregnancy support group, etc. are all great!

One group I found is called ‘Pregnant Moms due 2020-2021.’ This has thousands of members, and constant posts. So many great questions that I am probably wondering as well, but someone has already asked. You can also search topics to see previous posts. Everything from baby showers, favorite products, fears, anxiety, symptoms, you name it. Nothing is too taboo. Also plenty of bump pics, and who doesn’t love looking at bump pics!!! It feels like a safe place if you need to rant about your mother-in-law, or if you’re wondering if something is normal. Pregnancy is such an emotional time, and sometimes it can be nice to have people outside of your little circle help with advice, or to justify how you are feeling when no one else seems to understand.

From the group above, I had stumbled upon a comment that someone mentioned there are typically subgroups for each month as well. So next, I found ‘September 2020 Due Date Group.” Though significantly smaller, this group still has over 3,000 members. While the large pregnancy group is really helpful for all things pregnancy, it’s also great to be a part of the smaller group where everyone is around the same point in their pregnancy, so the questions feel a bit more focused and relatable. We’re all gearing up for baby shower time, packing our hospital bags, finalizing the nursery, and entering into the home stretch! It is so exciting to share in this joyous time with other mamas.

Both of these have been hugely helpful in not feeling so alone, and I am so grateful to have found them.

Aside from these groups that have moms from all over the country/world, I also searched for any local mom groups to my area. These aren’t so much geared toward pregnancy itself, but more so parenting/kids activities etc. Many people will also list free, or sale items that their baby has outgrown, so it can be great for finding gently used baby goods!

Other than Facebook, another great resource that my OB actually mentioned to me is Mamistad. The owner pairs you with other moms in your area that have due dates within a few months of each other so you can connect and have a support system. She typically encourages weekly meet-ups, but because of COVID, she has recommended online gatherings. I was a little late to joining, but have been in my group for a few weeks now, and we have a weekly zoom meeting. It has been so much fun so far!!! It’s of course fun to talk about pregnancy things, but also just nice to have some girl time. One of the girls just had her baby, so she has been able to tell us about her experience which has been really great. We also can’t wait to get together more regularly once the world gets to a better place. And of course to introduce our little ones once they are all here!! It is amazing how quickly friendships can form through this common bond, and I am excited to keep in touch with these ladies!

Mamistad unfortunately is only in a few states currently, but has been such a great resource so far! I believe Northern Virginia/the DC area is the main starting point for Mamistad, so I would imagine there are more or larger groups over there. She has also branched out into Austin, TX, and Denver, CO, for which I am so grateful!! If you are in any of these areas, I highly recommend checking it out, because it’s such an incredible resource. The owner has so much passion for what she does, and has everyone do an intro zoom call before adding you to a local group so she can talk about why she does this, and explain what it’s all about. By the way, I consider myself to be a shy person, and jumping on a zoom call with strangers was a little bit intimidating at first, but I am so glad I joined!

Good luck, mamas – take advantage of any great resources that you can find!

Laugh Often – Rachel