The biggest joy in writing this Why didn’t anyone tell me? series (and I’m not finished yet!) has been my interactions with all of you.  Learning from you.  Rejoicing with you.  Sharing with you.

Everyone loves a good birth story, and since we know that every labor and birth is different, I want to hear about yours!  Whether you wrote it 3 years or 3 minutes ago, please link your story (or stories!) below so we can learn from and encourage one another.

No judgment here…  whether you labored unmedicated for 1 hour or 50, signed up for the epidural before checking into your room, delivered your precious one in the car, or endured 3 c-sections.  Babies are miracles. I want to read your miracle story!

Just in case you missed mine, here they are:

• Baby 1
• Baby 2
• Baby 3
• Baby 4, born just 3 days ago!

What’s your story?

Labor Day Link Up is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

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I truly can’t believe I’m writing out this story on September 4.  Our baby was “due” September 20!

This isn’t simply a tale of labor and delivery, of contractions and pushing.  This is a story of growth, of disappointment, of lessons learned.  It’s a story of fright, and trust.  A story of letting go of my imperfect expectations and embracing God’s Perfection.

During one of many nightly awakenings on Wednesday, September 1, I rolled over and felt a leak at 4:00 a.m.

Surely not.

A quick trip to the bathroom, and I laid back down, praying that I was imagining things.

4:30.  Gush.  Not imagining things.

Wide awake now, I got up and walked around in total disbelief.  Today was the day before school started and the day before our first football game.  My husband is a teacher and coach; our oldest is in the second grade.  Not great timing.

My freezer’s not full.  My house isn’t cleaned.  I have zero baby clothes washed and no fragrance-free detergent to wash them in.  The bassinet’s in the basement and how on earth am I going to get my girl to school tomorrow if I have a baby today?  So not ready.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.  Ecc 3:1

At 5:00 I sat by my husband in bed, waking him with my tears.  “Are you ready to have a baby today?”

He laughed an – everything will be just fine because babies come when babies come – laugh.  I love him.  And then he suggested that we consider some girl name options again.  It would be pretty embarrassing to deliver a girl and not have a name!

And what is with me defying the water breaking statistics?  I already know (twice) that laboring without the bag of water intact is so much harder.  And now, again?  Three out of 4 labors? So not fair!

I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Acts 17:11

Based on previous experience, I figured I had probably 10-12 hours or so before labor would kick in.  Hoping for the 18 hour labor rather than the 22 hour version, I got busy calling family to come get the kids and making arrangements for our daughter’s first day of school.

The kids were gone by 8:30 and I busied myself with paperwork after calling the hospital to let them know what was going on.  Mail, preschool papers… stuff.  No contractions. I tidied up the house and did some laundry.  No contractions. I rolled around on the birth ball and walked.  No contractions. I packed our bags and dug out some baby clothes.  No contractions.

Knowing it was likely to be a long day, and since I hadn’t slept well at night for the last month at least, a nap was in order.  Good thing… it would be a long time before I sleep again!

The hospital called while I was sleeping, wanting us to come in.  That’s when I knew:  I’m on the clock. Once you water breaks you’re given 24 hours to have the baby before the risk of infection sets in and antibiotics are given.  ***I’m sure there are all sorts of varying opinions on that subject, and my guess is that the midwifery circle would give me plenty more time, but that’s neither here nor there, because I’d already chosen and trusted my medical care.***

On our way to the hospital, I finally had a couple of mild contractions… in my back.

Laboring after your water breaks is hard.

Back labor is hard.

Back labor after your water breaks is the most painful experience I’ve ever been through, and I wasn’t looking forward to facing it again. But I would, and I would be okay.

Once settled in at the hospital (dilated to a 2… no surprises there), we went for a walk and I hopped in the whirlpool.  I’ve not seen this written anywhere, but in my experience the stimulation from whirlpool jets gets the contractions going.  They were mild and tolerable for a long time, but the back labor was fierce by 8 p.m.  I was glad, actually, because even if it was back labor… it was labor.  I needed to be in labor; I’m on the clock!

After 4 hours of walking and squatting and rocking and praying through the pain, I was spent.  I’d been there, done that though, and knew I could do it again.  If only I didn’t feel so light-headed.  And what was this dizzy feeling?  That was new.

They checked again.  I was at 4cm. It’s midnight now, and the hospital staff is talking pitocin.  I’ve got 4 hours…  I can handle the contractions.  I can handle the back labor.  But why, oh why am I not dilating?!

Around 2 in the morning (22 hours into it) I was dizzy, light headed, and sweaty.  And scared. They gave me two rounds of electrolytes via IV.  Four labors and this was all new territory.

Around 3 in the morning baby’s heart rate started dropping during contractions and they had to push on his head to get it back up.  Scared me.  (And yes, that would be pushing on his head up in my cervix.  You know how I feel about my cervix!)

At that same time I was at a 7.  I knew I was starting transition, I knew the end had to be in sight… but since his heart rate was dropping and my blood pressure was shaky, everyone was pretty concerned.  That was when I threw my birth plan and pride and whatever else out the window and did something we thought we’d never do…

I got the epidural and pitocin.

I was scared to death. Labor pains hurt, but they are natural.  They are productive.  A needle and medication in my spinal cord???  Dear God, please let us be doing the right thing.  Please take care of my baby.  Please show us your will in this.  Please.  Please.  Please.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  Prov 3:5

The epidural kicked in a few contractions later.  Even in the throes of labor, even before the baby was born, I was facing feelings of failure.  My heart was breaking, mourning the loss of my baby’s natural birth.  And yet… confirmation was there.  It wasn’t over.  My baby’s head had to be stimulated through my cervix many more times before birth.  I was told to push (at about 4:00), then told to stop because my swollen cervical lip was ready to tear.  And then to push again when his heart dropped… again.

Constant stimulation.  Constant heart rate monitoring.  Constant… it was then that I knew It wasn’t about the pain.  It wasn’t about the back labor.  It wasn’t about my will.  It wasn’t about how tough I am or what kind of birth I wanted.  It was about what my baby needed.  What I needed.

It was about surrendering.

I surrendered, and our beautiful baby boy was born at 5:08 AM.  Twenty-five hours after my water had broken the day before.

Have I changed my tune about unmedicated childbirth? Nope.  I still think it’s best for mom and baby in most situations.

Have I changed my tune about the “evil epidural?” I hate that I had an epidural, but I’m almost glad for the experience.  I’m glad that it’s available when needed.  I was glad to erase the epidural myths in my own head and those that I had heard from here and there.  I was super-glad it worked and helped me deliver a healthy baby boy into the world.  The epidural is not from satan. 

Will I try for another natural birth next time? You should never ask a woman who just gave birth about next time!!!!!!  (But yes.  If there is a next time, I will most certainly try for an unmedicated birth… and I will pray for 9 months that my water doesn’t break and that I don’t have back labor!  And I will take all my vitamins, and iron, and…)

Welcome to the world sweet boy!

Our Birth Story, Baby #4 is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

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***Amy, here.  I’ve got some great guest posts lined up to help me out in the next few weeks since I’m a bit busy these days.   Welcome to Kelly, the Kitchen Kop!***

First of all, congratulations Amy on your precious new baby boy!

I’m excited that Amy has asked me to tell you all about the new Real Food for Rookies class, but first, I’ll introduce myself in case you’ve never visited my blog, Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

I write mostly about “politically incorrect” health & nutrition topics, which means if it’s something you’ve always heard was “good for you”, then I’ll likely disagree.  After hours and hours of research, I’ve realized more than ever that it’s true:  money talks.  The bottom dollar influences “studies” more than any of us can fathom.

Here’s are some examples of common myths you may have always believed:

• “Saturated fats are bad for you.” Right?  Wrong.  In this class I am most excited to blow that theory to smithereens and help you learn why butter, whole milk, coconut oil, and other traditional fats are not only good for us, but necessary for good health.  (Guess what else?  They actually help you lose weight, too.)
• “Red meat causes heart disease.” Nope.  I’ll teach you how to find meat that is not harmful to your heart, and that actually helps you become healthier as you fill up on nutrient-dense meats from animals out on pasture, the way they were meant to be raised.  You eat what they eat and it makes all the difference.
• “We can trust the FDA to keep our food supply safe.” No again.  I’ll show you how to avoid the hidden junk in our food that is making many of us overweight and sick.

Those are just 3 examples of the kind of posts you’ll find on my blog and what I’ll go into great depth about in the upcoming class.

There’s more…

• You’ll see videos at my favorite farms and learn how to choose healthy meat, dairy and produce for your family.
• I’ll show how I make some favorite recipes in my own kitchen, and how easy it is to adapt any recipe to get rid of the junk, and increase the nutrients in the foods you feed your family.
• You’ll hear audio interviews with real food experts Sally Fallon Morrell (author of Nourishing Traditions), Dr. Kaayla Daniel (author of the Whole Soy Story), Tom Naughton (Fathead filmmaker), and many more!
• Find out which sweeteners to use and learn some batch-baking tips to save time.

You can read a lot more at this link about the Real Food for Rookies class (or sign up!), and see a video where I explain more reasons you’ll want to take this class.

Lastly, you may want to watch this video of my teenage son and I at the grocery store. I dragged him along to be my cameraman and his love of junk food shines through!

Real Food for Rookies is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

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Today, our family grew by two precious feet.  Details coming!

It’s a Boy!
September 2
5:03 AM
6 lb. 14 oz.
20 inches

What Finer Things are you celebrating this week?  Link up and share! (Please link to your post and leave a link back here.)

(photo credit)

Finer Things Friday: Two Feet is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

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Hi folks, it’s Toni here, filling in for Amy today, and I have some exciting news to share!

Guess what?!?!? Amy’s water broke this morning so the baby will be here sometime…. I say sometime because if you have been following Amy’s Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me? series you know she has had three very different labors.

In order to make things fun for us -because we all know labor isn’t fun until the baby arrives, Amy has decided to host a giveaway.

Amy is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to the person who comes the closest to guessing the baby’s arrival time, gender, weight, length.

You can read about Amy’s other natural births: Baby 1, Baby 2, and Baby 3, on her site, and don’t forget you can link up your own birth story on Labor Day.

Until then, please remember to pray for Amy that she would have a fast delivery with no complications and that baby and mama would be healthy and back home soon!

To enter, leave a comment with your guess, this giveaway ends after the baby arrives.

Labor Day is Coming Early This Year! is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

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If you’re new here, you might want to catch up on the Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me? series.

Hello, my name is Amy.  I’m 37+ weeks along with my 4th baby.  I do not know how far dilated I am.  I do not know if I am effaced.  I do not know the station of my baby.  I do not know, because it doesn’t matter!

With much trepidation at my 32 week appointment, I finally gathered the courage to tell my new doctor about my strong aversion to vaginal exams.  It went something like this:

Him: Any questions?

Me: Well, yes.  {said in my best trying-to-be-confident while rambling voice}  I’ve never had a vaginal exam done until I’m well into labor because from all my research I know they are almost always unnecessary and I see no reason to go through the discomfort all for false hope or false discouragement because I’ve known people to walk around at a 4 for a month and other people be completely closed one day and have the baby 12 hours later, and then there’s the risk of infection or inducing labor so you don’t need to do them, right?

Him: {grinning at my obvious discomfort}  Actually, it’s refreshing to not have to convince a patient that vaginal exams are unnecessary.  I don’t do them if you don’t want them done, because vaginal exams provide useless information. There is no need for them in most pregnancies.

Me: {internal happy dance}

I’m a never say never kind of girl, and I know that there are circumstances where a vaginal exam might provide necessary information… maybe you’re way overdue, you’re trying for a v-bac, you think you might be in early labor and you live hours from the hospital, etc. but in the vast majority of normal, healthy pregnancies, vaginal exams are not necessary or helpful.

The Myth of the Vaginal Exam in Pregnancy explains it much better than I do.

…The common belief is that by doing a vaginal exam one can tell that labor will begin soon. This is not the case…

…Many people try to use the information that is gathered from a vaginal exam to predict things like when labor will begin, or if the baby will fit through the pelvis. A vaginal exam simply cannot measure these things…

…Labor is not simply about a cervix that has dilated, softened, or anything else. A woman can be very dilated and not have her baby before her due date or even near her due date. I’ve personally had women who were 6 centimeters dilated for weeks before labor began. Then there is the sad woman who calls me to say that her cervix is high and tight, she’s been told that this baby isn’t coming for awhile, only to be at her side as she gives birth within 24 hours…

…Vaginal exams can increase the risks of infection, even when done carefully and with sterile gloves, etc. It pushes the normal bacteria found in the vagina upwards towards the cervix. There is also increased risk of rupturing the membranes. Some practitioners routinely do what is called stripping the membranes, which separates the bag of waters from the cervix. The thought behind this is that it will stimulate the production of prostaglandins to help labor begin by irritating the cervix, causing it to contract. This has not been shown to be effective for everyone and does have the aforementioned risks…

(click over for the full article)

It’s your body, your baby, your birth. For me, I’m thinking if it’s not helpful… if it’s not necessary… if there are risks… well then, just back away from my cervix!

Are vaginal exams routine with your prenatal care?  Has anyone ever told you they aren’t a must-do?

Linked to Works for Me Wednesday

Back Away from My Cervix is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

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FINALLY — The Nesting has begun, and not a moment too soon.  I’m still not where I want to be clutter-wise before baby comes, but after a non-motivated summer, the itch to pitch has returned!  Here’s what left our house this month.

Trash

• giant board book
• bath book
• 3 bath toys
• 1 broken blender (They don’t make ‘em like they used to!)
• 1 worn out bread machine (A wedding gift — so sad to let it go!)

Recycled

• 34 plastic lids  (I really have no explanation for this.  How on earth did I even own 34 plastic lids that didn’t have containers?  Dunno.)

GoodWill

• 12 burp rags
• 1 blanket
• 2 crib sheets
• 25 baby clothing/bibs
• 1 pair shoes
• 8 toys/stuffed animals
• 23 adult clothing items

Yes, there was some baby stuff in that pile.  And yes, we are having a baby soon… but babies don’t need all that stuff. I’ve been there, done that, and pretty much know what we need.  Sure hope someone else can use it, though!

August Total: 113

2010 Total: 496

If I’m going to get anything at all purged in September, it had better happen fast.  Things are about to get interesting around here…

How’d you do in August?  Link up so we can cheer you on!

August Clutter Update is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

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This arrived in my inbox on August 11 from a blog-reading friend:

Hi Amy,

I’ve been thinking about you and praying for you as you go through the final weeks of your pregnancy.  I hope it’s going well and the heat’s not doing you in.

Could you use any help in the last few weeks, since it sounds like that burst of nesting energy isn’t kicking in?   If you’re wanting to do an OAMC day or just need help and encouragement to clean up the house or whatever, I’d be glad to come down for a morning or a day and give you a hand.

Seriously, I’d like to do this for you if it would help you out.

Let me know, k?

Yes, seriously! And yes, she came today!

I now have sheets for the baby’s bassinet and my kitchen cabinets and walls are clean for the first time in I don’t know how long.  And… she brought supper, with enough to freeze for after baby.

All that, and my children were thoroughly entertained.  (Guess who doesn’t own a sewing machine and wouldn’t know what to do with it if she did?!)

I am beyond grateful. While my nesting desire has finally kicked in (a little false labor every few days will do that to a girl!) my energy and ability are nil.  The baby’s head is firmly planted quite low and is causing quite a lot of hip and groin discomfort.  I walk like I’m about 80 years old and sleep doesn’t come easily these days (or nights!)  It’s all good, though, and such a great reminder that we should be holding and loving on this sweet babe in 2-3 weeks!

It’s a great reminder, too, that not only do sleep-deprived new moms need our support and encouragement, but there is also much we can do for moms in their final weeks of pregnancy.  I’m usually pretty consistent about taking a meal to a family with a newborn, but what do I do for moms in those last tired, uncomfortable, emotional days of pregnancy?  Hmmm… perhaps  the question is what should I be doing for them?

• Send food. Oftentimes a woman’s appetite decreases in those last few days/weeks because there’s all sorts of squishing going on with that big ol’ baby.  Not much room in the stomach for a real meal, but the rest of the family still wants to eat!  Add decreased energy with decreased appetite, and mom could use some help with meals.
• Entertain the children. Saturday night some friends kept our kids for the evening while my husband and I enjoyed our “last hurrah” before baby comes.  We went out to eat and to watch a movie.  Other than the contractions that left me sweating in my theater seat for an hour, it was lots of fun!    We hashed out girl names (still don’t have a girl name!) and were refreshed for the coming chaos.
• Run errands. Heading to the grocery store?  Give mom a call to see if she needs anything.  My aunt has always been good about this, which is such a blessing since we live 15 miles from the nearest store.  With my inconsistent “baby brain” memory, it’s nice to add a couple of forgotten items to her list.
• Clean up. This one’s hard for me.  Not so much to do it for someone else, but to accept the help.  However… now that the walls in my kitchen are free of grease and other ick, I’m starting to see the light!
• Sneak a treat. Do you know mom’s favorite indulgence?  (Caramel Frappe, please!) Surprise her with it!
• Pamper her. I’m one of the lucky ones.  All things considered, I feel really good throughout my pregnancies.  However, it is getting a bit tricky to reach my toenails.    Nothing boosts the mood and energy of mom-to-be than a little pampering.  Surprise her with her favorite bath products.  Take her out on a pedicure date.  Anything to make her feel less frumpy… less tired… less big.  (By the way, I think this would be a fun “second baby shower” idea for a mom who has already had the formal shower(s) with her first baby.)

What are some ways you’ve encouraged and supported your friends in their last few days and weeks of pregnancy?  If you’re a mom-to-be, what would make you feel loved?

Help for Mom-to-Be is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

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***If you’re new here, you might want to catch up on the Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me? series.***

***Reminder: On Labor Day next week, I’ll be hosting a Labor/Delivery Stories Linky.  Please join us!  I can’t wait to read all of your stories!***

—————————–

Since we’d already defied statistics and my water broke at the onset of labor with our first two births, I guess I kind of figured that was my lot in life.  My water breaks, labor starts hours later (on its own!), and we move forward.  At least I’d know I was in labor, right?

Wrong.

Every labor is different.

Hindsight with our third baby gave many indications of impending birth.  She was born on a Sunday.  Earlier that week, on Thursday, we went swimming with some family and I remember mentioning to my sister and sister-in-law that I had some spotting and had been passing mucous for a day or two.  The day after swimming we all took our kids to my parents’ place for “Grandkids Weekend.”  (The best weekend all summer!) 

My mission during Grandkids Weekend was to catch up on some scrapbooking while watching movies, and that’s exactly what I did… when I wasn’t focused on the mucous, and the minor cramping, and the occasional contractions, and the many other early labor indicators!

On Saturday night when we called to check in on the kid chaos, I told my mom that she might just plan on keeping my kiddos an extra day or two.  “I think this is it.”

We went ahead and packed our bags, went for a walk, cleaned up the house, went for another walk, put away the scrapbooking, walked some more… I’m all about walking and rolling on my birth ball during labor!  Our biggest “is this it?” concern was that since our last birth, we had moved to Tiny Town.  Not a problem, except now we were an hour and a half drive from the birth center! I am all about laboring at home for as long as possible, but I really wasn’t wanting to have the baby in the car or anything.

After a hot bath we went to bed late Saturday night.  I was able to get a little sleep, but the contractions were definitely there by about 5:00 in the morning on Sunday.  They were different, though. Not like my previous labors.  Milder.  Seemingly benign.  Not intense at all.

While we weren’t too sure if the contractions were doing much since I was able to walk and talk and go about my business, we did decide early that morning to make our way to the city.  I called my aunt to see if we could camp out at her house until things got good and going.  After a hearty breakfast (laboring mamas need their energy!) we hit the road, aaaannnnddd that’s when they kicked in with regularity.  Straight to the birth care center we went, arriving around 10:30 in the morning.

I don’t know if it was because I was able to walk and talk when we got there and they doubted my progress, or if it was because they checked my chart and saw that this was our third natural delivery or that they were just really, really busy that day, but we were pretty much left to fend for ourselves.  That sounds bad, but on the contrary, we were thrilled!

“We’re dealing with an emergency c-section.  Do you mind waiting in the lobby for a while?”  Not at all.

“We can get you checked into your room now, but then we have to go tend to such and such.  Are you okay?”  Yep.  No problem.

11:00.  12:00.  1:00.  We pretty much did our thing.  I changed into my gown, they checked my vitals, we delivered our birth plan, and I hopped into the whirlpool.  At about 2:00 I wanted to walk (imagine that!), so we did.

“You still doing okay?”  Uh-huh.  “You need anything?”  Nope.  “We have a bit of a situation to attend to.”  Alrighty.  They were in and out of the room, and I still had not even had a cervical check or been poked for the saline lock! (For the uninitiated, those are two of the first things they do in a hospital birth.)  Guess I looked like it would “be awhile.”

2:00  We’re walking the halls.  2:15  We’re walking the halls a bit slower, pausing and relaxing between contractions that were still nothing compared to what I had experienced in my previous labors.  2:30  We’re walking, but I told my husband that we better stay closer to our room.  2:45  I feel pressure and need to use the bathroom.  He gets me in there, and as I’m doing my business the pressure is overwhelming and my body is pushing!  Surprise!… I thought I might have a few hours…

“You better get me to the bed.  I’m pushing,” I told him.  Fortunately a nurse was in the room at the time, so she quick got on the phone to call in the cavalry.  During my next contraction (on my bed) I involuntarily pushed and my water broke.  “Oh!  My water broke!  OH — Baby’s right there!”  I felt the ring of fire and knew that all hands better be on deck pronto.  I haven’t mentioned the ring of fire before, but I imagine all my natural birthing friends are both grinning and grimacing right now. 

Fifteen minutes of pushing, and our sweet girl came sliding out shortly after 3:00, just as my doctor walked into the room.  “You want to catch?”  the nurse asked.  “Looks like you’re doing fine,” he said casually while observing close by.

Wowza!  That was fast (for me)!  Right then and there I knew something I’d only heard before:  You want to labor without your water breaking if at all possible.  The contractions are so much easier to bear!

As she laid on my chest, nursing away, everyone else went away!  They had yet another emergency to tend to, we were doing fine, so they left.  It was blissfully quiet for nearly an hour, but by then we were kind of getting antsy wanting to call people with our news.  Oh, and I kind of thought it would be nice to get myself and my baby girl cleaned up a little.  We ended up making our “it’s a girl!” calls without any other information, because it took forever for anyone to come back in to weigh and measure her.

Once they finally came back, they checked her over, wrapped her up again, and handed her back to me (after I quick used the restroom) with an “I’m sorry, but we’re really busy.  Are you okay there for a while?”  I guess so…

That was all fine and dandy until we had unexpected company show up and baby and I still hadn’t been cleaned up!  Eeek!  After they left (without seeing the bloody baby or the bloody mommy) a nurse came rushing in, apologizing profusely.  And… we got cleaned up.    Good thing, because soon after, the big sibs arrived.

And now, we’re a family of five!

——————-

Back to the ring of fire. Tell me you know what I’m talking about!  I tore with each of my deliveries.  Was I feeling the fire as I tore, or does everyone feel it when the baby crowns?  Ye-Ouch!

Did your water break at the onset of labor?  How did you know “this is it!”

Our Birth Story, Baby #3 is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

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My regular wanderings will return next week, but I wanted to make sure all of my readers are able to visit and enter to win all of the amazing baby and mama giveaways Donielle lined up for me.  I’m so completely blown away by everyone’s generosity!

Much more important than all the cool stuff, though, is the Blessingway Donielle wrote for me. I’d never even heard of a Blessingway before I started blogging.  You must click over to read the post that has me in tears every time I look at it.  You can bet I’ll be reading it often for peace and inspiration during my last few weeks of pregnancy!

And now… links to the cool stuff! 

Earlier this week I posted a Virtual Baby Shower Update with the first six giveaways.  Since then, the following have been added.  Go on over and enter to win!

1. Handmade Knit Hat – I totally see the monkey in my future!
2. 3 piece Organic Teether Set – More beautiful toys to help rid my home of icky plastic.
3. Moby Baby Carrier – Can’t wait to try babywearing for the first time, especially at ballgames!
4. Labor and Birthing Kit – What a brilliant gift idea for natural labor.  It even includes fuzzy socks (a must at the hospital!)
5. Handmade Nursing Necklace or Bracelet – I don’t generally keep track of my nursing times, but that necklace looks like a fun diversion for baby.
6. Handmade Storage Bag and Cloth Wipes – Thinking these cloth wipes could be soaked in witch hazel and frozen to make soothing post-partum ice packs.
7. Mama’s Bath Soak – If you don’t know how much I love my baths then you don’t know me at all!
8. Sing Song Yoga DVD – I like to get back to exercising (mild) asap after giving birth.  Having never tried yoga, this looks like a great place to start!
9. Handmade Wooden Rattle – Beautiful!  My baby will have way nicer “stuff” than I do, and I’m good with that. 
10. Chicco Keyfit Car Seat – There are no words.  I’m completely blown away!

Weekend Wanderings: Baby Shower Edition is a post from: The Finer Things in Life

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