1. Be Maternity Ruched Tank: I picked this tank top up at Target early in my pregnancy, and LOVED it. It fit wonderfully throughout all three trimesters of my pregnancy. In the first (and part of the second) trimester, it worked beautifully at holding up my pre-pregnancy jeans when I got to that “these don’t quite fit, but I’m not ready for maternity clothes” stage. The tank, paired with shorts or capris, hugged my belly & made me look cute and pregnant after I finally started showing. I plan on wearing this postpartum, too, and have it packed in my hospital bag!

2. Snoogle: I used a body pillow early on in my pregnancy, but by the time I hit week 18 my hips were aching & I wasn’t getting a good nights sleep. Someone suggested a Snoogle to me, so I caved and bought it. It’s a bit pricey, but let me tell you — that was the best $60 I ever spent. The further I got into my pregnancy, the more of a hassle the Snoogle came to me. By the time I was 36 weeks pregnant, I felt “trapped” and it wound up on the floor more than it did in our bed. All in all, though, I LOVED the Snoogle for the few months that I did use it (so much, in fact, that it went on vacation with me!)

3. Old Navy: I almost exclusively bought all my maternity clothes from Old Navy. You can’t beat their pricing, and stacked with coupon codes & other offers, it would have been silly for me to buy anywhere else. We don’t have any stores that sell their maternity collection nearby, so I had to rely on online shopping which was a total breeze. In fact, I almost preferred it.

4. Non-maternity Empire waist tops: Even at 39 weeks pregnant, I could still comfortably wear any of my pre-pregnancy tops as long as they were empire waist shirts. This really came in handy once the cooler weather set in, and I didn’t want to spend money on maternity clothes for the whole three weeks of fall I’d have to get through before Chloe arrived.

5. B-Natal Pregnancy Pops: My OB gave me a sample of this pregnancy lollipop after I complained about extreme nausea. I was blessed with all-day-sickness for the first sixteen weeks of pregnancy. I admit that I was a bit skeptical of a lollipop relieving my nausea, but they WORKED! I went to my local pharmacy and asked the pharmacist to order these for me. They’re over the counter, so you don’t need a prescription. A few weeks later, I found out that Babies R Us also sold these pregnancy pops, so you might give them a try, too.

Since we had several weeks to plan for the birth of our daughter, I had plenty of time to think about what I wanted to pack for the hospital. After I found out I was having a c-section, I added a few more items (and took a few away!) to make sure that I’d be comfortable and prepared for my 3-4 day hospital stay.

In fact, I packed two bags: One for me, and one for Chloe.

My aunt had this bag made for Chloe, and I decided to use it to pack my belongings in. It’s smaller than the diaper bag, and is perfect for a few days worth of clothes for the hospital!

In my bag, I packed:
1. Makeup: I might be giving birth, but that doesn’t mean I can’t look my best! Besides, there will be cameras around.
2. Yoga pants: Since I’ll have a low c-section incision, I decided to pack a few pairs of loose fitting maternity yoga pants.
3. Nursing Tops & bra: One nursing top for each day & two nursing bras.
4. Long-sleeved, lightweight shirt: Because I might get cold.
5. Granny panties: Nuff said, yo.
6. Socks: Enough for 4 days.
7. Slippers: So I can walk in the hospital.
8. Flipflops: To take a shower in the hospital
9. My camera + camera cord: Duh.
10. Mousse: There is no way in hell I’ll be blowdrying & straightening my hair during my hospital stay. This will at least allow me to look like a human!
11. Toiletries: Also, duh.

I also packed a pillow from home, and a fuzzy blanket. Anything to make you feel “at home”, right??

In true Jen fashion, I packed enough for a 10-day cruise and not a 3-day hospital stay. The truth is, I probably won’t touch half the things in my bag but I would rather be over-prepared than be really wishing I had something. I’ll more than likely camp out in my hospital gown for all three days, but who knows.

In Chloe’s diaper bag:

I bought a Coach diaper bag at the beginning of the summer, and I LOVE it. It’s lightweight and I can fit so much in it. I’m a huge fan of big bags, so this is perfect for me.

1. A few outfits: Her going home outfit, of course, and a few more just so she doesn’t have to wear a hospital onesie. I also packed a swaddler and a few hats + socks.
2. A blanket: To snuggle her, and to keep her warm on the drive home from the hospital.
3. Breast pads: Okay, these are for me..
4. Diaper Wipes: The hospital provides these, but I’m bringing my own.
5. Diapers

Think I packed enough??