Doula Meeting #2 & Getting Ready

On Monday we had our second meeting with our doula, Sufi. We went over our birth plan together and she had a few suggestions, such as to change the order we listed things and to drop a few things off that are already pretty standard at Santa Monica UCLA. She also wanted to see our nursery and discuss the hospital bag we packed.

The only comment she had about our nursery is that we don't have a rocker or glider chair for breastfeeding. The problem is that we really don't have room for anything else in the nursery with the sofa bed in there. So we walked around the house looking at other chairs that would be a possibility for breastfeeding. There were a few so we'll just have to make do with what we have. If it's a problem we can always buy a chair later.

We showed her our birth "goody bag" which consists of:

• Our handbook from the birth class
• My gownie
• 2 different pairs of slippers (you never know what you're going to want)
• iPod with music preloaded and iPod docking station
• Dum Dum lollypops
• Chapstick
• Special socks
• 2 tennis balls for massage
• Massage roller ball
• Hair rubber bands
• Personal misting fan & batteries to operate
• Few colored washcloths (I just added these for fun)
  
• Notepad and pen to record contractions
• Birth Plan
• Family Contact List
  

We still didn't have our birth ball or a paint roller thing for massage. Sufi is going to provide those things for us. I'm glad that I don't have to buy a birth ball because they are so big. And hers will already be blown up. Also I will need pillows but I'm using all of those for my fabulous sleeping nest. You should see it! I have created quite a little area for myself with no less than 5 pillows. It works great though. She also told us to pack 3 towels and a puke bucket in the car just in case. Yay, puke bucket.

I also have my hospital suitcase almost all ready to go with:

• 2 nightgowns I can nurse in
• Nursing pads
• Breastfeeding book
• Baby clothes (outfit to go home in, hat, socks, hand mitts)
• Special blanket
• Lovie toy for baby
  
• DVDs (to watch on laptop - I don't think the TVs have DVD players)
• Our itzbeen
• Feeding logs from our birth class
  

I still have to pack nursing bras but I'm waiting a few weeks to purchase those, and I also have to pack my toiletries and going home outfit. I'm waiting to do that because I'm still wearing all my maternity clothes and want to pick out an outfit as it gets closer. Dear Husband is in charge of the camera and charger, etc. I am not even going to worry about that.

DH also got an assignment from Sufi. He has to think of a special moment that he can tell me about when things get intense in labor. So he will be working on that.

We also went over a few positions for labor and discussed what our doctors have been telling us and how the pregnancy has been going so far. We did tell Sufi that we are planning on going to the hospital so we have plenty of time to check in and get comfortable. We are not going to try to stay at home until the last possible moment. I just don't want anything to feel like an emergency or to feel hurried.

Well, that's it for today! Have a good one.