Best products from r/OctoberBumpers2017

Try this one or this one. I know the second one is a tankini, but it looks pretty modest, so I thought I'd include it. I had a tough time finding swimsuits that fit pre-pregnancy (size 16 with huge boobs, often end up needing to get different sized tops and bottoms), but I was extremely happy with this brand when I ordered it. Super comfortable, covers love handles and doesn't roll up, even though it's a tankini, and the top is actually pretty supportive without having an underwire. It's even pretty flattering I think. Got the blue and white striped one for myself.

I don't have any personal experience, but I over-researched this when I first found out I was pregnant. The consensus seems to be:

1. Different styles have their pros/cons, and work for different things. For example, wraps and ring slings are often preferable to soft structured carriers in some situations, but the opposite is true for other cases. I like the idea of the ring sling because it's not as cumbersome as a SSC but it seems a little more FTM-friendly than just a wrap by itself. That being said, I also plan to get a SSC for comparison purposes or if my husband is trying to wear the kid and I don't want him jacking up my ring sling. That fucker is tall and skinny, and we are not going to be able to use the same "settings" on anything.
   
   
2. "To each her own", ad infinitum. A ton of stuff I found basically said that success was entirely based on preference. People liked what they liked, whether it was for comfort or safety or portability or style or what the kid liked or whatever. I know it's a pricey prospect, but trial and error seems to be the path most people take to find what they really like.
   
   After some research, I added this ring sling and this soft structured carrier to my registry. They look like they will probably meet my needs and they are very well-reviewed, so we'll see how it goes. Good luck!

Thank you for sharing!!! I'm like you, healthy BMI to start, I definitely could have exercised more but I generally keep myself in good shape. I have a few "maternity" items that I have grown out of already lol. Mostly in the boob area, I'm using long tanks to cover up the belly poking out of the bottom of shirts.

I also invested in one of the blanqi tanks. It's about $70 bucks but I think it was worth every penny. It feels like compression gear basically, has a supportive band under the belly and the bust line and also a supportive x across the back. It just kind of lifts everything up, it's amazing and makes me feel supported and secure.

I was told I've got low iron and I should start taking iron twice a day. I did a lot of research and found this one:

Salus-Haus - Floradix Floravital Iron & Herbs Yeast Free - 8.5 oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00028Q1ZI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_SUY78HwWjicX8

It has great reviews on r/babybumps and I figured it was worth a try. It's been seriously great! It tastes a bit gross, but if you chase it with orange juice (make sure it's not fortified with calcium) you can't taste it. Also vitamin C helps the body absorb iron. I feel freaking fantastic about 30 minutes after taking a dose, like, my heart rate and blood pressure go down, I have tons of energy, I don't feel sick at all. It's been great. And so far, no constipation, no upset tummy. When I went to my next appointment after being told to start iron, my midwife recommended this too, and said you either order it on Amazon or find it in health food stores. Sure said that is the best one she's ever seen, because it's so gentle.

Sorry for that word dump, I just recently went through this. I know the hard to breath feeling sucks a lot.

Don't stress:

Check with your insurance on a breast pump. Most insurance will cover it and you don't need to buy one. Register for the bottle kit that fits your pump. Like this one for example. and buy it if you don't get as gift.

Definitely buy/register for some Lanolin nipple cream and breast pads for leaking and a nursing bra and tanks. Nipple shield if you want I never did and I don't think many people actually need them.

When you're in the hospital make sure your request the lacation consultant to come visit as often as they can. In my hospital they came once a day but I requested more just cause I wanted them to make sure baby was latching on correctly before we left, didn't have tongue/lip ties etc. Our breastfeeding journey was a breeze - we were lucky for sure.

Pick a bottle or two and get the slowest flow nipple. Baby will be on this nipple for the first few months or even longer if you are nursing in conjunction. We used the Avent Natural bottles - it was the only one she'd take and not until 6-8 weeks or so.

Stalk /r/breastfeeding and watch the latching videos on the sidebar. Research latching etc. Take a breastfeeding class. This is what I did and I was impressed how easily it came for us. :) Feel free to ask any questions.

I live in Vegas and as said already please make sure you drink lots of water! It is very hot here and I get exhausted quickly just running errands. If you don't have a good reusable water bottle get one asap! I use this large Takeya one because it keeps the ice water cold for a long time. Takeya ThermoFlask 2 Pack 40 oz Black and Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D7NIOWW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_A3Rszb1BSBVQG

Other things that are super important are a nice sun hat, sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes. Don't wear cheap thin flip flops! As far as attractions It kinda depends on what you're into. We have two waterparks here Cowabunga Bay and Wet & Wild. The spas here at Caesar's and Vdara are super awesome. We have a huge selection of restaurants so depending on what cuisine you like Yelp can usually find a nice place for you. My favorite touristy attraction is the Bellagio Conservatory. It's a free small indoor garden. Usually packed, but I love taking a stroll through it. Might take you only 20 minutes though to walk through.

(Edit) lol my post was basically repeating what others already said...sorry!, for more ideas check out r/ vegas and click on the community info for more suggestions.

We got this one in solid green. I haven't used it as a diaper bag yet, but we did use it as a travel bag when we went to Scotland and it was awesome. I like that it has two zippers for the main compartment and can open up like a clam shell, it has a padded back and straps, there's a wipe compartment and a bunch of organization. Plus the interior is easy to wipe down. I plan on using packing cubes and wet bags to separate things in the big compartment. I'm not a super style-conscious person, so my big goal was to find something practical and comfortable, plus my husband likes carrying a backpack. I usually get painful bruises when I use a messenger style bag. Oh, and it has clips to attach it to a stroller!

Even if you don't buy a big formal stroller, you might want a lightweight frame, something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Chicco-Keyfit-Caddy-Stroller-Frame/dp/B005JDOYF0, but for whatever carseat you buy.

If the baby falls asleep in the car, it's really really nice to be able to leave them in the carseat and just clip the car seat into a lightweight, super-easy to fold frame. I found it was particularly awesome for grocery shopping; i could do the shopping in ten min while the baby slept, and just put the groceries under the stroller until I got to the checkout line. I'm already watching for one to come up on craigslist!

edit to add: I think the frame-style stroller lasted us most of the first year, so it definitely would hold off the larger purchase and give you time to evaluate options. I did mostly baby-wearing too, but sometimes it was a relief to only carry my own body weight ;)

I bought: "My Child's Health Record Keeper (Log Book)" https://www.amazon.com/dp/1441313842/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_IEfYo7eTqeHTj

For myself and my friend. It looks like it would be pretty nifty, i opened mine and its pretty thorough without being bulky and should be able to fit in any diaper bag easily. It's the only thing I've actually packed in my hospital bag so far rofl

I didn't do an exhaustive comparison shopping but got mine from Amazon and it has been helping: Babo Care Breathable Abdominal Binder - Back and Pelvic Support - Comfortable Belly Band for Pregnancy - Prenatal Cradle for Baby - One Size,Pink Color https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JA7KLES/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_zztWzbY2820JA

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074YY8MYB/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I actually got a short one, not a long one. And it's not exactly the material I thought it would be, it's a little slinkier than I wanted and a little thinner than I wanted but it's cute. I figure labor makes people kind of sweaty anyway, right?

And honestly, I might just get the LL Bean robe if I were you. My other robe is one from Lands End that used to be my moms when I was a kid. I sort of took it over as a teenager and have yet to relinquish it. It's still in amazing condition and I'm 30 years old. LL Bean is quality merch. 20 years for 60 bucks seems okay to me.

I was given an adorable, stylish diaper bag that I registered for and my in-laws also gave my husband a dad diaper-backpack.... and the backpack is what we still use! It was Fisher Price brand, we've been really tough on it, but our son is now 28 months. My niece just is 16 months and they are still using the Columbia brand diaper-backpack from her shower. IMO a backpack is so much easier to lug around when you have an older and heavier child that wants to be carried and it is more "hands free" than carrying a shoulder bag. I'm looking into the backpacks that open up completely from the top like this one because our current one is starting to tear at the stitching. I would say it lived a full life though and it exceeded my expectations. And both the backpacks I mentioned are extremely neutral looking, they don't scream "This is for Dads only!!!!!".

I used this one and this one. The first one was my favorite by far. I ended up failing HypnoBirthing because I didn't practise enough or commited to the excercises, but the book and audio files gave me peace when my mind was a turmoil. I really enjoyed those moments and happy vizualisation!

I'm just not rigourous enough for the training on my own part ;P

I'm a big fan of Expecting Better, as the author looks at the actual scientific evidence behind most common pregnancy do's and don'ts.

The summary of her section on coffee says:

> In moderation, coffee is fine.

> All evidence supports having up to 2 cups.

> Much of the evidence supports having 3 to 4 cups.

> Evidence on more than 4 cups a day is mixed; some links are seen with miscarriage, but it is possible that they are all due to the effects of nausea.

My husband makes me a travel mug of strong black coffee every morning :)

We got this one because it's pretty neutral but still cool looking. My husband is super into backpacks so I let him do most of the research.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M9E9UNV

I ended up with this one, mostly because the reviews were good and my husband really liked it. It need up being only $51 on prime day, but I really didn't want to spend more than $50 since I feel like I already have so many bags. Main selling points were slot for phone/wallet, external wipes holder, insulated bottle holders, and stroller straps.

I found some on amazon;

https://www.amazon.com/PregO-Maternity-Womens-Empire-Swimsuit/dp/B00GXVCA3U/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1496931338&sr=8-14&keywords=pregnancy+bathing+suit


https://www.amazon.com/Black-Halterneck-Maternity-Bathing-Suit/dp/B06XXJG814/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&qid=1496931338&sr=8-45&keywords=pregnancy+bathing+suit


https://www.amazon.com/Momo-Maternity-UPF-Piece-Swimsuit/dp/B06Y1FLZSG/ref=sr_1_52?ie=UTF8&qid=1496931367&sr=8-52&keywords=pregnancy+bathing+suit



https://www.amazon.com/Cache-Coeur-Multiway-Maternity-Swimsuit/dp/B00652MX84/ref=sr_1_66?ie=UTF8&qid=1496931367&sr=8-66&keywords=pregnancy+bathing+suit


https://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Sphere-Womens-Maternity-Swimsuit/dp/B00BWXSCM2/ref=sr_1_76?ie=UTF8&qid=1496931367&sr=8-76&keywords=pregnancy%2Bbathing%2Bsuit&th=1


https://www.amazon.com/JoJo-Maman-Maternity-Swimsuit-X-Small/dp/B00YX932IQ/ref=sr_1_82?ie=UTF8&qid=1496931367&sr=8-82&keywords=pregnancy+bathing+suit