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The pair of Destination Joggers I have is a purple-ish color from a couple of years ago that’s no longer available, but they currently offer the joggers in lots of great colors, including this beautiful Heather Green and this cute camo option! : Kevin discovered the brand 32 Degrees at Costco several months ago and has been singing their praises, and I just recently got in on the 32 Degrees action and am sold as well. That print is no longer available, but this fun zebra print (on the same joggers, which fit SO well) is super cute as well. The pants don’t have a ton of stretch to them in the leg portion, so to make them a bit roomier you’d likely enjoy going one size up from what you’d typically grab.)

Waiting was totally fine by me, especially since my body was showing no signs of labor (just like I’d experienced with Maggie), and so I knew the longer we waited the more likely Vance’s induction took HOURS, and our midwife used tons of methods to help get my body into labor. My labor with Maggie progressed so quickly that our doula didn’t arrive until just after she was born, and so this time our doula was committed to getting to us ASAP. Here’s a rough timeline of how things went during the induction: -Checked into the hospital at noon -Cytotec inserted and left in for four hours (which got me dilated to one centimeter and started mild contractions) -Foley bulb inserted and left in for several hours (which got me dilated to two centimeters)

(I’m starting to take some of my own advice from this recent Zulily post I wrote with tips on getting babies to sleep, and last night was the best night we’ve had with Vance so far. Kevin’s brother, Justin, and his wife, Katie, are coming to visit this weekend to meet Vance for the first time, and we can’t wait to spend time with them! –I treated myself to a pair of the Vuori joggers I’d been hearing such amazing things about as a postpartum gift, and I can officially say they live up to the hype. and I love the subtle camo print to make them just a bit more interesting than a solid pair), and the second is a pair of white and gold sneakers from a new-to-me online retailer, Evereve.

I had a great postpartum experience with Maggie, too, but feel like my healing is happening faster after this birth and that even those less-than-fun symptoms (like night sweats — SO GROSS!) are less upsetting because I knew to expect them and know from experience that they’re short lived. There are reusable nursing pad options (like these), too, and while generally I’m all about sustainability, during the postpartum phase I personally opt for disposable items so I can just get rid of them and reach for a clean new item each time with no laundry involved. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea: I drank this tea during the final weeks of my pregnancy to help prepare my body for birth, and I’ve continued drinking it postpartum since it can help stop postpartum bleeding as well as increase milk supply! : Your body will need LOTS of hydration to help support milk production, and so it’s essential that you have a water bottle that’s easy to drink from and that you can cart around with you most of the time.