Then, in the final moments of my nearly 24-hour labor, I ended up having a thing I didn’t even remember reading about: chorioamnionitis, or “chorio” (like Oreo with a hard C sound at the beginning), for short.

It wasn’t as bad as many of the other “worsts” I’d prepared myself for, but it got us stuck in the hospital for an extra week, which obviously wasn’t ideal. So I figured I’d share my tale so that any expecting moms reading it are aware of one more potential scenario.

I'm smiling because I have no idea what's about to happen to me.

My labor started out pretty typically. I was 40 weeks and six days pregnant, and woke up at 4 on a Tuesday morning with contractions. I labored at home for a bit; then, my husband, Matt, drove me to the hospital around 9. I wasn’t dilating very quickly, so at 1 p.m., a doctor came in and broke my water.

Dozens more contractions, several different positions and one epidural later, it was after midnight and finally time to start the actual delivery. I felt weak, exhausted and kind of strange, but I figured, “Well, this is childbirth.” The prospect of holding my baby girl soon got me pushing. Unfortunately, she hadn’t moved much after a half hour, so we took a break.

When we resumed, my attending nurse felt my head and exclaimed, “Oh, Mama, you’re hot!” It turned out I had a fever of 101; plus, my heart rate and the baby’s were both high. That’s when I heard her say the word to one of the other nurses.

“Chorio.”

“What’s that?” I demanded.

“It’s an infection,” she explained. “The more time that goes by after they break your water, the more likely it is that your amniotic sac will get infected. You’ve gone more than 12 hours.”

Suddenly, there were a lot more people in our room, and it was clear to me that it was Go Time. I pushed with every morsel of energy I could muster — so hard, in fact, that I threw up.

Julie’s head was stuck under my pubic bone, so my OB/GYN had to use a vacuum (which seemed more like a glorified suction cup on a string to me) to pull her out as I continued to push. I suffered a third-degree tear, and Julie was covered in meconium (her first bowel movement) when she finally emerged at 2:51 a.m.

Good thing I tried not to have any expectations, right?

Matt and I got to hold Julie briefly, but then she was whisked away to receive antibiotics because she, too, had the infection. I would only need antibiotics for 48 hours; she would need them for an entire week.

Fortunately, our hospital lets moms and dads of newborns who need prolonged care stay in their rooms as long as they’re not needed by other patients. So although I was “discharged” from the hospital on Friday morning, Matt and I both stayed put until the following Wednesday.

We sure missed our queen-size pillowtop at home, but at least we had our girl.

Julie got her vitals checked every 24 hours from her birth (every night at 2:51 a.m.), received her IV medication every 12 hours from her first dose (at 5 p.m. and 5 a.m. daily), and the pediatrician checked on her every morning at 7 a.m. Needless to say, we didn’t sleep much.

It certainly wasn’t the most ideal way to spend the first week of our daughter’s life, but we tried to focus on the positive things: all of the doctors, nurses and hospital staff members were amazing; we had lots of sweet visitors once we convinced them the infection wasn’t contagious; I got to spend extra time with the hospital’s lactation consultant, and breastfeeding went extremely well; we ordered some delicious food from nearby restaurants; we got fresh air in the courtyard, where the azaleas were in bloom; and we used a ton of free diapers.

When it was finally time to go home Wednesday morning, I’d been up walking around the hospital for days, but the volunteers insisted on wheeling me out with Julie in my arms like all the other mamas. I’ll never forget all the smiles we got as we creaked down the halls and out the sliding doors into the sunshine.

The day my daughter was born was not the happiest day of my life. The day we busted out of that hospital was.

We're smiling because we get to go use our own bathroom.

Mollee and her husband, Matt, live in Midlothian, Virginia, with their daughter, Julie, and their two Chihuahuas. Formerly a graphic designer, Mollee now stays at home with Julie, but she still enjoys making things with her hands and blogging about them. Find her recipes, paintings and crafts at molleemade.com.

I think thank-you notes are important — I really do. In this age of e-greeting, e-viting and e-RSVPing, little folded notes of gratitude are one of the few paper pleasures we can still look forward to finding among piles of junkmail. It’s just hard to sit your round self down and actually write them — let alone address them, stamp them and send them. Trust me, I know.

Fortunately, there are tons of cute cards out there specifically designed for thanking friends and family for baby gifts, which makes the process a bit more exciting. I’ve rounded up 10 of them:

1. Duck Baby Animal Thank You Notes by William Arthur, sold at Barnes & Noble; $15.95 for 10 (They also have bunny and whale ones.)
2. 3-D Handmade Baby Carriage Thank You Cards from zuCards on Etsy; $16 for 10 (The seller is willing to customize the colors of the cardstock or the carriage, or even change the wording.)
3. Animal Alphabet Thank You Cards from Target; $9.99 for 50 (These are the best value, so naturally they’re the ones I have.)
4. Cartouche Initial Folded Stationery in blue, green or pink from Hallmark; $0.99 to $1.99 per card, depending on quantity (Personalize the letter on the front, the message on the inside, and even the back.)
5. Heart Thank You Cards from SierraPurvisDesigns on Etsy; $10 for printable digital file (Colors, fonts, layout or size can be changed.)
6. Little One’s Clothesline Baby Shower Thank You Cards from deanpennandpaper on Etsy; $18 for 10 (Change “thank you” to the baby’s name if you’d like, and pick from 21 envelope colors.)
7. Retro Blue Baby Room Thank You Cards from Rossomer Square Fine Papers; $10 for 10 (The cute crib design is printed on the back as well.)
8. Modern Mommy Thank You Notes from Party City; $3.99 for 8 (These come with matching envelope-seal stickers too.)
9. Oh Baby Thank You Notes from Paper Source; $11.50 for 10 (Both the notecards and coordinating coral envelopes are recycled.)
10. Striped Appreciation Personalized Baby Thank You Notes from Pear Tree Greetings; $0.80 to $1.72 each, depending on quantity (Add your little one’s name to the bottom. Also available in aqua.)

Now if you’ll please excuse me, I’d better get back to my note-writing.

Mollee and her husband, Matt, live in Midlothian, Virginia, and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first baby (a girl!) in May 2013 any minute now. (Check out her baby guessing game here.) Although she helps pay the bills by doing graphic design, Mollee’s true passion is for making things with her hands. Find more of her recipes, paintings and crafts at molleemade.com.

Homemade smoothies can pack quite a nutritional punch for you and your baby, and they’re great for breakfast, an afternoon snack or a late-night treat. I’ve found that 12 ounces is just the right amount for me, and I use the following basic lineup of ingredients:

I set my blender carafe on a kitchen scale to measure everything in ounces as I add it, since it’s easiest and most accurate that way. I start my blender on the lowest speed and gradually increase it until the mixture is nice and smooth, after about 30 to 45 seconds.

You could create literally millions of different smoothie variations based on this formula, but here are three healthy combinations to help get you started.

1) Yellow-Green Tropical Smoothie

6 ounces pineapple juice
3 ounces frozen mango
2 ounces coconut vanilla Greek yogurt (Oikos makes this flavor)
1 ounce frozen spinach
sweetener to taste (optional)

Why It’s Good For You
Eating Well When You’re Expecting recommends that pregnant women consume three to four servings of green and yellow vegetables and fruits daily because they’re rich in beta-carotene, fiber and many essential minerals. The mango and spinach in this smoothie count for at least one serving; plus, you get protein and calcium from the Greek yogurt, and Vitamin C from the pineapple juice.

Now, I’m not going to lie to you — you can taste the greens. If you want your smoothie to remind you more of relaxing on the beach than mowing the lawn, use four ounces of mango and skip the spinach, or start with just a little spinach and work your way up.

2) Vitamin-C-Packed Strawberry-Orange Smoothie

4 ounces frozen strawberries
4 ounces orange juice
2 ounces milk
2 ounces plain greek yogurt
sweetener to taste (optional)

Why It’s Good For You
Strawberries and orange juice are both excellent sources of Vitamin C, which is one of the most important vitamins for expecting moms. Among other attributes, Eating Well says it’s essential to the production of collagen for your developing baby, it helps in the absorption of iron, and it may help you resist infection. The milk in this smoothie pumps up the calcium content and gives it a smooth, creamy taste.

3) Stomach-Soothing Peach Ginger Smoothie

6 ounces milk
4 ounces frozen peaches
2 ounces vanilla greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
sweetener to taste (optional)

Why It’s Good For You
Peaches count as a yellow fruit (mentioned above), and they pair perfectly with ginger, which may ease nausea and aid digestion. This smoothie is also loaded with calcium, with is crucial for your baby’s bones as well as yours. This is the one you’ll want to blend up when nausea or heartburn is preventing you from eating much “real food.”

Enjoy, and let me know what other combinations you come up with!

Mollee and her husband, Matt, live in Midlothian, Virginia, and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first baby (a girl!) in May 2013. (Check out her baby guessing game here.) Although she helps pay the bills by doing graphic design, Mollee’s true passion is for making things with her hands. Find more of her recipes, paintings and crafts at molleemade.com.

As I sit here with my giant belly, just six weeks away from my due date, I feel like I’m in a unique place. I’m starting to learn the parenting lingo, and I guess I’m technically a mother already, but I can also still relate to my childless friends. I know that motherhood is going to change me in many mostly wonderful ways, but I don’t want to completely lose sight of my old self either. If I were to run into the Old Mollee at the grocery store one day with the baby in tow, I’d want her to be proud of me.

So here are some promises I would like to make to her:

1. I promise to put on real clothes and at least a little makeup when I’m leaving the house.
2. I’ll keep up with current events and pop culture so I can carry on adult conversations.
3. I won’t give my child’s age in numbers of weeks or months that require people to do higher-level math.
4. I know I’ll think my daughter is brilliant and hilarious, but other people will just think she drools a lot. I’ll be okay with that.
5.  I promise that not every single one of my social media updates will be about the baby.
6. If she won’t stop screaming in a public place, I promise I’ll take her to the car.
7. I realize that our stroller is almost as large as some smart cars. I’ll try to keep it out of the way.
8. I know my child won’t be the first to ever get sick or injured or upset, and I’ll try not to act like she is.
9. I’ll accept the advice and help of others graciously, but I’ll try not to give unwanted parenting advice myself.
10. I won’t forget my friends, my pets, my personal interests and most importantly, my husband.
11. I’ll laugh at myself along with all the other mothers when I break every single one of these promises at least once. And I promise to try harder next time.

Mollee and her husband, Matt, live in Midlothian, Virginia, and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first baby (a girl!) in May 2013. (Check out her baby guessing game here.) Although she helps pay the bills by doing graphic design, Mollee’s true passion is for making things with her hands. Find more of her recipes, paintings and crafts at molleemade.com.

It might not be convenient to have a computer set up at your baby shower or gender reveal party for guests to join your baby pool online. Because of that, we’re excited to release our free printable game cards! (PDF)  They work just like our printable baby pool template, only they’re individual cards instead of one big spreadsheet. (I think that makes them easier to use at parties, not to mention cuter!)

There are four to a sheet of standard letter paper, so you can print as many copies as you need at home and simply cut along the dotted lines. Try placing the cards near your guest sign-in sheet next to a cute basket to drop them in, or pass them out when it’s time to play other shower games.

Guests can make their predictions about the baby’s gender, birth date and time, weight and length, and hair and eye color just like they would online. Then you just collect the cards and add their predictions to your pool later (more on how to do that in this post).

My own baby shower is coming up at the end of the month, and I’m excited to try these out. I think they’ll be handy for older guests who want to join my pool but aren’t computer-savvy (not to mention those busy friends who keep saying “Oh yeah, I need to do that!”).

If you use them for your shower or gender reveal party, let us know what you think! Just leave a comment here or send us an e-mail.

Download the printable baby shower guessing game cards.

Mollee and her husband, Matt, live in Midlothian, Virginia, and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first baby (a girl!) in May 2013. (Check out her baby pool here.) Although she helps pay the bills as a graphic designer, Mollee’s true passion is for making things with her hands. Find more of her recipes, paintings and crafts at molleemade.com.

Here are seven items representing a variety of price points that would make all the contracting, dilating, effacing — and of course, pushing — worth it (not that I expect all of them, of course).

1) Handwriting Silver Name Ring from Silver Promo Fine Jewelry, $30
I don’t care for any excessive bling — I just want a personal piece of jewelry that represents our baby girl. And what better way to do that than with a sterling silver ring with her name in a handwritten-style font? It can even be stacked with additional rings as your family expands.

2) Assorted Gourmet Lollypops from See’s Candies, $16.75
Made from heavy cream, butter, and flavors of vanilla, coffee, chocolate and butterscotch, these lollypops put regular suckers to shame. Sometimes you’re not allowed to have real food after childbirth, but surely one of these would be allowed, and it would be a welcome treat after hours of ingesting nothing but ice chips.

3) Purple Orchid in Asian Ceramic Planter from 1888Orchids.com, $49.95
Unlike mixed pastel-colored flower arrangements that are sold for exorbitant amounts of money in hospital gift shops and quickly die, orchid plants can live for years with proper care. This blooming Phalaenopsis is just 12 inches tall, but it’ll continue to grow and blossom just like a newborn baby. Say it with me: “Aww.”

4) Bottle of fine wine (My pick: Barboursville Octagon by Barboursville Vineyards, available at Total Wine for $44.99)
I don’t mean to sound like a lush, but after just seven months of sobriety, I’m already hankering for a sip of delicious red, and I’ll certainly be ready for a drink after the trauma of labor and delivery. If your sweetie is more into liquor, beer or another special beverage, that works too.

5) The Lacey MJ Black Nursing Pajamas by Majamas, available at Figure 8 Maternity with free shipping for $62)
These pajamas strike a nice balance between sexy lingerie and nasty old sweats, and they’re equipped with breast pad pockets and pull-aside nursing access. For moms who aren’t planning to breastfeed, any nice pajama set will do — just don’t buy her a corset and lace thong, or you might have to sleep on the couch.

6) Restaurant gift cards (the ones pictured are from Outback, Brio and P.F. Chang’s), amounts can vary
The gift of not cooking dinner is invaluable to a tired new mom. Heck, it’s invaluable to this tired pregnant lady! I’d love to have a gift card (or two or three to choose from) that I could cash in for some takeout or a nice night out once I’m ready.

7) House Cleaning Service (popular national companies include Molly Maid, Merry Maids and Maid Brigade)
I think I’d rather have a maid than diamond earrings. A one-time cleaning can run you anywhere from $75 to $400, depending on the size of your home, and an ongoing bi-weekly service can add up to even more, but the extra time she’ll have to focus on her new bundle of joy will be worth it in her eyes, especially if she’s going back to work.

Hopefully that gives the expectant dads and partners out there some good ideas. Ladies, what kind of push present are you hoping for?

NOTE: This post is the opinion of Mollee and none of the products featured here are sponsors or direct advertisers of WhatsInMyBelly.com

Mollee and her husband, Matt, live in Midlothian, Virginia, and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first baby (a girl!) in May 2013. (Check out her baby guessing game here.) Although she helps pay the bills by doing graphic design, Mollee’s true passion is for making things with her hands. Find more of her recipes, paintings and crafts at molleemade.com.

You might be a good fit if …

• You’re a new or expectant mom or dad
• You have your own blog or experience writing for another blog or publication
• You’d like to share your personal experiences and practical advice related to pregnancy and/or early parenting

If that sounds like you …

Email us at blog@whatsinmybelly.com with an idea for a post along with a couple of writing samples (links to your best blog posts or documents that have been published elsewhere).

We look forward to hearing from you!

One day, I was visiting one of my best friends who is a mother of two, and she caught me giving my side a little scratch with my thumbnail. She asked what I was using to moisturize my belly, and I told her just my regular-old lotion. “Oh, you need Mama Bee Belly Butter,” she insisted. “It’s made by Burt’s Bees.” I said I’d look for it and promptly forgot.

A few weeks later, she surprised me with a tub of the stuff, and I haven’t been nearly as itchy since. I guess the combination of cocoa, shea and jojoba butters really does the trick to keep a pregnant belly smooth and supple.

It’s natural, as most of Burt’s Bees products are, and fragrance-free, which I really appreciated in those earlier days when I was still nauseated by perfumey smells. The 6.5-ounce container will probably last me through the rest of my pregnancy and beyond, so I’d definitely say it’s worth the $13 it usually costs, even if I’d had to pay for it myself.

Win Free Belly Butter

Speaking of not paying for things yourself, how would you like to win your very own Belly Butter? We have three tubs to give away to three different lucky readers in the United States. You’ll have through Monday, Feb. 18, 2013 at 11PM EST, to enter. Winners will be notified by email.

This contest is over, and the winners are:

1. Cindi Simon
2. Jaymee Wolfe-Deblieck
3. Anaiah Younger

Note: We are NOT associated with Burt’s Bees and are not receiving any compensation for this contest.

Want to win $50?

This contest is over, but you can still win $50 by making a guess in the Baby Makin’ Mama’s Baby Pool. (Guesses accepted through March 18, 2013.)

I’ve definitely learned the art of making a few of my maternity-wardrobe basics work for a variety of temperatures and conditions by layering and accessorizing. That way I won’t need to invest in everything from a maternity turtleneck sweater dress to shorts during the course of my pregnancy.

Want to see an example?

I bought this soft, stretchy color block dress on sale at Motherhood Maternity to wear for dressier occasions like work, church and special events.

Two options for a maternity dress. One for warmer weather, one for colder weather.

Even though it’s sleeveless, I layer it up with a black blazer (that’s actually a non-maternity one that I already owned) and tights and boots on frigid winter days. (Of course, I also wear a warm maternity coat and scarf when I’m outside.) Some big silver hoop earrings polish off this cold-weather look.

On warmer days or for special indoor events, I can ditch the blazer and change the boots to some supportive Mary Jane pumps. A black beaded necklace adds a little more fun to the outfit, and the skinny belt helps further define my (ever-expanding) waistline.

Now how about some more casual looks?

These dark-wash demi-panel skinny jeans from Old Navy have served me well throughout my second trimester, and I recently found this white roll-sleeve maternity tunic at a local consignment shop. Old Navy has a similar one here (although the sleeves don’t roll) or there’s this one from the Gap in blue stripe.

When the weather is cool and overcast, you might find me in these pieces topped with a non-maternity cardigan from my regular wardrobe, a bright scarf and a pair of comfy suede ballet flats.

Casual maternity outfits that can be changed for warm or cool weather.

Soon, as we head into spring, I can wear the blouse over a camisole with the sleeves rolled up, cuff the jeans and slip into some metallic sandals. Bold, geometric earrings help give the otherwise-neutral outfit a little more pizzazz.

I can only guess what Mother Nature will bring our way during my third trimester, but I’ll be ready. What are your favorite pieces to wear in wacky weather? Feel free to share links!

Mollee and her husband, Matt, live in Midlothian, Virginia, and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first baby (a girl!) in May 2013. (Check out her baby guessing game here.) Although she helps pay the bills by doing graphic design, Mollee’s true passion is for making things with her hands. Find more of her recipes, paintings and crafts at molleemade.com.

These simple treats are loosely based on a recipe for chewy ginger cookies from the December issue of Food Network Magazine that I chocolatized and adjusted to my tastes. I figured they’d be perfect since ginger is known to ease nausea, and chocolate makes everything better. Plus, I used blackstrap molasses instead of the regular kind because it’s rich in iron. Win-win-win!

Chewy Chocolate Ginger Cookies: The All Day Morning Sickness Cure

They look dense, but their texture is actually light and chewy. They’re nice and chocolately with just enough ginger and spice to add a warm, comforting flavor without overpowering. Even if it’s all in my head, these cookies make me feel better, and my husband and coworkers thoroughly enjoyed them too. Someday I’ll have to make them with my daughter and tell her all about how queasy she made me.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chopped chocolate
• 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.
2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and the egg, and beat well to combine. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients; then stir in the chocolate and crystallized ginger. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°. Drop tablespoons of dough two inches apart onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until just set.

Makes about three dozen cookies.

Mollee and her husband, Matt, live in Midlothian, Virginia, and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first baby (a girl!) in May 2013. (Check out her baby pool here.) Although she helps pay the bills by doing graphic design, Mollee’s true passion is for making things with her hands. Find more of her recipes, paintings and crafts at molleemade.com.