Preggo Prepper

[bacpacjac]

In May and June, I went on a few camping trips with my son and our Scout group. I submitted the stories and photos to the ZS Spring/Summer Mock Bug-out Contest but failed to report on part of the story. viewtopic.php?f=14&t=93528 As it turns out, I was pregnant during those trips. They say that hindsight is 20/20 so, on the recommendation of a fellow ZSer, I thought I'd start a thread on the the impact prenancy is having on our preparedness mindset. Believe me, it's definitely having an impact.

Our last trip was mid-June, and I didn't yet know that I was pregant. I was sick during the week leading up to the trip, but thought it was the stomach flu. I was a litte concerned about the heat and the strain of canoe-tripping, but decided to press on, extra fluids in tow. The kids had a good time but it was not a fun trip for me. Not yet as big as a house, I managed to haul our gear and canoe, and do all the normal camp tasks, but I spent half the weekend throwing up and the other half wanting only to sleep while trying not to throw up. It wasn't pretty.

For the time being, I'm hanging up my hiking boots and concentrating on my health and getting ready for the new little one. Our youngest child just turned 9 and my memory is a little foggy about the pregnancy days of the past. Not to mention that I wasn't a prepper back then. (That didn't happen until I was caught unprepared with a 1 month old during the East Coast Blackout of 2003.) My mind is spinning thinking about the physical realities of dealing with an emergency situation while pregnant and eventually, shiver, with a little one.

That's where this thread comes in. Being pregnant adds an entriely different dynamic to preparedness and I'm sure it's going to be an evolving process. As much as I'd like to just be a trooper and press on, laughing in the face of morning sickness and extreme fatigue, there are some adjustments required, as proven by my experience in the MBO trips. Here's an initial list that I've come up with. I'm sure I've failed to think of something so I ask your help in thinking this through as we go along.

EDC now includes: anti-nausea meds, extra water and snacks, feminine pads, extra unders and a bigger shirt and pair of drawstring pants, numbers for OBGYN and emerg clinic, toothbrush and toothpaste.

GHB now includes all of the above updates and prenatal vitamins, boost meal suppliment drink

BOB now includes all of the above updates and prenatal vitamins, boost meal suppliment drinks, body pillow

GHB and BOB are soon going to have to be adjusted with smaller, lighter packs....

Office Bug-in Kit now includes all of the above updates and prenatal vitamins, boost meal suppliment drink

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has gone through this and I'd appreciate any input you may have to help me navigate the new path ahead. Thanks!

[Blacksmith]

Part of the joy of being in the military is getting to spend large blocks of time away from home even when the spouse is pregnant. I am assuming you have a detailed plan with your partner and then contingency plans for emergencies if he is unavailable. Whoever else is in the plan is fully versed as well.

Purely an aside but if there are any weapons (guns, knives, ammo whatever) in your bags make sure they are legal to take to the hospital or you remove them from whatever bags you take with you to the hospital (assuming a hospital birth here)

[Katica]

Congratulations!

[bacpacjac]

Thank you both.

Good call on team planing, Blacksmith. At this point, labour and delivery are still a while off but it's never to early to start planning for it, or an unexpected pregnancy related emergency. We have a 9 year old at home and certainly an emergency care plan for him needs to be figured out ASAP. thanks for the reminder!!

[Caenus]

We just had two kids over the last three years. We put together a hospital specific bag. Wife went to the ER three times during the pregnancy due to dehydration from excessive vomiting, severe back pain and again for severe vomiting (she was on a Zofran pump most of the pregnancy).

Some of this is for both of us, some for just her. They mostly tend to take very good care of the mother, but husbands or whomever accompanied them are left out quite a bit.

Included were:
-Snacks (hospital snack bars, etc are usually not open late)
-An empty nalgene (plenty of water fountains and sometimes they get a little busy for people paging to ask for water...especially if someone comes along with you. They tend to get ignored as they are not the patient.)
-A fleece jacket or sweater for whoever goes with you. Even in the summer hospitals can get cold. The in-room temp is adjusted based on the patients comfort).
-Phone chargers. If you have to go to the ER to get a funny feeling checked out, you could be there for a while. It's nice to have the smartphone powered so you can contact family, work and use for entertainment.
-toothbrush. Sure, hospital will have one, but if you drag yourself in at 3am, morning breath is going with you.
-spare clothes. I met her at the ER one afternoon in work clothes. I started to keep a pair of workout shorts and T-shirt in the bag. I took her to ER one night and she had to leave at noon the next day in her PJ's...
-various hair ties, brush, very basic makeup kit. Nothing says "bitch" like spending all night in the hospital vomiting/in pain and then walking out in your PJ's, with morning breath and huge bags under her eyes. (it was of course all my fault...big kudos though the next time when she discovered I had bought extra of her makeup for the bag...showed I listen apparently...or something like that I wasn't paying attention after being up all night in uncomfortable clothes freezing my ass off and starving with dry mouth).

[bacpacjac]

Great tips, Caenus.Thanks!

I made a scheduled trip to a special pregnancy clinic in a hospital in Toronto yesterday, and took public transit for the first time in years to get there. I have to admit that my thinking process on what to bring was a little clunky. In a backpack I put: copies of my medical paper trail, my edc purse, a full 2l Nalgene, some snacks and sour candies (GREAT for nausea!), a jacket (with mitts and socks in pockets), a hat, a magazine, leather man wave, edc pocket organizer tool kit, headlamp, sunglasses, prescription glasses in hard case, wallet with extra cash. The bag was heavy enough, but I didn't have many toiletries or a change of clothes. Those are great ideas! (A smudge of ultrasound gel in the wrong place is unpleasant enough, nevermind something more dramatic.)


EDC backpack: http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h35 ... 730771.jpg

EDC PSK Purse: http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h35 ... 188855.jpg

Interestingly, just as I pulled into the transit parking lot to head to the hospital, I realized that the parking machine doesn't take paper money. I went and got change so I could park and then my cel phone decided that it didn't want to live anymore. No problem, I thought, I've got a quarter for a pay phone. I had no idea that it would take 50 cents to make my call. More quarters, loonies and toonies next time!

EDIT: In addition to more coins and a change of underwear (ultrasound gel sucks!), I'll probably throw in a lined fleece or something instead of the jacket next time. The hospitals can get a little cool sometimes, and it looks like I've got 2 emerg ponchos should an unexpected rain appear. (We all dress for the weather, right?) I also need to wear better foot ware next time as well. My ortho sandles are comfy but not if I had to walk any distance if it was raining. I could also ditch my leatherman, since I've got my Gerber recoil and a couple of folders. I threw it in out of habit bit cutting weight in the pack will help as I gain it in my body.

[Caenus]

I used a black backpack the first time, but ended up having to put it down constantly to help the wife with things. The second time I used a piece of carry on luggage, the kind with the extendable handle and wheels. It worked much better because I could just stand it up and the handle was always there within reach.

[bacpacjac]

I used a black backpack the first time, but ended up having to put it down constantly to help the wife with things. The second time I used a piece of carry on luggage, the kind with the extendable handle and wheels. It worked much better because I could just stand it up and the handle was always there within reach.

Great idea! Thanks for the suggestion. I wouldn't want to use one for regualr edc, but it would be perfect for a hospital bag.

[duodecima]

EDIT: In addition to more coins and a change of underwear (ultrasound gel sucks!), I'll probably throw in a lined fleece or something instead of the jacket next time. The hospitals can get a little cool sometimes, and it looks like I've got 2 emerg ponchos should an unexpected rain appear. (We all dress for the weather, right?) I also need to wear better foot ware next time as well. My ortho sandles are comfy but not if I had to walk any distance if it was raining. I could also ditch my leatherman, since I've got my Gerber recoil and a couple of folders. I threw it in out of habit bit cutting weight in the pack will help as I gain it in my body.

1)Re: ultrasound gel - get a towel to tuck into and over your undies before hand! And ask for extra towels after. Babywipes for the remnants.
2)IF there is an issue with blades in your hospital, the leatherman may pass muster more easily than a folder. In all honesty nobody's likely to look thru your bag.

Congrats!

[bacpacjac]

Thanks duodecima!

[bacpacjac]

I've been feeling a lot better lately so I took my son (9), nephew (8) and niece (6) for an overnight car camp this weekend. We kept it really simple - went to an in the city campground with tents, bags and blankets, can to boil water in, fire kit, weiners, instant KD, marshmallows, hot chocolate, koolaid jammers and water. We also brought a hobo stove just in case a fire ban was re-established. We didn't need it but we did use it just to show them how it's done.

They hunted for crawfish, (didn't catch a single one in almost three hous but they sure had fun!), foraged for fire sticks, worked on their firecraft and practiced their knife, axe and cooking skills, all under the eye of this watchful mama. 2 of them slept in tents for the first time and my nephew even spent the entire night in a one-man tent by himself. Very brave!

We forgot our thermarests (Duh!) and it got pretty chilly in the wee hours. Thankkfully we had lots of wool blankets. This preggo could not get comfortable so I stayed up all night in my chair by the fire, watching the stars and the racoons. Got to see a beautiful sunrise too, so it wasn't so bad.

Despite being REALLY tired, it was a great trip. (Photos are on pages one and two here if you're interested: http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h351/backpackjac

ps - When it comes to camping while pregnant, sleeping on the ground sucks (even with a mattress) and I'm just about done carrying bags of wood. Things to consider when prepping the family BOB and GHB.

[bacpacjac]

So I walked out of the TO hospital this week and the subway was broken. (It started off isolated at station one, and then grew to affect the entire line) I took a long walk to get to an operating and not entirely overflowing station and learned a few things along the way:

*My ortho sandles suck for long distance walking. Socks and my merrells are returning to the starting line-up
*I got a hot spot on one foot so I've also added a couple of blister pads to my FAK
*Ditching the 2L nalgene and the tool kit made nice differnce in the weight of the pack
*I took a bottle of juice instead of my nalgene. Refills weren't an issue because this was a subway only event but if it was a more broad problem (like the 2003 East Coast black-out), my 2L bottle would have been welcome
*The officials at the closed subway station were very helpful with info but a radio will come in handy if it's a broader event. My new mp3 player with built-in fm tuner is great but I need to figure out a way to charge it on the fly (cel phone charger solution stil pending too, so I'm hoping for a combo solution)
*this trip was in broad daylight, on a hot summer day. That walking stick will be welcome in more adverse conditions
*having something warm was a blessing in a building that was over-compensating for the combo of pregnant women and a hot day by running the a/c in the "extreme arctic" mode. I think I might swap put my fleece jacket for a silk sleeping bag liner. It's about the same weight but much smaller.
*when I exited the last station, I noticed that the ticket booth was closed. You needed to have tokens to get a ride. I always kee a couple of extra in my wallet, a habit that paid off on this trip (station two was extremely over-crowed and I figured that waiting for a train was hopeles, not to mention WAY to hot for this preggo, so I exited and walked on) It's a habit I'll keep.

[bacpacjac]

I used a black backpack the first time, but ended up having to put it down constantly to help the wife with things. The second time I used a piece of carry on luggage, the kind with the extendable handle and wheels. It worked much better because I could just stand it up and the handle was always there within reach.

We're going to pack a bag like this as the due date gets closer. For now, We've got a hotel bug-out bag that will serve the purpose well enough.

[bacpacjac]

I'm six months pregnant now, making the public transit trek to Toronto (a good 60kms or so) every two weeks, and it's seasonal switch-over time. Temps are going below zero overnight now, and are anywhere between single digits and high teens during the day, with sun, rain, wind and frost. My weight tolerance is getting lower but my needs a little higher. I've been adjusting my EDC load as I go and could use your help winterizing it. It's significantly light today than it was when I first posted but now needs a winter warm-up.

The most likely scenario I'm prepping for is a breakdown of public transit between the hospital and my Jeep, that gets parked on the outskirts of the city. If I get stuck at the hospital or my Jeep, I figure I'll have enough resources available unless TS really HTF.

This is one view inside my EDC backpack - the tools pocket, if you will. LMWave (with fire steel and maglite solitare in sheeth), AAAx3 LED, LED glow stick, bic, kleenex, wipes, lip balm, bandana, pen, TUMS, mylar blanket, emerg poncho. The bag also contains: my wallet with cash/coins/credit/id/emerg contact info/calling card/etc, FAK, 2 days worth of prescription meds, 2L nalgene, 3 or 4 cliff/granola bars, spare socks and unders, wool hat and mitts, medical paperwork and id, Toronto tourism map and contact info, silk sleeping bag liner, mp3 player with FM tuner, sunglasses, prescription glasses and a gortex jacket. I've also been taking my tablet or kindle, cel phone and chargers on these trips. My edc keychain also gets thrown in there. (keys, SAK, micro photon, Fox 40, paracord lanyard, Streamlite Nano)

http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h35 ... G_0865.jpg


Obviously, the clothing I wear is my first line of defence against the weather. I dress for the worse likely weather, which means I'll likely be wearing the jacket more and more. I'd like to swap it out for something warmer, and possibly lighter. I've got a wonderful primaloft jacket but I've outgrown it so am on the hunt for a budget-friendly substitute. A lined fleece jacket perhaps?

I'm also thinking of switching the nalgene to a 1l version and adding a small insulated bottle/thermos for hot drinks. I'm going to throw in some chem pocket warmers too.

Any other suggestions?

[duodecima]

Obviously, the clothing I wear is my first line of defence against the weather. I dress for the worse likely weather, which means I'll likely be wearing the jacket more and more. I'd like to swap it out for something warmer, and possibly lighter. I've got a wonderful primaloft jacket but I've outgrown it so am on the hunt for a budget-friendly substitute. A lined fleece jacket perhaps?

I've used an oversized heavy fleece shirt under a windbreaker or oversized ski-jacket shell (hand-me-down from my "little" brother...) to get around this. The first time around I had a wool "duffel" coat that went almost to my knees, which, due to the cut of those kind of coats, just got a bit snug around the massive belly instead of hanging freely. But I think finding oversized cheap layers might work? Especially since none of the pieces were "meant" for the temps you're describing by themselves, they may be cheaper than actual cold weather gear. Also, thrift stores for oversized, out-of-style but functional stuff.

It wouldn't work well for the EDC bag, but maybe a woobie, or a "poncho" made out of a fleece and/or wool blanket, to keep in the jeep? Those should fit over the biggest belly if you're hoofing it, and work well for hunkering down as well.

[bacpacjac]

Great suggestions, duodecima. Layering is definitely key. I'd love to find a good wool layer, either a coat or a sweater. I'd like to keep room in the bag to shove the jacket/coat I'm wearing while at the doc's, so the extra layer needs to be small. I have a merino wool shirt that I adore and would work perfectly if I hadn't grown out of it. The second hand store hunt is on!

[duodecima]

Great suggestions, duodecima. Layering is definitely key. I'd love to find a good wool layer, either a coat or a sweater. I'd like to keep room in the bag to shove the jacket/coat I'm wearing while at the doc's, so the extra layer needs to be small. I have a merino wool shirt that I adore and would work perfectly if I hadn't grown out of it. The second hand store hunt is on!

Extra pair of slightly oversized silks? You'd need the ability to change but a good base layer makes such a difference, and silks pack small (and stretch reasonably, tho you might not be able to use them after pregnancy). I've only ever had "cheap" silks, and they still improved my warmth noticeably.

[bacpacjac]

Brilliant idea, duodecima. Perfect for the pregnant woman with space and temp control issues.Thanks! I've just added a LS thermal top and now I'm on the hunt for pair of bottoms that will fit.

[bacpacjac]

Quick EDC Backpack Update

Realized yesterday that I don't have extra batteries. They're in there now.

I swapped out my thermal top for a light wool jacket. I layer and usually wear a long-sleeved thermal top as a base layer in cool and cold weather, and the wool jacket is about the same weight and only slightly bulkier. It should work very well as a mid layer, between my synthetic or merino wool base layer, whatever thicker/warmer mid layer I'm wearing, and my synthetic outer layer.

I also swapped out my 2l Nalgene for a 27oz Kleen Kanteen. It's better for boiling water in (which I'm not really planning to do with this urban kit), but it's also smaller and a bit lighter.

I'm still working on adding a hiking stick but do have shoe spikes ready to add when the big freeze arrives and hand warmers have been added. Walking on ice can be tricky and I really don't want to fall. The baby is pretty safe but I don't bend or bounce like I did in my thirties.

I also updated my paperwork to include the results of my most recent rounds of testing. Given my daily commute, there's a chance that I could deliver at a hospital that aren't one of the two that are coordinating my care. I'd rather hand them a folder of reports then have them try to track them down, so I'm carrying copies of the most relevant stuff. Not to mention that dual-care means having to sometimes upate one of my primary care physicians about what happened with the other one.

I added a toiletries bag including travel sized toothpaste, toothbrush, floss sticks, deodarant, hand sanitier, some hair elastics and lip balm. I also added some post-delivery pads/unders.

I removed the mylar blanket because as I was repacking my FAK, I realized that it has a 1 person Heatsheets in it already. It had hand sanitzier in it as well, which I removed in light of the new bottle in the toiletries kit and the santizing wipes in the FAK. I almost kept both in in case of emergency child birth. I might rethink it and put them back in. They're small and weigh little.

I also found the microPUR tabs I stashed in the FAK, so took getting more off my To Do List. (Forgotten Heatsheets, purelle and H2O tabs. Baby brain. This is why I need to write things down.)

I also realized that I hadn't migrated a headlamp back into this bag so I fixed that by adding my Petzl eLite. Love that light! Hands-free is the way to go when you weigh 800 pounds, have no balance and are potentially dealing with dark and slippy conditions.

It gets a little cramped in there if I add my jacket and e-reader but from the looks of the weather forecast, I'll be wearing my jacket most of the time from here on out until I switch over to a winter coat. I can always sling it though the shoulder straps when I'm inside.

Commuting alone so far from home in the third trimester isn't ideal. (Hubby has made the commute with me. We lived and worked in the area this trip covers, so he's got a very good lay of the land. We've got a nine year old at home to take care of so he sticks closer to home to manage that piece of the puzzle.) I am becomng increasingly dependant on others the closer I get to delivery day. I'm not going far or carrying much on foot so I need to stay realistic. Hunkering down or heading straight to the hospital, and keeping in contact with my peeps via phone are my best two options should something go wrong. I normally plan to be as independant and mobile as possible so this is quite a shift in thinking.

The delivery day plan details are solidifying as well. We've got a few get to the hospital plans (A,B,C,D,E AND F) and take care of our son plans (A,B,C,D AND E) in place. The emergancy call list and action plans are confirmed, the hospital bag is packed and hanging inside the front door of the house, and we have a tour of the hospital in a couple of weeks.

Still three months to go, but the time is going to fly. With a little luck, the baby will arrive safely and on time at the hospital that's a couple of blocks from home. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

PICTURES:
Maps, wallet and key chain: http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h35 ... ure033.jpg
Keys, Fox 40, SAK, Streamlight Nano, fauton, lots of change and cash (for parking, transit, phones, cab, hotel, etc.) credit/bank cards, and paracord braclet

Merrell hikers:
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h35 ... ure031.jpg

EDC Backpack, including clothes, shelter, FAK, water, lights, snacks, toiletries, medical records, emergency contact info, etc.:
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h35 ... 012081.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h35 ... 012079.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h35 ... 012078.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h35 ... 012077.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h35 ... 012076.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h35 ... 012075.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h35 ... 012074.jpg

[bacpacjac]

I've made a few more adjustments so I thought I'd update to keep it current:

-exchanged my 32 oz Nalgene/28 oz Kleen Kanteen for a 20oz Bubba Hero Bottle. It's a 24 hr cold/8 hour hot water bottle. It's a little smaller than the other two bottles but winter's knocking on our door and carrying a hot drink is going to become a requirement soon. Since this is an urban only bag, I don't want to carry a water bottle and a thermos or travel mug.
http://www.amazon.com/bubba-HERO-bottle ... B0087JLHE4

-exchanged my goretex jacket for a Wind River packable annorack. Since I'll likely be wearing my goretex jacket or winter coat from here on out, I took advantage of the space/weight savings. This one's more of a water repellant hooded pullover windshirt. It's that's much lighter and should make a good additional mid-layer if needed. Works great with my down vest and a woold sweater to cut the wind!

-removed the LED glow stick. I've already got an LED flashlight and headlamp, along with my maglite solitare. 4 lights seems like overkill for this kit.

-exchanged my wool/fleece mittens for fleece-lined horseleather mittens. They're more durable and also warmer.

-added a small plano fly case to hold my extra batteries. It's got 4XAAs, 4XAAs and 2XCR2032 in there right now and they fit perfectly.

-added a Vicks Vapoinhaler. Now that the cold weather is hear, the second-hand smoke is sticking to smokers and making me seriously nauseous. Vicks is a godsend in those cases!

-added a tuna salad and crackers snack kit