Nice to see a distinctly 'feminine' thread on here! And congratulations!

I don't really have any good advice as I was pathetically unprepared during my pregnancy nearly 6 years ago!

Maybe make sure your first aid kit has anything that you might need in the event you have to deliver the baby NOT in a hospital?? I hope not, of course, but you know being prepared means considering the worst possible scenarios and planning for them!

Take care of yourself!

And don't forget a pacifier!

Late to the rodeo as usual ... first, grats to you and the rest of the family on the new addition.

Second, I will refer you to nursemike's warning about advice from a well meaning soul with no uterus, more of which is to follow . So here goes:

Add some saltine crackers to your food stores, they can help with the nausea and provide a needed food energy boost. For that matter, DW swore by plain salted potato chips for nausea when she was pregnant with DS. Any salty snack can help, so pick your favorite, but keep in mind this trick may not work for all the ladies so YMMV. You might also add something in there to help give you an energy boost as long as it is safe for the baby. I was thinking maybe some caffeine gum or mints but these may not be safe for the little one. The boost meal supplement or other food may well do the same thing anyway with no worries for the baby.

While it is good to be prepared for the possible bug out (or get home) scenario if needed, I would try to focus these plans on simply getting to the closest safe place to continue bugging in. I guess this is the obvious goal of any bug out plan, but my point here is that you don't want to be bugging out on foot 7 months pregnant with a 50 pound pack on your back. I did notice you plan to trim down the pack weight as the pregnancy progresses, but this all brings me to a final point.

Finally, keep your plans reasonable and within your limitations. As much as you may want to believe you could travel X miles with a Y pound pack on foot if you had to, you may very well find yourself unable to go half the distance with half the weight. You might be MUCH better off planning to make your current transportation more dependable, parking in areas where your vehicle will be less susceptible to damage, or planning for alternate transportation over the distance(s) you might expect to have to travel. In the event you have to travel on foot, I would think it is best to keep the distance you have to travel as short as possible, for your sake and the baby’s sake. Instead of a GHB getting you home, it might be better to get to the hospital, or to a family member’s or friend’s house that is close by.

Back in the 60s, I was doing archaeology at Fort Bowte National Historic Site, associated with the Apache Wars of the late 19th century. I read the following account, but I can no longer find the source - it may be the memoirs of Lt. Emmet Crawford.

As Geronimo's band (about thirty or so individuals, including noncombatants) was returning from Mexico for their final surrender, a woman veered from the group, headed for a distant grove of trees. The Americans asked basically, "What's up? - the response was "Just Wait - You'll See." So they continued on, and forty-five minutes or so later, the woman in question caught up with them, carrying her newborn.

I believe this in a true story, although none of the quoted sources were uterus endowed.

Our ancestors were incredibly tough, and clearly the Apache were real mothers.

Oh, yes, congratulations!

Thanks so much gang!

One of the things we have going for us is that the local hospital is only a couple of blocks away from us. An emerg child birth class is a good idea, nonetheless!

Bugging in remains at the top of our In Case of Emergency list but all those other contingency plans need to be revisited and revamped too!

Do some more research. Cord blood comes from the placenta, not the baby.

I'm aware of that. I take no position on the matter of whether it's better to bank the cord blood or to let as much of it as possible go into the baby before cutting the cord. The only point I intended to make is that there are people who feel strongly about it.

Congratulations Bacpacjac

And congrats to ETS.
Another prepper is expected.

Congratulations!

On a sorta gear related note, my wife is 'specting and she tried sleeping with a self-inflating "base-camp" size camping mattress on top of the bed last night.

She seemd to think it helped allieviate some poor circulation caused by pressure-points as she slept on her side.

BING!!!! Haupia is no officially on my group of cravings not that the morning sickness is under control and my appetite is raging. Thanks!

We're taking our Cub Scouts to Cuboree in September and I will be bringing one of those air matresses. When I was 8 months pregnant with my son, I went on a three day trip with my thermarest and that no-sleep lesson is seared into my memory. LOL!