the hospital bag

I can't believe it's February. Exactly one year ago I was two weeks from my due date and completely freaking out about what to do with myself. I had no idea what to expect. I googled and pinned everything I could find about the hospital experience. When I went into labor a week early, a sudden calm came over me. Joe grabbed our bags and I knew that whatever was coming was out of my control. I was along for the ride nearly as much as everyone else. I can't explain it, but childbirth (for me) came pretty naturally. No matter how you have your child, as long as you are in a hospital surrounded by family and friends, IT WILL BE OKAY. 

These are the things I was so happy I had packed. There were other things I never even touched and after we added gifts and a baby, we had a lot to carry home. Keep it simple and focus on your own comfort. The hospital has your baby covered, your husband can go home and fetch the things he forgot. 

1. Boppy for learning to nurse, making your friends feel more secure holding your newborn and for making that hospital bed just a little more comfy.

2. Comfortable but supportive pants (I had these). You want something to hold in your surprisingly still large belly. Nothing uncomfortable should be allowed in your room but I found the belly support in gap's pants to be comforting.

3. Nursing Bra and/or tanks. I actually just loved this bra. It doesn't have an underwire and is very comfortable. I bought two really good nursing tanks and still wear them on the weekends without a bra. Again, support is essential and I was basically DD or E or just huge and both of these products worked for me. Also: when the milk came in I slept in these tanks so the leaky pad things would stay in place and I wouldn't wake up in a puddle of milk.

4. Black underwear, nothing too sexy here. You will need your underwear to support a newspaper-sized pad (I'm not even kidding). I heard that some hospitals provide mesh panties, St. Vincent's in Birmingham did not. Just giant pads. 

5.  A robe to quickly cover up and keep warm while nursing. I liked that this one had pockets I could keep chapstick and lanolin in. Bonus: the lanolin gets warm staying close to your body which makes it so much less painful to put on!

6. Cosmetic Bag with: makeup, toothbrush, toothpaste, gum, face wash, lotion, shampoo, conditioner and brush (also, contact stuff and glasses if that applies to you). These are items you can't pack ahead of time since you use them everyday. Do yourself a favor and have them ready to go. I never took this bag to work with me but I kept it ready so that Joe would be able to go home and grab one thing without worrying if he had it all. 

7. I opted for socks over flip-flops. I packed a few soft pairs and switched them out day and night. 

8. 4 cute outfits for your baby, two sized Newborn or Preemie, two in 0-3 months. One is for hospital pictures and the other is for the ride home. My child was tiny, she only fit a preemie onesie from gap and wore hospital t-shirts most of the time. I had no idea that hospitals had photographers so be prepared but other than that, the t-shirts are great since they are wrapped like a burrito almost the whole time.


9. Don't forget the obvious: going home outfit for you, pillows, pajamas, cell phone and charger. DON'T FORGET THE CARSEAT! 

10. Your husband's stuff. Make sure he has an extra t-shirt, pillow, pajamas and a toothbrush. That's all he will need. 

You don't need as much for your baby as you might think. The hospital will provide diapers, wipes, formula (if you want it), shirts, nose cleaning bulb, hair brush, lotion and soap. They will wrap your baby up like a burrito with hospital-provided blankets. I love aiden + anais swaddling blankets but the nurses work magic with the ones they have. Emmy never took a pacifier but I have seen many babies take them at the hospital so pack it that's your thing.

Here's what I thought I might need but became a waste of space:

• Books, laptop, ipad, kindle - anything to entertain you. You will NOT need this. First off, you are having a baby... you are going to be very busy with nurses, doctors, visitors, pushing, crying, and then STARING at your child in complete awe. Eventually, you might get some sleep. Don't bring something that will keep you from that precious sleep. 
• Breast pumping/Nursing stuff - (at least for me) milk didn't actually come in until a few days after birth. I liked my nursing bra but if you don't like your bra, don't bother with it yet. Definitely don't pack a pump. The stuff that comes out before the milk (colostrum) is thick and your baby's sucking will be painful enough. Just don't stress about that yet.
• Frilly dresses and baby wear. Maybe this is just my opinion, but newborns are just so tiny and their skin is so fresh and delicate. 100% cotton and comfy is all I wanted on my baby.

In general, less is more. You cannot plan for childbirth to go your way. I think the first step to a relaxed birth is a relaxed bag. Just have confidence that the things you need will be provided to you by your partner, your family, your nurses and God. It will be okay, everything will work out. 

Hopefully, I didn't miss anything important here - anyone out there have something they couldn't have lived without?

hospital survival kit

I've been in the hospital with a sick child for 5 days, 4 nights and here's a list of things I think all moms should pack if their child gets admitted for the hospital:

For the baby:
1. Lots of onesies. The best ones are these at Gap. You can't do footies in case they hook up a monitor or IV. These are great because the buttons will let the whole outfit come off without going over the head or feet. You need at least 6 even 
2. Wash cloths - for the in-bed sponge bath. Hospital towels are scratchy.
3. Plastic toys - Sitting in a crib can get dull so we alternate the toys so she thinks it's something new. We only brought plastic so we could easily sanitize them. 

The hospital provides for their patient, the baby. So formula, juice, diapers and wipes are free and you should take full advantage.

For the parents:

My new motto: "make yourself at home"

1. Firm pillows and sleeping bags and/or comforter - The furniture is hard and the pillows here  are a joke. You will need a firm pillow to protect your head from the hard spots on the bed or wall. The comforter can be doubled-up if you are sleeping on a hard bed so you have more cushion. It may seem like a bulky addition (because it is) but you can stash it away during the day and it will be worth it to avoid aches and pains at night
2. Water bottles - You can refill them from the tap, just make sure to drink lots of water. The lack of sleep will make your face puffy enough. You need water to make yourself feel better.
3. Gum - For your breathe, you will need it.
4. Toiletries - This is obvious of course but make sure you don't miss anything. Bring shampoo, conditioner, face wash tooth brush - all of it. I assume all hospitals have showers.
5. A towel - back to the point about scratchy towels. 
6. Technology - keeping up with the rest of the world is the only way you will feel like the rest of the world is still happening. Being cooped up in a hospital makes time stand still. 

Unlike preparing for the hospital stay before you give birth, the ER is unexpected. You probably won't pack much when you first drop in because you don't know if your child will even be admitted unless it's truly serious and in that case you don't even have time to think about packing a bag. 

I guess most of this is applicable to anyone's hospital stay. It's important to appreciate the service and care you are getting  and although it's nothing like a hotel stay there's no reason not to make yourself feel better about being there. 

I'd also suggest avoiding fast food and cafeteria food. If someone offers to bring you something, let them. My mom brought my favorite home-cooked dinner one night. My sister brought us warm cookies and milk (Joe's favorite) another night. These things made us feel normal. We felt more human eating things that weren't wrapped in plastic. 

This trip to the hospital isn't about us. It's about Emmy