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Activity #459: Pack for the hospital
(Originally posted in January 2007) A little confession from the Rookie Moms. We are both pregnant with #2. For our readers, we think this is great because we’ll be revisiting months 1-12 all over again. For our toddlers, this is great because they’ll become big brothers. For our bodies, well, we do it for the family. For our hearts, I honestly can’t even finish this sentence because pregnancy hormones have made me a tearful, pot-bellied mess when I think about how much love a mother of two must feel.
So fellow pregnant readers, enough about us; what about you? Leigh from New For Baby has a ton of suggestions about what to pack for the hospital. In the clothing department, however, she’s tells us that she’s got baby covered with the New for Baby “Bringing Home Baby” kit. 
The most exciting feature to me, is that the clothes will actually fit your newborn. FYI, pregnant rookie moms, 0-3 months does not really fit an 8 lb kid so well. It fits better when they get closer to 10 lbs, which does happen quickly, but if you pop out a 6-pounder, most clothes are going to be huge for a few weeks.
Read on for the rest of Leigh’s suggestions and some helpful links.
As for the Packing the Hospital Bag activity, my main tip is TREATS FOR THE NURSES! We brought Krispy Kremes and then a few boxes of chocolates (remember, you might be there for several shifts as Heather was), with a note on them ‘Thanks for all you do! This is the most exciting time in our lives!’ And you’d better believe it, when they chose our recovery room, we got the best one available
Plus, it’s just plain nice, since they spend more time with us than the Doctors. The other standards, of course:
- super soft, fluffy socks
- cute jammies/sweat suit (cause you’ll feel like crap)
- a nursing bra
- any kind of ice pack for down below (in case the hospital doesn’t use them - ours filled diapers with ice - that worked!)
- a small make up bag
- an iPod w/your labor mix and recovery music
- Daddy snacks
- cameras w/chargers and extra batteries
- your contact sheet, including phone tree, and cell phone charger.
- And of course, an outfit for your new baby - Bringing Home Baby!
Other lists we like:
BabyCenter’s packing list
Surebaby.com checklist
Economical Baby’s “What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag”
eHow.com’s “How to Pack a Maternity Bag”
Having been through it once myself, I just keep thinking, which items on these lists will make the baby come out faster? Let’s bring only those things.
(Update: We both had our babies earlier in 2007 and reaped the benefits of being second-timers. Heather’s labor was fast, and well-timed pain medication left her feeling slightly better than the “did I just get run over by a truck feeling?” that she had the first time. Whitney’s second-time labor was average in length, and poorly-timed pain medication didn’t do much to help her, but she successfully completed her VBAC mission (cheers to no surgery!) and spent two fewer days in the hospital than the first time.)
by Whitney in Prenatal |
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January 12th, 2007 at 6:17 am
My bag for the hospital is definitely going to include pure lanolin and some disposable breast pads for those tough first days of breastfeeding!
January 12th, 2007 at 8:09 am
[...] Over at Rookie Moms, both bloggers are pregnant with child #2. Congrats! There are over 300 fun activities posted that you can browse through. Most recent posted activity is how to pack for the hospital. This is for those pregnant moms about ready to deliver. [...]
January 12th, 2007 at 9:49 am
Congratulations!!! That is so exciting for both of you!!!
I personally wish I had an internet connection at my hospital so I could have checked my email! I think that hospitals are getting more tech friendly, so a laptop might be nice too. Also, the number of the people you want to call including your new pediatrician!
The bringing home baby kit is a great idea too. I felt like the worst mother because my newborn was in clothes that were huge for him. And I had to leave the hospital and take him immediately to another, so a whole new set of people got to see how I didn’t know how to dress my new son. Add to it that I forgot to bring my diaper bag in with me at the new hospital too, and I felt totally worthless!
January 12th, 2007 at 10:24 am
With the first baby I wanted labor lotion, and nice jammies, and soothing music. Now, with #2, I want a fifth of Jack, a new prescription for Zoloft, and a carton of Marlboros!!!
Just kidding (well, kidding about the smokes, and I’ll probably take a bottle of wine instead of liquor), but planning IS different this time, isn’t it? Preparing, both emotionally and physically, for #2 is DEFINITELY something I’d like to see more of on Rookie Moms! I’m due in April and I am so, so, so not ready.
January 12th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Wow, congratulations!! Do you do everything together?
I was wondering when new-baby stuff kept popping up on your blog posts.
The hospital bag list from my Ob was pretty darn hysterical. These look better.
January 17th, 2007 at 8:21 am
WOW - Those New For Baby garments are sooo hip & adorable. I am preg with #3 and I am def. gonna get a ‘Bringing Home Baby’ gift set from New For Baby. Thanks Rookie Moms for introducing me!
ordering today!
Julie.
p.s. thier Dreamy Blanket looks super cute too!
January 27th, 2007 at 11:47 am
First off, enormous congrats to both of you!
I think there are two items missing from an otherwise great list:
-Your own big, fluffy pillow, ideally in a non-white pillow case so it doesn’t end up in the hospital laundry
-A pair of flip flops. Slippers were too warm for me in my sweaty postpartum state, and the flip-flops are just the thing when you’re ready to take that first shower in your hospital room.
January 30th, 2007 at 6:09 am
CONGRATULATIONS!! I’ve been swamped lately finishing my Ph.D. dissertation, and haven’t been reading much of anything. Then this morning I got on and read this post that you and Heather are both pregnant! How exciting! I have two friends pregnant with number 2, and my husband I have begun talking about it. I can’t imagine how different it must be…oh, my number 1 is needing me. I had better go, but I wanted to let you both know I’m psyched for you! I hope we’ll hear more about what the second pregnancy is like here on Rookie Moms.
February 21st, 2007 at 4:02 pm
[...] I am packing for the hospital to go have my second baby and I *wish* I had not already donated my stupid Christmas socks. They would have been perfect: [...]
March 15th, 2007 at 10:39 am
the 2 main things i didnt take to the hospital with my first baby that i wish i had are 1. witch hazel pads. they are great for a good cool down and soreness down below after pushing out that baby. the second is make sure you have snacks and whatever you like to drink. after 14 hours of labor and no food i was starving and the hospital brought me a western omlet. i hate peppers! ugh. its nice to have something you know you are going to eat on hand and something for those midnight snacks just in case.
August 28th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
[...] Bags packed: (DD - 4 weeks) I wanted this done a month in advance so I could be ready at a moment’s notice. But I didn’t finish this until the day before Milo arrived. Oh well. See our sweet packing list. [...]
January 9th, 2008 at 5:53 am
Congratulations! How exciting!!! It’s fun to be pregnant and have babies that are close in age to a friend. My friend and I had our babies one day apart - we are closer than ever!!!
January 9th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Yes, yes, yes, on the clothes - we took the 0-3 sized perfect clothes to bring Alex home in - hahahaha. He was 7 pounds, which is apparently “sub zero” as best we could tell. We had to go buy some “just born” sizes on the way home!