Search Results for: blog packing for the hospital

Hospitality with Little Ones

When we have little children we often feel like being hospitable is too much trouble. It is hard to make sure the house is clean enough for company with children at our feet. What about having the time to care for the kids while preparing for a dinner? Having the holidays at a house with children can be difficult for the hostess. In this economy it can also be expensive to plan. If you have small children or plan to host families with small children how do you get over the hump of cleaning the house before, afterwards, and everything … Continue reading →

Hospital Bag Essentials

This post is inspired by a friend of mine who posted a question about hospital bag essentials on her Facebook this morning. I’ve written about what to pack before (you can read that here), but that post focused on comfort and directed toward the mother-to-be who doesn’t want to forget anything. That’s more of my style. I brought a blanket so the bed would feel more familiar. (In hindsight…. I loved it and would do it again!) What about the minimalist? The mom who wants to stick to the basics: what should she bring? Obviously it depends on the hospital, … Continue reading →

The Hospital: What to Bring vs. What to Borrow

While it is recommended that you pack a bag for your stay at the hospital when you have a baby; it’s not completely necessary. A lot of items will be given to you. If you’re looking to save yourself from bringing so many things (and risk accidentally leaving them there), here is a guide to what is definitely worth bringing and which hospital provided items are just as good. Clothes The hospital will provide you with hospital gowns and lovely mesh underwear. No surprise there! You are more than welcome to wear hospital gowns during your entire stay and change … Continue reading →

My, How Hospitals Have Changed!

I can’t remember the last time I was in a hospital — maybe it was back in 2001, the summer that both my grandmother and grandfather passed away. If I’ve been in a hospital room since then, it’s lost in memory. But I was in a hospital room today — some very good friends of mine welcomed twins into the world. After I stopped being distracted by holding the tiny babies, I started looking around. Things certainly have changed! Probably the most impressive thing (at least to me) was the wristbands. Mom, Dad, and twins all had barcoded wristbands. This … Continue reading →

Packing Your Bags for the Hospital

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Packing your bags for the hospital is a major milestone on your journey to the delivery room. Deciding what to bring can be a little overwhelming if you’ve never had a baby before. Since you’ll likely be spending a couple days there, it will be comforting to have some of your own personal items there with you to make it feel a little more like home. First of all, it’s a good idea to have your hospital bag packed about 4 weeks before you are scheduled to deliver. You could go into labor early or your due date might be … Continue reading →

Pack Your Bag It’s Time To Go

If you are getting close to your delivery date, it is time to pack your bag for the trip of a lifetime. Before you drag out your suitcase and start tossing in your sunscreen and beach blanket, I should tell you that it’s a different kind of trip. That all important trip to the hospital (if you are planning to give birth at a hospital) where you will give birth to your baby. In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that with both pregnancies I did not pack my bag for the hospital until right before I left. … Continue reading →

Leave This At Home

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about what you should bring to the hospital, but what about a list of things you should leave at home? To make this simple and mildly entertaining, I’ve composed a list of DOs and DON’Ts. DO bring your own toothbrush and toothpaste. Do you really want your baby’s first experience with the sense of smell to be your stinky breath after you have not been allowed to eat for hours upon hours? DON’T bring a sense of perfectionism. It’s okay if your hair is a mess and your make up is non-existent. You … Continue reading →

Five-Month-Old Suffers Serious Sunburn

As my family prepares to fly to the southwestern part of the United States for a vacation, I’m consumed with packing and preparing for the trip. A number one thought in my mind is how to best keep our baby cool in the hot temperatures while still protecting her from the sun’s rays. As we plan to spend some of our time sightseeing outdoors in temperatures in the mid 80’s to 90’s, this is a real concern. Apparently, not every mother shares this concern. In a story that is sure to twist your stomach and cause emotions ranging from disbelief … Continue reading →

Alternative Birth Apparel

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As soon as you arrive to the hospital, you are given a bag for your personal belongings and the notorious hospital gown, which is essentially a sheet with snap sleeves and tie strings. Five minutes after putting it on, you realize how annoying they are. It’s not easy to access monitors when the only opening is in the rear. When you walk around, you need a second gown just to cover your bum. After you give birth, you have to pull the top all the way down just to breastfeed. There is nothing discreet about a hospital gown. You have … Continue reading →

Creating Your Birth Music Playlist

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Music has the power to soothe, to energize, motivate or distract. It can pump you up or lull you to sleep. You’ll be hard pressed to find any fitness class without a driving beat, nor a clothing store without trendy house music. Music is just as useful in the birthing room. It can help set the mood for a calm and relaxed birthing experience, and it can help a laboring mother press on when things get tough. Unless you want to be at the mercy of whatever is on the TV in your delivery room, I would suggest creating your … Continue reading →