Good news! We have internet again! And we didn't have to pay anything for the repairs! Yippee!!
I know I said I'd try to drop in here over the weekend, but I was tired and we kept ourselves pretty busy. Chris had MLK Day off, and we enjoyed soaking up time as just the two of us before our lives change forever (in the best way!) pretty soon.
As our trip to the hospital draws nigh, I thought it'd be fun to share what all we packed in our hospital bag. I feel like I should provide the disclaimer that our hospital is a little different since it's a military/teaching facility instead of private/for profit. Nothing is hurried there and we'll have to stay for at least 48 hours after the baby is born (which means a minimum of three days if I labor for a day). They also encourage us to bring our own clothes and a ton of personal items for comfort. So, I just want to say that even though it may seem like I'm a crazy over-packer (and I may be a teeny bit!), they suggested we bring many of these items at the childbirth class at our hospital!
When I googled and searched on Pinterest about items to pack, I got so much conflicting information! One list would say I HAD to bring one item, whereas the next list would say never, under any circumstances to bring the same item, that it would just get in the way. A lot of it was just a guessing game taking into consideration what they will provide at our hospital and what will make us most comfortable. We may end up not using half of what I packed, but I'm hoping we won't have any "Man, I wish we would have brought ________" moments. But, even if we do, our families will be here to grab anything from home or the store that we may discover we can't live without.
Once the Mister found out just how much I wanted to pack (after a very lengthy and expensive Walmart trip), he announced he had the PERFECT bag to fit everything. We're usually not that military couple who carries camouflage bags around, but he has one that is HUGE with lots of front pockets that really was great for this purpose. He calls it a "Bug Out" bag and he says a family of four could carry everything they'd need into the wilderness with it in the event of a doomsday event. I'm not sure about that, but I can say with a fair amount of confidence that it is big enough to fit all the items a family of three needs for a short stay at the hospital. : ) Here it is all packed and ready to go in the backseat:
GENERAL ITEMS:
- Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash for both of us
- Toiletries (I didn't buy many toiletries - we've just been keeping our deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc., in a bag in our bathroom so we can grab it and go in a hurry.)
- Two towels (I've read online that the ones they provide at the hospital can be thin and scratchy.)
- Snacks for Chris while I'm in labor and for both of us once we're in the Mother Baby Unit (Kind Bars, granola bars, ALL the gummies because I was craving them on the day I went shopping, and Pringles)
- A small bluetooth speaker so we can jam out or relax with music we like (I've heard some women totally change their minds about this and don't want ANY distractions, so we shall see...)
- Sparkling cider and a few little plastic cups to toast and celebrate Baby Dixon's arrival!
FOR MOMMA:
- Three button-front sleep shirts/gowns that will work for nursing (These are cheapos that I bought with the intention of wearing instead of hospital gowns and throwing away if they get stained.)
- A fluffy robe to wear during labor (Once again, I didn't pay much for it and plan for it to be ruined.)
- Two nursing bras
- Two pairs of fuzzy slipper socks
- Pillow with a patterned pillowcase so we can differentiate it from the ones they have at the hospital (The nurses who taught our class strongly encouraged this one because they have very few pillows.)
- Mesh granny panties : )
- Maxi pads with wings (I think our hospital will provide pads and underwear, but I packed some just to be safe.)
- Facial wipes
- Summer's Eve wipes for sensitive skin
- Nursing pads
- Nipple cream
- Prenatal vitamins
- Chapstick
- Sugarless hard candy to keep my mouth from getting dry during labor
- A top with buttons in the front and comfy shoes to wear home (I plan to wear a pair of maternity jeans into the hospital, so I'll just put those back on to wear home if they're clean.)
FOR DAD:
- An extra pair of jeans
- Two t-shirts
- Sweatshirt
- Blanket for sleeping
- Gum (I've heard this is a necessity during the close quarters and long hours of labor.)
FOR BABY!!:
- A few blankets
- Mittens to prevent scratching
- Three comfy outfits in both itty bitty and 3 month sizes (Our hospital provides paper shirts, but we're allowed to dress her each day if we wish. I mostly packed gowns that will be easy for diaper changes.)
- Cotton hats to keep her warm
I decided against packing a coat/bunting for her because they'll have us put her into the car seat before we leave and we've learned that it's dangerous for babies to have extra layers on when buckled in. So, we'll just have to warm the car up and make her really cozy with blankets before we head out.
I'm also going to have my nursing pillow in the car so Chris can run out and grab it if we decide we need it or if I want it when working with the lactation consultants.
We also have her diaper bag ready in the car (just in case we have to stop on the way home) with diapers, wipes, a changing pad, little trash bags, and sterilized pacifiers.
As I've mentioned before, I purchased the Freshly Picked/Love Taza Bringing Home Baby Bundle pretty much as soon as I found out I was pregnant. : ) It includes a nice, comfy robe for me to wear once we're in the Mother Baby Unit recovering and another pair of slipper socks. For baby, there is a matching hat, swaddle, and little moccasins! And a laundry bag for our dirty clothes!
That's it! It may be way too much, but I am relieved to feel prepared. Hopefully we won't be the first couple to look like we packed our whole house for our labor and delivery adventure!
Oh, and here's the photo I promised from the ball we attended last Thursday (hard to believe it was already a week ago)! I'm definitely looking 8 1/2 months pregnant, but the Mister is always so handsome in his uniform and I do LOVE my new shoes I bought for the occasion!
When I googled and searched on Pinterest about items to pack, I got so much conflicting information! One list would say I HAD to bring one item, whereas the next list would say never, under any circumstances to bring the same item, that it would just get in the way. A lot of it was just a guessing game taking into consideration what they will provide at our hospital and what will make us most comfortable. We may end up not using half of what I packed, but I'm hoping we won't have any "Man, I wish we would have brought ________" moments. But, even if we do, our families will be here to grab anything from home or the store that we may discover we can't live without.
Once the Mister found out just how much I wanted to pack (after a very lengthy and expensive Walmart trip), he announced he had the PERFECT bag to fit everything. We're usually not that military couple who carries camouflage bags around, but he has one that is HUGE with lots of front pockets that really was great for this purpose. He calls it a "Bug Out" bag and he says a family of four could carry everything they'd need into the wilderness with it in the event of a doomsday event. I'm not sure about that, but I can say with a fair amount of confidence that it is big enough to fit all the items a family of three needs for a short stay at the hospital. : ) Here it is all packed and ready to go in the backseat:
GENERAL ITEMS:
- Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash for both of us
- Toiletries (I didn't buy many toiletries - we've just been keeping our deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc., in a bag in our bathroom so we can grab it and go in a hurry.)
- Two towels (I've read online that the ones they provide at the hospital can be thin and scratchy.)
- Snacks for Chris while I'm in labor and for both of us once we're in the Mother Baby Unit (Kind Bars, granola bars, ALL the gummies because I was craving them on the day I went shopping, and Pringles)
- A small bluetooth speaker so we can jam out or relax with music we like (I've heard some women totally change their minds about this and don't want ANY distractions, so we shall see...)
- Sparkling cider and a few little plastic cups to toast and celebrate Baby Dixon's arrival!
FOR MOMMA:
- Three button-front sleep shirts/gowns that will work for nursing (These are cheapos that I bought with the intention of wearing instead of hospital gowns and throwing away if they get stained.)
- A fluffy robe to wear during labor (Once again, I didn't pay much for it and plan for it to be ruined.)
- Two nursing bras
- Two pairs of fuzzy slipper socks
- Pillow with a patterned pillowcase so we can differentiate it from the ones they have at the hospital (The nurses who taught our class strongly encouraged this one because they have very few pillows.)
- Mesh granny panties : )
- Maxi pads with wings (I think our hospital will provide pads and underwear, but I packed some just to be safe.)
- Facial wipes
- Summer's Eve wipes for sensitive skin
- Nursing pads
- Nipple cream
- Prenatal vitamins
- Chapstick
- Sugarless hard candy to keep my mouth from getting dry during labor
- A top with buttons in the front and comfy shoes to wear home (I plan to wear a pair of maternity jeans into the hospital, so I'll just put those back on to wear home if they're clean.)
FOR DAD:
- An extra pair of jeans
- Two t-shirts
- Sweatshirt
- Blanket for sleeping
- Gum (I've heard this is a necessity during the close quarters and long hours of labor.)
FOR BABY!!:
- A few blankets
- Mittens to prevent scratching
- Three comfy outfits in both itty bitty and 3 month sizes (Our hospital provides paper shirts, but we're allowed to dress her each day if we wish. I mostly packed gowns that will be easy for diaper changes.)
- Cotton hats to keep her warm
I decided against packing a coat/bunting for her because they'll have us put her into the car seat before we leave and we've learned that it's dangerous for babies to have extra layers on when buckled in. So, we'll just have to warm the car up and make her really cozy with blankets before we head out.
I'm also going to have my nursing pillow in the car so Chris can run out and grab it if we decide we need it or if I want it when working with the lactation consultants.
We also have her diaper bag ready in the car (just in case we have to stop on the way home) with diapers, wipes, a changing pad, little trash bags, and sterilized pacifiers.
As I've mentioned before, I purchased the Freshly Picked/Love Taza Bringing Home Baby Bundle pretty much as soon as I found out I was pregnant. : ) It includes a nice, comfy robe for me to wear once we're in the Mother Baby Unit recovering and another pair of slipper socks. For baby, there is a matching hat, swaddle, and little moccasins! And a laundry bag for our dirty clothes!
That's it! It may be way too much, but I am relieved to feel prepared. Hopefully we won't be the first couple to look like we packed our whole house for our labor and delivery adventure!
Oh, and here's the photo I promised from the ball we attended last Thursday (hard to believe it was already a week ago)! I'm definitely looking 8 1/2 months pregnant, but the Mister is always so handsome in his uniform and I do LOVE my new shoes I bought for the occasion!
Hopefully I'll be back in the next couple days with my 38 week pregnancy update! I have much to share!
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