Hospital List / First days home

There a lot of different sources on hospital lists for mom / baby. I kind of obsessed over our list the first time, then never really packed a bag, and honestly can't remember what we cobbled together to bring to the hospital. Whatever it was, it was fine.

This time, it felt like a different experience because I knew the date and time we would be arriving at the hospital (most likely) and I knew there wouldn't be any labor and delivery time and that I would be recovering from a c-section. So, perhaps a little different ...

In case you care, here is what my list included for a repeat c-section, with some notes about the ultimate usefulness of these items:

Bag for Baby
Bag for Dad / Significant Other
Bag for Mom
(lots of bags, but helpful to have stuff separate and easy to find / bring in from the car when needed. Also, stuff accumulates at the hospital - good to have extra packing room coming home.)

Baby:
Two cute swaddling blankets (never used)
Going home outfit (brought a preemie outfit and a 0-3 month. Ended up with preemie choice for a 7lb baby)
Couple of kimono style shirts and pants (never used)
Baby hats (never used, just used hospital provided)
Boppy (left in the car, never ended up bringing it in)
Breast pump (had ready at home just in case. Ended up using hospital grade pump and a kit of parts they provided)
Gift from baby to older sibling(s) if you want
So ... sounds like baby doesn't need a bag.

Dad / Significant Other:
Whatever he throws in!
Changes of clothes, toiletries, extra charger(s)
Extra pillows for mom and dad with patterned pillow cases to keep separate from hospital

Mom:
Plastic folder / envelope for papers (super helpful. Brought insurance paperwork, hospital directions, copy of advanced directive. Placed all the various paperwork that accumulates during the hospital in one place to bring home)
Robe (didn't use. I'm not a robe person and didn't start now)
No-skid socks (didn't use, had flip flops instead)
Nursing tanks / bras, breast pads (used all of the above - brought Large tanks, could have used XL to account for engorgement. Got lanolin from lactation consultant)
PJ pants, nursing tops with short and long sleeves (I wore my own clothes on day 2 after I showered, was nice to have short and long sleeve options depending on room temp)
Toiletries (lip balm, good smelling travel shampoo, spare toothbrush and toothpaste, hairbands / headbands, extra contacts/glasses/eyedrops, face cleaner wipes). I had packed with spares of most everything and threw in a few essentials at the end. The face cleaner wipes were so nice when I couldn't get out of bed. Wish I brought hand lotion and a small mirror.
Makeup (never used)
Gum - may help with digestion / gas
Going home outfit - just wore the same thing I put on the morning we came to the hospital. Comfy and black, seemed slimming, though not so much.
Underwear and pads - I made sure to get undies that came up over my incision and brought my own thinner pads
Camera / chargers / batteries (we just ended up using our iPhones, so easy! We had 2 chargers, which were in frequent use. Plugs aren't all that convenient in hospital rooms - I read somewhere about bringing a short extension cord, which we didn't do, but you could)

Ahead of time:
Get a pedicure / manicure (I almost never treat myself to this, but it was nice to have pretty  hands and feet when the rest was, well, not so pretty)
Put a waterproof crib pad under the sheets on your side of the bed in case your water breaks
Treats for the nurses - 2 batches for day and night shifts. If it's homemade, bring the recipe! We had awesome nurses and the first time we gave them some cookies before we left, but it's nice to have the ability to plan ahead to bring something. They all commented on how nice it was and I'm sure we would have had great care anyway, but it's nice little insurance. :)
Baby-tracker app for phone. I was an obsessive note-taker with Ellen and now I use the "Eat Sleep" app for iPhone and it fulfills all my note-taking desires. :)
Baby books - read up on sleeping or feeding or whatever it is that you've gathered. I always think I'll have time after baby is born, but it quickly falls to the bottom of the priority list. I have a lot of books, but this time around I skimmed Baby Wise and The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems.
Check on your vaccines, especially for fall / winter babies: flu shot for everyone who will be around baby regularly and TDAP booster if you need it.  

Things to have on hand at home:
Since you won't be getting out anytime soon, grab these things before you deliver:
Slippers to have at home if you don't have any
Some zip up or button up tops that are big enough - just got a few fleece jackets from Old Navy
Extra lanolin - one tube for upstairs and one for downstairs if you need it. Use it EVERY time you nurse / pump
Extra pump parts - have everything on hand and sanitized, including bottles. I pumped much earlier this time than the first time and it was nice to have everything ready to go
Milk bags for freezer if you are breastfeeding (in case you pump - hang on to that stuff!). I think Lansinoh are easiest to use. 
Vitamin D drops for baby - recommended if breastfeeding
Pump hand sanitizer in any room you think you'll need it. I'm not generally a germaphobe, but I am with a newborn in RSV / flu season
Gas X for mom - I don't remember this from last time, but my gas pains in the hospital and at home are almost as bad as my incision pain. Tums / antacids won't work.
Miralax if things aren't, ummm,  moving (especially if you are taking pain meds)
Pacifiers if you think you'll use them, perhaps a few types (see my pacifier try-out post here). Ellen always liked the Nuk, but started out with the green Soothies pacifier from the hospital. We never got one (or even saw one) this time, and I had the Gumdrops pacifiers at home, which Georgia prefers.
Some kind of swaddle system - blanket / Kiddopotamous SwaddleMe (what we use) / Miracle blanket (have heard great things). I feel confidant swaddling with a blanket in the daytime, but I get nervous that blankets will get loose overnight.

Be aware:
My hands, wrists and feet were CRAZY swollen. I don't remember this the first time, but I also didn't get so many fluids prior to surgery because it was semi-emergency. My doctor suggested it's those first few bags of fluid you hang on to for a while.
If you have carpal tunnel in your pregnancy, it lingers for awhile. Like, almost 3 weeks later, my fingertips are still numb. 

Hi, My Name is Molly and I'm an Addict

Addicted to THE LOG, that is.

It is like a security blanket. Or an accessory brain. Or crack.

I confess that I have an embarrassing number of sheets of paper detailing the Girl's every feeding, diaper and amount of sleep for a ridiculously long time.

It was critical to keep track of all of this for the first few days, weeks even, but months? I just keep doing it and I can't stop! I see those sideways glances from my husband, like "Still? You're doing it still?" He just chalks it up to a "mom thing" and avoids the conversation.

I'll blame the lactation consultant at the hospital. They sent me home with the form and innocently told me to keep track of her feedings. That piece of paper should have a disclaimer on the top: "Warning! Highly addictive!"

Some background may be helpful here ... I am the kind of person who likes to make lists just so I can cross things off. I re-copy grocery lists so they are easy to read and organized. I copy the same appointments into no less than 4 calendars just in case. Say it with me ... A-N-A-L! Give me a form to fill out and a good ink pen and I am a happy girl. You can imagine my delight at finding a form that needed to be filled out so many times a day!

It is kind of cute to look back at all of the sheets of paper. (Yes, I've kept them. I'm telling you - addicted.) The first day home from the hospital, the sheet was perfect. Perfect handwriting. Each notation in it's own slot. Military time! Within about 37 hours you can see that everything is just scribbled wherever it fits and military time is quite challenging to keep track of with no sleep, so forget that.

Initially I truly found it helpful to keep track of how long she fed and how much sleep we were getting and when I took my pain meds. Your doctor will ask about wet and dirty diapers and it is helpful to have a record. Fortunately, our Girl never had trouble growing, but it would be helpful for that, as well. (Also, it is helpful to have the phone number to your lactation consultant at the top of the sheet so you don't have to dig around trying to find it when you need to call them. And, call early in the morning and leave a message and they will often call you back before they start rounds for the day.)

I just kept going, though. It allowed me to put a tiny part of my brain on paper so I didn't have to remember, "Left or Right?" When we started Cry It Out, I made notes about how long she cried so I could see our progress. It is so easy to forget what happens just a few days prior. When we made schedule changes, I kept good notes about bottles and naps and total amounts of sleep so I could try to problem solve if needed. She only has dirty diapers every few days now, so I can look at the log and see when I might expect a blow out. You know, useful stuff!

I felt (a little) vindicated yesterday when the Chronicles of a Babywise Mom blog wrote about keeping a log in the "good times", not only when you are making a change (she advocates keeping a log when you are dropping feedings or changing naps - you can see why I love her). If you don't know the typical pattern, it is hard to problem solve.

So, we'll try to make the switch to the 4 hour schedule this weekend. You can bet I'll be using my log to keep track of every.little.thing.

After we accomplish that? Who knows ...

Labor (?) and Delivery

I had planned (ha!) to go into labor at home in the evening or on a weekend so I could be certain to get everything we needed. It would be a nice, orderly procession to the hospital. It would surely be after my due date, but definitely before Christmas - it was my first, you know. I would be in charge.

In reality, our girly arrived via an un-planned, semi-emergent cesarean section at 38 weeks. In the middle of the work day. On a Wednesday!

I had hemmed and hawed for weeks about what to pack for the hospital - Googling for THE PERFECT list. In the end, it was all for not as our bag laid empty on the floor of our bedroom when the call came. My husband, bless his heart, was able to follow my chicken scratch notes from the described Googling and gathered most everything we needed in record time.

While all you really NEED is yourself and your significant other, there are quite a few things that make the experience a little nicer. I started with this and this and added or subtracted as I saw fit.

Some highlights:
- Your own pjs - pants and a top for breastfeeding
- Your own underwear and pads - the ones they give you at the hospital seem like ones from the 1950's and you probably will want something different
- Nursing bra or tank top (I like these the best)
- A robe for walking the halls
- Bring chapstick - you will need it
- A camera, of course, and our laptop was nice to have. We brought our iPod, but didn't really listen to it as I didn't spend a lot (or any) time in labor.
-Some lists say to bring snacks, but our hospital had a room full of all kinds of snacks and drinks for new parents
- Going home clothes for baby (newborn size unless you are having a giant)
- Pillows for you and Dad
- Comfy clothes (and a change of clothes) for Dad
- Good smelling shampoo and soap
- Warm socks with anti-slip bottoms
- Going home clothes for Mom - try to buy something new that is stretchy and will accommodate your post-delivery belly, but at the same time is not the dreaded maternity clothes

Also, my two cents on delivering a baby: There is no trophy at the end. Whichever way that baby gets out, you have a BABY at the end and that is what is important. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own wishes about having that baby. While my mother and I may have had a tiny disagreement about epidurals, I will say that my nurse in L&D asked about my thoughts on pain management and I told her I wanted an epidural and she said "Good for you - it is the only civilized way!"

Further, regarding birth plans, BAH! As my doctor eloquently stated, "The plan is to have a healthy baby and a healthy mother". I agreed. Surprisingly, being one who loves lists and planning, I never saw the need for a birth plan. Good thing, as it would have been a waste of my time.

Mother Nature may not be your friend

As a good friend told me while I was pregnant, breastfeeding just isn't natural. It may be what Nature intended, but that does NOT mean that it is easy or intuitive or painless. To emphasize, or painless.

I felt committed to breastfeeding from the start and feel lucky that it has gone so well. I understand that it isn't the right decision for everyone and that it may not work for everyone. I also think that even one day of breastfeeding is better than no days of breastfeeding, so it is probably worth a shot!

I took a breastfeeding class in my 3rd trimester that was helpful in becoming familiar with the lingo and such, but you can't really learn until that baby is in your arms. I also bought my pump (the Medela Freestyle), but didn't open it until we were home about a week. Pumps are expensive and non-returnable if opened, so I wanted to make sure that I would be breastfeeding.

I didn't read any books on breastfeeding, but I still find the La Leche League website and the Kelly Mom website to be very helpful if I have questions. And I do.

Some Lactation Consultants are better than others and I feel fortunate that I had a good experience with 2 out of 3 while in the hospital. And our mother-baby nurses were also very helpful. They gave me a feeding log which I still use to this day (remember people, I'm OCD). At first your memory really sucks and you need to write down numbers of wet and dirty diapers, how long baby fed and which side to start on, and when you took your pain meds. Now I also use it to write down naptimes. Always searching for patterns, you know ... (don't confuse me with the guy from A Beautiful Mind).

Ask for help if you need it. I was fortunate that I had lots of friends with experience. Also just trust that if you feel strongly about breastfeeding, something really does click at 3-4 weeks and it becomes easy and painless. Give it a chance.