I’m 8 ¼ months along; I’m starting to go a little batty. The more research I do, the less I know about anything but I keep plugging along!
Today I’m going to go over how to take my baby home from the hospital, just in case there’s something that I haven’t thought of before.
For Baby’s Homecoming:
- Warm clothing. (I’d like to get my hands on a snowsuit, though.)
- Warm socks and booties for hands and feet
- Warm hat.
- Car seat. Properly checked by professional, go here to find one http://www.seatcheck.org/
- Car seat cover, warm.
For Your Homecoming:
I was searching through Youtube for advice from mothers who’ve gone through the process already. I would have loved to find someone who had gone through the surprise of ‘wait… I need what?’ when their doctors send them home from the hospital. I included a link to the video here:
These women were kind enough to talk about what I was going to need for recuperation. I’ll need to make a store run for these before birth!
These women were kind enough to talk about what I was going to need for recuperation. I’ll need to make a store run for these before birth!
- Hemorrhoid cream or tucks pads.
I’ll be getting the kind with witch hazel. - Plastic doughnut.
Sitting will be reeeeeeelly hard to do. Be sure it makes it inside with you so you can sit in your favorite chair without extreme pain. - Iron pills
You’ll be bleeding pretty regularly through what is an open wound. Discuss it with your doctor, but you’ll probably need it. - Maxi pads or disposable underwear.
For the ‘open wound’, my personal research leads me to narrow my choices to three; Depends underwear is a contender because I was always a heavy ‘flow’ gal, and I’d rather not leak onto my underwear overnight. If you don’t want to go disposable underwear Always Ultra Overnight and Stayfree Ultra Overnight. Stayfree is supposed to be thinner but no less absorbent. - Painkillers!
Ask how much you’re allowed to take every. Be ‘on top’ of your pain. - Prenatal vitamins.
You should be planning on keeping these up for as long as you’re planning on breastfeeding. - A&D ointment.
Often used for diaper rash but, postnatally, you can use it on your perineum to lessen the pain from urination. You can also just pour water over yourself as you urinate too, it’ll take the sting out. - Numbing spray.
Dermoplast, a topical numbing spray safe enough to use on your delicate areas. If they offer you a can at the hospital, see if you can get a second! - Iced Diapers.
Newborn diapers soaked in a little water and stored in the freezer will cup and cool your soreness and will not leak. - Breast cream, lanolin.
Like Lansinoh Topical Cream, Lanolin will help your soon-to-be-sore and cracked nipples feel better. It is also baby safe and has no preservatives or additives, so you don’t have to worry about your child. - Stool softener.
You can rely on prunes if you like, but I’m going towards pills like Dulcolax or Colace, check with your doctor for the proper dosage. Also, drink loads of water. - Take the pain meds they give you, take the prescription your doctor may offer you. Better safe than sorry.
Remember to:
Not block out husband, make sure he knows how much you still love and need him!
Close curtains, disable doorbell, leave a note on door suggesting that spontaneous visitors call to make sure the recuperating mother and fragile new baby are available and not sleeping.
Change outgoing message on your phone to update callers to your baby’s vital statistics. Name, weight, length, birth date and time, how baby and mother are doing, please leave a message and we’ll call back when we’ve woken up from our nap.
If you do accept visitors, ask them to evaluate their level of health. Stay away if they’ve been around sick people. Request they wash hands with anti-bacterial soap before touching the baby.