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Preparing for Baby: The Hospital Bag

November 20, 2013 | 1 Comment

hospital bagA friend of mine recently called to ask for some advice about what exactly to pack for her hospital bag as she and her husband are prepping for the arrival of their first baby. The hospital bag can save your sanity. I honestly don’t think you can ever be prepared enough. I’d rather have too much of something than not enough, especially if you’re a long way from home. Here is a list of things that you should remember to pack in your hospital bag.

 

Prepping the Hospital Bag for Mom

I forgot a lot of stuff for myself, I was so concentrated on making sure everything for baby was packed I didn’t remember everything for myself. Lesson learned. Things that a mom will need include:

  • Comfortable, loose, clothes of your own. I was hospitalized for a week due to c/section complications, after a few days I was more than ready to get out of a hospital gown and put my own clothes on. Especially if you have a c/section, make sure they’ve very loose-fitting. If you’re breastfeeding, make sure your clothes are easily accessible since in the early days you will be nursing often and need easy access. I bought two t-shirts at Old Navy that were light, loose and had button snaps to open and close it at the neckline. I wasn’t concerned about fashion but more functionality and comfort. I opted to wear PJ pants that I could get on and off easily.
  • Nursing Bra
  • Toiletries
  • Snacks for you and spouse. Though I had access to yummy food of my own at the push of a button, my husband, who stayed with me, did not. I also didn’t want to call for small snacks or a drink so we brought a bag of our own snacks and it was very helpful! {This is also a great gift idea for expecting moms. Find out what their favorite snacks and drinks are and put a little bag together for their hospital!}
  • Nursing pillow. Not everyone uses a nursing pillow, I personally found it helpful, especially when first learning.
  • Camera/cell phone plus all required chargers.

 

What You Need for Baby

  • Warm clothes. Though there are a ton of cute newborn clothes, stick with practicality. Newborn sleepers that button or zip work well and most have feet and hand covers. Remember a small hat too, regardless of season (our daughter was born in June) since babies are used to a very warm environment.
  • Diapers/wipes. Our hospital had a full stash of newborn diapers in our room for use but it’s always nice to have your own and not all hospitals provide them. If you’re cloth diapering, you may want to wait until you get home to start since you likely won’t have access to laundry.
  • Swaddling blankets. Again, the hospital provided blankets for us but not to take home and we wanted to get comfortable using the ones we would be using at home.
  • Car seat. We were not allowed to leave the hospital until the nurse signed off on her placement within a car seat. This is for both her and our safety.

Though we forgot our camera, I was glad we had our phones to snap her first pictures. You can never be too prepared for baby’s arrival if you think you’ll need it, bring it!

Catherine
Catherine

Catherine is a first time momma to a rambunctious toddler. When she isn’t soaking up all that motherhood has to offer, you can find her blogging over at Plunged in Debt where she chronicles her and her husbands journey out of debt. You can also follow her on Twitter.

plungedindebt.com

Filed Under: Medical Tagged With: Hospital, Hospital Bags, preparing for baby, The Hospital

How to Make the Most of Your Baby Registry

November 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Ideas for what to list on your baby shower registryOne of the most exciting things about having a new baby is preparing for their arrival. Suddenly, you have to prepare your home, as well as yourself and for family, for an extra person. The best tool that new parents have at their disposal is the baby registry.

Whether you have been looking forward to this moment since childhood or find it a tacky practice, a baby registry is an excellent way to get the things you need. People want to give you gifts, whether you like it or not. Think of a baby registry as if all the people who will buy you gifts got together and decided to get things that matched, things you wanted, and just enough of what you need.

A baby registry can be a lot of fun, but if you fill it with impractical things, you will get less of what you actually need. Here are some tips to make the most of your baby registry:

Figure out what you’ll actually need

There are lots of adorable and completely impractical things for sale in the baby aisle. These are things that you and your partner can buy the baby yourselves.

Furniture

You will need a place for the baby to sleep, for example. Don’t forget crib sheets and bumper sets. You will also need a car seat (you often can’t leave the hospital without one) and a safe place to set down your baby during the day.

Clothing

Only register for the bare minimum. Some people will not buy off of your registry. Those people will buy you clothes. If you register for as many clothes as you’ll actually need, you’ll end up with a lot more than you need.

Diapers

This includes wipes, diaper cream and other diapering aides. Decide on a brand, and register for a couple bags of each size.

Food

Whether you plan to breast feed or to bottle feed, you will need some stuff. Bottles, nipples and formula are basic for bottle-feeding, and breast feedings moms might need a pump and storage containers.

Start Researching Early

You’ll want to have your baby shower a month or longer before you are due. You’ll want to give your guests at least four weeks to buy a gift. And it might take you a month to decide on all the brands you want. So you should start this process as early into your pregnancy as possible.

When deciding on what store to register at, there are several things to keep in mind. You want a store that is accessible not only to you but to your loved ones as well. Online shopping is handy as well. A large chain store might be your best bet if your family is spread out.

Talk to Other People

Ask for suggestions

A pregnant woman is inundated with “helpful” tips by nearly every other woman on the planet. It becomes hard to keep track of who suggested what, but try to steer these conversations towards what you should register for. Fellow moms will help you remember the little things that you might not realize you need: like a bottle brush or gas relief medication.

Tell People

The whole purpose of having a registry is to tell people what you need for the baby. So you have to make sure you tell the people where it is! Have family and friends spread the word for you, post it on social media networks, and add the information to your baby shower invites.

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Baby Stuff, Baby Stuff Tagged With: baby clothes, baby food, baby furniture, baby registry, Baby Shower, Diapers, gift registry, preparing for baby

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About The Author

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.

Basic Principles Of Good Parenting

Here some basic principles for good parenting:

  1. What You Do Matters: Your kids are watching you. So, be purposeful about what you want to accomplish.
  2. You Can’t be Too Loving: Don’t replace love with material possessions, lowered expectations or leniency.
  3. Be Involved Your Kids Life: Arrange your priorities to focus on what your kid’s needs. Be there mentally and physically.
  4. Adapt Your Parenting: Children grow quickly, so keep pace with your child’s development.
  5. Establish and Set Rules: The rules you set for children will establish the rules they set for themselves later.  Avoid harsh discipline and be consistent.
  6. Explain Your Decisions: What is obvious to you may not be evident to your child. They don’t have the experience you do.
  7. Be Respectful To Your Child: How you treat your child is how they will treat others.  Be polite, respectful and make an effort to pay attention.
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