It’s hard to write about anything else on here lately besides baby stuff and impending motherhood. It’s kinda on my mind a lot. I will be 37 weeks tomorrow and anything is fair game at this point. I read somewhere that you should have your hospital bag packed and loaded in the car at 35 weeks which seems a little extreme to me. For my own sake, and maybe for someone else out there, I’ve laid out a few basics and essentials that are going in my bag (the contents of Alan’s bag are not yet determined, and we haven’t rounded up hospital snacks yet either) that will help me in labor and in recovery.
I want to mention just right off the bat that the plan right now (and I know plans often don’t go according to plan) is to labor at home for as long as I can (comforts of home include a ball, our entire streaming library, the cat, etc…) and go into the hospital when necessary, where I will labor and deliver unmedicated. That’s my hope. We’re grateful to be birthing at a place that will allow us to have snacks, dim the lights, wear whatever I want, a tub, a ball, aromatherapy… Basically any tool you could need. The only anxiety I have is that I don’t know when it’ll happen, but I’m not scared about birth because it’s one of the most natural things a woman will do. I want to be an active participant in this process! And I hope it goes good so I can write about it here afterwards. Namaste.
- Laboring clothes. What seems like forever ago, I was reading The Fresh Exchange’s post about what was in their hospital bags, and she said she’d bring her own clothes to labor and deliver in, which I thought sounded rather precious at the time. Now I understand that it’s an option that comes highly recommended by doulas and midwives: labor in your own clothes. You could wear the hospital gown, sure, but those are for the sick, and you’re not sick, you’re having a baby. Many “what to pack” lists will have a bathrobe on them. I don’t like bathrobes and don’t have one, so I thought I might just use a cardigan, until I found this ultra cozy sweatshirt-bathrobe hybrid from H&M. I also got a t-shirt dress, for modesty. I also have a pair of cozy socks. Everything is cozy.
- Tech supplies. One of the last things on my to-do list is to show Alan the ins and outs of DSLR use so he can take some candids during labor and afterwards. I’ll probably also want to take some portraits of the fresh baby too! I also have some spa/meditation playlists saved on Spotify I’ll be pumping through the hospital-provided speakers (I also have my Skyrim soundtrack OF COURSE). Other comfort measures we’ll be using is ambient lighting, aromatherapy, and hydrotherapy. Call me crazy, but I’m kind of looking forward to seeing how it all goes.
- For postpartum clothing, I have nursing tanks and bras, as well as maternity leggings and shorts (I’m really not a gown girl and prefer to keep it tight). I have a cozy cardigan as well! These will be my clothes for recovering in the hospital, and my “going home outfit.”
- For during and after labor, I have this toiletries bag of essentials, including face mist (it’s heavenly!), Burt’s Bees (I’m told delivery rooms are very dry), hair ties, lotion, soap, cucumber face wipes, and a tooth brush.
- Bottom spray, nursing pads, nipple cream. My new friends in the new world.
- My trusty water bottle will be at my side the whole time. Laboring is really intense and it’ll be imperative that I stay hydrated.
- Baby needs a going home outfit too! I have a couple little sleep suits (with mitts!) in NB and 0-3 mos, since we don’t know how big this baby will be (I’m guessing it’ll be big – I just found out Alan was almost 11 pounds hahahahaha). I also have a couple little hats and a swaddling blanket from home. They give you that stuff at the hospital, but I figure it’ll be nice for baby to be wrapped up in things from home.
Bonus Arya lookin’ salty pic. She’s been using my maternity pillow as her own personal nest all these months. Not only will the new baby disrupt her home and her entire life, but I won’t be using the pillow anymore and she’ll have to figure something new out. Poor sweetie.