The Essential Hospital Birth Packing List: Part Two

This post is a continuation of Kirsten’s guest post, who as a new mom herself, has kindly agreed to share her recent experience and advice with expectant moms. To read the first part of the post click here.

Photo by Arnaud Jaeger

6.Toiletries

There’s nothing quite like a hot shower after a hard day’s work, but leave your fluffy white towels at home, pack something old, as well as all the usual toiletries. Leave anything strongly perfumed at home so baby can learn your scent. Hospitals are air-conditioned, so if you suffer from scratchy eyes, dry lips or skin, pack appropriate moisturisers.

7.Girly bits

No matter what kind of delivery you have, some of your girly bits are going to catch you by surprise.  The hospital will generally send you home with a packet of pads that look like they could absorb the contents of a bathtub, don’t laugh - take them! You may also want to purchase something a little less chunky as the flow becomes a bit lighter. I took one look at the suggested disposable panties, left them on the shelf and went to Pep to purchase some cheap, cotton granny-panties in a size bigger than usual. Good choice. Ice packs can also be helpful to ease the swelling and sensitivity especially the day your milk comes in, as well as breast pads to absorb the extra milk while your body figures out how much it needs to produce.

8. Baby

Amazingly, your little person needs very little for their stay in hospital.  Many hospitals supply everything you need, nappies, wet wipes, blankets and even clothing, but won’t stop you from taking your own belongings along if you want to, including cloth nappies if you’re going that route from birth. Also, don’t forget to fit your car seat in advance; some of those fellas require a degree for correct installation.

9. Paperwork

You will probably have some kind of pre-admission to take along as well as medical aid details. When you leave the hospital, make sure to gather everything you need for you babies birth registration and to add your baby onto your medical aid should you need to. You have 30 days to register your bubs, but don’t be fooled, 30 days passes in a flash!

10. Education

Let’s not forget that hospitals are businesses, while they are staffed with many caring souls, most often, they will streamline things to make it easier for staff. Know your rights.  Know what you want.  If you’re not sure, ask. If you don’t like the way something is done, say so. If you need assistance, ask. If they have forgotten to bring you something, remind them. If it doesn’t sit well with your instinct, question it. Make sure you know what's considered 'the norm' at your chosen hospital, should you like things done differently, voice your wishes. Some places will assume you’re ok with their standard protocol unless you say otherwise. This may include bathing your newborn, formula top ups, taking your baby to the nursery, vaccinations and vitamin K injections and your length of stay in hospital.

During our birth preparation class, we were reminded that actually delivering the baby was the easy part; the hard work was yet to begin.  During labor I wondered if it could it get any tougher? Indeed it could, and it did, and I’m sure we will continue to have extraordinarily trying times. My heart didn’t know such love existed, my body didn’t know if could function on so little sleep, my hands have never hung as much washing and my back never ached as much, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Our little cherub has been the most precious gift we could ever have imagined and we thank God for entrusting her care to us daily. 

The Essential Hospital Birth Packing List: Part One

What to pack and how to get organised as an expecting mom? This two part post may help you prepare for your hospital birth experience. Welcome to my guest contributor, Kirsten, who as a new mom herself, has kindly agreed to share her recent experience and advice with other expectant moms.

Photograph by Bonnie Kittle

My introduction shall be by way of a few disclaimers.

With exception for the odd birthday card or shopping list, it's been years since I wrote anything of significance. Prior to the arrival of our little cherub, my job as a designer required that I do more drawing, cutting, and sticking than anything of literary importance.  (Perhaps I'm better qualified to be a mother than I realise?)

I have a tendency to be more practical than sentimental and an affinity towards boldness where I feel passionate about a subject.  Since the delivery of our precious little person, I've developed a desire to encourage expectant mothers to fight for the kind of delivery they would really like. All too often I hear of mothers who are either bullied or scared into a delivery they weren't expecting at their most vulnerable and exhausted time of pregnancy. 

I am by no means an expert in this field, our little cherub is our fist-born and we deliberately chose to remain blissfully ignorant. All that I have to share with you is from my own personal experience.  She arrived in a peaceful, natural delivery, just after midnight with the help and support of two incredible women; midwife Cheryl, doula Christine and my amazing husband, who didn’t leave my side for the entire duration. Although I cannot comment on a caesarean delivery, I suspect many of my suggestions will still be applicable.

Gentlemen, you may want go now.  In order for this post to be helpful, I've included some sensitive details.  Thanks for reading this far.

10 Essentials for your Hospital Birthing Experience

1. Support Team

Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not for a second suggestion that birthing is a spectator sport, but I do strongly believe that having the right people around you can make all the difference. Do your homework before you decide who will be by your side when your little miracle arrives. If you’re not comfortable with a particular service provider, don’t feel obliged to continue seeing them. Gynecologists are not the only people qualified to deliver babies. Up until very recently, most textbook pregnancies would have had a midwife deliver the baby and obstetrician would only have been consulted if there were complications. If you would like your family/photographer/baby’s siblings to be there ask if your doctor/midwife will allow it, if not, and it’s important to you, consider relooking at your support team. Birthing can be lonely and scary. As dedicated as the staff might be, they work shifts so your delivery may well stretch over several shifts meaning that you are sharing your most vulnerable experience with new faces at each shift change. A private midwife and/or doula will be by your side the entire journey, encouraging you when you’re weak, comforting you when you’re scared, being your support when you’re out of energy, ensuring your privacy is a priority and if you’re lucky, even bringing you milk tart to celebrate.

2. Food

It’s said you burn more calories during a natural delivery than in a marathon.  You will need some sustenance to keep you (and your support team) going. Consider high energy, easy to eat foods such as dried fruits, biltong, nuts etc.  That being said, my contractions arrived so suddenly and strongly, I had to sacrifice a perfectly good plate of bangers and mash as my body purged anything it felt wasn't essential to survival and after this, it refused to accept anything other than fluids. Luckily we were well prepared with liters of water, fruit juice and a bottle, which made drinking far easier than trying to sip from a glass. Just when I felt I no longer had what it took, a glucose drip gave me the energy for the final few pushes, before we celebrated our cherub’s birthday with tea and cake in the small hours of the morning.

3. Comfort

You body will feel like it’s been stretched to the maximum, in all senses of the description. Few times in my life have I been less concerned with how I looked, but rather focused on how I could be comfortable. If you would prefer to be in your own clothes, ask if you may wear them. If you have a favorite pillow, take it. If you have long hair, tie it up. It’s very likely you won't instantly shrink back to your original size, pack some pj's and clothes that will accommodate your jelly belly and have easy access for breast feeding and skin-to-skin contact. 

4. Technology

If you have a smart phone, it can pretty much do everything you need for a technological point of view; photographs, video, phone calls, text messages, music etc. Don’t forget you charger (and a plug) You will be amazed how quickly your battery runs flat sharing the wonderful news of your arrival with any and everyone you can possibly think of!

5. Meds

I had an un-medicated birth. While I cannot deny the pain was indescribable, once she had arrived, the labor pain was instantly gone and in its place was a glorious cocktail of hormones that made the first week of her life all rainbows and unicorns. However, I would like to thank the manufacturers of Voltaren suppositories. A lot more subtle than the magic of Voltaren, Rescue drops are multi-purpose, and can be used to clean the umbilical cord and to take the edge off, both you and baby while your sleep deprived nervous system adjust to a new norm and your nocturnal new born learns day from night while your eye lids are propped up with match sticks.

To continue reading the second part of this post click here.