On Sunday I had slight abdominal cramps. I didn't freak out as my rationale mind told me it was probably the dinner. Well, it went away the next morning so it was probably gas. If it was some pre-labor contractions I wouldn't have been able to drag myself to work yesterday anyway!
However, got me thinking that any day from now on could be Labor Day. I told myself to quickly pack up my hospital bag. Actually I've got a list ready a couple of weeks ago and I've packed pretty much one-third of it. More than half the stuff can't exactly be packed yet e.g. my smelly pillow and the Krazy Koala (duh then how will I sleep till that day comes?) and the spectacles of course!
There are 2 bags to pack: the Momma Bag and the Baby Bag. Just for the benefit of the curious and moms-to-be, here are my two bag checklists:
The Momma Bag
Clothes
- Pink monkey robe and matching bedroom slippers
- Nursing gown
- Sleeping gown
- Nursing / sleep bra
- Disposable / normal knickers
- Button down top / going home clothes
- Socks for sleep
- Avene spray
- Bog roll, box tissues, cotton pads, wet wipes ( I don't trust hospital's quality!)
- Skincare, fragrance, deo, shampoo, lipbalm, lotion etc
- Toothbrush, tooth paste, floss, mouthwash
- Brush, hairclips, hair bands
- Maternity pads, nursing pads
- Lens case, solution and glasses
Comfort
- Ventolin inhaler & nasal spray
- Krazy Koala, Ashley Bear, Smelly pillow (hope we can find you guys some space!)
- Own blanket (the one my mum made which I used pre-marriage; woohoo)
- Aromatherapy oils and massage roller
- Water bottle
- Chewing gum
- Hot / cold compress (If I can find them!)
- Room spray (not sure if the hospital room and loo will smell funny)
Others
- My birth plan, hospital fact sheet and tape to tape it on the wall (bet it'll annoy the hospital staff LOL!)
- Wallet, ID and hospital card
- My PC (notebook) and spare adaptor (they might have only ONE electrical socket!)
- Phone, charger and USB adaptor
- Camera, charger (at this rate I'll need a separate bag for the chargers and cables alone!)
- Oil burner, candles and oil (this is optional, I doubt they will let me light candles there!)
- Books and magazines (specifically the Lamaze book, the Pregnancy Q&A Book and whatever novel I'm on at the time)
- Notepad and pen (good for saying "Leave me alone" if I don't wanna talk)
- Breast pump
The Baby Bag
- Diapers: disposable & cloth
- Receiving blankets x 3
- Swaddling cloth
- Green froggy blankey (for transit)
- Muslin cloth x 1
- Small towels x 5
- Hooded towel x 1
- Newborn rompers x 3 sets
- Going home outfit x 1
- Mittens, booties, hat, bib x 2 sets
- A small musical toy
- Baby wipes
Daddy's Stuff
No serious packing here; just a small reminder for my trusty birth-partner!
- Baby Travel System (install infant seat in car, keep stroller in trunk; doubt a newborn should be strapped into it as yet)
- Dad’s camera ( I bet this is the first thing he will think of without any prompting whatsoever anyway!)
- Magazines, books, or anything else to pass the time
- Phone (packed with games?) with charger (we can share the charger actually)
- Change of clothes
- Basic toiletries i.e. toothbrush, toothpaste etc.
Gosh, it appears as if I'm gonna be there for a week! Knock-on-wood I pray not! Looking at my checklists above I wonder how did women in medieval times give birth with such minimal assistance and so much less preparation! Well readers, do feel free to holler if I forgot anything!
2 comments:
That's some list. I was the same, looked like I was off for a 2wk trip to Europe or something. LOL
You may not need the breast pump. I don't know how KL hosp work but in Jkt, the nurses would bring the baby to me each time he wanted to nurse. As for Connor's diapers etc, I didn't need them in the end as the hosp nursery changed and bathed him for me. All I needed in the end for him was his going-home clothes, his blankie and his car seat.
You may want to consider an infant head-hugger for the car seat. When we first put C into his, he was so tiny his head wasn't supported at all and I was so worried when we went round a corner cause his head would roll around. So I ran out and bought a head hugger which helped to hold his head steady.
I guess you're right about the breast pump. I think we might probably hold the baby on the way home, not sure if it's ok to strap a new infant into a car seat but noted on the head hugger, thanks dear! :)
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