items you forgot to bring or wish you had when giving birth?

[thatblondegirl]

my friend is having her baby tomorrow via c-section. i wanted to bring her some essential items that she will need at the hospital and likely didn't think of. but i can only think of a few things.

is there anything you wish you had when you gave birth?


thanks!

[TzippityDoulah]

decent food!

a boppy or other breastfeeding pillow is so helpful when you're recovering.

[JamieCatheryn]

Shampoo and conditioner, bar soap, razor.
Good breastfeeding pillow might have been good but not the boppy, My Breast Friend maybe.
Cookies or something for the nurses, esp the good one(s).
A book to read, laptop and movies.

[MegBoz]

I actually typed this up afterwards hoping it would help someone else!

Button-front Shirt for Mom
I hadn’t yet purchased nursing bras because I did not know what size I’d be. My son wasn’t eager to nurse the first day of his life, but I had to keep trying repeatedly. It was easiest to leave a bra off and open my shirt. Lifting your shirt straight up is a hassle – you need to see what you are doing and it gets in the way. A button-front shirt was ideal.

Receiving Blankets
The ones at the hospital were a felt-like material. They left little fuzzies on my son’s lips, which were then practically embedded in my nipples! This wasn’t really a problem, just a slight irritation. Additionally, the fabric had no elasticity. Fabric that stretches a bit, such as a knit or honeycomb-style fabric, allows for a tighter swaddle.

Long-sleeved Baby Clothes
Baltimore in July is very hot, so I packed short-sleeved “Onsies” in which to dress my son. But with the AC on in the hospital room, he needed more clothing, even when he was swaddled in a blanket. The ideal? Long-sleeved gowns! He lived in these the first few days since arriving home and continues to sleep in them. They cover his arms and legs, are super easy to just pull-up for diaper changes (unlike pants or things that snap between the legs), and have sleeves that fold over to make a “mitten” to cover his hands in order to keep them warm and prevent him from scratching his face with his sharp fingernails. Socks or booties never seem to stay put on the hands, so these mittens on the sleeves are perfect!

Baby Emery Board
My son’s little finger nails were quite sharp! The nail is still connected to the finger, so they cannot be cut with nail clippers the first few days of life. However, they can be filed down to reduce the risk of the baby scratching himself.

Hat for Baby
The hospital provided fabric hats, but they didn’t fit well.

Boppy Pillow or "My Breast Friend"

ETA: These were the things I did NOT have! I had the standards like laptop, music CDs, toiletries for Mom, snacks, etc.

[Honey693]

Baby nail clippers! Ella had the longest nails and kept scratching herself.

Any kind of chocolate was good too! I made DH go out the night she was born and get birthday cake for her, well us, but I called it her birthday cake.

I don't know if you bleed after a C-section like you do after a vaginal delivery, but Depends were so much nicer than those stupid mesh undies.

Warm socks. I only packed two pairs and DH had to go home to get more b/c I kept getting them dirty.

[diamond lil]

I did not have a c/s, but I did bring my own pillow from home, and boy was I glad I did! I did not like the hospital's pillows at all.

[MommaLauraRN]

Some of my favorite things...

1. cetaphil cream-the hospital air is so drying to your skin
2. tank tops with the built in shelf bra-then she can just slide it under her boob and doesn't have to deal with a nursing bra or bulky nursing gowns
3. A big bag of peanut M&Ms

[lotus.blossom]

I didn't think I would be in the hospital over night so I forgot a bunch of stuff.

Shampoo/Conditioner (the nurses got me shampoo from the front desk. my hair was a mess of tangles for the week that I was in the hospital!)
Contacts case/solution, I swear I forgot I wore contacts for a week. I never took them out once!

Chapstick!
Life Water (or semething else healthy to stay hydrated with)
A sleep mask (those hospital lights are harsh and they come in often at night to take your vitals)

[mama2peyton]

A hair tie (if she has long hair). I didn't want to mess with my hair, and just wanted it pulled back the whole time I was at the hospital.

[EBeth0000]

My friend who just had a cesarean birth called me to get me to bring her some Mother's Milk tea from the health foods store.