Hospital and Baby Checklists

Remember the lists I was talking about in the last post? I'm going to expose them to the world now *muahahahahahaha* and possibly humiliate myself in the process as I admit my honest thoughts about everything on those lists and what little I actually have checked off. Nevertheless, there might be a fellow clueless parent-to-be freaking out and bordering on the run-through-the-streets-screaming-about-the-end-of-the-world stage of insanity that might find this post helpful. I intend to go through these lists now, before Superbaby comes as a soon-to-be first time mom, and again after Superbaby comes as an actual mom with an actual baby, so I can honestly give you guys my two cents about what was and wasn't necessary. I have rewritten these lists in my diary for quick and easy access on the road, while visiting Taurus Man's family people and asking questions, while checking out baby and maternity stores, etc. I will be typing these lists word for word from my diary, with all my edits and notes included.

KEY: 

highlight = checked off i.e. I have this ready

strikethrough = crossed off my list i.e. I don't think it's necessary

red font = unchecked i.e. I still have to get this ready/this is on my shopping list

            

First, let's start off with the hospital bags.

MY HOSPITAL BAG

• 4 cotton nightgowns (button down front)
• 2 cotton dusters
• 2 packs maternity pads
• 2 towels
• 4 washrags
• toiletries (soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush)
• slippers
• comb/brush
• cooling lotion - limacol/alcolado (if desired)
• 1 Fleet enema (red & white box)

EXTENDED HOSPITAL BAG LIST (FOR ME)

• bathrobe
• nursing bra
• socks
• change of clothes for home (maxi dress, underwear, sweater)
• cotton roll
• Savlon
• rubbing alcohol
• phone/camera & charger/batteries
• shaver
• chapstick
• hair tie
• face wash & make-up

Though nightgowns are highlighted as something I have ready, I personally chose to go with 2 nightgowns instead of four, as I don't normally wear nightgowns, and providing I can still comfortably wear pants after giving birth, will most likely give up the nightgowns shortly after coming home. The nightgowns I bought were the cheapest I could find for those reasons and are indeed cotton. One of them buttons down to the waist, and the other buttons straight down.

I have crossed dusters off the list because I honestly don't think I'll need it. One of my people over at the Phenomenal page suggested wearing a nightgown as a robe over another, and I can definitely do that with the nightgown that buttons straight down if need be. I intend to carry a sweater or jacket to change into when I leave the hospital, so I will also have that for warmth. 

When I go shopping next week I'll get those items in red to have my bags 100% ready. I intend on buying just one pack of maternity pads to start off with though, for the reasons I stated in the last post.

I will carry just one towel instead of two, and as per the reasons in the last post, I may not even use it. For the same reasons, instead of 4 washcloths, I will be bringing one thick, long face towel.

In terms of toiletries, throughout this pregnancy I've kept one deodorant in the bathroom, one in the bedroom, and one in my purse. I will definitely be taking one of those with me, as well as a bar of soap, my toothbrush, and my toothpaste (Taurus Man and I use different toothpastes) in individual baggies.

I wear slippers to go just about everywhere now, as it's easier to just slip off when my feet start to hurt or get too hot. As my go-to choice of footwear nowadays, I'll be wearing slippers to go to the hospital anyway, and won't need to pack it as an extra item. Yay!

To be completely honest, I don't comb my hair regularly. I can't even tell you exactly when the last time I spent any time at all on my hair was. Personally, there's no need for me to pack a comb/brush for the hospital if I rarely use it anyway.

For those of you in the states, Bay Rum also classifies as cooling lotion. I use Limacol down here for migraines on occasion, so I already have a half empty bottle on hand. I'm not sure how exactly this will be used in the hospital, but it won't hurt to throw it in.

As I said in the last post, once you're going with a public hospital, you have to supply everything. Enemas are part of the protocol down here and you have to buy it whether you want it or not. You have no say in the matter.

Taurus girl was given a checklist of things to have ready for her baby by her colleagues, and after making her own edits and whatnot, sent it to me. She included a hospital bag list for her private nursing home. I've added the things the public hospital didn't include in their list under a separate "extended" list as you can see up there. I plan on including what I think is necessary just in case.

I crossed off the bathrobe for the same reason I crossed off the dusters. All of my pre-pregnancy bras are so tight I can barely breathe in them, so I definitely plan on buying some nursing bras soon as I'd ideally like to exclusively breastfeed. If I get the nursing bras in time, I'll throw one in my bag just in case, but I'm not focusing on it as a mandatory item. I'll keep a pair of socks in the bag as well in case it gets cold at night (the hospital is not air conditioned, and the windows in the wards are usually left open for ventilation).

My change of clothes to go home in will be one of the summer dresses my MIL sent for me last month, a jacket or cardigan, a bra, and a pair of giant underwear to accommodate any soreness as well as the maternity pad. The summer dress still fits my 9 month belly and will definitely still fit regardless of how much or little of the belly I lose after giving birth.

I'm not sure what the cotton roll or Savlon is for, but I will get it next time I go shopping just in case. Taurus Girl says the Savlon is used after coming home, in something similar to a sitz bath where you sit over the steam as hot as you can take it, not in the water itself. I've never even heard of Savlon before now, but I'll find out pretty soon! Taurus Girl said there was no need for rubbing alcohol in the hospital or at home, so I crossed that off right away.

Taurus Man and I don't have a camera, but my phone has one, so I'll be packing my phone and charger with me for calls and pictures. I've heard ( as in "word on the street is...") that your lady parts need to be shaved when you go in to give birth, and if the nurses in the public hospital down here have to shave you, they get very rough when things aren't ready. I'm not sure how true that is, as my OB-GYN said nothing of the loch ness pregnancy monster I'm harboring down below or mentioned anything about shaving. Just in case, I've been trying to recruit Taurus Man to help me, so hopefully I'll be ready and waiting with just a little dignity left in case it is mandatory. Once the deed is done, I see no need to carry the shaver.

I've always had a problem with chapped, bleeding lips, so there will definitely be blistex or some kind of lip moisturizer in my bag. I keep my hair tied almost 24/7 now to deal with the heat, and once my hair tie is off my hair, it's on my wrist, so that won't be a problem either.

I hardly even use any kind of skin care regiment, and I've actually finished the products I keep on hand and can't find replacements anywhere I've checked in this country so far. It's not a mandatory item for me, and ditto for make-up. I don't intend to have visitors in the hospital aside from Taurus Man anyway, only a select few people will actually know when I go into labor, and just a couple more people will be informed when the baby is born. I'll definitely have time to swipe on some lip balm and maybe eyeliner when I get home and settle in with the baby if visitors want to come then.

BABY'S HOSPITAL BAG

• 3 nighties
• 3 casacks
• 3 vests
• 10 disposable diapers
• 2 pairs of socks/booties
• 2 blankets
• 1 bonnet
• bottle of methylated spirits
• jar of petroleum jelly
• baby soap
• wet wipes
• 2 towels
• 2 wash rags
• 2 baby hats

I'm only just learning that there are nightgowns and something called "casacks" for babies, because of this list.  I'm still not entirely sure what either of those things are, but I've been told by everyone I've asked that people in the baby stores will definitely know, so once I go shopping and see for myself what this stuff is, I can further enlighten you. :) 

I have 2 pairs of socks, blankets, and wash rags set aside with no problem. I had a barely used jar of petroleum jelly lying around, so I threw that in the baby bag as well. However, instead of two towels I'm just bringing one as I've been told that the public hospitals don't bathe babies and since I'm only supposed to be there for 24 hours and I just have two towels for the baby so far, I see no harm in keeping one [clean] on hand for when I get home. Seeing as I'm bringing two baby hats, I don't understand why I would need a bonnet, so I've taken the liberty of ignoring that.

Although the hospital list plainly says "soap", I've decided to get baby soap, or a head-to-toe baby wash instead. Seeing as how this is Trinidad, they probably really expect me to walk with a bar of regular soap, but seeing as how the baby's skin will be so sensitive anyway, and there's a chance that my super freaky sensitive skin could be passed down as well, I say my baby gets some kind of hypoallergenic baby wash for sensitive skin, not an actual bar of soap. So there :P

Taurus Man and I bought a nice tub of wipes last week, and also got three refill packs sent down from my mom and brothers, so we're cool on wipes, but we'll be buying one of those small, portable cases to take to the hospital and keep in the baby bag for future reference, so even though we have stocks of wipes, I'm leaving it unchecked until we buy the little case next week.

**Quick note: I think it goes without saying, but I just want to mention that all the things I'll be buying will be hypoallergenic and for sensitive skin. That's what I look for on the rare occasion I need to buy a bottle of cream or some kind of make-up for myself, and it's what I personally feel better using on the baby for the reasons listed above. Different people go for different things, and that's what I'm cool with. Just so you know :)

Since I'm walking with just the bare minimum for the hospital and squeezing back where I can, what if there's an emergency and I actually need all that stuff? Ahhh, I thought of that too. :D I made an emergency bag checklist that Taurus Man will keep with him in the car (he plans to camp out in the parking lot until I'm discharged. Isn't he the sweetest?). In the event that I do need anything extra, he can just waltz in like "Pardon me bitches, but my smokin' hot wife is in labor and she needs this right now. Step aside, yo." Of course he's not going to actually say that, but you get the gist.


EMERGENCY BAG/EXTRA ITEMS

• blanket for me
• dress to deliver in and big old underwear
• garbage bag & old towel for car
• cereal bars/poptarts/cinnamon raisin bread
• bottled water
• extra nightgown
• bathrobe
• extra towel
• 4 washrags
• blanket for baby
• newborn sleeper gown
• extra baby towel
• extra baby hat and pair of socks
• medical documents, hospital card, clinic paper, ob-gyn pregnancy record, etc.
• 10 extra diapers
• list of specific people (w/ info) to call when labor starts and after the baby is born, respectively

I think that should cover everything for the hospital. Although I have everything in the emergency bag checked off, I just have to actually pack the bag. Just a quick run through the list:

When Taurus Man was hospitalized in this very hospital for his heart attack, the thin hospital blanket was not enough to keep him warm and his feet actually went numb from the coldness at night. Luckily, one of the nurses was nice enough to sneak him an extra blanket. In case I don't have a super nice nurse, I'll bring my own blanket as backup. 

Labor can happen at anytime and go in any direction, whether I have time to take a shower and change at home or we're speeding down the highway soaked in amniotic fluid, this emergency bag will go with me everywhere, so as long as I have a couple minutes to change into an old dress and underwear I don't mind getting dirty/potentially ruined for life, it's just a matter of a quick grab and go.

For the same reason, I intend to spread a garbage bag on my seat, followed by an old towel, so if there are any stains or messes on the way to the hospital, the car will be saved such a devastating blow. The cereal bars and other snacks are for both myself and Taurus Man. I don't know what Taurus Man intends to eat while he's camped out in the parking lot as I've left it up to him to pack what he needs for himself, but in the event that he's left with no options, he'll at least have those quick fixes to turn to. When he was hospitalized, he was admitted in the morning and was not given food until the next morning. I'm hungry every hour and a half and I'm guessing labor will use up all of my energy and resources, so unless I'm given a medical reason as to why I can't eat after at least after I have the baby, I want food dammit. Until I get food, I have my own stock of snacks to turn to in the hospital, as well as on the way home.

Taurus Man had nothing to drink the entire week he was in the hospital and I brought big liters of bottled water for him every day. I'm constantly thirsty, so again, unless I'm given a medical reason as to why I can't keep myself hydrated with water, I'll have my own water to drink since the hospital doesn't give you any. (Also as a back-up in case Taurus Man forgets to bring something for himself to drink)

I have an extra nightgown that my mom and brothers sent for me, so I'll be packing that and my old bathrobe in the event that the two nightgowns aren't enough. I also think if it's cold enough for me to actually need a duster, my old robe can definitely do the job. I'll also bring the extra towel and 4 washcloths for myself from the list in case they actually do need it for something. Same goes for the extra baby blanket and towel. In case the baby's clothes get dirty or there's any emergency there, I'll have the sleeper gown, hats, socks, and diapers to pull us out of any jam in addition to the stuff in the baby's hospital bag, which I think is excessive as it is.

I'll keep all my relevant medical documents in the emergency bag, rather than in either my bag or the baby's bag so Taurus Man can easily access it and handle that aspect of things if I'm too distracted by pain or my big toe to focus.

Also, I keep to myself when it comes to family and instead of a million acquaintances, I just have a few friends who have stuck around through the years. I'm doing a long-distance Blessingsway with a handful of people who have been there for me and so far, plan to call only those involved when I go into labor. After I actually give birth, there are a few select people Taurus Man and I have agreed to inform, and whoever finds out after that, will find out however they find out. I tried to reach out to everyone I knew for years on end, again when I got married, and again when I found out I was pregnant, and the feedback has been very dead-ish. I'm sure I've said this countless times in other posts, but I'm done trying to make everyone feel good and make other people a priority when I'm clearly nowhere close to the same in their lives. I appreciate the people who have been there for me and try my best to respect and treasure them they way I feel they do for me, but as selfish as I may sound, I couldn't care less for the people that pretend I don't exist for years on end and show up just to judge, lecture, and/or condemn me because I won't give up who I am to blindly follow whatever crowd they happen to think is right at the time. I'm no longer the girl that preaches "treat them the way you want them to treat you" and "shower them with kindness until they open their eyes". Uhhhhhh, NO. So far, that has never worked for me, and I only end up getting hurt and having more trust issues in the end. Rather than run around crying and yelling in everyone's faces begging them to be nice, I think it works out better for me to keep to myself and let them all keep on just keeping on.*end of rant* Now, I won't concern myself with anything but taking care of myself and the baby (and Taurus Man when I can spare some sanity and time lol) and I think that's totally understandable.

This is the basic rundown of the list of baby things I got from Taurus Girl after edits by her, myself, and then us both together. This is supposed to be a basic guide to help you figure out what you need for a new baby. You'll see what I honestly have and don't have ready and all that goodness *prepares to be embarrassed*. Of course, like I said, I intend to do a 'before' and 'after', where after the baby I'll give you feedback on what I actually needed/used and whatnot (and will hopefully have most of this ready!).

BABY ESSENTIALS CHECKLIST

• sterilizing tablets/bottle sterilizer (avent)
• bottles
• milk separator/dispenser
• bottle warmer
• bottle brush
• travel bottle warmer
• hot water thermos
• breast pump
• breast milk containers
• bibs
• burp cloths/rags
• pacifier
• pacifier case and holder
• pacifier wipes

• wipe warmer and pillow replacement (Prince Lionheart)
• wipes-thick, unscented or cloths & wipe solution
• hooded towels
• wash cloths
• bathtub with safety feature (Fisher Price)
• baby wash (head-to-toe eliminates need for shampoo)
• baby lotion
• baby shampoo
• baby powder or Ammens
• petroleum jelly
• changing mat
• cloth diapers
• pillow
• disposable diapers (Pampers) [Huggies for newborn (low waist)]
• disposable diaper bags/plastic bags
• digital thermometer
• bulb syringe
• nasal aspirator
• nail clipper and/or nail file
• brush & comb
• medicine dispenser (dropper)
• formula
• diaper rash cream (Desitin)
• gripe water (Little Tummy's)
• diaper pail
• cotton balls/roll

• receiving blankets
• swaddle blanket
• crib sheets
• pillow case
• bumpers
• crib net
• monitor (motorola)
• musical mobile
• baby laundry detergent (Dreft or Lanher + regular softener)
• night light

• onesies
• long sleeper/crawler suits
• pants
• socks
• hats
• mittens
• sleepers/gowns
• vests
• outfit sets

• Car seat (5 point harness infant car seat, rear facing), thick straps not easily twisted, plastic coverings with non-metal exposure (for the heat), cotton removable fabric so it can be washed (Chicco)
• Stroller
• Crib set (convertible with toddler rail, changing station with contoured changing pad, chest)

• nursing bra
• nipple cream
• postpartum support belt
• maternity pads - thick, long, overnight (or adult diapers)
• nightgowns with front buttons
• Baby/diaper bag - wet bag, changing pad, insulated bottle case, pacifier case, wipes case, etc.

That's everything so far, though I do intend to make edits once the baby comes and I see how handy the list really came. Also, I'd like to make a practical checklist for the baby bag, not in terms of packing for the hospital, but in terms of using it for the baby on a regular basis when we go out etc. We'll see how it goes. Yes, yes, I know, that's a whole lot of red/things that aren't ready. I don't think everything on the list is actually as necessary as Taurus Girl and her colleagues have said, but hopefully Taurus Man & I can organize the majority of these things in time and see for ourselves. There will also be a list of all the things I actually do have ready and what my honest reviews are on each and every item, but that will be after I get more things ready, and most likely after the baby comes. Stay tuned! :)