What Did You...

I didn't have an extended stay... I packed my toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, pillow, and babys first outfit. That was really about it. I just wore the hospital gown, had those cool disposable post partum undies, and my babe had a diaper on until we left.

The one thing everyone laughs at but I'm dead serious about:

Coloring books.

A girlfriend of mine, when I was in labor with my 2nd, brought me a bag of old magazines and a coloring/sticker book. I had the whole nurses station covered in my stupid colorings, LOL!! BUT, coloring is soooo therapeutic for some reason, and so when I was in labor with my 3rd, I packed a brand new box of crayons and a coloring book!!

Toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, underwear, yoga pants, shirts, bathrobe, slippers, socks, contact lens supplies. Now, I packed on the way out the door, in between contractions without benefit of a list. Also - couldn't get the new car seat unstuck from the stroller (yes it is a one handed operation involving squeezing on a big red bar, but I was in labor and had never seen a travel system before) so DH had to stop back at the house before DS and I were discharged (also, DS would have been going home naked without that second trip).

Toothbrush, tooth paste, shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, 1 change of clothes real loose, wore bela bands so used that at a bra till I could get a nursing bra, a blanket I was crocheting, and the goin home out fit for baby, I think that was it. Hubby went home n got pillows n blankets n came back, we were a few week early but it was expected, I deliver about 37 weeks never made it any later.

Toothbrush, toothpaste, going home clothes, pjs, magazines and books, camera, elastic hair thingy, entertaining stuff for my older daughter for when she came to visit, outfit for baby, advanced medical directive, slippers. That's all that I can remember at the moment.

The 1st time I regretted not packing hand lotion, hair elastics, and chapstick. Something about giving birth, being in the hospital dried my lips out terribly. I'm not even a chapsitck kind of girl. I packed robe, slippers, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, brush, a book, clothes and blanket to bring baby home. One of my births I was out in less than 24 hours, didnt even use 3/4 of what I brought. Another birth I was in the hospital for 4 days, so I needed every bit of it. You just never know what's going to come up.

L.:

I missed your first one - gonna have to go back and loook!!

I didn't have a bag ready for Nicky - he was 4 weeks early.

For Greg - mine had been packed for 3 months because I had been going into labor with him (he was due 10 May - I went into labor 27 Jan)...

A book to read - I know it sounds funky - but because we knew Greg would most likely be early - the NICU told us we weren't allowed in there all the time...

Shampoo, body lotion, slippers, extra pair of glasses if you need them to read...comfy PJs...you will most likely be in the hospital for 3 days...so it will go by fast!!!

I am a serious germaphobe and having to 'live' in a hospital room almost killed me with anxiety - luckily for me we live less than 2 mins from the hospital so I didnt have to worry about packing or forgetting anything but I know that I NEEDED flip flops for the shower because well ewwwww
I also couldnt have gone anywhere without a simple pair of slip on slippers for when I got up to move around
I really appreciated my own choice of pads - they provide you with those footballs to jam between your legs but I was happy that I at least had my own style/brand of footballs to use instead of theirs
Also this time around for me (Im 29 weeks) I plan to have a list of food that i want afterwards because I remember not being in the mood to make any decisions while I was there and a list of my favorites and stuff that I wasnt able to eat while pregnant would have been really nice to look at to decide because again hospital food is just narsty stuff
Good Luck and Congrats