What Do I Need to Pack for Arrival?

Check out the Divine Consign - they have AMAZING consignment conventions throughout this area and have a TON of stuff for new moms- all in really good shape- breast pumps- clothing- furniture.
Back a change of clothes for the day you leave- 3 nightgowns- big underwear- to support those nice big maternity pads- Tucks hermorroid pads, lollipop and focus point if you are birthing naturally, maybe a portable music player. camera- extra batteries, pad and paper for notes you will have for yourself- take home baby clothes, bra pads, hand sanitizer for guest- i made everyone wash their hands - no ifs and or buts. -keep that practice at home too- esp with a teenager and his friends. -Get as much sleep as you possibly can- and i think it helps to have the 13yr old son go to get the baby from the nursey vs walking in on your with the newborn - makes them feel more secure- thats just my opinion. Wow- i didnt think there were any insrunce companies that excluded maternity- shame on them! Good luck!
D.

Jennfer,
I just wanted to remind you of a few essentials. I had my boys 12 years apart and you do forget what might be needed.
1) Breast Pads
2) Feminine Pads for home
3) Diaper Rash cream for the baby. I wished I had this at the hospital. The only one they could provide was by prescription and costs $20. I would recommend Boudreaux Butt Paste.
Also, I had my husband buy a head of cabbage. Cold cabbage leaves really do help relieve your breasts as the milks comes in.

Congratulations and Good Luck!

If you're going to breastfeed, then you really don't need to pump early on. Also, one of the most important things to do in this case is to make sure and nurse right after the baby is born (as soon as they'll let you) - in the delivery room. Baby's are fairly alert after they make that trip down the birth canal and they have a natural suckling instinct, so if you satisfy that immediately, it makes the whole process much easier. Also, and most importantly, you can skip the drug/shot they give you that encourages your uterus to contract if you nurse as nursing produces that hormone.

They do have excellent pumps at the hospital should you need one and that is likely far better than trying to use one you brought from home there.

For my second child, I did not need a pump, as he would not drink my milk from a bottle (or cup). So, I would not buy a pump unless you find you really need one. You can often find good Medela one's in consignment stores/at consignment sales.

As someone else noted, make sure the clothes you bring to wear home are fairly loose (and likely a size bigger than what you normally wear). While I don't think there's a tremendous difference in terms of delivery time (I had a friend that had her 3rd child at 44 - she was 3 weeks late :), you likely will not be as small after the birth of this second child as you might have been after your first child. Definitely, you want a cute outfit (and likely a cute blanket) for bringing the baby home from the hospital. My son (now 13) calls the blanket we used for him his "birth blankey".

And, one other suggestion, my other son was only 2 1/2 when his brother was born, but he thought it was so cool to push me out of the hospital in the wheelchair. You might ask your 13 year old to do that - even though he's older, there may still be some jealously (it's only natural), so please make sure to include him in on the exciting family event, as well as holding his new sibling in the early days (when you shower or whatever).

Congratulations! I am due October 13 and just packed my bags last week. Rachel had some good suggestions. I would add a few things. Hair bands or ties to hold back your hair. I never needed it, but many swear by chapstick while in labor. Snacks for dad - I have some granola bars, beef jerky and nuts. With my son, I was in labor for a while and these helped tide Dad over. We also put change in our bag for vending machines, just in case. If you are planning on nursing, I would suggest a nursing gown. With all the people in and out of the room, it offered me a little more privacy. For home, I have a nice Aimee Gown that I love. At the hospital I used a cheapie one I found a target (this was almost three years ago, I don't know if they still carry them). It wasn't pretty, but very functional. Make sure you have a list of phone numbers of the people you want to call. The last time we prepared an email list and my husband took our laptop to the cafe where they had wifi and emailed the news and a few pictures to friends and family. Our immediate family was there, so it was nice, not to have to call anyone or worry about telling someone.

As far as the breast pump goes...I was instructed to pump immediately by the on-call lactation specialist. My baby was almost 9lbs. She said it would help my milk come in faster and that with such a large baby I would need it. I think typically you don't need it until you get engorged, which is usually a few days after the birth...but I am not completely sure about that. The hospital gave me a Medela Hand Pump and it worked well for me, so I just purchased another for $35 for this baby. If you need a mechanical pump, they can be rented. I don't know the cost of that though. I have also seen some listed for very good prices on craigslist.org

Congrats and good luck! Have a safe delivery.

I took basic toiletries, pajamas, underwear, my cell phone charger, and an outfit to come home in (something lose and comfortable). For the baby, I brought an outfit for his picture and an outfit to come home in. I can't remember anything else. My husband would go home each day to shower, so he'd bring me anything I'd forgotten. THe day we left, he brought up the infant car seat. Good luck and congratulations!

Bring everything they said! I would also bring some baby blankets from home...the ones at the hospital are so stiff.

Talk to the lactation consultant at the hospital to see if you can get a manual pump the day you check in. My milk didn't come in for four days because I didn't pump and my daughter's mouth was too tiny to get a good latch.

Good luck and blessings to you and your family!