I really feel like I have no idea what to expect when it
comes to labour (probably because I really DON’T know what to expect!). So I’ve
made a top 5 list of things to bring to the hospital, but it’s all based on
what I THINK I will need or want. I’m sure by baby #2 my list will change!
1. My Husband - Right now I can’t imagine doing it without him.
When I get scared or anxious the thought of him being there with me to help me
through calms most of my fears.
2. Music - Relaxing praise and worship music can get my mind
of just about anything. For the early part of labour I plan to listen to music
on my ipod to keep my mind off the pain of contractions. (My rosary will go
hand-in-hand with this, as it helps me to relax and to focus).
3. Fan - I HATE being hot! In some of the labour stories Ive
heard the woman has said that one of the most uncomfortable parts in early
labour was being too hot. I feel like that’s going to be me, so I plan to have
a fan (and lots of cold water or ice) on hand to help with that discomfort.
4. Camera - I think this one’s obvious. I want pictures, and
lots of them, as soon as our little one arrives!
5. Pyjamas - I don’t plan on wearing the hospital gowns
(Johnny Shirts) at all, if I can avoid it. I’ve got lots of nighties,
housecoats and slippers ready to come to the hospital with me.
Natasha:
#1. My husband. This may seem obvious, and of course he'll be there, but if possible it's my hope that he will travel to the hospital with me, and not have to meet me there. It's always been the case that I've gone into labor while he's been home, meaning he is around to help get the kids ready and help me get to the hospital, and I can't imagine needing to do that without him. We live 45 minutes away from the hospital, so if I ever did go into labor while he was at work I would probably get a neighboor to come stay with the kids until Jeff's parents could make it over, and I would need to call an ambulance to take me in. Which, naturally, I hope I never need to do.
#2. Comfy day clothes. I HATE Johnny shirts! If you look back at my post-delivery pictures for any baby, you will see me in jeans and a t-shirt. Not because I'm some kind of superwoman, but because I really don't feel comfortable in hospital getup (especially when people are coming to visit me and the baby). They need to be loose fitting (since I won't be back to my pre-pregnancy size yet) and easy to nurse in (yay!) but - they need to be my own, and not hospital-issued.
#3. A list of phone numbers for people to call. Of course there are people whose numbers I won't forget, and people (like siblings) that other people will look after calling for me (God bless them!) But there are always a few people that I don't know numbers for off the top of my head (like my best friend's work number) that I want to make sure I have, for the calls I want to make myself. This time around we're going to use texting more than we did before too, because my poor husband felt like he missed the first hour of baby #5's life by being on the phone from the moment he was born to deliver the happy news! We'll likely text right away, and then make our calls in the evening when we've had a chance to bond with the baby and process the day's events.
#4. New pj's. My Mom bought me a new pair of pj's when I was expecting my first baby, and I've kept it up ever since. It's so nice on that first evening in the hospital, after a crazy-long day where your body when through some pretty miraculous (albeit, messy) feats, to slip on a crisp, new pair of comfortable clothes and settle into that first blissful evening processing the fact that your little one can now snuggle with you from the outside.
#5. The Rosary. Okay, so I rarely have the actual beads with me (my fingers do the trick!). But the rosary is my go-to prayer when I am nervous or can't sleep. And for me it takes on special significance in childbirth. I never really had a strong devotion to Mary until I had children of my own, because with everything that a normal birth entails I couldn't even imagine how much more intense hers would have been knowing she was bringing our Saviour into the world (not to mention conceiving out of wedlock in a time where people were put to death for that, and the knowledge of the life of suffering her Son would lead). It made her "Yes" so much more profound for me. I usually have a hard time sleeping in the hours before the baby is born after I arrive at the hospital, and I count on Mary for comfort and grace to be as strong and holy as she was in my own circumstance (which is so much less demanding than hers).
#2. Comfy day clothes. I HATE Johnny shirts! If you look back at my post-delivery pictures for any baby, you will see me in jeans and a t-shirt. Not because I'm some kind of superwoman, but because I really don't feel comfortable in hospital getup (especially when people are coming to visit me and the baby). They need to be loose fitting (since I won't be back to my pre-pregnancy size yet) and easy to nurse in (yay!) but - they need to be my own, and not hospital-issued.
#3. A list of phone numbers for people to call. Of course there are people whose numbers I won't forget, and people (like siblings) that other people will look after calling for me (God bless them!) But there are always a few people that I don't know numbers for off the top of my head (like my best friend's work number) that I want to make sure I have, for the calls I want to make myself. This time around we're going to use texting more than we did before too, because my poor husband felt like he missed the first hour of baby #5's life by being on the phone from the moment he was born to deliver the happy news! We'll likely text right away, and then make our calls in the evening when we've had a chance to bond with the baby and process the day's events.
#4. New pj's. My Mom bought me a new pair of pj's when I was expecting my first baby, and I've kept it up ever since. It's so nice on that first evening in the hospital, after a crazy-long day where your body when through some pretty miraculous (albeit, messy) feats, to slip on a crisp, new pair of comfortable clothes and settle into that first blissful evening processing the fact that your little one can now snuggle with you from the outside.
#5. The Rosary. Okay, so I rarely have the actual beads with me (my fingers do the trick!). But the rosary is my go-to prayer when I am nervous or can't sleep. And for me it takes on special significance in childbirth. I never really had a strong devotion to Mary until I had children of my own, because with everything that a normal birth entails I couldn't even imagine how much more intense hers would have been knowing she was bringing our Saviour into the world (not to mention conceiving out of wedlock in a time where people were put to death for that, and the knowledge of the life of suffering her Son would lead). It made her "Yes" so much more profound for me. I usually have a hard time sleeping in the hours before the baby is born after I arrive at the hospital, and I count on Mary for comfort and grace to be as strong and holy as she was in my own circumstance (which is so much less demanding than hers).
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