What to Pack for the Hospital

As a first timer my husband and I have no idea what to expect when we go to the hospital for the delivery of Baby Yeates. When I went to the hospital with my sister {almost 10 years ago} I took a  pillow and my toothbrush with me ~ that won't really work this time around, I have a more central role to play. So I decided to make a list of what to take and get things ready before hand.

I went online to try and find a list of things that I need to be sure to have with me and and to help because I'm sure there are things I would not even think about if it wasn't pointed out to me.

As I'm looking at the list there are somethings on here I am thinking just sound a little overboard and other things that I know we won't need, like the list for the siblings, but I'm still including it for those who do have older children. If I have everything on my list I'll pack it all, just to be on the safe side, and let you know what I thought was a must have, nice to have and no need for. some of it might also be redundant, on both lists for you and your husband, but there is no need to over do it, that is just more stuff to keep track of. Many of the things I have found on these lists are also things that the hospital will provide but it might help the laboring mother feel more comfortable to have her own items from home that she is familiar with.

For Her:

• Health insurance card
• Pre-registration forms from the hospital
• Nursing bra(s)- This supports swollen, tender breasts, and helps keep breast pads in place.
• Sports bra- Many women find these extremely useful during water birth or when using the birth pool; they are also good for suppressing lactation if you are not planning on breast feeding.
• Breast pads- You will need these whether or not you are breast feeding because they stop leaks by absorbing milk.
• Nursing pillows- These can be used if you are breast feeding or bottle feeding; either way they reduce the strain on your arms, neck, and back when feeding your baby.
• Nightgown and robe- Make sure they open in the front if you are planning on breast feeding. They will get dirty. Any Clothes of your own that you wish to wear, as an alternative to hospital gowns
• Slippers- During early labor it is always recommended to walk around. These will also come in handy as you make trips to the nursery to check on your new baby.
• Socks- Many women complain of their feet being cold during the delivery, so have a couple of pairs in case one pair becomes soiled.
• Going-home outfit- Choose one that fit you when you were around 6 months pregnant.
• Toiletries- To be more comfortable, take a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, chap stick, makeup, hairbrush, shampoo, soap, lotion, hair dryer, etc.
• Sanitary pads- The hospital can provide you with these, but many women feel more comfortable when they bring their favorite brand with them. Remember, you are going to need a pad designed for a heavier flow.
• Hair clip or band if you have long hair- Women with long hair like to have it pulled out of their faces during labor and delivery.
• Pillow from home- This makes you more comfortable; just make sure you have a different colored pillow case on it to distinguish it from hospital pillows.
• Extra wash cloths- These also need to be colored to distinguish them from the hospital’s wash cloths.
• Magazines/something to read- You will not have a lot of down time, but there could be a few minutes here and there when you could read.
• Mints or breath strips- Many women experience nausea/vomiting during labor and delivery; these will help freshen your mouth or the mouths of your support people.
• Lollipops or other hard candies- These can alleviate dry mouth.
• Glasses and contact case
• Breast feeding book- Take along any reference books that would be helpful.
• Baby book- The nursery often will take your baby book and put your baby’s footprints in it. This will save you a lot of time and trouble.
• A notepad or journal and pen or pencil- Track your baby's feeding sessions, write down questions you have for the nurse, note what the pediatrician tells you, jot down memories of your baby's first day, and so on. Some people bring a baby book so they can record the birth details right away.
• Large envelope /file folder- This may be used to store any loose paperwork.
• Tube socks that have been filled with tennis balls or rice- These can help alleviate the sore aching muscles during labor. Just take a tube sock and place three tennis balls inside the sock. Tie or sew off the open end of the sock to keep the tennis balls in place. Many women like to place these between their backs and the bed because the pressure applied makes them feel better. You can also fill a sock with uncooked rice (but not instant). These can either be heated or placed in the freezer and provide comfort during painful contractions.
• Massage tools- (Oils, massage tool, etc.)
• Waterproof pads- for the car ride
• List of people to call
• Focal Point- (If you want one)
• Cell phone charger or prepaid phone card

For Him:

• Change of clothes- Maybe two sets
• Pajamas
• Bathing suit- For shower, this is also important if you and your partner are planning on a water birth or using the birthing pool during labor.
• Toiletries
• Snacks- Labor can be a long process, so you want to be prepared.
• Cooler filled with drinks and sandwiches- This keeps the partner close by and can help avoid multiple trips to the hospital cafeteria.
• Quarters for the vending machine and/or pay phone- Remember not all hospitals allow cell phone use.
• Watch with second hand- my husband has never had a watch, he just uses his phone for everything so that's what we'll use here
• Video/still camera - Make sure you have extra tapes, film, batteries, chargers, etc.
• Extra memory card/film
• Address book- This will help you contact friends and family about your new arrival.
• Massage oils- Many labor classes discuss the use of massage oils during class because they can help alleviate back labor.
• CDs/CD player/MP3 player- Soothing music may help you and your partner relax both during and after labor.
• Take out menus
  Cell phone charger or prepaid phone card

For Baby:

• Infant car seat and infant head support- You will not be allowed to leave the hospital without one; make sure you bring the instructions.
• Going-home outfit
• Hat- Babies lose the vast majority of their body heat through their heads.
• Booties/socks
• Receiving blankets- Newborns love to be swaddled, and these blankets are perfect for swaddling.
• Newborn diapers- If they do not have the umbilical cord area cut out, make sure you fold them down.
• Wipes- Begin with the wipes that are designed for newborns or sensitive skin.
• Mittens - Many newborns will have longer nails, so they can easily scratch their face and other parts of their bodies.
• Cans/bottles of formula- This will allow you to begin with the formula that you have chosen to feed your baby.
• Baby Book- for getting the foot prints done by the nurse when paperwork is done.

For Siblings:

• Crayons, markers, paper, coloring books
• Books
• Toys
• Snacks
• Special camera
• Gift from big brother/sister to the baby- This can be something that was picked out prior to delivery by the older sibling.
• Gift from Mom and baby to the big brother/sister- Many times older siblings tend to get jealous around the birth of the baby. A special gift can help alleviate this problem and allow the big brother/sister to know that they are still important.

Anything else you think you can use (Candles, pictures, etc.)

Number of La Leche League or other breastfeeding support

Number of diaper service (if you need to arrange for delivery)

Car Seat with instructions

Make sure you have a supply of heavy-duty pads waiting at home!

My list is put together compiling lists from the following websites:

American Pregnancy

Pregnancy.about.com

Baby Center

Receiving Baby Blanket ~ Flannel Squares

Well I have to apologize right off the bat today. When I was making this quilt I was just trying to get it done before I had to pack it up to move and so the pictures I took were just for me to remember how I made it for future blankets.

I made this blanket during this past summer and have not had time to post about it with the craziness of moving and trying to get settled. But here we are now. Classes have started for my Husband and I am at home with Bentley anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little angel.

But I can not keep it to myself, I LOVE how it turned out and so I wanted everyone to see it, and if you want, to make your own. I sure hope it's my little girls favorite, or at least one of them, she has plenty of hand made blankets from family that love her!!

Since things have calmed down a bit and before they pick up again {my due date is in TWO weeks} I thought now would be a good time to post the baby blanket and list the tutorial. 

The tutorial is going to be a bit long and wordy, especially since I don't have pictures for every step. If something is not clear or if I left something out, be sure to leave me a comment so I fix it.

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First thing is first. You need to pick out your material.

I had picked out this material with a different type of blanket in mind but then changed my mind on what type of blanket to do. To do it as I have my blanket you will need:

Five pieces of flannel, if you get the 44” you will need 25” cut. {It’s always a good idea to get a little bit more} Try as they may, we all know that material does not get cut straight at the cutting table. This will give you a little room to work with when you take it home and lay it out to cut your squares.

Obviously I was not planning on using this as a tutorial so the next step I didn’t take any pictures of but hopefully I can explain it well enough. Leave your material folded and lay it out vertically, one at a time, and cut five {5} inch strips, you should get five {5} strips from each piece of material.

With the strips I squared up the edges by cutting the ends off. Keep your material folded in half {this will help so can cut two squares at a time}, turn it so it is horizontal, and cut out 5” {five inch} squares. By the time you are done cutting all your material you will have 80 squares from each of the five {5} different materials.

 

The hardest part for me was the layout of all the squares. I finally took out a piece of graph paper and sketched out the design. The blanket will be 10 squares by 10 squares.

I went through and ordered the squares from left to right for each row. {This made it easier once I started sewing. I could just pick up the next piece and go, I didn’t have to keep looking back at my pattern.} For the back to turned my graph paper a quarter turn and ordered the squares from right to left {I wanted to try and make the pattern more random and not have the same piece of material for the squares line up on the back that were on the front.}

Now to start all that sewing!! This is where it can get a bit confusing, if I had pictures it would make perfect sense, so I will do my best to explain it.

 

Take the stacks of row one for the front and back. With the first squares from each stack put the two wrong sides together. Now take the second squares from each stack and put them wrong sides together. Now you will stack all four pieces together and sew a straight down one side leaving a ½” {half Inch} seem. Open up and separate the first squares from the second squares. Continue with the third squares from each stack and put them wrong sides together. Place them under second squares from that row and sew on the opposite edge from the first seem {make sure that when they are sewn together, the ½” {half inch} seem is facing the same way as the first one.} By the time you are done with that row you will have 10 squares across.

Follow the same steps to make the next nine rows.

Now you are going to sew the rows together. Make sure to stack row one and row two with the back sides together. Do this for all 10 rows.

I also sewed a ½” {half inch} straight stitch around the outside edges of the blanket to keep the outside squares from opening up. Now you will snip the ½” {half inch} seam allowance from each square to help fray the edges.

Wow, that looks like a lot of work once it is all typed out. You can definitely tell I was not planning on making a tutorial out of this one.

Finally you need to take a pair of scissors and snip all of the ½” {half inch} seams so that it will fray {also trim off the excess thread from sewing all the squares together.} Now all that is left to do is wash it to get all the loose fray off of the blanket.

AND Ta Da!!! A wonderful hand made quilt full of love.

Custom Order to Australia

This was a custom order that I did over the summer. How cool is that, my largest order so far is also my first international order too. She knew exactly what she wanted and was great to work with. Check out all the fun colors she chose for her family. If you would like to make a custom order go to my store {AlwaysBeCreating} and send me a convo.