All packed up?

I've been working on my hospital bag packing list and figured I should share it with you ladies in case anyone else hasn't started to think about this yet. I am planning on having my initial bag for the L&D room, John will have his small bag with the things he needs. Then when we are getting moved into the post-partum room, John or my dad or someone will go to the car to get the 2nd bag with the more long-term things I need (since I've heard space is limited in the L&D room). I also read it's a good idea to bring a diaper bag with a few things (and lots of empty space to put all the goodies from the hospital!) Then I made a note of miscellaneous things that I don't want to forget. Hope this helps! Let me know if you think of anything I'm missing -

The L&D Bag:

• Driver license, insurance card, paperwork, birth plan in a file folder/large envelope. We'll use this folder to add paperwork from the hospital to keep it all in one place.
• TENS unit
• Rice sock
• Hair ties
• Slippers/socks with grip
• Lip balm
• Snacks, smart water/Gatorade, sugar-free hard candy
• Sports bra (for laboring in the tub)
• Pillow
• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• Make-up
• Cheap flip-flops for shower

 

The Daddy Bag:Toiletries

• iPad, charger, laptop?
• Camera, batteries
• John change of clothes (2), possibly bathing suit and t-shirt for laboring in tub
• Money/change for parking/vending machines

 

The Post-partum Bag:Open front pajamas (I didn't find any I liked, so I am bringing a few nursing tank tops and a zip-up hoodie)

• Bathrobe (short sleeves for easy blood pressure checks)
• Shampoo, conditioner, brush, hairdryer, flat iron
• Lotion, deodorant, extra large soft towel
• My clothes (loose pants, easy access tops, zip-up hoodie, flips flops)
• Cheap, comfy underwear and overnight pads (the hospital provides some mesh panties and jumbo pads, but I've heard not everyone is a fan of them. I plan to bring my own, just in case)
• Nursing bra, pads, lanolin
• Boppy nursing pillow
• Eye mask (for sleep)
• Journal & pen
• Baby book? (I don't have one yet, but they say it's nice to have to document things right away and get their footprints put in a book)

 

The Diaper Bag:

• Baby clothes (newborn & 0-3 mo because some babies are born too big for NB clothes)
• Hat, socks, mittens (for scratching)
• Couple of diapers, small box wipes, swaddle blanket, paci, nail clippers

 

Miscellaneous Stuff:

• Car seat and head support
• Towel and/or garbage bag to sit on for the ride to the hospital

Mommy List

I think it's safe to say we all want to be great mothers. We have smiled at those little flutters in our bellies that have now become full-blown kung-fu sessions. We have made arrangements to prepare for their impending arrival...we have prepared a precious, special space for them...freshly washed linens, the mattress that had to be "just right", murals on the wall, everything in it's place. We have all probably gotten weepy over some random reminder that we will soon have our own sweet, precious child in our arms. We are preparing ourselves to bring them into this world safely with as much calmness and peace as we can muster. We (or at least I know I) have tried not to panic as we have seen our bodies changing, reminding us that we will never again have the same youthful body we once celebrated, but instead we will be women, mothers, from this point forward...we will have new things to love about our bodies because those reminders bear witness to the most amazing thing we will ever have the privilege to do.

I remember watching an episode of the TV show "Private Practice" before I was pregnant, but I definitely wanted to be. Addison says, "Every day I deliver a baby, and every day I see that moment of change - that moment when every cell in a woman's body is transformed. And whatever happens, whether the baby is sick or happy, unhealthy or healthy, lives or dies - whatever happens, that woman will never be just a woman again. She will always be a mother."  And I wept because I knew it was true.
I said all that to say this. I know that being a mother only just begins when my baby boy takes his first breath, and I know that labor is just the tiny first taste of the hard work that is to come. Having the primary responsibility of shaping and molding a human life from birth into childhood, then into becoming a productive and beautiful-hearted adult is a huge undertaking and a bit (or more than a bit) scary. Too many things in my life have been started with the best of intentions, but I never saw them to fruition...that is not an option. So I have started a small list of the types of things I want to do with my child that will hopefully show him he is loved, he is special, he is wonderful...and he will learn to be kind to others and show them through his life and his actions that they are special, they are wonderful and they are loved. That is my hope for my child and any future children I may be blessed with. So check out my blog post for my list...I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas and memories that shaped you that you want to share with your child.

And smile, because you will never just be a woman again...you will always be a mother.