Category Archives: hospital

40 Weeks of Pregnancy – Week 31

Hello there, and welcome to Week 31 of my week by week pregnancy guide. If you want to refresh your memory of the previous weeks, scroll to the bottom.
Week 31
Right around now you are going to start feeling shortness of breath. This is nothing to worry about for the most part. If you are really having difficulties, contact your doctor.
Another bit that may or may not concern you is your calcium depletion. I personally never felt it, even though it was probably happening to me, so you too may have no idea about it. But as your baby’s bones harden and become the structures which will shortly support your baby, the calcium needed in his bones will come directly from you. If you are carrying multiples this is more of a concern than if you just have one in there. For the most part it is not a huge deal, but just something to keep in mind.
Are you waddling around yet? If so, it is not so much an imbalance issue, but has more to do with your pelvis widening in expectation of giving birth. I didn’t waddle so much with Munch, but with Ducky, I was looking like, well, a duck. Hubby thought it was hilarious. I didn’t.
If you haven’t already, now would definitely be a good time to firmly decide how you are going to give birth. And then make the proper arrangements. I was so glad I had gone ahead and done it. With Munch I was preregistered at the hospital, so when I went into labor I walked in and they had everything ready to go. With Ducky, I had obviously preregistered again, but unfortunately the hospital lost my paperwork so I was able to experience what it would be like if I hadn’t been preregistered. If they had had me fill out any more paperwork I would have given birth in the lobby.
When you establish where you want to give birth, you will also want to figure out how you want to give birth. Not every place has the same options, so you will definitely want to make sure that you pick a place that will allow you the most freedom. For example, if you want to use an epidural(which I highly recommend), you should be aware that some places don’t have them. And that is not something you want to find out about when you are actually in labor and about to give birth.
I have also known of some couples who wanted to do it in a non traditional manner, and have a water birth. It sounds pretty interesting but again, not something offered at every facility.
Aside from induced comfort like an epidural, or different types of birth, there are other factors you may also want to take into account. I had read that walking during early labor makes it easier later on, and also helps you feel better. Sure enough, it did all of the above for me. And my hospital actually condoned walking, letting me wander around the hallways of the maternity ward to my heart’s content. I have heard of cases where that wasn’t so, and the woman was confined to her bed from the second she set foot in the hospital.
Essentially, since you will be giving birth in a matter of weeks, you want to make sure you are tying all the loose ends so there won’t be any last moment panicking at the end, especially since there is a chance you could go into labor earlier than you had planned.
What are you deciding on? Any special preferences in mind?
If you want to catch up…  

Week 15 

Week 23 

How To Pack For Delivery Day

There are a lot of articles out there dedicated to lists of things to bring to the hospital with you when you go into labor. When I gave birth to my daughter I consulted numerous such lists, and inevitably ended up packing for an extended Caribbean cruise as opposed to a 48 hour hospital stay. As my son’s due date approaches I have comprised a list of things I actually needed and used the first time around. Some of the items on this list seem obvious, which causes them to be often overlooked.Also, packing in advance and putting the suitcase in the closet for future use prevents a lot of last minute panicking. However, some of the items on this list will not be packable until you are ready to leave for the hospital, so having a list out for a last minute check can be helpful. I remember having mine taped to my front door, reminding me of any minute items that needed to be grabbed as we rush out the door.

Robe – your doctor will most likely tell you to take a stroll down the hall a few times a day. Most hospitals run cold, and you also may not be dressed appropriately to step out in public (not that you would want to be).

Pajamas or night gown – I preferred a night gown. Made everything much easier.

Socks

Slippers – something easy to slip on and off without too much struggling.

Underwear – you can never over pack on these. You will go through several pairs per day, so take along as many as you like. No thongs or itsy bitsy ones. If there was ever a time for the granny panty, this is it.

Bra – regular bra and/or nursing bras will be helpful.

Nursing pads – whether you plan on nursing or not, these will come in handy in the first few days to protect against any unwanted leakage (as if leakage was ever wanted).

Sanitary napkins – the high absorbency kind are best at this stage. Panty liners come later.

Chap stick

Tooth brush/tooth paste

Soap – the stuff they provide at the hospital is not usually that good and it does not smell very nice either.

Body lotion

Deodorant

Shampoo/Conditioner – nothing will feel as good as your first shower after giving birth. Cleanliness takes on a whole new meaning.

Nipple cream – in case your little one is more aggressive than you anticipated.

Hair brush

Make up – you will have hoards of people coming to visit you, so if you are anything like me, you want to look presentable when they pop in to see how you are doing.

Glasses/saline solution – they say you should not wear contacts when giving birth. Well, taking them out was not on my priority list as I was in labor, and the thought completely escaped me until the next day. So, bring some eye drops, saline solution, and/or glasses with you.

Ipod/electronic device – there will be many hours of nothingness where you will want to keep yourself entertained to some degree. Bring music, a Kindle, Nintendo DS, or whatever will sooth you.

Book/magazines – See above.

Cash – hospitals are not best known for their culinary skills. I was not terribly disappointed by the food provided, but it was nice to have a little extra cash to get some vending machine goodies in between meals.

Camera/battery/charger – you will want to take lots of pictures of your bundle of joy. Some of you may want to videotape as well. Make sure your battery is fully charged beforehand and bring your charger with you for any additional power you may need.

Cell phone/charger – even though your phone may be surgically attached to your palm, your charger may not be as accessible. You don’t want to be left with no battery life while you are trying to inform the world about the birth of your beautiful baby. Also, if you have phone numbers stored elsewhere outside your phone, bring those along as well.

Going home clothes for you – after you give birth you will still look about five to six months pregnant, so bring along a comfortable, loose fitting outfit to wear home. Skip the jeans, you won’t be ready for those quite yet, nor will they feel very comfortable at this time (even if they are maternity jeans).

Going home clothes for baby – depending on what season you are giving birth, pack an outfit for baby, and don’t forget the booties and beanie since itsy bitsy babies get cold faster.

Insurance information/hospital preregistration – whether or not you are preregistered with the hospital, you will need your insurance information. I keep mine in my wallet at all times, but for those of you who don’t, pack it safely in your bag in an easily accessible place (burying it at the bottom of all of your other necessities might seem safe, but you will regret it when you are digging through your suitcase while having constant contractions and wanting nothing more than to lay down).

Birthing plan – if you have one, make sure you bring it to the hospital with you.

Infant car seat – you will not be allowed to leave the hospital without one.

What are some of your big day essentials?