Baby is Coming! 10 Tips on How to Survive the Hospital

Ready or not, here it comes! Congratulations!!! This is an incredibly exciting and sometimes terrifying time. What a ride! Not only is it a time in which hormones are going nuts, but you’re most likely exhausted and overwhelmed. My biggest tip is to plan ahead and then be flexible. Having a clear plan in mind along with your goals and wishes is excellent, but life can be a little nutty and therefore include quite a few hiccups throughout the journey. I for one had very specific plans. But just kidding. . . life had a bit of a different idea for me. I went into labor a month early and instead of having a natural birth as planned, I had an emergency cesarean. We definitely had some hiccups. With that said, the doctors were great and five days later we were on our way home with our new beautiful bundle of miracles!

Here are MY 10 Personal Surviving the Hospital with Baby on the Way Tips

Pack Early. Have your bags packed and have a family member know where things are and if anything else needs to be grabbed. I lucked out even though I went into labor early!! I packed my bag literally only a couple days before going into labor, but I was relieved I had pretty much everything I needed. I’ve talked to quite a few mamas caught off guard with nothing ready to go when they’ve gone into labor. Whether you have a toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant is the last thing you should be worried about.
Have a birth plan. Your wishes are important! Keep in mind, at the hospital you will not be thinking clearly and having your wishes written out and in the hands of your doctor and family can be incredibly helpful. (Trust me! In the moment, I wanted a stiff drink and for someone to wake me when the baby arrived. I did NOT have a great reaction to the the meds!) With that said, just because you have a plan, that doesn’t mean that everything will always go that way. Hmmm, it may mean that it definitely doesn’t go exactly to plan. Again, be flexible.
Bring Music. Pick a calming playlist to have ready to go. Man! Having soothing music helped me breathe and blocked out some of the stress for me. I wasn’t able to have the music playing during the cesarean, but having it play before and afterwards meant a great deal to me personally.
Be okay with saying No, even to friends and family. Sometimes you truly need your space and need to do things your way. . . not to mention you truly need time to heal and have those bonding moments. So, again, it’s okay to ask for no visitors, limit them or request only specific people. This is YOUR family.
Rest. Whenever possible, rest. You’ll need it. Not only will you need it to heal, but you will also need it to do the constant feedings and diapers.
Skin to Skin and time spent bonding is everything. These are the first moments you have with your new babe. Treasure them fiercely. You can’t repeat them.
Bring your own pillows. I know, I know. The hospital has pillows. However, it made such a big difference to have my own comfy pillows and soft cases. It felt a little less sterile and helped me feel a bit more at home.
Bring a Special Thank You for the nurse team and your Doctor. A happy and appreciated nurse makes all the difference! We brought a fun tray of chocolate kisses along with a thoughtful personalized Thank You card to display. We took the time to remind the nurses to help themselves and that we really appreciated them. It made them smile. I felt a difference! A calmer space and a more enjoyable experience all around.
Special Tip for Dads: Coffee. LOTS of coffee.
Welcome to Parenthood! Take this time to understand and recognize that Life As You Know It Will Forever Be Changed. What a blessing! Congratulations!