Instead, I got caught up entering a couple giveaways for Petunia Pickle Bottom’s new bag for moms of multiples. I want one like whoa. Too bad I’m broke, right? Please, Internet gods! Please let me win!
Anywho. Since I’m not sleeping, and I’m too tired to be physically productive around the house, I decided it was high time to vomit out a blog entry.
Fun for you AND me!
Something I laughed about during my post-partum hospital stay was all the prep pregnant women put into the day they give birth. There are classes, tours, packed bags, birth plans, iPod playlists, special hospital clothes, yada, yada, yada.
Ladies, don’t feel like you need ANY of this.
Chances are, any plans you have will be altered in some form.
You won’t get lost in the hospital if you don’t take a tour.
You won’t be unable to give birth or care for your baby if you don’t take a class.
I suppose an iPod playlist may come in handy if you need to go all zen during labor/birth, but I have a feeling your own head will be able to handle the stress without your iPod.
The morning I woke up to my membranes rupturing, I was wearing a strappy nightgown that kept my sweaty pregnant self cool. It got messy. I had to change. I went to the hospital wearing the first T-shirt I saw, the first pajama pants Rob could grab, and the first pair of flip-flops of which I knew the location.
Large men’s orange T-shirt, Ohio State Buckeyes pajama pants, orange flip-flops. My hair was mussed from the few hours of sleep I had. My teeth were unbrushed. I barely remember to slap my glasses on my face on my way out the door.
I had no post-partum attire for myself planned. No granny panties. No nursing bras or tanks. I didn’t have the slightest clue about what I may want.
Guess who survived. I wore those hot hospital gowns during my stay. Honestly, I was so sore from the c-section that the thought of dressing in clothing that fit (not that anything fit after giving birth!) was something of a horror.
Obviously the birth of my trio was an experience to which I hope you all never relate. It was scary, stressful, chaotic, etc. I may not have had time to wish details under my control had been better planned, but I honestly don’t think any of those things would have made a difference in the experience, even if we had gone the more traditional, less emergency-ish route.
My focus was on my sick and tiny trio, but I doubt anyone with full-term singletons focuses any less on their new baby. All that other nonsense is just something extra They have decided new moms should fret over.
Trust me, ladies. There are enough things in this life to fret over. The perfect post-partum clothes and a rocking iPod playlist will only muck up the afterglow – and that’s if you even remember to use them.
Enjoy your pregnancy. Enjoy your baby. Don’t worry about the plans. Those only get in the way anyhow. Nature will take over, and things will go according to nature’s own plan. That’s just how it’s meant to be, after all.
I agree with all of this. I did have my bag packed and I packed one pair of jammies in case I felt like changing. I didn’t. I wore the hospital gown the whole time. The only thing I really used were my toiletries and my big fluffy robe because I felt more covered with it when we had visitors.
I totally agree too – I DID have a bag packed, but didn’t use hardly ANYTHING except a nursing gown, my toothbrush and hairbrush a day or so post-c-section. And I didn’t take any classes, either.
To each their own I guess! I DEFINITELY used my lamaze breathing during the birth of my son and highly recommend the breast feeding class to all expectant mothers. I don’t know if I would have made it through those tough first 3 weeks of breast feeding without the knowledge and support I got through that class. Almost a year later we are still nursing.
I agree! I went to L&D at 32 weeks with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and pj pants thrown together when the doctor told me I needed to go in. I almost didn’t pack anything at all because I never believed I would be staying overnight. Furthermore, I never imagined that I would be having my baby that night. Loved ones went and got me everything I might have needed afterwards and I had no problems with that.
I packed a bag and made plans once. Every other time I’ve given birth, I’ve just said screw it, because there’s always been time for my husband to get whatever I need after the birth and before I’m released. Once I went home in the maternity clothes I went to the hospital in, I’d only put them on for the 10 minute ride and they were way more comfy than the too small stuff he’d brought me LOL
Agreed. The only things we used were camera, toothbrush, and the outfit for my son to go home in.
I brought nursing PJ’s but I stayed in the hospital gown. I was also very sore from the c-section, and the incision was oozing stuff constantly. I also used the mesh panties the whole time, too.
Just my two cents. I had 2 babies back to back. With my daughter I took classes and packed and waited. Her birth was routine and easy. With my son on the other hand, I decided to forego the classes. I mean I had just given birth 12 months ago, and I planned to have an epidural so no special breathing needed. Boy do I wish I had a refresher on that breathing! My son came so fast he was delivered 1 hour from the time we arrived at the hospital. Read: NO time for epidural. When the nurse told me there was no time for drugs, I seriously panicked. (My husband loves to describe my reaction). I didn’t know how to deal with the pain logically, and my husband didn’t remember how to coach me. Long story short, we survived and we have a beautiful baby who is 4.5 months old, but I wish I could have been prepared.
I decided to give home birth a try so I didn’t pack a bag or anything like that but I still made plans. When I went into labor we were going to get the birthing pool together and then play Guitar Hero until I couldn’t stand it anymore. Laid back plans, yes, but they still didn’t work out. I went into labor so quickly that my husband was running around like mad trying to get the pool filled before I had the baby. The guitars are still collecting dust in the basement
I could not agree more! I just had my second daughter via repeat csection. I tried my best to let nature take it’s course this time and it was SO much easier and enjoyable.
Our OR nurses were so caught off guard by our lack of ipod playlist, cd, mixed tape,etc that they just popped in the only cd on hand….the soundtrack to Top Gun. We all laughed and now I have a great story for my daughter’s baby book.
Congratulations on your trio. They are perfection!
SO TRUE about the Granny Panties!!! I never once thought I was going to have a c-section until 2 days before my due date it was a reality. The mere thought of putting my tiny bikini cut undies on over the top of my scar made me shiver and cringe. If I can offer any advice to a new mom it is BUY A PACK OF BELLY BUTTON HUGGING GRANNY PANTIES! You will probably only wear them for 6-8 weeks so just deal with it and be comfortable!
We’ve had 4 babies in just over 6 years so I have some experience with this. I would pack a bag with the absolute MUST haves (mainly a camera and camcorder because you do NOT want to forget those; oh, and chapstick!) and then a second bag with things that might be nice. If you’re in labor for a long time (37 hours with my first, thankyouverymuch) you’ll have time to go back home and re-pack, take a nap, change, shower, eat dinner, etc.
If it’s unexpected/emergency you’re not going to be worrying about your “going home” outfit anyhow (our last one was not how we planned it…) and you’ll be in the hospital a minimum of 24 hours so you can always make someone bring you what you need.
Birth plans are over-rated. I know exactly ONE person who had it go according to plan…and it wasn’t me! I have noticed with each pregnancy my hospital bag had less and less in it for ME and MORE for my husband! LOL!
OMG, I couldn’t agree more. I’m 4 weeks out from an unexpected birth now and I’m so sick of al the “PACK YOUR BAG!!!!” nonsense. I mean, from what I can tell, just be sure you don’t forget your camera. The hospital can give you everything else if you need it. Just like so many things in pregnancy, it just seems like they want you to worry needlessly about stupid stuff. Another thing I’ve noticed is that everyone in the internet seems to want to make you think that every. single. procedure. ever. is the most painful thing in the world. I was terrified of everything because of this. I was even afraid of the stupid glucose test. I just wish I had spent much less time reading what everyone else said I should or shouldn’t do.
This is so true! I dipped out of my class half way through. I never took a tour of the hospital and I made out just fine. My first was born at 34 weeks by c-section and the other two 36 and 38 weeks VBAC. I think they put way too much hype into it and it scares mommies to be, more than helps.