Hospital Bag Must Haves.

Hey! So I have been shopping on a budget and gathering things that I think are important for my hospital bag, and some items that I found for him that I adore.

First off, I want to talk about how my first hospital experience went. I went to the hospital with one night's worth of things. I thought I was going in, gonna have my baby that day, and then leave within a day. I packed for that scenario exactly. Only one nursing bra, one nursing tank top, and like no clothes really. I had a nightgown and slippers also.

Boy was I wrong!! I ended up having Opal the next morning via emergency C-Section. I lost A LOT of blood. I got an infection in my uterus.... I had more problems with my blood.... I nearly had to have blood transfusions... My stay was 5 nights long, nearly a week spent in the hospital counting the day I was discharged. It was a nightmare. I was so unprepared for that experience.

Xhileration nightgown and robe. Both from Target.

So, this time around I decided that I will pack smarter. I don't care if it looks like I am over packed! If I end up in a repeat C-Section I will be totally prepared this go around. I will have multiple bras, tanks, and changes of clothes.

 This time around I bought a prettier robe and nightgown. I want to feel good and look good. I hate how I look in the photos from Opal's birth so much! I just felt swollen and frumpy.. with blemishes everywhere and messy hair.

I found this really cute (and affordable!) robe and nightgown set from Target.

I really love the nightgown because it has a built in bra. I want to be able to wear this and easily nurse Oliver while at the hospital and at home. It has a low cut front which is great and easier for me to nurse, also.

Another reason why I LOVE this set is because purple has been one of my happy colors. I usually draw to dark colors.. but lately I'm all about purple and bright blues. I want to live in this set already, but I haven't! I just ripped the tags off and washed it and it is going straight to my hospital bag to be my home away from home while staying at the hospital.

Gilligan & O'Malley nursing sleep bras.

I also am packing a lot more bras. With my last pregnancy, I bought a variety of styles which I still have and plan to take one of each style. But I hadn't invested in this type of sleep bra, so I plan to go to the hospital in this. I am hoping they will allow me to wear this while I give birth. I was not a fan of being so bare and exposed. I'd much rather have at least this sleep bra on to be comfortable and willing to take photos. I got this set of bras from Target.

OKAY! So another thing I didn't pack enough of..... or think about in case I had a C-section was UNDIES!

I was not a fan of the mesh undies, but I was bed ridden for 5 days and has no option but to wear them. I was not even allowed to get out of bed to use the restroom. I was also swollen from both attempting to have my baby naturally, and from having the surgery. This time, I hope to be able to just have him naturally and be walking within hours. I bought boxer briefs in a larger size to keep myself feeling human.

I'm also taking both washable and disposable nursing pads. I prefer washables at night, and disposables since I can't wash them for day time use.

KNEE HIGH socks are another must have for me. My legs were SO SWOLLEN from not walking, continuously being on an IV, etc. The hospital's compression socks were too small for me, so I'm taking my own socks and will use them immediately.

Slippers are a given, because I will be walking a lot after the birth to avoid painful swelling.

I am taking a refillable water bottle, because while breastfeeding is the thirstiest I've ever been in my entire life.

A loafa because I hope to shower as soon as possible. Not 5 days after giving birth and having surgery.

From Target.

Chapstick/ moisturizer- because hospitals are pretty dry and you find yourself with chapped lips and skin pretty easily.

And of course,  my glasses because contacts can also get dry and uncomfortable easily. (Especially if you go in later in the evening and have a long labor! You don't realize that you end up wearing them for 24 hours+)

I'm obviously taking more clothing, but I haven't really decided what I'm taking. It's going to be pretty hot and humid here in VA so I am sure It'll probably include yoga shorts (many pairs of yoga shorts) and some loose flowing tops that I can nurse in.

I am also taking stuff for Oliver.

I chose this backpack from Target as my new diaper bag.

I am over the shoulder strap heavy bags! I have two children now. DOUBLE OF EVERYTHING!  I love this bag so much because of the look, pockets and how much baby stuff I can fit in here. It keeps everything together, and is easy to carry around.

I also love that Dillon likes it and feels comfortable carrying it around too. He wasn't a fan of the diaper bag situation beforehand, so this works best for us.

I will also be taking some linens for my sweet boy. 

I found these PLUM swaddlers at Marshalls for $7! I love them so much. They're huge (110 x 110 cm) and made out of Muslin, which is nice and cool enough for our summer baby.

I found this Munchkin Swaddle Angel at Marshalls also! It was $10 and I love it so much too. It is so beautiful and convenient for me. I am not as great at swaddling as my husband is, so I love these styles.

I also found this 4 pack of Carter's receiving blankets at Burlington's for $10. I normally don't buy receiving blankets, because my mom sews all my baby linens for me.. but I couldn't pass up the adorable foxes on these.

And last but not least- diapers. A lot of people say not to take any, just use what the hospital gives you. I agree with that, mostly because you also don't know what size your baby may be. Some people buy and open newborn diapers... all to have a big baby and those NB diapers were too small and wasted.

Wipes are good to have on hand, I love the Huggie's "Clutch 'n' Clean" sooooo much. It is reusable and straps onto your bag or stroller all while keeping the wipes inside fresh and moist. Love it and recommend it!

Some other things I will be packing that are not pictured are:

• Camera & Battery charger (or spare batteries if you need those)
• Makeup, remover wipes, and face wash. (If you plan to wear makeup for photos.)
• Spare towel(s), body wash, shampoo/ conditioner. You just never know how long you'll be there. Best to be prepared.
• Hair brush, ties, and bobby pins to fix your hair for photos. Straightener if you're going all out!
• Snacks- I didn't need them because the hospital was bringing me food and snacks, but my husband DEFINITELY needed them and ate all of them.
• Phone charger, music, etc. Anything to keep you distracted or busy to pass the time if that's what you need. 
• A going home outfit for yourself and your baby.
• Pads- yep. The bleeding begins immediately, and I am really picky about what I wear for period use. I will be taking my personal favorite pads and use those. I don't really like the ones the hospital gives out, but I'll use them as long as I don't have a bad reaction to them. (I'm allergic to most of these products.)
• Nipple Butter- I'm going to use Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter. (I just haven't gone to pick one up yet from Babies R Us.)

I'll continue to add to this list if I think of anything else.

instagram giveaway!

 

Dad's take on breastfeeding! -Dillon

To start off my "World breastfeeding week" series I wanted to interview my husband on his side of this journey. I gave him 4 questions and he emailed me the following answers:


Question One: What were your expectations of breastfeeding while we were still pregnant?

His answer:

"When my wife first told me that she wanted to breastfeed Opal, I was excited. As a husband and soon to be father, I was rejoicing at the fact that my wife wanted to save money just like I did! Expectations were at an all time high. Weeks and days before the birth I was just thinking, "I'm going to be rich! I don't need to buy formula or anything!" The thought was that life was going to be easy, (well as easy as possible with a newborn baby during the winter months of DC). I can remember the first night in the hospital with Opal trying to get her to latch on and I was thinking to myself,  "are you sure you want to breast feed?!" Thankfully though, Opal stopped being stubborn and realized that if she didn't eat that she was going to be hungry. I can safely and confidently say that I'm proud of my wife for sticking with breastfeeding and couldn't be more thankful for it."

Question Two: What was the reality of the first couple of months?

His answer:

"Reality set in quickly as stated before, when we were up for a whole night listening to her scream for milk! Even though we could officially call ourselves "parents" we were more lost than a chicken with its head cut off. It wasn't until the second day with Opal, that we were getting the hang of breastfeeding. We were incredibly blessed when a Lactation Consultant talked to Chelsea and helped with her engorged breasts. She confirmed that even though the first couple of days would suck, if we kept up with nursing our baby girl she would grow fast, learn quicker, and be smarter. Over the months to pass I would come to love that lady for her advise and admire my wife for her total dedication to helping our daughter be the best she could be. I got to see my daughter say her first "papa" and "mama", be able to sit on her own, and grow taller. She did all these things before kids her own age got the chance to even do half of that stuff. I can honestly accredit it all to my wife. It's because of her restless nights, drained afternoons, and early mornings that my daughter is as smart as she is now."

Question Three: What do you wish you knew then, that you know now? 

 "I now know that mother's produce milk because it's what God designed BOOBS for!"

His full answer:


"When I was first learning about breastfeeding, I thought of it as a cheap way of feeding my daughter. I now know that mother's produce milk because it's what God designed BOOBS for! Guys, if you didn't know, you do now. I am also blessed with the knowledge that if your wife is going to breastfeed you will NEED milk storage bags and need to make sure you put these in the fridge as soon as possible... because if you don't, you will regret it. Guys, also remember a key saying that my dad taught me... "Happy wife, happy life". Remember those words when you don't want to do something but your wife needs it done!

Question four: What advice would you give to new or expecting breastfeeding fathers?

His answer:

"What would I tell you dads-to-be? Honestly, suck it up and learn how to feed your child with the breast milk your wife recently pumped. Give her some rest, because she will truly need it."

-Dillon Gonzalez (Chelsea's Husband)

I want to say a HUGE thankyou to my wonderful husband for participating in this post! I hope you ladies share with the men in your life.

Good luck, xoxo.

Teething SUCKS.

Opal has been so fussy and crazy the last 2 weeks once 8 o clock hits... And I finalllllllly have proof that it is teething problems. Her left upper front tooth has began to debut itself and man, I totally forgot how teething sucks for me! I'm like her pacifier ALL night! She will wake up and screammmmmmm, latch on to my boob and won't go to sleep until 3 am, and then insists on waking up around 7.. I haven't had a good night's sleep in weeks now. I hope these two top teeth come in as fast as the last two did, so we can resume our normal 8 hr sleep routine. I miss it dearly.

I hope you are well rested, thanks for reading this short rant.

<3