If you have ever prepared for the arrival of a new baby in the age of the internet you know there is a plethora of information out there. Sometimes it seems like too much. Do I have all the items deemed necessary by blogger moms for delivery? Will I have everything I need for recovery? Should I write out a detailed birth plan? Honestly, it can be overwhelming. That’s why we decided to dial down the use of the internet and focus on we can best prep for the arrival of our baby girl.
Preparing for Our New Arrival
My mom has told me about a dozen times that she didn’t need much in terms of creature comforts when she went into labor with me. “You don’t need that much, don’t overdo it.” While I trust my mom’s judgment and value her input, you could also smoke cigarettes in the hospital when I was born. It has been a while since she’s gone through pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery. She will undoubtedly be a rock of support for me but when it comes to how to best prepare, we’ve done our research to figure out what will work for us.
We got our hospital bags packed this week. Baby Blankenship is due September 2. Hopefully, she will at least be on time (if not a little early). I’ve done so much reading when it comes to prepping for our little one. What foods should I eat for breastfeeding, hospital bag must-haves, and even how to best introduce our beloved family dog to the new member of the family. More recently, I’ve been researching what to expect during labor, things we should have with us (and things that are provided), and have been attempting to be as prepared as humanly possible.
My husband realized it was stressing me out a bit. After all, the internet is literally full of information and every mom thinks she got it right when it comes to how she prepped for the birth of her child. That’s the thing though. It is a very personal experience and you should cater it to your personal preferences.
For instance, many moms said they packed makeup for their delivery so that they could look nice in photos. I read this and thought to myself, “Seriously?” There’s no way I’m going through the trouble of putting on makeup when I just birthed a baby. However, I do think it will be worth it to pack a comfortable blanket, robe, and comfort items from home. We also hit Costco and stocked up on some snacks, which will come in handy, especially if I give birth at an odd hour of the night. The hospital cafeteria doesn’t open its doors simply because you had a baby, unfortunately, and most restaurants are closed in the middle of the night.
On top of that, we are also making sure we have phone chargers, vape chargers (for my husband), and some essential toiletry items to clean up during our stay. This, according to many people, is a bare-bones hospital bag list, but it definitely works for us.
What did you pack when preparing for your own new arrival?
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Amanda Blankenship is the Director of Social Media for District Media. In addition to her duties handling everything social media, she frequently writes for a handful of blogs and loves to share her own personal finance story with others. When she isn’t typing away at her desk, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, husband, and dog. During her free time, you’re likely to find her with her nose in a book, hiking, or playing RPG video games.
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