Hellobee Boards

@MaisyMay: I actually brought snacks that were never eaten by anyone except my DH (who stayed with me all of one night, he had to get the house ready). I think I may still bring snacks but I'll definitely include more that are to my tastes and less to his.

I brought a variety puzzle book last time - even marked the pages of the puzzles I liked prior to putting it in my hospital bag. Every time I would try to do a puzzle, though, there would be some well meaning nurse/family member/visitor popping in or I would be trying to sleep. Not sure if I would pack one again, we'll see how antsy I get closer to time.

@autumnlove: I think I only packed one outfit for my LO and didn't bother putting it on him until it was time for us to leave. The only difference I might make about this next one is probably picking an outfit that's all-in-one. I think last time, I did onesie, pants, socks, hat, mittens, sweater, etc. Of course, he was born in January, this next one's due in March.

@FutureMrsMcK: Funny, I actually packed my laptop and charger for it but I think I only used it once while we were there - to update my husband's Facebook picture! Earlier in the month (January), we actually went to the zoo and took some pictures. One of the pictures we took was of a stork (a crane, really, but no one paid much attention). When our son was born and we were waiting in our room for him to come back after being checked out, I updated his FB picture to the stork - and that was it! At the time, it was hilarious because people were bombarding our parents for details because we were staying mum about the whole thing. Not sure what we'll do for this next one.

@MaisyMay: Seriously, if you and @mrskc: hadn't reminded me, I would have left those at home this time! I did have a cute blanket that my mother sewed up for us - a safari scene in bright pastels, since we didn't know whether it would be a boy or a girl - but even that my son managed to wiggle out of every single time! And it was bigger than the hospital provided blankets! I think this time, the swaddling blankets will be joining us and I will get them to show me repeatedly until I manage to get this next one wrapped up like a burrito.

@London Mama: For me, I think I would pack better quality slippers. The slippers I packed reminded me of those I often saw my grandmother wear. They were thin on the top, shaped like ballet flats, with rubber soles. In other words, cheap and uncomfortable. Even though I did manage to get them sort of in my size, I think I would prefer slip on house shoes this next time around and not ones that I had to bend down to put on every time.

@littlecasita1122: I forgot about the stuff! My husband had to make two trips as well, just for my bag and then all of the stuff that was given to us by family and friends. We had waited to find out the sex of our child until the birth so a lot of our gifts were gender specific - baby blue and boy cute. If this next one (which we're also not finding out about until birth) is a girl, I dread thinking of all the stuff we'll be getting!

@Crumbs: I wore much of what they gave me but after my shower, decided to switch into the pajamas I had packed. My hospital actually encouraged me to get out and move around, get my strength back by taking a few laps around the maternity ward. As I think I mentioned in an earlier reply, my pajamas were a little too thin for comfort and I had neglected to pack a robe at all. While I didn't put on 'real' panties until the day I left, I did pack a few. I think, looking back, even with the mess I would have felt more me in some ways had I used more of my own underwear and not the mesh ones they provided for me. Still, I'm not sure I would pack more underwear for this second time around.

@travelingbrit: I'm sorry you had to spend so long in the hospital. We weren't sure at first what to expect when we got there and we had a bit of a scare not long after delivering. LO was born 34 hours after my water broke, had his cord wrapped twice around his neck (one loose, one tight), and ended up getting whisked to the side to get looked over by a couple of NICU doctors as soon as the cord was cut! It was scary for a little while and even though he was given the all clear, they still ended up running more than the usual healthy baby tests just to make sure he didn't have an infection. I remember how bad I felt for him, knowing he was just born into this world and he already had his first IV port (I know there's another name but I can't think of it right now). I even remember trying to joke about how he had an IV port to match mine since they had to induce labor.

For this next time, I want to be sure to have bottled water on hand prior to because when my mother-in-law brought us a few bottles, because of the pitocin and labor, I was nearly frantic to get her out of the room!