Some More Pregnancy Advice

As promised yesterday, here’s some advice for the hospital, labor/delivery, and bringing baby home.

(If you’re a guy, you might want to come back tomorrow. Unless you’re expecting your first bundle of joy. If so, you totally need to read this, then run out and pick up whatever it is your pregnant wife is craving.)

And a disclaimer, one more time: I have done this a whole one time, so of course that gives me full and complete knowledge of all things pregnancy and baby. Sort of like baking a batch of awesome cookies makes me a professional pastry chef.

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts for the Hospital, Labor/Delivery, and Bringing Baby Home.

Do go on a tour of the labor/delivery area at the hospital where you plan to deliver. They usually offer these on a regular basis. It helps to already know where some things are when your wits might not be about you.

Don’t get upset if things happen differently than you plan during labor/delivery. The first lesson you learn as a mom is that your kid has a mind of their own and can be totally unpredictable. And there’s nothing you can do about it.

Do pack your hospital bag with some comfy clothes you don’t mind being seen in. But comfort is key!

Do pack a notepad and pen (for questions you want to ask the docs when they come by), ones and quarters for vending machines, and some snacks (You will be hungry when the cafeteria is not open!).

Do bring some small bills so you can send someone to get you some food. You’ll need to keep your strength up, and if a cheeseburger is what you need, there are probably plenty of people who would be happy to go get it for you!

Do make up some fun little cards you can hand to visitors with the baby’s name and blanks to write in birth date, weight, etc. It’s a fun thing they can show off after they’ve visited. Plus, it makes you look like you’re all organized and stuff.

Do (and I can’t stress this enough) make the nurses be the bad guy for you. Had enough visitors? Need a shower or don’t want anyone to see you until you’ve put your make-up on? Feel like clawing the eyes out of the next person who walks in the room? Want some alone time with your husband and little bundle of joy? Tell the nurses. They’ll have your back. And no one will be the wiser.

Don’t freak out if breastfeeding isn’t easy. It’s simple, natural, but definitely not always easy. Don’t give up! Again, take advantage of the hospital’s lactation consultant. That’s why they’re there.

Don’t feel like a loser if breastfeeding doesn’t work for you.

Don’t be in a rush to leave the hospital. Yes, you are ready to get to the comfort of your own home. At the hospital all you have to worry about is feeding and snuggling that sweet baby and getting up to go pee. But when you go home, it’s all you, all the time.

Do stock up on toilet paper a couple weeks before your due date. You can come home to a house with no food and survive, but you’ll get pretty desperate pretty quickly if you don’t have any TP.

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself about the homecoming. Especially if there are a few things that got left undone because, you know, you were leaving to go have a baby.

Don’t worry if it takes you a few weeks to get into a groove. You have a lot of things to adjust to, and so does your little one.

Don’t feel like you need to entertain everyone who comes by to drop off food/visit. You just had a baby, for crying out loud.

Don’t think you have to let everybody hold/squeeze/spread their germs all over your baby. Blame it on the hormones. Oh, and you’re the Momma now. What you say goes.

Don’t pressure yourself to get back into those pre-pregnancy clothes. I know you want to, but give it time. It’ll happen. But some disappointing news for you: they will fit again, but they won’t fit like they did before. Sorry. Seems to be a fact of life. But you had a baby…you can handle finding new favorite jeans.

So there it is. There's a lot more I could say, but I won't. If you'd like answers to specific questions (you know, because I am the consummate expert), just email me. And if you have any words of wisdom, please leave a comment. I'm sure I don't know everything!