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Post by wineallthetime on Mar 4, 2018 19:48:55 GMT -6
Anything you can think would be helpful to have with me for recovery once I discharge and we are in the NICU? lfig? So far I have -breast pads -sports bras -comfy clothes -pain reliever -large water bottle -snacks I will take mesh underwear, pads, peri bottle, ect from labor and delivery before discharge At this point I'm unsure if it'll be vaginal or c-section. |
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guster
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Post by guster on Mar 4, 2018 20:04:36 GMT -6
Phone charger
Neck pillow
Warm blanket
Extra socks/slippers?
A robe
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trtlcrzy
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Post by trtlcrzy on Mar 4, 2018 20:07:59 GMT -6
ipad or laptop
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loony
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Post by loony on Mar 4, 2018 20:19:32 GMT -6
Coloring book and markers.
My brain was not always ok with paying attention to things. I tried to read, but was not successful. I spent most of the 5 weeks watching NCIS on the tablet and coloring. (Amidst the light therapy, pump/feed/ change combo schedule).
I had a place to stay at a friend’s house, so I didn’t need shampoo or anything more than comfy clothes...I also was an hour away from my older one at the time, bless my mom, but also stocking up on gift cards to restaurants is not a bad thing...there’s only so much hospital food you can eat (and our kitchen hours sucked)...if I had known we would have been there, I would have researched food options and made delivery plans.
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loony
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Post by loony on Mar 4, 2018 20:20:51 GMT -6
Oh yeah. Slippers with a hard sole.
I hate wearing shoes or socks, but hospitals are gross.
A good pair of hard soles moccasin type slippers that can stay there was invaluable (and then I tossed them in the trash on our way out).
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Post by wineallthetime on Mar 4, 2018 21:24:35 GMT -6
loony, great thoughts thanks! Fortunately I'm only about 20-25min from home, I'm actually at the hospital I work at. Definitely will get some coloring and hard soled slippers. I don't even want to think of the nasty stuff on these floors!
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chrisy01
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Post by chrisy01 on Mar 4, 2018 21:37:43 GMT -6
A deck of cards?
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Sunny41
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Post by Sunny41 on Mar 4, 2018 21:43:35 GMT -6
Long charging cable if you don't already have one
Robe or zip up hoodie
Elastic headbands
Cleansing Face wipes
Favorite lotion (your hands may get dry from alcohol )
Will you be nursing or formula? For nursing use the hospital grade pumps. If formula take some stuff to stop supply like peppermint tea (i think).
Can we send you a care package?
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Sunny41
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Post by Sunny41 on Mar 4, 2018 21:45:31 GMT -6
Do you crochet or knit? Maybe make a blanket while you are there for baby.
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tgrimes
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Post by tgrimes on Mar 4, 2018 21:57:51 GMT -6
Booze? Is that wrong?
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loony
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Post by loony on Mar 4, 2018 22:02:21 GMT -6
I definitely had an oversupply and pumped and dumped for the last session of the day. I drank a lot once I got back to our room. It was pretty necessary. (But I wasn’t taking care of anyone but myself). |
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lfig
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Post by lfig on Mar 4, 2018 22:11:07 GMT -6
Definitely some hard soled slippers...maybe in the next size up. My feet swelled soooo much, and because I didn’t listen to the doctors and keep my feet up, it took forever for the swelling to go down. I just sat in a chair beside S staring at her all the time with my feel dangling. Lol. I couldn’t even get my feet in my flip flops so we made a target run and got some the day I was discharged. Lotion and chapstick. I’m sure your used to the constant hand washing from work anyway, but my hands were sooo chapped. I bought a pump bottle of Aveno and kept it in the NICU room (we had a private room not shared...luck of the draw). It was very helpful. Plus chapstick because...just dry in general. And I also like the idea of having something to watch, that doesn’t require much concentration. Like loony I found it hard to concentrate reading a book. So if you can stream any trashy tv it will be sure to make you feel better! And any chance someone offers to bring you food...accept! |
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tallb
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Post by tallb on Mar 4, 2018 22:13:22 GMT -6
Haven't done a NICU stay, but for long hospital stay, a nice Notebook and pen to write down stuff if you are a note taker. Someone gave us a clear bag tote bag and all random papers went in there.
Oh, a nursing cover for pumping! I assume you mentioned pumping bra.
EtA: disregard pumping stuff, forgot about formula!
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Post by wineallthetime on Mar 4, 2018 22:24:43 GMT -6
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Post by wineallthetime on Mar 4, 2018 22:26:36 GMT -6
loony, how many weeks were you when you delivered?
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lfig
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Post by lfig on Mar 4, 2018 22:28:02 GMT -6
Oh ya.... tallb made a good point...we ended up buying a shoulder bag/briefcase type bag from the gift shop to keep all the papers and such in. Seemed like everyday they were giving us pamphlets or instructions for different things. We had OT and PT and Speech, and lactation consultants, in giving us papers, instructions, ect. |
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Post by wineallthetime on Mar 4, 2018 22:29:13 GMT -6
Long charging cable if you don't already have one Robe or zip up hoodie Elastic headbands Cleansing Face wipes Favorite lotion (your hands may get dry from alcohol ) Will you be nursing or formula? For nursing use the hospital grade pumps. If formula take some stuff to stop supply like peppermint tea (i think). Can we send you a care package? Likely formula. They mentioned donor milk and I said I could pump if it'd be beneficial and she said I certainly could, but a lot of moms struggle with supply after preterm labor and it could make my anxiety worse. I may try and just see how it goes, depending on how I'm feeling. |
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Post by wineallthetime on Mar 4, 2018 22:30:04 GMT -6
Oh ya.... tallb made a good point...we ended up buying a shoulder bag/briefcase type bag from the gift shop to keep all the papers and such in. Seemed like everyday they were giving us pamphlets or instructions for different things. We had OT and PT and Speech, and lactation consultants, in giving us papers, instructions, ect. We've already accumulated a stack and he/she isn't even here yet! Great idea. |
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loony
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Post by loony on Mar 4, 2018 22:31:49 GMT -6
loony, how many weeks were you when you delivered? 33 and we were released around 38ish and came all the way home on his due date...he barely passed the car seat test and we had 4 hours to get all the way home. It was an emergent VBAC at a hospital 4 hours from home and an hour from the nearest NICU (which luckily was in the town we used to live and SO still works). Silver linings in all of it, DD was able to stay with my mom. I was able to stay in a room at a friend’s house minutes from the hospital and SO was able to go back and forth for DD. If we had given birth here, it would have been a general section out of state and we would have been 6+ hours from my mom and 2+ hours from home. |
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Mar 4, 2018 23:15:20 GMT -6
wineallthetime I only had a week long Nicu stay, but I second the long charger cord. I had a mini fridge and loved having some juice and fresh fruits in there. Write down questions you have, I forgot to ask a lot of them the moment the doctor came in. A shirt/vest/top that is suitable for kangaroo care. I just wore a top and a thin jersey robe, and that worked fine. I can also recommend having an app group with everyone in it who needs to know something, having to text everyone individually drove me next to insane.
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nam2013
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Post by nam2013 on Mar 5, 2018 5:25:28 GMT -6
Ohhh not a necessity, but the tiniest hat you can find. Ds was born 38w5d but was only 17inch and under 5 pounds, all hats and clothes were massively to big. I really liked dressing him in his own hat vs the hospital one.
Plus back up batteries & memory cards for any camera/film equipment.
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chrisy01
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Post by chrisy01 on Mar 5, 2018 6:46:41 GMT -6
Yes. I'm sure a lot of us would like to send care packages
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Post by wineallthetime on Mar 5, 2018 7:06:07 GMT -6
You guys are so sweet, thank you! We are fortunate to have so many local family and friends who are basically at our beck and call for anything we need!
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lfig
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Post by lfig on Mar 5, 2018 7:21:32 GMT -6
I just remembered also...after the first day or two they let us dress S in whatever, but it needed to work well with the wires and lines and such. So MH and his brother went to buy buy baby and bought some magnetic onesies. They were the hit of the NICU amongst the nurses. Our nurses apparently were telling everyone about it, plus the comical story of MH and bil wandering BBB clueless. So random nurses kept coming in to check it out. But they were especially helpful when she had the umbilical line. So if they allow personal clothes, that may be helpful. Here’s a pic of the style I’m talking about:  |
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klong11
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Post by klong11 on Mar 5, 2018 8:26:17 GMT -6
I just remembered also...after the first day or two they let us dress S in whatever, but it needed to work well with the wires and lines and such. So MH and his brother went to buy buy baby and bought some magnetic onesies. They were the hit of the NICU amongst the nurses. Our nurses apparently were telling everyone about it, plus the comical story of MH and bil wandering BBB clueless. So random nurses kept coming in to check it out. But they were especially helpful when she had the umbilical line. So if they allow personal clothes, that may be helpful. Here’s a pic of the style I’m talking about: *snip* Here's a link to the brand that makes them. They also have gowns and wearable blankets with magnetic closures. www.buybuybaby.com/store/s/magnificent-baby?ta=typeahead&ml=v2 |
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sands42
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Post by sands42 on Mar 5, 2018 8:55:28 GMT -6
Oh wineallthetime I wasn’t on all weekend and just caught up! I’m so sorry this is happening!!! I mean- I’m really anxious to know the gender but not THIS anxious! Stay in baby! Stay in! |
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Post by wineallthetime on Mar 5, 2018 9:07:14 GMT -6
Oh wineallthetime I wasn’t on all weekend and just caught up! I’m so sorry this is happening!!! I mean- I’m really anxious to know the gender but not THIS anxious! Stay in baby! Stay in! Lol, they did an ultrasound yesterday and we almost just found out! |
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Sunny41
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Post by Sunny41 on Mar 5, 2018 9:44:12 GMT -6
Oh wineallthetime I wasn’t on all weekend and just caught up! I’m so sorry this is happening!!! I mean- I’m really anxious to know the gender but not THIS anxious! Stay in baby! Stay in! Lol, they did an ultrasound yesterday and we almost just found out! i was wondering if the situation would change things. Has the staff been good about honoring the decision to not know? |
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Post by wineallthetime on Mar 5, 2018 10:04:19 GMT -6
Lol, they did an ultrasound yesterday and we almost just found out! i was wondering if the situation would change things. Has the staff been good about honoring the decision to not know? They have! |
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