Is Sterilization Right for Me?
Having kids isn’t in your immediate or long-term future, and you’re exploring whether sterilization is right for you. Here, we present some information about tubal ligation to help with your decision-making.
What Should I Bring to the Delivery Room?
You’re nearing the end of your pregnancy, and you’ve secured most of what you’ll need — from diapers and burp cloths to swaddling blankets and onesies — for your newborn’s first weeks of life. Now, you’re ready to pack your indispensable “hospital bag.”
Whether you’re waiting for your water to break naturally or planning to have a scheduled c-section, you want to feel well-prepared for your baby’s birth when the time arrives.
Our obstetrics team at Capital Women’s Care is here to help. We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of essential must-haves and comforting “support stuff” for labor and delivery in the hospital and your baby’s first trip home in the car.
Items the hospital will need
Every hospital delivery kit should contain a secured file of the essential paperwork required for admittance to the maternity ward when the time comes. You’ll need:
- A picture ID and your health insurance card
- Hospital paperwork (if you’re not pre-admitted)
- Pregnancy medical file (if you’re out of network)
- Information about all medications you take
- Contact details for your newborn’s pediatrician
Find out beforehand if the hospital will provide all the medications you need (including prescriptions) or if you should bring your preapproved medicines.
Essential labor support items
What are your birthing support must-haves? While this list is a bit different for every woman, a typical “labor kit” includes:
- Your birth preferences or written birth plan
- Your favorite roller, oil, or lotion for massage
- A birthing ball (if unavailable at the hospital)
- A comfort object to focus on during labor
- A self-cooling hand fan or spray mist bottle
Many women also bring their own curated music playlists into the delivery room. Yours may be a streaming playlist on a smartphone that you can set up and leave plugged in or a few discs you bring along with a compact CD player.
Items for your birthing partner
You’ll also want to ask your partner or labor support person to pack their own small bag of essentials, including their phone and charger, personal care items (toiletries), one or two changes of clothing (including a front-button shirt for holding baby skin-on-skin), light snacks, and money for parking and/or vending machines.
If you’re not using your phone for these functions, you may also ask your labor support person to bring a camera (with a charged battery) and a stopwatch to time contractions.
Personal items for after delivery
The hospital provides maternity patients with a basic gown, slippers, essential toiletries, disposable underwear, and heavy-duty sanitary pads. Once your baby is born, you’ll enjoy having fresh clothes and a fuller set of personal care items. Many women bring:
- A nightgown, pajamas, or sweats
- Slippers, shower shoes, and socks
- Maternity underwear; a bathrobe
- Wire-free nursing bras; breast pads
- Hair ties and eyeglasses as needed
- Comfortable clothing to wear home
Ensure your shirts open at the front for nursing and skin-to-skin contact. If you plan to nurse, you should also bring a toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, deodorant, lip balm, lotion, and nipple cream.
The early days of nursing can leave you feeling perpetually thirsty and hungry; consider bringing some of your favorite go-to snacks (with fiber if possible) and a large, insulated tumbler for water (the hospital may only have small plastic cups).
Items your newborn will need
Your hospital bag should include a few items for your newborn, too. Must-haves include:
- A receiving blanket (or two)
- Newborn socks or booties
- A newborn hat (light or warm)
- Baby’s soft going-home outfit
Before you’re released to take your baby home, you’ll need to show hospital staff that you have a rear-facing car seat properly installed. Ensure your baby’s going-home outfit has separated legs (i.e., not a gown that snaps closed) so you can put them in their car seat.
What you don’t need to bring
For obvious reasons, you should leave large amounts of cash and valuables like jewelry at home. You also don’t need to bring sanitary pads, newborn diapers, or a breast pump—the hospital will supply all these items.
Are you getting ready for labor and delivery? We can help. Visit your nearest Capital Women’s Care office in Frederick or Mount Airy, Maryland, today.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Am I Too Young for Hormone Therapy?
You’re struggling with perimenopause symptoms in your early forties, but you feel like you may be too young to start hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Luckily, you’re not — learn more about HRT benefits and age guidelines here.
Why Do I Bleed Between Periods?
About one-third of women experience abnormal bleeding, which includes spotting between periods. To help you narrow the field of possible causes, here are a few of the potential culprits behind this common problem.
Can I Still Run and Exercise While Pregnant?
As you embark on your pregnancy, you want to figure out how this will affect your running and/or exercise regimen. Well, it will have a major impact, but that doesn’t mean you should ditch your fitness.
Bleeding During Pregnancy — Is It Ever Normal?
Any amount of vaginal bleeding is alarming when you’re expecting, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that something’s wrong. Learn what causes spotting and bleeding during pregnancy, and why it’s always best to check in with your doctor.
5 Causes of Heavy Bleeding
Under normal circumstances, periods aren’t exactly welcome, but yours are less so thanks to heavy bleeding that’s impacting your quality of life. Here’s what might be behind the heavy bleeding and what to do next.