5 Hospital Bag Must Have Items

Are you getting ready to pack your hospital bag, but not sure what to include? Perhaps you already have your list, but are checking it twice. Here is our Friday’s Five top items to have in your hospital bag.

1.       Hair Stuff – depending how long or short your hair is hair ties and bobby pins are great to have in your bag.

2.       Phone charger – Stay fully charged! Your phone will be utilized to communicate with family and friends; a camera to capture those delicate moments; a music player if the mood strikes, and to browse through social media/play games if you need to pass time. 

3.       Snacks/spare change – Although the hospital has a cafeteria, it does close after a certain time, causing you or your partner to resort to snacks. Get snacks from the vending machine, or pack a few protein bars to hold you for a while, and don't forget honey sticks or DumDum lollipops to give a boost of energy during labor.

4.       Chap stick - Your. Lips, WILL. Get. Dry! Pack chap stick or lanolin to keep those lips moist and ready to kiss your sweet baby! 

5.       Clothes - Clothes to birth in, clothes for the postpartum period. During labor you want clothes that are light and can provide access to your medical team for checks and monitoring. After baby is born, you'll want clothes that are easy to keep your baby skin-to-skin and accessible to the breast, if you are planning to breastfeed. Include slippers or shoes that you can get easily put on. 

What other items were must have for you? Let us know in the comments! 

Let's get moving!

While every birthing person may labor differently, there is one thing every laboring person can do that can benefit their labor…

move!

There are so many laboring positions that can be utilized when in labor, from

standing to sitting,

lying down;

walking or dancing...

down the hospital hallway, or in your room.

Some positions may feel more comfortable than others, but the beautiful thing about moving around is that you can try a position for a few contractions and change it up if it doesn’t work.

Changing positions in labor can increase comfort and make the labor sensations more manageable. Positions, like squatting or sitting on a yoga ball or on the toilet seat, allow the pelvis to be open and relaxed which helps the baby descend into the birth canal. If you are bed-bound or have an epidural placed, you can still apply some position changes like lying on your side and placing pillows or a peanut ball between the legs and alternating sides every thirty minutes or so to create the same effect.  Other tools that can be used to help change positions is a yoga ball, which you can sit on and bounce on it, sway your hips side to side or in a circular motion.

Having a doula at your birth can encourage you to try different positions! 

We are ready to dance, squat and move with you, are you?

If I were April, the giraffe's, Doula...

You have probably come across the live-feed of April, the giraffe from Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY. There has been over 600K views on this video, some viewers watching for hours at a time, and others a few minutes or just scrolling right by it.

There's been some talk about April in some doula community boards about what and how this giraffe should be supported. You may even be able to spot some doulas by their comments on the video's posts'. Well, here is a glimpse of how I would support April, if I was here doula: 

I would have already known her birthing preferences through our prenatal visits.

I would know if she wanted physical support, like counter pressure or massage with the understanding that this preference may change throughout her labor.

I would know whether she wanted her family, friends, and strangers present during the entire time, just labor, or just the birth and what her vision of their role would be (yes, all 600K+ viewers).

I’d encourage her to rest.

We’d dim the lights and play some relaxing music, if that’s what she preferred.

I would make sure she had plenty of fluids to keep her hydrated.

I’d walk around with her in her stall as many times as she wanted.  

I’d ask her how she felt with everyone present at her birth, and if she needed some alone time.

I would encourage her to rest, yet again, if she’s able to.

We’d play a game of checkers, or tic-tac-toe to distract from early labor.

Or we’d watch a funny movie, like Bad Moms.

I would be a sounding board for her to express her thoughts, feelings, and concerns as she’s waiting for the birth of her calf.

We’d go over birth affirmations, if that helped her.

If I were April’s doula, I’d support her through her labor just the way she needed me to.  

Why? Because at Rogue Valley Doulas we offer this type of quality support.  

If this is the kind of support you're wanting for your upcoming or next birth, contact us! We'd love to chat with you.