Practical hospital survival kits

Practical hospital survival kits

When I was pregnant, I spent a lot of time searching for items to pack in my hospital bag.  While I came across a ton of great sites with great ideas, some of them just weren't practical and most of them forgot dad.

My cousin and his wife are expecting twins this summer and while they are not first time parents (baby 4 & 5 on the way!) they still are going to be stuck at the hospital for some period of time and I'd hate for them to be stuck without the basic needs (besides, you know they aren't going to forget to pack the cute outfits to bring the babies home in!)

Here is my idea of a "practical survival kit"

For mom, I bought the following (from target of course & in travel size!)

1. Body lotion.  Whether the mom to be is suffering from dry skin or in need of a foot and back massage, she will be prepared!

2. Shampoo & conditioner  As soon as I could shower, I did!  No one wants to use that generic hospital stuff after you just pushed a person out of you.. You want to smell good!  

3.Body wash.  Same reason as the shampoo and conditioner.  Hospital stuff just doesn't cut it.

4. Loufa! Because they are nicer than a wash cloth :) 

5. Deodorant.  This item so easy to forget!  Most of the time you only have one deodorant and remembering to throw it in your hospital bag as you rush out the door to go have that baby.. not likely to be on the top of your priorities.  Better to be safe than smelly! 

6. Tissues.  Have you used a hospital tissue?  Enough said.

7. Razors.  Thank God I was able to shave my entire pregnancy, because I would have gone crazy!  However, some women have to give this up for a few months until that cute little bundle or in this case bundles of joy make their appearance.  Nothing makes me feel better than silky soft legs!

8. Facial wipes.  Your in labor for hours, your hot and sweaty and you haven't had a chance to wash your face.. Oh and you had an epidural, so your not getting out of that bed.. Facial wipes are a life saver.  Not to mention they are great for once you are at home.  Trust me, finding time to shower is harder than you might think.

9. Hair ties.  They break, you loose them, you forgot to pack them.. but the mom to be is going to NEED them!

10. Chapstick.  Nothing is worse than dry lips and no chapstick.  For some reason your lips get super dry during labor and you can't have any water.. so this item is a must!

11. Tooth brush and tooth paste.  This goes along with the deodorant.  So easy to forget and it's a must have.  You don't want those cute babies smelling mom and dads stinky breath!     

Now for dad!

1. Body wash. If dad will be staying with mom, he might need to freshen up!  

2. Hand lotion.  He is going to want nice soft hands to hold those sweet little babies!

3. Deodorant.  Unless mom remembers to pack him some before hand.. He will probably forget.

4. Hand Sanitizer.  (unscented)  Dad is in charge of making sure everyone washes their hands (mom has lots of resting and baby taking care of to do)  but sometimes you just need a little squirt to make sure.  And I say unscented because some of the scented ones are too strong for little babies!

5. Mints and candy!  Because it's a long wait for dad too!

6. Toothbrush and toothpaste.  The obvious reasons. :)

I would also suggest a roll of quarters for dad to use at the vending machines.

And of course I had to make them all cute :)  I simply printed Daddy & Mommy hospital survival kits on large mailing labels and stuck them on the front of small baskets I found in the dollar spot!

What items would you suggest to throw into a practical survival kit?  

Pizza Rollers. Yum Yum

Pizza Rollers... Yummm!

I love crescent rolls!  They are so delicious and easy, not to mention you can make so many things with them!  Before the whole pizza rolls made from crescents hit pintrest, my sister in-law taught me this recipe and I've used it many of times for quick snacks and party food!

So here is my twist on Pizza Rollers

 What you need:

1 bag of Mozzarella Cheese ( you won't use the whole thing)

1 Can of Crescent Rolls (Original, Buttery & Flaky, whatever)

About 25 pepperonis (depending on how much you like them)

 

Add 3 or 4 pepperoni to your liking

Sprinkle with cheese.  This is also a preference thing.  I found if you add too much, they turn out a little doughy.

Place on baking sheet.  I use parchment paper, to avoid a messy clean up! Cook at 350 for 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven.

And enjoy!

Shout, Shout, Shout it all out!

I have something I must confess.. I'm sort of new at the whole laundry thing... Please don't judge me it's not my fault.. I blame my mother.  She never made me learn and she washed my clothes until I moved out and got married at 24..  So my experience with stains was fairly non existent (notice I said WAS)

After Irelynn came along, I learned all about stains. One type of stain in particular, spit up.  Yuck.  For those of you with a queasy tummy,  I might stop reading now and avoid the pictures.  

This bib was forgotten in the diaper bag for a few weeks.  Gross I know, and this happens from time to time.  Not to mention that we currently live in an apartment so we do not have our own washer and dryer and I always have to have quarters to do the laundry.  Sometimes the laundry has to sit for a few days before I get to it and the last thing on my mind is pre-treating stains days before.

This is my saving grace.  

Shout Free

I love this product!  Even after leaving a dirty, spit up, drooled on bib, in the diaper bag.

I literally just spray

 this product

 on and move on to the next dirty thing that needs sprayed.  It doesn't sit and soak for hours.

Upside but CLEAN!

As you can see, after a few quick sprays, straight in the washer and it's perfectly clean :)

Baby Products we just don't like.

They've been few and far between, but some products are better left at the store.  Here are a few, that we can live without...

1. Playtex Airvent Bottles:  When I had to feed Irelynn from a bottle for the first time, this was the bottle I choose.  For starters, the "slow" flow nipple is not really slow, not for a newborn at least.  She drank her bottle in . 5 seconds and then puked it back up in about .10.   To be fair, I had no clue what I was doing when it came to choosing a bottle since we had chosen to breastfeed, however, after being told I HAD to supplement (what a bunch of crap)  I went for the brand that I had heard of my entire life.  The second feature of this bottle that I do not like is the bottom  with the "airvent", not sure if I have a few defective bottles but they seem to leak sometimes, not to mention boiling hot water seems to get stuck in the bottom (from when we warm it) and pours out once I tip the bottle to feed her.  Thankfully, she has never been burned but, we won't be risking it anymore. 

2. Non-Soothie pacifiers:  Before I gave birth, I had also decided that I did not want Irelynn to have a pacifier... Thanks to the lovely nurse who convinced me once again that I HAD to give her one.. she started using the "Soothie" brand that the hospital gives you.  Not really sure why she HAD to have one but once we came home and I had been brainwashed (okay walked over and convinced) I bought some cute little pacifiers with designs.. she couldn't seem to keep them in her mouth.  Not sure if she just hated them or if she couldn't actually keep them in her mouth but either way, a waste of money.  As for the Soothie brand.. she loved them for the first 3 months and then started only using them when she is super tired and needs a little "help" falling a sleep.  Side note:  If you DON'T want your baby to have a pacifier.. there is not reason to give into the pressure from ANY "experienced" nurse or family member.  Sure they do help calm most babies but your the parent, stick to your guns!  With that being said.. There are a lot times I'm glad she has that paci!

3. Crib Bumpers:  After we found out that we were having a girl, I immediately started planning the nursery.  Of course one of the first things on my check list was the theme and finding a cute bedding set.  After lots of reading (I know you're out their googling away yourself.. just admit it.)  I found out that crib bumpers really aren't that safe and the benefits (i.e. keeping baby from bumping their head, getting their foot stuck in the slots..) don't out weight the risks (i.e. SIDS)  So when our bedding set came in the mail.. I rolled the bmper up and stuck it under our bed.  My thought is maybe when she is 1 we'll put it on there.. until then, under the bed it will stay.  In case your wondering how she is doing without using one.. she's just fine :)  Sometimes I find her little foot peaking out of one of the slots, but she never seems to be "stuck" or hurt.  Those things can heal is how I look at it.. & if you really want one, they sell breathable ones but I don't know how "breathable" they really are.

4. Velcro swaddlers:   I THOUGHT I was going to love these.  I bought 3 of them (20$) from the store and was so excited for Irelynn to arrive to try them out.. Well, she was not a fan. For starters, she was not a fan of being swaddled.  The only time she was swaddled was in the hospital and even then she was rolling herself onto her side in that little hospital bassinet and I should have realized once we got home, even trying these was a waste of time.  In addition to her not liking being swaddled.. I didn't like these because the velcro is so loud if you need to unswaddle the baby quietly.  Lets say the baby is too hot, happens to just spit up a little on the blanket after you swaddled them up.. good luck getting this blanket off without waking baby!

5. Newborn Night Gowns:  No real issue with these.. just our preference to not use them.  The one time I attempted to put one on her.. it just seemed to be fitting really weird as I tried to put it on (the bottom was so tight and it was a one size fits all)  We packed them up and stored them away.

6. Munchkin Precision Bottle Warmer:  Okay, so, this product is on our "products we don't like" list however, we still use it...  We bought one.. took it out of the box.. didn't work.  Took it back, exchanged it for a working one and it does warm her bottles (most of the time), but sometimes it just shuts off before it finishes her bottle, it's a weird design (the handle detaches and you can't lift it with the handle.. weird.)  I just don't love this bottle warmer and I wouldn't recommend it but we are still in search of a new one .. so until then I'll keep using it, even though I'm not a fan.  

What products have you tried that just don't work for your family?       

Products that make life better Part 1

These are just a few the products that make our life better.  Irelynn loves these products and I love them because they make her happy and my life easier. 

Fisher-Price Rock & Play sleeper- I loved this product for Irelynn from the very first moment we brought her home form the hospital.  After a 2 day stay in the hospital, with very little rest, we were exhausted.  As soon as we walked through the door, I grabbed this thing, put Irelynn in it and took a nap.  We ended up using this as her "bassinet" for the first 6 weeks.  It's great because you can easily lay your baby down after a feeding without having to worry about spit up, from laying flat.  As with everything I use, I searched the reviews and while 90% of the reviews were raving about this great product... there were a handful that had concerns.. One main concern was it just wasn't soft enough for the babies head and the worried about their child getting flat head.  I immediately felt the cushioning in the rocker and agreed, it was harder then I realized.  So I came up with a solution...I stuffed a soft blanket under the padding.. problem solved.  At our 6 week doctors appointment, the doctor commented on what a perfectly shaped head she had, so it must have worked :) 

Avent Bottles- Let me start by saying, I did not plan on bottle feeding.  However I did not plan on breastfeeding until the last half of my pregnancy.  Everything I read on breastfeeding made it seem simple enough.  What was there to understand?  You feed the baby when the baby cries, you pump when you need and it's the best thing for your baby, so why wouldn't you?  Irelynn latched great from the start and the lactation nurse just kept telling me how amazing I was doing and their were moms in the rooms near me that would be so jealous if they knew how great both Irelynn and I were doing!  This made me feel great.  Flash forward, Irelynn is 5 days old and we are at the doctors office for her first check since we left the hospital.  Mind you I'm a first time mom (most of my very close friends do not have children and no on in my life is breastfeeding) Irelynn's pediatrician was not available but we had to have a check up since I was breastfeeding (they check for jaundice and weight)  Irelynn had lost over a pound and was slightly jaundice.  The doctor we saw made me feel like the worst mom on earth.  She told me go home start supplementing ever 1.5 to 2 hrs with formula.  I ran home as fast as I could grabbed the samples of formula I received in the mail and one of the bottles we had from the baby shower.  Irelynn drank the formula down in about 5 seconds flat and then puked it all up.  I was in tears on the floor thinking, I can't even feed my baby what is wrong with me.  No mom should ever feel this way.  Luckily my wonderful sister-in law came to the rescue and filled me in on baby bottles.  They have different nipple speeds, for different ages, who would have thought.  After trying a few brands (which I'll post about what products we didn't like eventually)  I remembered, I had received an Avent bottle from motherhood when I had purchased clothes.  This bottle worked perfect!  Not that I should have even had to start down this whole bottle feeding route, but I'll finish this story another time. 

Fisher-Price Calming Waters Vibrating Tub-  I love this bathtub!  I spent hours searching online for the PERFECT bathtub to add to our registry and all those hours paid off.  I wanted a tub that was gender neutral.  My thought was, register for all "larger" items gender neutral, so if a baby boy comes along next he won't have to bathe in a pink tub or rock to sleep in a prince swing.  So point 1 for neutral colors.  This tub vibrates & keeps the water warm.  I love this tub.  It's a grow with me bathtub so, once she is done with the infant sling, she will be able to sit and enjoy the cool features this bathtub offers.  I highly recommend it and I must say we enjoy our long bath times thanks to this awesome tub.

Baby Emporio Socks-  Not only are these socks unbelievably adorable, they stay on her feet!  Tell me how many pairs of socks you have that actually last more then 5 minutes on your babies feet before you find yourself in search of a missing sock.  None? That's what I thought.  My sister-in law bought these socks for me at our baby shower and when I said thank you for them I had no idea how much I was going love these.  I think what made me fall in love with these was when her teachers started requesting I send her in with these more often.  Finally, I can pick my little monkey up from school and she will actually be wearing socks on her feet!  

Summer Infant Secure Sleep Monitor-  I didn't know how much we needed one of these until someone handed it down to us.  We registered for a regular old monitor and  for the first month it was okay.  I found myself running to her nursery every time I heard her move.  Even when I did get a free moment with her sleeping in the other room, I couldn't really relax.  & then someone gave us their Summer Infant monitor and my entire life changed.  I can do the dishes, laundry, watch tv, enjoy a hot bath and not have to worry that she rolled on her face & isn't breathing.  Not 100% in love with this monitor, it looses connection sometimes.. which is easily fixed by turning it off and back on but regardless of brand I strongly suggest a video monitor.  It will CHANGE your life, I promise!

Infantino Go Ga Ga Busy Buddy Giraffe-  Irelynn loves this little guy.  He goes with her everywhere and she tries to eat him every chance she gets.  She has been in full teething mood for about a month now and wants to chew on everything insight but this guy will keep her busy chewing and squeezing for hours.  He easily attaches and detaches from her carseat and wipes clean with a wet rag.  Not to mention I found it at our (okay my) favorite place to shop... Target :)

J.J. Cole Bundle Me-  We live in the Midwest, which if you know anything about the Midwest, you know it's cold in the winter and winter can last months.  Dressing your baby in one of those cute little snow suites  might seem easy enough but they suck.  I put her in one once because it was below zero and we HAD to go to work but she wasn't happy that she couldn't move her arms and legs freely and we had one unhappy baby :/ This product is awesome.  I dress her in her outfit + a light coat, zip and go.  Easy to wash and easy to strap on to the carseat :)

Products from The Honest Company-  I have a love/hate with this company.  I can't deny, I LOVE their products.  Their wipes are just amazing.  Strongest, softest, safest, wipes I've come across and they are fairly priced (minus the shipping..) Love their shampoo/body wash.  Irelynn is already soft and clean but this made her softer and cleaner if that is possible.  Their healing balm.. amazing.  Irelynn has not had a diaper rash yet (knock on wood) but she gets a little red from time to time and this does the trick immediately, I see results by the next diaper change.  Okay have you seen the cute diaper patterns they have!?  & I haven't had any leaks!  I have their laundry detergent but haven't tried it yet.. I'll let ya know when I do.  So as you can see these products are awesome & they are natural.. no harsh chemicals, yey!  Downside.. I canceled my membership on time, still billed, still shipped the items, they have horrible wait times on the phone (ugh) however after some complaining they allowed me to keep the items they accidently charged and shipped me, for FREE!  Can't beat free, but it was a headache and I've heard others have experienced this.  So pay attention to your account if you do order and be firm with them if they do mess up.. I haven't had a problem since. & they were super friendly which gives them points in my book.

Baby + Husband + two bedroom apartment= No space

Okay.  So I'm just slightly OCD about making things appear organized.  Notice I said "appear" organized.  Pre-baby I would have left the "appear" out of the sentence, but having a baby has forced me to re-think how I organize.  

We live in a 2 bedroom townhouse/apartment and when we first moved in we thought it was so spacious!  Then we started to prepare for Irelynn to join us and I realized, we had no space left!

One of the smallest places in our home is, the kitchen.  Everything fits perfectly in it's place, but there was not one drawer, shelf, cabinet left for all the things Irelynn was going to need.

So this is my solution:

A bathroom wall cabinet from Target (my favorite store every)

I put this cabinet together by myself one night while the hubby was working.  This cabinet was super affordable, easy to assemble and perfect to fit on a small space on the wall.  It was perfect for hold all the baby stuff I needed it to.

Here is the finished product with all miss Irelynn's baby gear:

Feeding supplies

Bibs & Burp Cloths

I love this set up and it works perfect for us!
Here is a link for the one I purchased
Bathroom Wall Cabinet

What products have you found, to help keep you organized?