Sunday, February 9, 2014

Pack For The Unexpected When Staying With Your Child At The Hospital

When my CHD Hero, Lexi, was born we knew that we would be having a few hospital stays; we ended up having more than we expected. We learned really quick during our first over night stay at the hospital what we needed to bring to our next overnight stay to make our time with our baby girl more comfortable and tolerable for us and her.

Here are some things that we brought on all of our hospital stays to make life a little bit more comfortable:

  • A lot of extra pacifiers: We learned that hospitals will provide as many pacifiers as your child needs, but they don't provide Wubbanubs and Wubbanubs are the cure for baby's every kind of emotion.
  • Personal DVD Player and a lot of movies: What can I say, hospital TV stinks. There is too much time waiting for test results, doctor check in's and etc for there not to be enjoyable TV to pass the time. When Lexi was in the hospital I swear we watched a few seasons of The Family Guy, Little House on the Prairie, Spongebob Squarepants and a ton of other mindless shows that got us through days in the hospital. Lexi actually enjoyed it also.                         


  • Blankets and pillows: After the first time we had to stay over night in the hospital we learned that hospital pillows and blankets are not only in short demand but they suck. We made sure to pack our favorite pillows and enough blankets to soften up the couch bed and the air mattress that we packed.

After each of our hospital stays we realized more and more things that we should bring the next time. Not only the daily essentials such as toiletries, fresh and comfortable clothes (SN- I wore my pj's the entire time), lots and lots of snacks, a journal, adult medicine, heating pad and anything and everything else that keeps your day moving. 

Feel free to share any essentials you think are important to possibly help other parents.

Written by: Aimee Fauci

19 comments:

  1. Awww I hate when the babies are sick and in the hospital. I want them to be so comfortable I probably would not be thinking about myself. kokoamag.com

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  2. What a sweetie! Hospital stays really stink but that's some great advice from a pro (unfortunately!)!!

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  3. I have thankfully only had one kid hospitalized once, but that was bad enough. It was Christmas and I was 5 months pregnant. He was 2 and a half and had pneumonia! The children's ward tried to make it as fun as possible, but it still sucked. There was very spotty wifi and we couldn't get out of bed. I hope we never need to know about these essentials again, but thanks for posting them to help someone else who might!

    #SITSBlogging

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  4. Hopefully you won't have to have another hospital stay. But definitely good advice!

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  5. Being at the hospital with our kids is so stressful. Thanks so much for the ideas. I do hope there is not a next time.

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  6. I wholeheartedly understand where you're coming from. My daughter has a blood disorder and I learned very quick of how to pack for our stays. I always have my laptop (or Kindle), chargers, books, puzzles, games, etc. Best of luck to your and your family.

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  7. This is a great list, that I hope never to have to use, but also helpful for friends who are in the hospital with their kids.

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  8. Awww my heart breaks to see kids in the hospital. Great list of things to make their stay as comfortable as possible.

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  9. I'm sorry you had to stay in the hospital, but thank you for the tips. I would never have thought of a DVD player.

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  10. What a sweet baby! So sorry she and you have had to endure so many hospital stays.Thanks for sharing your tips. #SITSbloggin

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  11. So sorry to hear that you and your sweet baby had to endure so many hospital stays. I don't yet have children, but my husband and I had to stay in a hospital for a little over a month last year for his Mother....having dvd's to watch on our lap top and lots of extra blankets and pillows were life savers. I also found having a journal to jot down little notes and thoughts throughout the day was helpful.

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  12. My oldest was in the hospital when he was a year old. It was not expected and we did not have the luxuries we have today. Glad you can make things easier for everyone!

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  13. A DVD player is a must for kids. I brought my lap top too so I had something to do when my daughter was napping.

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  14. Wow fantastic set of tips.I have to admit I would have no idea what to pack so this made me think of things I wouldn't! #sitsblogging

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  15. I have had more than my share of hospital stays with my kiddo as well. I also recommend bringing a bag for yourself with one change of clothes, and leaving a packed bag at home with a change of clothes. Whoever is helping you, can bring your dirty clothes home and just swap bags, and you have 4 outfits on rotation that way! Don't forget a few snacks too- some times its hard to get out to grab something to eat too!

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  16. Love the list. something's you wouldn't even think about when your in the moment.

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  17. Aww this is great advice! I am definitely saving this post for when I have little ones :) Thank you for sharing!

    http://neatly-packaged.blogspot.com/

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  18. Your daughter is beautiful. I'm always amazed at children that have overcome so much in such a short amount of time. These are great tips. We've had a couple of hospital stays with my son, due to severe asthma. Never fun, but having a laptop, DVD player, coloring books, etc. definitely helps pass the time. And pillows! We always bring our own pillows! #SITSblogging

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  19. Hospital stays are the worst! (Even when you have a great hospital.) My must have has always been something that I can log into social media with - Facebook in particular. I have only dealt with babies in the hospital, both times in situations that I couldn't hold them much, and with a SO who had to work to keep up on the bills...being able to have my support system with me at all times on facebook (my mom, sister, etc.) saved my sanity for sure!

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