What you should know before you go to the hospital

Are you ready for your stay at the hospital? It isn’t just about packing your bag and bringing some comfort items with you from home, there are many other things that will happen at your hospital stay that you should be prepared for.

For instance, there are some questions that you should have answered before you ever go into labor:

• Do you want any medication during labor?
• Do you know how you want your labor to progress?
• Are you open to a c-section and what are the circumstances where you would allow a c-section?
• Do you want a private room?
• Will your child's father be staying in the room with you? (if so, he should pack a bag to and keep it with your hospital bag)
• Have you thought about a water birth?
• Do you want a birthing mirror?

These are all things that you want to think about before you go into labor. Many times, a hospital staff is accustomed to only asking you questions as your labor is progressing. But once your labor starts, the excitement and discomfort might cause you to forget about what it is you really want. And when it comes to your child's birth, it is literally a once in a lifetime experience.

In addition to the things you need to know for yourself, you should also think about what it is you want for your child

• Do you want the father to cut the umbilical cord?
• If you have a son, should he be circumcised? (the hospital staff will ask you about this after birth, but this is a very sensitive issue for most parents and it should be well researched before your little boy gets here)
• Should your baby stay in the room with you?
• Who do you want to give your hospital pictures to? (this will help when you are picking out your package before baby's first picture is taken)
• Are there any standard newborn tests that you do not want your child to have?
• Are there any standard newborn medications that you don’t want your baby to have (for instance newborn eye ointment is not mandatory and some claim they can sting the eyes)

Having a baby is an exciting and stressful time. Be sure that you weigh all of your options before going to the hospital. This way you won't have any surprises later.

Sibling Rivalry – how to show older children that they are still special too

A new baby in the house is an exciting time for everyone in the family, but when a child is forced to go from being the baby of the family to being the big brother/big sister, it can mean jealousy and hurt feelings. Having a new sibling is a huge adjustment for any child, but with a few simple steps you can easily keep the peace in your home.

1 – Remember gifts for the older sibling

When friends and relatives come bearing gifts, encourage them to get your older child a small present as well. This will help your older child to feel like they are a part of the excitement as well, instead of feeling like they are being left out and pushed to the side. Encourage your guests to spend some one on one time with your older child before seeing the baby. Or you can take the time that visitors are spending with the baby and use it to have  some private time with your older child.

2-Make sure both mom and dad have some special time with the older child every day

You know that life is crazy, between work and school and a newborn there seems like there is no time to breathe. But remember, your child is not able to realize the hectic schedule that you have. In addition to the family time that all of you are going to spend together, make sure that both mom and dad have some special time alone with the older child. This can mean that one parent is bathing the new baby while the other is taking the older child for a walk or one parent can read a book with the older child while the other parent is rocking the new baby to sleep. Just make sure that each parent gets a little bit of special time with each child every day. And of course you should encourage as much "whole family" time as possible.

3-Both parents should take the older child out for a day and pick out a 'big brother'/'big sister gift

When mom has recovered enough, both parents should arrange  a special outing with their older child while the newborn is staying with a sitter. While you are out, present your older child with a gift and tell them that it is a reward for being such a good big brother/big sister

4-Rewards for helping with the baby

Offer a rewards system for your older child. Every time they do something nice for the new baby, put a star on a special chart. At the end of every week, give your older child a special treat for all of the help they have been giving you with the new baby. This will help to encourage the bonding process between the older sibling and the newborn.

Remember, a new baby means many changes for the entire family. No parent wants their older child to feel neglected because a new baby has come into the family. Follow these simple tricks and your child will be happy to tell people that they are a new big brother/big sister.

Preparing your pets for a new baby

You know that the later you get in your pregnancy, the more changes you will have going on in your home. Baby shower gifts, decorating the baby's room, new furniture, and adding new clothes to your laundry are all exciting reminders that your little one is going to be here before you know it. But while these changes are fun for you, they can be very scary for your pets – particularly if you have a dog or a cat. Remember, your pet views you as their family and they can get very anxious and confused when a new addition to their family is just thrown into their home.

To prevent this from happening to your furry little friends, you want to start preparing them for your new baby's arrival as early as possible. Your pet will sense that you are with child long before you are showing. So you want to be exceptionally loving and pampering of your pet from starting from the time that you learn of your pregnancy. It is especially important for mom to be very welcoming of your pet. Since it is the mom who is going through all of the physical changes, she should be ready to give your pets attention whenever they ask for it.

You also want to make sure that your pet has access to the baby's room. This will allow them to sniff around and check out all of the new baby things that are arriving. A good idea is to welcome your pet into your baby's room whenever you are in there. Give them lots of attention while you are putting together furniture, putting clothes away, etc. The more access your pet has to all of these new things before your baby gets here, the less of a shock it will be once the new baby arrives. You don't want to make your animal feel like they are not welcome in your baby's room, this will only make them feel even more anxious and nervous about the changes that are happening in your home.

Of course, all the preparing in the world doesn't really get your pet ready for when the baby actually arrives. It is a good idea for dad to bring home one of the new baby's receiving blankets. Let your pet smell it and leave it in the house when you go back to the hospital. This will let your pet get accustomed to the baby's smell. Many times a pet will try to protect a baby, so you want to let your pet investigate your baby freely while you are there to make sure that baby is not accidentally scared.

Remember, a pet that feels included in your new baby's arrival is more likely to sleep in your baby's room and protect them throughout their lives.

The positive effects of walking while pregnant

Are you looking for something you can do right now to ease those pregnancy pains and make your labor a whole lot smoother? Why not add a bit of walking to your day? Your doctor will be the first to tell you that when your body is in shape, your delivery will generally be much smoother and not as painful. And let's face it, we all want a smooth and painless labor. But when you are pregnant, you hardly feel like moving, let alone exercising, and the further along in your pregnancy you are the harder it is to think about starting a baby safe exercise routine. But that doesn't mean that you can't workout, in fact you might not realize it but you workout every single day.  Believe it or not every single step you take means that you are working out your body, and you are doing it in a way that is safe for your baby's development. Walking is not only low impact, but it gets the blood flowing and it gently works all of your muscles.

We are not talking about running or speed walking either. Those things would are not always the best as your pregnancy progresses. What we are talking about is nice, long, slow walks that ease the mind, relax the body, and get your muscles ready for the rigors of labor. Even a short 15 minute walk will go a long way in working out your body.

You can walk anywhere at any time of the day. It doesn't matter if you are on your lunch break at work or walking laps around the park while your other children play you can literally squeeze in a workout wherever you are. All you need is a little bit of creativity and some spare time.

If you are looking for the best results in the shortest amount of time, you should make yourself a walking routine and stick with it. For instance, why not make it a rule that you go for a quick 30 minute walk every night right after dinner? That way you will not only get a nice long walk in, but the easy workout so late in the day will be enough to help you sleep better too.

Remember, when you want to do something healthy for you and your baby, you don't need to make huge changes in your lifestyle. Adding a simple walking routine to your daily schedule will be more than enough for you to feel real and positive changes in your body.

Pampering yourself during pregnancy

Being pregnant is supposed to be one of the most enjoyable times of your life. The promise of a new life, the hopes of what his or her future will bring, the excitement over which parent your baby will look like and what their personality will be like. Every part of it is exciting. But that doesn't mean that the pregnancy itself isn't difficult.

You know that it is hard to be pregnant. Between the weight gain, morning sickness, backaches, cravings, and hormones it is no wonder that you sometimes find yourself feeling less than your best. That's why it is so important for you to pamper and spoil yourself right now. Whether you realize it or not, your body is under a lot of stress about creating this new life. When you take the time to take care of yourself, you are relieving some of those emotional stressors and fears that naturally come with pregnancy.

So how do you make yourself feel like a princess when you have so many expenses coming your way?
For starters, you should give yourself a long, nice, warm bath every night. Don't make it too hot of course, but you do want it to be warm enough that it is relaxing for you. This is much easier if you have a partner who is there to help you in and out of the tub.

Another easy way to relax is to take an hour to yourself every night. This can be spent reading, listening to music, or just taking a nap. What is important is that it is time that is just yours. If you have other kids at home, have your husband take them for an hour every night so that you can have some you time. You will be amazed at what a little private time can do for you and how refreshed you will be when your hour is up.
Before you go to sleep every night, have your husband take some lotion and give you a nice foot rub. Your feet take a lot of abuse during the day and happy feet are essential to a happy life. After all, there are pressure points in your feet that affect everything from your head to your sexual organs. It's no wonder a good foot massage can make your whole body feel relaxed.

But as far as feeling good, nothing beats the power of aromatherapy. Find a good scent that you like (the calming power of lavender for instance) and keep it with you at all times. Certain scents trigger our minds in different ways and allow us to feel a variety of different emotions. Once you find an aromatherapy scent that relaxes you it is also a good idea to pack it in your hospital bag so you can have that calming scent with you in delivery.

Remember, pregnancy is hard, but it doesn't have to be. Use these simple tips to pamper yourself and ease all of your pregnancy discomforts.

When do you pack your hospital bag

When do you pack your hospital bag? This is a crucial question that all expectant parents want the answer to. If you pack your bag too soon, then it could collect dust at the front door. More than that, packing your bag too soon means that you might forget to pack some of the essential things that you will learn about as your pregnancy progresses. But packing your bag too late could mean that you are stressed and rushed to get it done. So when do you pack your hospital bag? What time is a good time during your pregnancy to think about packing your bag?

Let's face it, everyone has ideas on what you should be packing in your hospital bag. You won't have any shortage of advice on how many clothes, labor stress relievers, or baby items you should bring to the hospital with you. But the thing that most people don't really talk about is when you should be thinking of packing everything. Packing your hospital bag is one of the most stressful things about your pregnancy, and the last thing you need when you are pregnant is more stress. A good way to reduce the stress that comes with packing your hospital bag is to make two lists. The first list will be things that you would like to pack in your bag and the second list will be things that you have already put into your bag.

The first list is one that you will make notes on throughout your pregnancy. For instance, one day you might find a relaxing CD that you love and you might decide that you would like to listen to that during labor. But you don't necessarily want to pack that CD right now because you will need it to help you sleep at night. So you will put that on your list of things you would like to pack.  So when you answer the question of when do you pack your hospital bag, you will have this list ready to go with things that you would like to bring.
The second list will be of things that you have already put in your hospital bag. These are things that you will not need until it is time to deliver your baby. For instance, you might get the perfect outfit to bring home baby at your shower. You can wash this outfit and stick it in your bag now so that you don't forget about it later. And because you have written it down on your list of things you have already packed, you won't forget where it is.

So when do you pack your hospital bag? Many people find that 34 weeks is a good time to pack. You will be close enough to the end of your pregnancy that you should have a good mental image of what you might need during labor, but you will be far enough away from delivery that the odds of you forgetting anything are slim. Because you should have your two lists, the actual packing of your bag should be simple. If you are asking yourself when do you pack your hospital bag, remember that when you use your lists, you can easily see what you need and you are less likely to forget anything.

What do you pack in your hospital bag

What do you pack in your hospital bag? This is a question that most women start to ask themselves almost as soon as they realize they are pregnant. As an expectant mother, you know that giving birth brings out a wide range of emotions. You are excited to see your baby, you are nervous about the labor process, and you are stressed about making sure that the house is ready to bring your new baby home. Asking the question of what do you pack in your hospital bag is the last thing you need. Unlike some of the other things that come with pregnancy, packing your hospital bag is a stress that you can easily avoid.
First, you should remember that you aren't just asking what do you pack in your hospital bag for you, you also need to ask yourself what should be in your bag for your baby. If the baby's father is staying at the hospital, it is also a good idea to start asking him to think about what he should pack in his hospital bag. After all, the last thing a new father wants is to be forced to leave his newborn baby at the hospital to run home because he forgot something.

When you are asking yourself what do you pack in your hospital bag as the mother, then you need to remember that you will be going through labor and a night or two in the hospital after labor. So for the labor process, you will want things that will soothe your pain and help you to relax. But if you are feeling better the day after you deliver, you might be looking for something to keep you occupied while you are stuck in the hospital. Bringing a book, a CD, or anything else that you enjoy will really help you to pass the time at the hospital.

When asking yourself what do you pack in your hospital bag, you should also remember that you will need toiletries for yourself while you are at the hospital. Most hospitals have basic toiletries if you need them, but sometimes it is comforting to have your things from home with you. So you might want to bring travel sizes of your favorite lotion, shampoo, and toothpaste.  Your baby will also be well taken care of at the hospital, but if there is a lotion, clothing, blanket, cap or special diapers that you want for your baby you will want to bring those with you.

Lastly, when asking yourself what do you pack in your hospital bag, you should remember that there will be many people wanting to take pictures and video of you and your new little one. You might want to bring your hairbrush, a nice nightgown, and some makeup from home. Also, you will want to remember to bring your own camera and video camera to capture those special bonding moments.

So what do you pack in your hospital bag? The real answer is that it is up to you. These things are just the basics to give you something to think about. You may find things that you want to bring with you that are not on this list. Remember, the main thing you should remember when packing your bag is that you and your baby need to be as comfortable as possible.