What I Pack For a Repeat C-Section Birth


I’ve had a few c-sections since I became a mom.

I’ll be having my tenth c-section on December 20. So I have learned a few things about what to pack and what to leave home.

In the beginning I packed 2 suitcases worth of stuff by following the checklist my ob gyn provided. Then my husband had his own backpack for his stuff since he stays with me for our 2-3 day stay at the hospital.

I had EVERYTHING in there. Most of them were ‘just in cases’ that I’ve never really used or needed.

Truth is, I packed way too much.

Now that I’ve done this a *few* times I have it down to one carry on size suitcase of everything I truly need and what makes me feel supported and comfortable in a repeat csection.

For Me

  • Chapstick (it gets SO DRY in the hospital)
  • Hair elastic (bun head for surgery is helpful if you have long hair like me)
  • Refillable water bottle (wt straw or easy flip top)
  • Charge cord
  • My favorite pads
  • Granny panties x 7-9 (to fit comfortably over my tender incision
  • Nursing bra x 2 (I wear a nursing bra 24-7 for extra support)
  • Small toiletries bag with my toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush
  • Clothes - I wear the clothes home that I wore to the hospital
  • Footwear - sandals or slippers to walk in
  • Phone - My bible app, camera, books, one game are on my phone
  • Wallet - rather than bring my whole purse
  • Small games – we like to play cribbage, cards or other small games
  • Ear plugs - in case you have a shared room and your roomie snores, talks too loud etc.
  • Dirty clothes bag - for panties etc
  • My favorite supplements - to support my healing inside out

For Baby

  • Car seat - Check the expiration date as the hospital will NOT let you leave without passing the car seat safety test with the baby strapped in securely.
  • Blanket - Light or heavier blanket to cover baby depending on season (in the winter we use a full car seat cover that has a zipper opening just for their face)
  • Take home outfit (small onesie, pyjama, hat - though the hospital usually provides a sweet little hat)
  • Burp cloth
  • Wipes -  3-4 in a baggie for one diaper change depending on the length of your trip home.
  • Diapers - I just grab a few from the hospital

 

For My Husband (or other support person)

  • Change of clothes for 2-3 days
  • Charge cord
  • Water bottle
  • Wallet with extra cash
  • Pillow (he likes his ‘own’ pillow)

Optional

These other items are comfort items that I may or may not bring depending on the season and how I’m feeling emotionally.

  • robe
  • pillow
  • nursing pillow (I personally just use 2 hospital pillows to prop my arms & baby over my incision)
  • gum

 

That’s it! That’s how I pack light & simple for a repeat c-section 2 day babycation (aka - 2 day hospital stay).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

If this blog blessed you feel free to join my Big Family Moms community where I have lots more resources and encouragement for moms like you overcoming struggles and growing in grace. Here's the LINK if you like. 

Popular posts from this blog

Fear of Dying & The Big Family Mom

Image
One of my greatest fears as a big family mom is parental death. If my husband is a little late coming home on icy roads it can take only seconds before I’m already imagining myself at the funeral, trying to comfort devastated children while spending the long years ahead weeping alone in our bed. But, what if it’s me who goes first? I have walked a tender road with ten c-sections under my belt, each one carrying its own very real risks of maternal death.  Then there’s always the things no human could predict or really prepare for.  Rather than stay locked in helplessness and pre-emptive grief, I have found there are steps I can take to ease my mind in the face of the one guarantee in this life (next to taxes). 1 - Make Arrangements  We made our first will and purchased life insurance when I was pregnant with baby number four.  The peace of mind this one action alone gave me was worth many nights’ sleep (which is a precious commodity for any mom of many!).  Plann...
Read more

Feed Your Family for Less: Tips for Saving BIG on Groceries

Image
When the normally cheap chicken hot dogs hit four dollars for a dozen I knew we were going to be feeling it in our big family grocery bill real soon. With 11 children to feed the effects of inflation are felt on every front, especially in the grocery bill. I’ll admit that I’ve had a few moments where I’ve simply stopped to pray these past few months. It takes faith, courage and spending savvy to face inflation like a Provers 31 woman and smile. One thing that’s helped me is knowing that I’ve learned a thing of two over the years from other big families who were just a little further ahead on the road of life than me. I knew my many littles would soon include fast-growing young adults who would need more calories. I’m glad I did some research and began implementing money-saving tips on large family groceries then. It’s helping us go through these tighter times with more calm confidence. Since there appears to be a recession on a rise, I’m sharing a few tips that I’ve learned to help...
Read more

Helping Baby into a Sleep Routine

Image
When we got home from the hospital with our firstborn daughter I quickly realized I had no clue how to take care of a baby.  Sleep became one of my most precious commodities as my whole life turned into a 24 hour series of naps. In between feedings & naps I scoured the few how-to books I had to find some magic formula that would work.  My favorite was found in Tracy Hogg’s bestselling book, The Baby Whisperer . Her simple, common sense no-extremes approach resonated with me and gave me light in the surreal fog of the newborn days.  Here are the highlights I used with all 10 of my babies to help them get into a healthy sleep routine. Babies Give Sleep Signals When babies get tired they give some telltale cues such as rubbing eyes, yawning and mild fussing.  If the window of opportunity is missed it can be harder to get them to sleep once they become overtired. As soon as you see those it’s time to bundle them up to sleep. Babies Like To Be Swaddled All but one of ...
Read more