Part 2 Making Lists

Because we live in a culture where the extended family is not the norm, it is likely that when we are pregnant with our first baby, we are not surrounded by moms, aunts and cousins regularly affirming that childbearing is normal and that our bodies work.  Upon discovering we are pregnant in the U.S., if we haven't done so already, we should immediately embark upon the process of gathering knowledge about birth and using our nine months to prepare our body/mind for labor.  If we decide to birth in a hospital, we need a good understanding of the technocratic model of birth and its impact on physiological birth.  Instead we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out what we need for the baby and what we need to take to the hospital.  Finding myself pregnant with my first child and a planner at heart, I tackled my list-making responsibility with relish.  Why did I preoccupy myself with lists when I should have been preparing for the birth?  I suppose it was because, having grown up with so many positive birth stories (my mom was born at home), I was certain I could walk into a hospital and birth my baby without intervention.  Since I didn't "need" to prepare for the birth, there was plenty of time for list-making.  So here are my lists, created after painstaking research and thankfully saved and found deep in my old computer files....

List #1 Created February 15, 2003 Things to take to the hospital:

Jojoba oil

Lip balm

Toothbrush and toothpaste

Gown that opens in front for breast feeding and robe

Big t-shirt and sweats

Hot and cold packs (does hospital have this?)

Massage device

Warm socks and slippers

CDs and CD player

Frozen juice bars

Juice

Pillows

Cosmetics and toilet articles

Snacks

Nursing bras

Going-home clothing

Diapers

Waterproof pants?

Onesie

Gown or stretch suit

Receiving blanket

Hat

Crib-sized blanket

Car-seat

Watch with a second hand

Toothbrush and shaver

Change of clothes

Slippers

Swimsuit

Paper and Pencil

Birth Partner

Reading material

Camera

This list was pretty useful.  Don't ask me WHY I thought I needed water-proof pants or cosmetics (I don't wear cosmetics, perhaps I meant shampoo)....  In the end, they talked me out of wearing my own clothes and successfully encouraged me to don a hospital gown, they "prohibited" eating and dutiful patient that I was, I obliged.  And of course I didn't bring the thing I really needed, a doula.

List #2 Created February 20, 2003, Things I Need for Baby:

Play in pack system (Roll and Go Bassinet Play Yard by Evenflo, or Play Yard with Bassinet/Changer by J Mason)

Cloth diapers to use for burping etc.

Sippy cups

Baby bath tub

Infant chair, for example, Vibrating Activity Seat from J Mason or Fisher-Price Kick & Play Bouncer by Fisher Price 

Baby clothes, three-six-month size, not new born, (4-6 pajama sets with feet, 6-8 t-shirts, lots of onesie of all sizes, 3 pairs of booties)

3 sets of baby washcloths and towel with hood (sassy spa gift set)

3 receiving blankets

diaper-changing table

diaper pail with deodorizer

rocking chair

mobiles

infant books, rattles etc.

Evenflo monitor and intercom system

Cosco Alpha Omega-Gray Car Seat

Diapers 

Night-lights

Sling to use when breast-feeding (Target might not have this)

Running Stroller

Evenflo MegaSaucer

Graco 6-Speed Gentle Choice Open-Top Swing - Highland Park

Graco Easy Chair Highchair - Celeste

Toys

Sincerely Pooh Layette 5-pc. Set - Boy

Things I still have from the above list:

Cloth diapers

Pack and play (rarely used and loaned out to a friend for two years)

Baby clothes (Nettie is happily wearing both Khady's and Fen's old clothes)

Baby blankets (very helpful for swaddling)

Carseat

Rocking chair (though I never received one for Khady, a friend passed along a rocking chair before Nettie's birth and I LOVE IT!)

Still have my Maya wrap (and many other slings)

Still have the night-lights

I have two or three baby toys from Khady (usually I just use a wooden spoon etc.)

I think I gave away everything else on the list before I had Fen or Nettie.  Of course I added a few other things that I found useful and instead of one sling I have about five, but basically, I don't have a whole lot of baby gear.  I have slings to fit all occasions and towels for changing and cleaning up and something to prevent baby from rolling out of bed (currently our bed is pushed up to the wall and we have firm yoga bolsters between the bed and the wall) and a small hand breast pump and one sippy cup (Nettie won't take bottles which is fine since she is almost always with me) and lots and lots of cloth diapers.  I use a Bumbo occasionally.  Nettie loves to sit up and watch Khady and Fen and a Bumbo works well for this. And I own two strollers, which tend to remain parked.  But the swings and the mega saucers and the crib and many many other things were long ago dubbed not useful and passed along. 

List #3 created April 23, Things to Do When the Baby Comes:

People to Call from Hospital:

Parents

Tyrone 

Vicky

JCUA- Amanda, Karen, Stacey, Maria and Verna, Jane

Nana and Pop

Bami

Jean Carter-Hill

Other

Call Father Bob and give name and date of birth

Get baby on insurance

Email Georganne, Aissa, 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  More to come after Turkey Day :).

Comments

[Unnecesarean]

I'm delurking to tell you that I just laughed aloud at "waterproof pants." I thought they were for you at first. I guess that would be one way to deal with lochia!

Jill

[Kat]

Hi, thanks for your comment! I am going to check out your blog in a minute. I really can't for the life of me figure out why I needed waterproof pants... For my husband so that he wouldn't get his clothes messy? For me to where in the birthing pool? I am not very modest so I am thinking maybe they were for Matt? I have certainly never seen them used at any birth I've attended :).