Baby's Comin? What to Pack for Hosp?

my due date is drawing near. eventhough it's my third pregnancy, it's hard to ignore the the anxiety and suspense!

yesterday i packed my little mickey mouse luggage bag for must-bring stuff to the hospital. this is my list, cross-reference to the one made by my dear friend kak arin. i remember she put up a list of important items to bring to the hospital once you're experiencing labor pains. read her full list here!

kain batik
this was first on her list, which never would cross my mind! twice pregnant, and during both times i just relied on the cutesy hospital gown (bright yellow with little pink and blue flowers tau! hihi). she reasoned well - kain batik does provide the most comfort especially if we go through surgery. i'll just add this in, just in case!

speaking of comfort, don't forget a pair of thick socks! air-cond hospital sejuk! also, bring along a comfy top and pants/abaya that you'll wear when you're discharged from the hospital.

breastfeeding bra
also an important must-bring to facilitate breastfeeding. in addition of course all your necessary undergarments. i brought along breast pads as well. and while you're at it, don't forget the nipple gel to keep your nipple from cracking!

pads
yes! definitely! like kak arin stated, hospitals do provide their own maternity pads, but some women are just comfortable wearing a brand their used to - well, we wear it every month! so i bought the normal sanitary pads - a super-long-with-wings! ha, kalau bocor jugak tak tau lah!

toiletries
kak arin listed it all - tooth brush, colgate, powder, shower cream - "..kang pas mandi tak berseri lak muka." she added. hihi.

snacks
kak arin listed milo and biscuits as 'standby' snacks - and i agree. imagine getting up to breastfeed few times in the night, and feeling a grumbling in your tummy, with nothing to eat! a few bite of biscuits or bread and a hot drink would be very handy!

some hospital provides a lot of meals from breakfast to supper so you'll feel full by the end of the day. however, remember that this hospital bag is all for the just-in-cases!

handphone, extra top-up card and charger
oh-so-very-important! not only to spread the good news, but also to communicate with your other half! both times, the first on our must-call-first list are my eldest sister yong, and mr. khairul's parents to inform them of a safe and sound delivery.

extra top-ups is of course always, always useful - even if you ended up not using it. especially now that i'm in dubai, i'm sure i'll be needing more than a 100dhs just for phonecalls to malaysia!

and once you have your handphone, and extra credit too - it'd be so awfully frustrating to forget the handphone charger! hp ade, credit berlambak tapi tak boleh call pulak, receive pun tak boleh! so remember these 3 items that go together!

reading material
another important item for me. very. both times alhamdulillah we managed to get a private room with my own tv - but curling up with a good book while breastfeeding my baby is so satisfying! hihi.

knowing this, both times after delivery, mr. khairul would surprise me with a new terry pratchett book because he knows that's what i would like to have with me to pass the time. a paperback is better since it's lighter and easier to flip, while holding the baby with your other hand!

my personal choice would be a light reading from the 'reduced shakespeare company' (hillarious!) or any 'agatha christie'. my favorite of course would be any 'terry pratchett' - his story is always funny and witty - easy reading!

camera and battery charger
with facebook picture file and many moms having blogs - a picture of your newborn is almost mandatory - that not having it makes you a misfit, an outcast - people will look at you funny - "haaa? tak amik gamba satu pun?" so this is another of my must-bring!

however, during these times, a handphone camera would be adequate - click, and send mms to anyone you like. in fact, right after he came out, it was just a click, and kahfi's babyface is engraved in my handphone at 10 mins old!

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how about stuff for your little newborn?

newborn clothings, booties and mittens, including barut
so far, i never brought barut - pasal baby kecik sangat, nak barut pun takut-takut! haha. but i do bring a few newborn clothings - a few old ones from khaleef and kahfi, and one brand new. why few olds and one new?

the baby can wear the old ones while in the hospital. newborns are usually tightly wrapped around with the hospital napkins and blankets anyway, so the guests coming to visit won't see the cute hello kitty or thomas and friends on your baby's rompers anyway! hihi.

the brand new one - is for when the baby is finally discharged from the hospital, and on the way home. it's a special occasion, it's an auspicious day! so the baby needs to look his/her best! hihi.

so far, i never had to use the old clothes, because the hospital provide the baby clothings during my stay at the hospital, but i find that the brand new baby clothes really 'festive' when the time comes!

blanket and towel
yes, to wrap the baby when the time comes to bring him/her home, or to be used while in the hospital.

pampers
newborn ones! yes, hospital do provide their own, but again, sometimes you're just comfortable knowing you have a brand that you trust and have been using.

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my dear friend kak arin also pushed a little reminder for dads because he is our partner in crime, our PA, our driver, our midwife - our pillar of strength! check out her list here.

packing - check! mommies better do this - dads usually have no ideas what goes where and kept where so it's safe to do this yourself!

handphone - check! it's best if you remember YOUR handphone and charger, and he remembers HIS handphone plus making sure it's fully charged with a lot of credit!

minyak kereta - this is one that i never thought of but equally important, right? what if you're in the middle of labor, pain and all - and the car won't start or you had to endure a stop at a nearby gas station - tensen!

kena kuat - yes, mr. khairul is alhamdulillah, strong both physically and emotionally. he let me squeeze his hand as hard as i needed to.

plus, to make me feel at ease during the painful labor, he made stupid jokes about the day we met and how he fell in love (ok, ramai-ramai say awwww.. haha)

he was so emotionally strong that i remember dia casually bersembang dengan doc lagi while he's stitching me up - with all the blood and gore! ceh!

berdoa - this part that kak arin wrote make me sebak. isk isk. you can click the link and read what she wrote in her own words.

cool bapak with his first-born khaleef

this is another interesting list i found in the net. click here for full list.

bring a little piece of home
dads can help make the hospital room a little friendlier and warm with family pictures. i remember when i was in painful labor with khaleef, mr. khairul took out a picture of me and mak which i always kept in my handbag and placed it on my side. that was really one of his sweetest moments! love you!

distract mom
again, back to mr. khairul's 'talent' for bad comic timing haha - during the labor pain, he would reminisce the first time he saw me, and how he fell in love - and he added his story with silly jokes - yes, it distracted me from the pain, even for a little while!

provide focus
everytime the contraction pain peaked, obviously my grasp of his hand tightened. mr. khairul would just coach me through it, telling me that eventhough he can't feel the pain, but he knew when the pain heightened and subsided from the way i held his hand. from there he could just follow my experience, while helping me go through it!

relax
kalao bapak pun gelabah, maknye yang nak beranak tu triple gelabah! good for me, mr. khairul is one relaxed dude (walaupun gelabah kat dalam!).

take the abuse
this is a funny one - imagine wife in labor, and the husband asking where she put the handphone charger. when the wife lashes at the husband, husbands must remember it's not intentional - it's the contraction pain speaking! honey, sorry in advance, ye? hihi.

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well, that's about it. anything else i'm forgetting? do share! and while you're at it, doakan semua ok for me on my delivery date ya! i repeat - 3rd pregnancy and i'm still very, very nervous!