Here are 5 Useful Things to Do in A Hospital After Giving Birth. Read on to find out what to do in a hospital post partum that will help you after baby comes.
5 Things to Do in A Hospital After Giving Birth
Giving birth is one of the single hardest things a human being will do. Although many people may be turned off by the thought of spending time after giving birth in the hospital.
A post-partum stay may be just what the doctor ordered. Even though I’ve had 6 kids, and toyed with the idea of a home birth or birthing center birth, I always go back to the hospital because it too can have its emotional benefits for mothers.
Here are 5 Things to Do in A Hospital After Giving Birth .
Sleep
Yes, you will be so tempted to stare at your gorgeous, precious little baby for hours on end. However, when you get home, it will be harder to catch some zzz’s because as much as you try life will hit you in the face.
And yes, you will have nurses come in every few hours to take your vitals, but don’t be scared to tell your on duty nurse, “Hey I’m going to nap…give me some time. ” This will be necessary to help give you the strength to tackle the first few months.
Ask questions
Although I’ve had 6 kids, It always feels like certain things are new to me every time I give birth. For a first time mom much of the whole parenting thing will be incredibly overwhelming so don’t be scared to ask away. I promise they won’t take the baby away. 😀 Nurses are there to help and deal with baby’s all the time.
I remember when I gave birth to my first, I had NO IDEA HOW TO CHANGE A DIAPER! Yes! It was crazy but I never babysat, nor did I know how to do it, Thankfully I had a fantastic nurse teach me how.
When my 2nd was born I didn’t realize girls would have to be “cleaned” a certain way. Thankfully, My nurse told me how.
It maybe something as simple as your own care, or breastfeeding issues. There are so many things that can give you peace of mind before leaving,so make sure and ask :).
Most important if you aren’t happy with your nurse or not feeling like your needs are being met you can make sure and get the right support.
Baby Items
Grab all those baby items you have in your room because you’re either being charged for them or companies have donated them for you to keep. I remember when my 5th was born we received a HALO sleep sack . It was all thanks to the company and a partnership they had with the hospital.
I didn’t want to get meconium on my gorgeous fluffy cloth diapers so I made sure and took the Newborn diapers home as well.
Either way, there’s tons of things you can get to help you get started on the right foot when you head home with baby. Because no matter how much you prepare, there’s always something you’ll forget.
Perfect Time For Visitors
Ok so this one may be a bit controversial. However, this is six time mom talking and this may be a personal preference thing. But I remember getting home from the hospital and the last thing I wanted to do was “clean up ” and entertain visitors.
No matter how much people tell you it’s “ok” the last thing you want is for someone to get to your house and see the dishes haven’t been done, you’re walking around with spit up all down your shirt and chances are you haven’t washed your hair in over a week.
So the hospital time may be the best time to get some of those visitors out of the way. You should always stipulate and remind people that if they’re sick they shouldn’t visit.
I know it should be known but common sense isn’t so common anymore. The nice thing about a hospital visit is that you’re really not required to do anything but sit and relax.
Bonus points for the huge sanitizer bottles that are usually found at the entrance of each room. This is an easy way you can always remind visitors to sanitize before holding the baby.
Best of all you can always let your nurse know ahead of time that you only want visitors for a certain amount of time so cutting visits short will be a breeze.
Like I said, many people prefer not to have anyone visit at the hospital and that’s all personal preference. But maybe getting some visits out of the way before going home may give you some peace when you get home.
Squash any worries:
This is my biggest one. If something doesn’t feel right ask your nurse or doctor. Whether it’s you or the baby, things will feel strange. Your body will feel alien, things the baby does will feel alien.
That being said, sometimes there are warning signs that might go overlooked by new or first time parents. So if you have a worry ask away. Make sure and squash any worries you have about your health or the baby.
Like I said above, a hospital birth is something that goes down to personal preference of a mother. There are many debates always going on about what’s better a hospital birth or a Home birth.
That being said, there are many positives in having a hospital birth. The above being just a few. In the end, the important thing no matter where you give birth, it’s important to have support. Especially, the first few weeks because no matter where you gave birth those will always be the toughest.
Looking for more Pregnancy related posts? Check out Tips to Help you Recover from Labor : Tips for a quicker postpartum recovery
