My friend is being induced in a week and she's asking questions that I never even thought about. So, here's some tips:
1. Pack a hospital SUITCASE, not some bullshit tiny bag. You need two sleep sacks for the baby, minimum and a going home outfit. Only pack button up shirts for mom-to-be, for easy breastfeeding access. Don't forget your toothbrush, paste and deodorant and any books/tablet you may need and CHARGERS. The rest is for your snacks and drinks, cause otherwise you're going to pay out the ass for takeout, delivery, hospital food and vending machine food. Do not forget your snacks. And BRING NIPPLE CREAM. Also, hairties.
2. Bring absolutely everything home with you. They will provide you with diapers, wipes, baby wash, a recurving blanket, mesh panties, and pads. Take them and pack them in all the suitcase space you have after eating your snacks you packed.
3. You pretty much have 2 options. Diarrhea can be a sign of labor. So you either have the worst poops of your life before you have the baby, or you poop a little during delivery. I don't make the rules.
4. Babies cluster feed when they're first born. I was uneducated about this and didn't bring nipple cream to the hospital and my baby literally sucked the skin off my nipples. I had to switch to formula and pump to make sure that she wasn't getting blood in the breast milk. This lead to her being a formula only baby by 1 month.
5. I'm not kidding when I say that you can bleed for like a whole month or more after giving birth. And this still applies, almost more extremely, for c section births. So when you go to buy pads (and don't be ashamed to just get adult diapers), ALWAYS buy the overnight pads that feel like a life raft, reach from stomach to back and have the sticky straps. Also, invest in a cheap pack of black cotton panties.
6. Sleeping when the baby sleeps is a giant joke. Especially in the first couple months. You're way too worried about every noise coming from the monitor, way too busy catching up on chores or needing to take a shower. And frankly, there's no law about wanting some time on your phone or to watch a show. Hopefully youve got a partner to help take turns with getting up in the night, and if not, don't be afraid to ask a relative or close friend to watch the baby while you take a quick nap.
7. People talk about cravings during pregnancy, which I didn't experience, but cravings AFTER pregnancy are also super common. Hopefully yours isn't as expencive as mine was.
8. Stock tf up on stool softener. Your first poop after giving birth, whether it's one day or 10 days later, is a seriously painful experience. I'm not kidding when I say I didn't poop for 10 days out of sheer willpower because it hurt just to try.
9. Don't feel the need to lose the baby weight right away. I know that it's a stress on a ton of women, but for like 6 months your body is a mess of hormones and changes and diets that work for those first 6 months may not work after that. Just enjoy your time snuggling your baby as much as possible. All too soon they don't want to snuggle anymore... (Currently losing the snuggles from my baby).
10. Don't let anyone tell you that you spoil your kid, hold them too much, etc. This little human larvae literally depends on you for their entire existence. They CANNOT live without you. Your heartbeat comforts them, your body heart warms them, your voice soothes them, and you feed them. And before you know it, they don't need you to rock them to sleep, and they're wiggling out of your arms to play instead of cuddling all day. You love, spoil and snuggle them as much as you damn well please, and fuck the rest.
