SB Awareness Note for the Day: A few hospital tips.
Hospital visits can be frequent and unexpected. Have a packing list in place that takes into account the needs of the child AND the parent. For example we have a small toiletries set in a ziploc bag for mom that includes a hairbrush and pony-tailer, razor, deodorant, and even some tampons.
For moms who could be pregnant – keep pregnancy tests on hand at home. Take one before you leave for the hospital. Many tests like X-Ray, MRI, and CT are ones they won’t let you in if you’re not sure if you’re pregnant or not so the baby won’t get hurt. That means your sick child has to go alone – scary for them. (And it turns out I’m not pregnant yet, in case you were wondering…).
Bring toys, including noisy musical ones if you have a little baby. Sometimes that annoying music you’ve heard a thousand times is just what can distract an unhappy baby.
Buy a white noise machine and bring it! We use one at home during naps and bedtime. This was the best thing we brought with us this time. From the minute Mason was admitted to his own room we had it running, day and night. It helps drown out the ‘hospital noises’ that are unfamiliar. Even better, it helps your child continue sleeping when nurses are constantly in and out of the room to check vitals and surgery sites. It masks the noise of the door being opened and closed, alarms on IVs going off, and people walking by in the hall.
Have a Kindle or other device for reading and keeping busy – and bring the cord to charge it! I read for hours on end while holding a fitfully sleeping Mason this week. Probably at least 30 hours of reading in 4 days. Another thing to remember is if the item isn’t backlit you’ll want a mini reading light when it’s dark.
He is so precious. Thanks for updating. I'll continue praying for Mason and your family. Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting these tips--I imagine they will help many people, and from my experience being in Primary Children's for a week, I wish I had known this ahead of time.
ReplyDeleteOne I might add is to bring some healthy snacks for mom. I had my friend bring me some green smoothies, and some homemade breakfast power muffins, etcetera. It is nice to have those on hand for when you don't feel like getting lunch from the cafeteria.
A packing list is a great help when you know that unexpected hospital stays are likely. When my daughter was younger, I kept a bag packed (and often already in the trunk of the car). I agree that healthy snacks for mom are a necessity. Somehow or another, I never found the hospital cafeteria open when I was most hungry. My "just-in-case" bag also had change for the vending machines, a bottle of Excedrin (for me), a few doses of the medicines I couldn't be without, and some chocolate.
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