Packing Your Hospital Bag

As I've mentioned in my last couple of blog posts I had my baby five weeks early and was caught totally off guard. The day before I went to hospital we had our car seat installed, and exactly one week before I had my baby shower. So we were set for a means to get her home, and clothes to wear, but I wasn't so much prepared. Amidst moving and working I really hadn't got to check much off my to do list and having my hospital bag all ready to go was one I wish I had of got around to. Because I ended up needing it a lot sooner than expected! I had started to pick up a couple of things each time I went to the shops and had them sitting in an enviro bag under my stair case near the door, but that was as far as I got. I didn't really know what I needed, or what I should have packed, but over the course of my stay all of these things were eventually brought to me. So I decided to put together a little post to help you out if you're getting around to packing your hospital bag and were unsure like me as what to take with you.

Face cream / Soap or body wash / Brush or comb / Tooth brush + Paste 

Bio oil or something to rub on your belly / Shampoo + conditioner

Lip balm / Maternity pads

Aside from packing your every day toiletries, there are a couple of things that I would highly suggest you take with you. Like some Bio Oil, or some sort of oil or belly butter to rub on your stomach while you're in hospital. I went into hospital without a single stretch mark in sight, and ended up bringing more than I would have liked to home with me. I don't really know why this happened, but after talking to my sister she mentioned how this had happened to one of her friends. So if it is a common thing, try and avoid it if you can and pack some oil and rub it on after your very first shower! Not only will your face be really dry, but your lips will too - so pack a good lip balm! I had a tube of organic paw paw + honey as well as my go to Yes To Carrots lip balm and kept them both close to me. 

Loose comfortable t shirts / Maternity underwear

Maternity leggings / Socks / Nursing bra / Slippers

I had no idea what to pack to wear in hospital, I just thought I would wear a nighty for the couple of nights I was there. And for the first two or three days that is what I wore, but after that I was desperately wanting to end my pyjama party. T shirts and tights were a great option as they still felt really comfortable like pyjamas, but were on the day casual side of clothing. The maternity band on the tights felt like magic on your tummy because you're still really tender and it was nice to have something covering your tummy area. Especially if you've had a caesarean they're great because they won't be sitting on your scar area. When I first thought to start buying things to take, slippers were one of the first things I picked up and I'm really glad I took them with me. I really don't like walking around in bare feet, not even in my own house, and the slippers padding came in handy when getting up and down from seats. 

Nappies / Baby products / Wipes 

Jumpsuits / Singlets / Swaddle wraps

I had no idea what I needed to take for the baby, the only thing I had in my bag of things were some baby wipes. When Romy was brought into me in her little cot the hospital had provided us with a handful of nappies and some blankets, and after they were gone it was up to you to get your own. In the last month I've tried a couple of different brand nappies and would recommend the Huggies Newborn nappies as I felt they were the most effective. They also have a wetness indicator so you don't have to undo the nappy to check if its wet. My lovely cousin Sophie came to visit me and she thoughtfully brought the Gaia Baby Starter Kit which has massage oil, shampoo, bath + body wash, soothing lotion and moisturiser. Don't forget to pack a few different singlets and jumpsuits as it only takes one feed to mess them up! And lastly, the hospital has baby blankets, but after a few days it was nice to have our own on her, so chuck a couple of those in too! 

>>>So that is my little list based on my own experience,

if you packed something I didn't include and would recommend to other ladies, be sure to leave a comment.

It might help me out for next time!

My Daughter - The Early Bird!

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Today was Romy's due date. However, my little darling decided to be an early bird and arrive on the 21st of April instead of May. These past three weeks at home together feel as though they have just flown by. In the first couple of days it felt as though the days were dragging because something on my body was constantly hurting or uncomfortable. But now that things are starting to recover nicely the days are almost over before they even start. Our days together vary slightly, but we're starting to form our own routine. We've made a couple of trips out and about together, and I'm starting to get the hang of working a pram so in no time we'll be having our own little adventures together. It is absolutely crazy to think that I would be getting ready to have her soon, when really she has already been here a whole month! Her tear ducts are working, she has started to make the most adorable grunting noises, she can hold her head up on her own, she smiles in her sleep, she has started to roll and almost needs a hair band for her little mullet! Even though we were caught unprepared, we were pretty lucky to have been given this extra head start!

Start Your Week Off With..

It's Okay To Stare by Seit

To Women by Flower Child

Banana Chocolate & Nutella Popsicles by Amanda K By The Bay

Before The Dive by Hello, Mr. Rabbit

A personal challenge, something inspiring to read, a recipe to try out and a new blog to swing by. Four ways to start your week!

My Baby Shower

I never got around to posting about my fantastic baby shower because I was waiting to get the photos off my Aunty's camera as she was the 'official photographer'. And to keep me busy while I wait for the photos, Romy thought she would come early! Exactly one week after my baby shower my baby was born 5 weeks early, so it was lucky I chose that weekend and not the one after! The only photos I have from the shower are a handful of photos my sister took on my iPhone. It was such a fantastic afternoon, my Sister & Mum did an amazing job! I was especially impressed as the night before my parents threw a surprise 80th birthday party for my Granny and my they made all of the food for that and then my shower the next afternoon. My Sister made giant pom pom decorations and handed out little cards for everyone to fill out with wishes for Romy and advice for me. All of the sweet treats were miniature, and all the flowers were fresh and placed in cute jars everywhere. The cucumber + cream cheese sandwiches were cut into cute little circles and the egg sandwiches were cut into heart shapes. There were bowls of punch and a selection of T2 teas at the tea station. I got to catch up with some old friends I hadn't seen in ages, and see my family before they all set off to my cousin's wedding in Bali. Romy was absolutely spoilt with all of her presents, and we got lots of practical things too. Luke & I hadn't got around to getting every day things like towels and face washers, so we were pretty lucky to have those things gifted to us considering days later she arrived! It was such a fantastic afternoon and I can't wait for everyone to now meet her!

Wedding Invitations

Today most of my family is in Bali for my cousin Mandy's wedding. Earlier in the year I mentioned that I was working on some wedding invitations that I never got around to sharing. These invitations were a lot of fun to design, and were not usually my 'style' of designing so they were also a real challenge. Mandy is an effortless creative with really fantastic ideas (if she had her own blog it would be an overnight hit), and her 'travel' themed wedding is going to be amazing. Mandy & her partner Ben travel a lot, and Ben is a pilot - hence their theme. The wedding invitation was inspired by the Australian passport with the identification page displaying all the official details of the wedding. Their wedding logo is two lady beetles that is explained on the second page of the invite with a cutesy poem which Mandy's sister Sophie wrote. She also wrote a couple of other little poems to dress up your standard information. Mandy wanted the passport invitation to be a keep sake and have an accompanying form of invite that you could rsvp with. For this part of the invite a boarding pass was the inspiration - which I thought was absolutely brilliant! Another really neat aspect to this wedding package was the little business card which you could hand to your taxi driver and it has the wedding venues directions on the back in Balinese. I'm really excited to see photos from the wedding as Luke & I weren't able to go as Romy's due date was the 21st of May. As sad as I am that I can't be there today, it's nothing a big bear hug from my daughter won't fix!

Taking The Bear Out For The First Time

Last week Luke, Romy & I ventured out for our first family coffee date together. It has been a good couple of weeks since Luke & I have had the time to go out and just sit and talk over coffee without having to rush off to work or an appointment. And because Luke knows me so well he also ordered lemon tart for our afternoon tea! Romy was very well behaved and slept soundly in her pram. The cafe we went to is a five minute walk from our house, however we took the walk at a snails pace and got there after fifteen minutes. I'm still not feeling so fantastic after having a caesarean and didn't want to push myself too far, but I needed to get out of the house. I'm not used to being house bound for such long stretches, so the past two weeks have been a frustrating in that regard. Before Romy made her early arrival we had only been living in our new house for about three weeks, and hadn't done any wondering in our new area so I didn't know just how close we are to a decent cafe. So when I've made a full recovery it will make for a nice walk to grab a coffee. I've been itching to leave the house especially the last couple of days, and can't wait to have adventures with my new little family!

Start Your Week Off With..

Piece(s) Of Advice by Breezy Days

The Story Of Our Local Boutique by A Beautiful Mess

The Blogcademy Experience by Ahoy Miss

My Life Story: Part One by Pursuit Of Felicity

7 Crafts For A Growing Bean by Spotted Gazelle

Enjoy your week!