4 Ways to Prep for Your Hospital Homecoming

Truth: A nesting pregnant mama has a LOT on her mind, and probably a very long to-do list. When I was nesting, I did crazy things that probably never even needed to get done. If you’re having a baby soon, here’s a helpful list of things to prepare to bring that sweet baby home from the hospital. Let’s be honest, as a rookie mom, I did almost NONE of these things! But hey, I dust-busted my couch 17 times a day, so I guess it evened out. 😉 Seriously, I could’ve done nothing but these four things and been way better off than I was, so I hope this can help you.

1. Even if you plan to breastfeed, have some sanitized bottles and a can of formula on deck! I planned on exclusively breastfeeding, so I only had like 6 bottles total and hadn’t taken any of them out of the box yet. When we arrived home, I still wasn’t producing any milk and Myles had been taking formula for nearly 36 hours. Our mom squad had to run out to grab us formula and teach us how to use a bottle sanitizer. It would have been so much easier to have had these items ready to go as a just-in-case. Oops!

2. Have all the items YOU need to recover ready and in a convenient place in your bathroom. I am SO glad I ordered my Frida Mom products in advance and set myself up for my own late night diaper changes. The Frida Mom ice pack pads and disposable undies were the bomb, and I took the Dermaplast, squirt bottles, and witch hazel cooling pads from the hospital. All of this lived right next to the toilet so there was no extra walking, and I had everything I could need the second I hobbled through the door.

3. Get your baby’s sleeping area(s) settled. Where do you spend the most time in your house? You’ll probably want a bassinet or portable bassinet (Lullyboo or Moses basket style) in there. Where will your baby sleep during the night? You should most definitely wash the bedding and set it up before they arrive home. For us, we had a bassinet next to our bed for months before Myles was born, but the running joke was, “throw it on the baby!” in reference to any junk that we quickly needed to find a place for and threw into the bassinet. I cleaned it out a million times, but somehow, it wasn’t totally ready when we came home! We also never considered where baby would be situated if we were sitting in the living room… another “duh” moment for us.

4. Equip your bed with temporary, fluid-friendly bedding. When you get home from the hospital, there will be a LOT going on with your body and your baby. You will be heavily bleeding, and your milk will come in. Your baby will probably spit up and pee everywhere, and generally things will just be a soggy mess. Before you have the baby, get some sheets you won’t care about, make sure you have a mattress pad/cover on, and place some towels next to the bed in case of any kind of mishap. The last thing you need to worry about is messing up your favorite sheets with some questionable and permanent stains.

And guess what? That’s it! This is what I’d recommend for a stress-free hospital homecoming. Pinterest articles may tell you to prep 59 different crockpot freezer meals, but honestly there will still be takeout. Your inner nesting-crazed, pregnant maniac will want to wash every single clothing item gifted to you for baby, but I assure you that will NOT be necessary. I felt so dumb after having done that, especially when my 10-pounder couldn’t fit into half of it from birth! Leave a comment below if you think of anything else that should be on the no-nonsense homecoming preparation checklist.

#truthmom

Because black moms matter…

A 26-year-old mama to be, Sha-Asia Washington, died at Woodhull hospital in NY in the beginning of this month. Say her name. Remember her. She mattered, and this should have never happened! Please read her story and donate to or share the Go Fund Me that will benefit the baby and the baby’s father.