8 Things I couldn't live without at the Hospital

When it comes to packing a suitcase, I'm a pro at packing light. When it came to packing a suitcase for the hospital, I'm guilty of being the opposite. I packed like a crazy person preparing for war. This picture right here, is not a true reflection of what went down. The over packing in my case was a result of:
1) inexperience (being a new mom)
2) baby brain (I packed some things thrice despite my check list)
3) fear of the unknown (labour vs me)

Here is a list of 8 things I couldn't live without at the hospital. :

1) Mini spray bottle ($1.99, Dollar Store)
What: Small bottle with a spray nozzle
Why: Because everything about going to the bathroom after labour is painful and gross.
How: For number 1, Spray and Pat dry. For number 2, Spray (A LOT), Slowly wipe, and Pat dry
*Thanks to my bestie Andreia for this tip!

2) Medicated Witch Hazel by Thayer (>$20, Nutrition House)
What: Witch Hazel is an astringent extracted from leaves and bark from a witch hazel shrub. The medicated version contains camphor which is a natural pain reliever.
Why: It heals, cools, soothes, relieves pain, and makes your VJ smell clean.
How: This stuff was like Franks (hot sauce) for me. I put this $hit on everything!
- I had a separate mini spray bottle filled with distilled water and a few drops of Witch Hazel. I gave ground zero a good mist after each visit to the bathroom.
- The site gets quite itchy when your stitches are healing, for cooling of the area soak a few cotton balls and dab on.
- I froze a few pads to help with the swelling, I drizzled 2 tbsp onto the surface prior to freezing.

3) My own floral robe (>$30 www.offtheshoulder,ca)
What: A robe to wear over my hospital robe
Why: Umm because hospital robes suck and make you "feel" sick when you're actually a "she"man super star giving life and shit.
How: I put it on when people came by to see me. It was more appropriate for the occasion.

4) Black River Organic Pineapple Juice (>$10 Fortinos)
What: Large bottle of Pineapple juice
Why: To stay hydrated (you're allowed to sip on it after an epidural), to take away the metallic taste (some women experience this), natural anti-inflammatory (bromelain), helps ease constipation (trust me, you don't want this issue after labour), helps with nausea, and much more. My happy place is the beach, and I pictured each contraction as a wave. The pineapple juice made me feel close to my happy place - it was comforting & medicinal
How: Bring your own water bottle. Fill it up with ice and pineapple juice.

5) A damn good Lip Balm (>$11 Burt's Bees tinted lip balm)
What: Chaptstick or lip balm to hydrate your lips and a dash of natural tint to keep you picture ready.
Why: Because labour will suck the life and moisture out of you! Burt's Bees was the natural choice for me because I love the product and suffered from sensitive skin towards the end of my pregnancy.
How: Keep it close by and reapply as needed.
*Thanks to my bff Lisa for keeping me stocked with Burts Bees products

6) A good moisturizer (>$20 Pink Grapefruit Body Butter, Body Shop)
What: Your favorite scent (mine was anything with a citrus note) to make you feel clean and moisturized.
Why: Your body experiences a surge of hormones and then a gradual drop. This often results in dry skin. Pack a good body butter to keep your skin hydrated. Your favorite scent will make you feel clean and normal when everything about you is the opposite.

7) Bed sheets
What: I brought my own fleece blanket, pillow case, and flat sheet.
Why: I wasn't sure what I was in for. So to make myself feel more comfortable, I brought my own pillow case, blanket, and bed sheet to nest in as things went down. This was totally a comfort thing!

8) Headphones
What: YouTube your favorite tunes as you wait
Why: Helped me drown out the noise, focus on this amazing moment, distract me from the pain, and pumped me up for the final act. I listened to a religious hymn to keep my faith strong and well, some Drake, TI, and 50 Cent to keep my head in the game (motivators lol).