Child Birthing BOB / Daddy's Tactical diaper bag

[oakwoodforge]

The boxes of diapers are piled, the crib is assembled, the car seat is installed and been checked out by the Sheriff, the piles of onesies are washed, & Mama is ready to pop any day now.... Normal turn around is 48 hrs the doc tells us, but could easily be turned into 72 hrs or more in case of a emergency C section. So please critique this list for me folks, this is our first and the hospital is 3 towns over and about 45 min from home... and I KNOW I'm forgetting something.
3 day pack:
Baby book, for recording the birth
Stop watch for timing contractions
Laptop & charger
cell phone charger
camera with spare batteries
2 complete changes of clothing with doubles on the undies & socks for both of us ETA- ok scale that back to 2 for me one for her
pkg postpartum pads
4 outfits for baby 2 ea noob size and 3 mo, including 2 swaddle blankets & hats & socks
$50.00 in small bills & quarters for vending machines & cafeteria _ ETA I'll also have my wallet & cards with me but vending machines usually don't take $20.00 's or $100.00's
5 days of my diabetic meds
5 days of both our Vitamins
my glucometer & testing strips / lancets
6 low GI snack bars
water bottle
small pkg of candy for low blood sugar emergency
Spare house & car keys
spare glasses x 2, one for each of us
contacts , case & solution ( 2 sets for her )
Her cosmetic bag
my shaving kit / deodorant
travel tooth brushes / tooth paste
Swim trunks, in case I need to help her into & out of the bath

Daddy's Tactical Diaper bag :
( in a LAPG bug out bag - yeah I did, couldn't resist )
12 Diapers
changing pad
2 burp/ lap rags
2 spare baby outfits
spare shirt for me
2 pkgs wipes
1 sterile bottle & nipple, just in case
1 pkg noob formula , just in case
dad's baby book " Be prepared " a Manual for new dad's
( once he's old enough I'll be adding several small toys and 3-4 spare pacifiers )

Ok you guys/ girls that have done this before what did we forget ?

[El Bandito]

For your stay at the hospital I would pack a book or mags. I was with my wife in the Hospital 2 nights with our first and I had a lot of down time, just sitting and waiting.
You might want a pillow too, hospital ones suck, and you might be sleeping in a chair. If you have hair, take a hat cause you may not get to shower (our hospital wouldn't let non-patients use the in-room bathroom).

As for normal diaper bag stuff, throw in some Purel, hand lotion, diaper rash stuff, and a hand towel (invaluable), and a small first aid kit. Oh and those little bottles of sunscreen.

Congrats and I hope mama has a smooth delivery.

[El Bandito]

Oh, and some good, close-toed shoes for kicking stubborn vending machines.

[RANDOMMOSAIC]

what, no AR 15? Just kidding, congratulations!

[Kutter_0311]

Congtatulations on your first child!

With the hospital that far from home, why didn't you just plan a home birth?

That way, you'll be closer to your rifle...

[Prepared American]

Most hospitals will supply your wife with the post partem pads, diapers and such. I would recommend more money though. If your budget allows I would recommend buying pizza the night of the delivery for the nursing staff, you would not believe the amount of good will and quality of care they will provide you after that. I did this with all 4 of our kids and my wife was a L&D nurse there...lol. The pillow is a must. I also second the magazine and book plan. Good luck to you and your family, and congratulations on your journey to fatherhood.

oh and two thumbs up for the "tactical diaper bag" I can see a whole thread "TDB porn, show off your tactical diaper bag"

[TacAir]

Here's some odd news - no matter what you do, or don't do - the baby will birth when the baby is 'ready'. Enjoy the wait, hold Moms hand. Keep telling her how good she looks - Ya, I know, but it worked for me..

Once they hand the kiddo over to you - the wieght of the world will fall on your shoulders. You'll survive.

The baby will still have a section of umbillicus left for a week or so, be careful when changing diapers.
Read the article below if this is news to you. IF not, just be careful, it will come off on its own.
http://www.babycenter.com/0_caring-for- ... ump_127.bc

Infant and child CPR - take the class if you haven't.

The most glaring omission I can see is no camera.

You will NOT be forgiven if you don't have some 'pics of new baby' to share with family/friends/and damit - with us. "Cause we know the little bugger will be cute, and everyone loves to go "Ahhh".

I just spent most of June in Tucson with my sister helping her with her newborn. Plan on some schedule so you both have a chance to grab 4 hour naps, cause feeding the kiddo every 2 hours will wear you out pretty quick.

Good luck, and remember above all

Stay Calm and Carry on. Life will happen, you will all get through it,.

Congrats - the fun is just starting!

[Prepared American]

TacAir, he has a camera listed with spare batteries. I would say he is on the right track. I totally agree with the weight of the world remark, and yes we all survived.

[Caenus]

Hospital will give you diapers, wipes, formula, etc. Ditch all of that from your kit. You'll even get extras to take home.

It is likely they'll hook herup to a machine that will display and time contractions graphically. Atleast our hospital did. Don't stress about the stopwatch.

Couple sets of newborn onesies are a good idea.

Camera
Batteries
Phone charger
Laptop/power cable
DVD's for laptop
Games for laptop
Book

For you and mom:
Toothbrush/etc (hygiene kit)
PJs and flip flops
Hoodie/fleece jack, etc (gets cold in hospitals at night)
Flashlight/red light headlamp (so you can find stuff and change baby without waking up mommy)
Snacks so you don't have to rely on vending machines
Nalgene bottle to fill up at water fountain
Swaddling blanket (hosp will prob supply that too)
Knitcap (again, hosp will prob supply)

[TacAir]

TacAir, he has a camera listed with spare batteries. I would say he is on the right track. I totally agree with the weight of the world remark, and yes we all survived.

(blush)

Can I safely invoke the "Pics or it didn't happen" meme? I really would like to see the little kiddo...

[Dave_M]

I made a thread for this specific topic
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=80658&p=1780726

[Prepared American]

Awesome thread Dave, can't believe I missed it before. Nice TDB.

[oakwoodforge]

Thanks for the replies guys! I would have considered a home birth but, our closest flight for life helipad is 10 miles away (20-45 min ambulance response time on a good day ) and the New hospital its attached to is well, shall we say "understaffed" they blew the budget on construction. My Wife knows that if I nick my leg with a chain saw, to pack it in quick clot & high tail it for one of the "real hospitals" cause the local one would hook me up to an IV and just let me bleed out, if they did anything at all... Not a situation We would like to be in, in case of complications like hemorrhaging , I want competent well supplied reliable OB doctors with a very close well staffed ER.
On another note, I 'll add 2 Pillows, a pair of her slippers, a book and a jacket to my list, and probably lighten the load a bit on diapers & supplies. Our hospital provides clothing & supplies for the little guy while we are there but we have to bring a going home outfit. There is already a spare wool blanket in the car emergency kit, I may grab that in case its extra frosty in the birthing suite. I already have to put on a jacket when I get home from work as the house is cold enough to hang meat in. So this could likely come in handy. Thanks again for the suggestions !

BTW , Awesome set up Dave, love the playhouse for cover, priceless !
Jens

[oakwoodforge]

And Dave_M , where did you get that shirt, I need one.

[whisk.e.rebellion]

Ditch all the extra clothes for the wife. She'll likely be wearing the hospital issue mesh undies and sanitary pads for the duration of her stay. She'll probably also be wearing a hospital gown. Just bring some comfy clothes for her to wear home.

Find out if the hospital has wifi for patients/guests. I didn't bring a bunch of books magazines for myself because the hospital we went to did have free wifi. I did pick up a bunch of easy reading tabloids (National Enquirer, People, etc) for the wife. She had an emergency C-section the first time and a scheduled C-section the second time, so she was too doped up for any serious reading.

Diapers? I wouldn't bother. The hospital will be handing those out. And you're paying for them. Take whatever's left in the room with you. Same goes for the sanitary pads, etc.

We couldn't bring formula with us because it was considered "medication."

+1 on bringing a pillow. When our second kid was born, I actually went home to get mine. Hospital pillows (for guests) are about the same as airplane pillows.

Oh, and congratulations

[Chantrea]

Yes, DO bring comfortable pillows from home (but put the not-the-best pillowcases on them)! Unless your wife uses cloth, honestly, I would just stick with the hospital pads. It's unbelievable the fountain of stuff that comes out those first few days, even super duper store bought pads will still have spillage when she gets up to walk to the bathroom at times. The nice thing is that after the first couple of days it slows down to a heavy-menstrual-period flow for most people. But she is probably going to want the mesh panties and tarp-sized pads that the hospital has, unless she's got heavy duty mama cloth.

I agree with NOT the tons of extra clothes part for her (though yes, you might want a change of clothing and a bathing suit) Even nursing wasn't too big of a deal in a gown, my hubby was a dear and let me have his bathrobe (luckily it's dark colored) since it's my comfort clothes. If she's planning on nursing and you guys have a hand pump like the isis it might be a good idea to bring that too (though it's unlikely her milk will come in before you leave the hospital, it really depends on the woman and she may need some quick relief and it's nice to bank some milk, especially the first milk (not counting colostrum).

She is going to need to drink a ton of water. So if she's not already a big water drinker, it might be nice to bring some lemon wedges (or a whole lemon you can cut into wedges) (the hospital will probably provide a huge ass cup and you can get ice a plenty there) to make it taste better to her so she drinks and drinks and drinks. Favorite snacks might be a good idea (esp. if they are healthy, since even if you have your kid at 2 AM you can always get junk food whenever but goodies like fresh fruit are harder to come by unless the hospital has a 24/7 kitchen/food service--some do, some don't).

I'm not sure if the diapers you were going to bring were cloth or not, but even if you plan on CDing, just use the hospital's diapers while you're there. Meconium can be a bitch to deal with, better that it happen on a disposable (IMO). You also don't need to bring burp cloths, there's a ton of them at the hospital, and it's just one more thing to have to deal with.

I might lose the contact lenses and crap too, unless you're super emotionally attached to them. It's just more stuff to haul around.

[oakwoodforge]

Thanks, Good Idea on the lemon wedges & healthy snacks !

[ferretrodeo]

As a labor and delivery nurse I can say use your own pillows. Bring more than 1. I would bring 3 (for her) and be prepared to throw them out. Pillows are not just used behind a persons head- we use them between the knees so you can bet that even if the pillow case gets washed the pillow doesn't. Pads, wipes, diapers, etc will be provided at the hospital. A small portable cd player would be nice.
Double check to make sure that you have all the med you will need. You don't want to miss anything because you had to go home to get something.
Any kind of back massager. Your fingers will get tired.

Have an open mind. The people I hate seeing are the ones who have a 5 page birth plan who are stuck in it- they seem to be the ones who end up being upset because their "perfectly planned birthing experience" gets changed.

Have any questions? Write them down. Ask them. It is your Dr's responsibility to answer your questions but it is yours to ask them.

ETA: didn't see car seat listed. The hosp will not let the baby leave unless you have one in the car. Hell, at my hosp we won't let a baby leave unless we see it.

[ferretrodeo]

.....and ear plugs. If you get a neighbor that is going natural, you will want to get some sleep.

[oakwoodforge]

Car seat isn't listed in the "Hospital go bag " Because its been installed in the car for over a month and already been inspected by the Sheriff's Department On High Alert now, momma is past her due date, wish me luck & her a speedy and easy delivery...

Jens

[Prepared American]

Good luck to you and your wife. Hope for an easy delivery and good health to all. Don't forget to post up pics of the little one or at least an anouncment.

[dzaverl13]

We had to bring our car seat in and show the discharge nurse that we knew how to use it. Also it might be a good idea to turn up the heat in the house for the baby. Our nurse said that 68 would be a good temp for a new born baby. My wife likes it artic cold in our house too. As for your bag it sounds over full take the advice of others and lighten your load you will have enough to do already

[CipherNameRaVeN]

I am not sure if anyone mentioned MP3 player or CD player for the wife. My wife used one while laying around before actual delivery. She had some very relaxing music playing. Mostly meditation music. It helped her to relax and get her nerves under control.

+1000 on comfy pillow.

Bathrobe and slippers for her. Whatever they give you in the hospital suck.

Bring snacks for her and whatever she likes to drink. They usually have Gingerale, and she may not like it. Plus, you constantly have to ask for and wait for it.

bring loose sweatsuit for her to go home.

Stock up on frozen food, as you will absolutely have no time to cook. If you have Trader Joe's near by, they have the best frozen food ever.

If people offer their help once the baby comes (and they are sincere), ask them to cook and bring food for you. That is the best help they can offer.

Make sure your shopping is all done for at least a week or two. You'll have no time to go out to do shopping.

Make sure your house is clean and organized. It will raise your moral. Having a crying baby in the house (no matter how happy you are) can give you the blues. You don't need additional crap to deal with... like cleaning.

Do your research on what you can do to minimize colic. It is kinda too late to learn about it after the fact. Some kids have them, some don't. But most of the time they do. Therefore, stock up on Gripe water, dill water, and learn what to do in case of colic.

Someone mentioned taking Infant and child CPR. +1000 on that one also. I did that. Infants always tend to choke and scare a living crap out of you. Especially when they start trying solids.
edit: I saw 2-3 year olds getting almost drowned several times. It can happen in 6 inches of water. Toddlers fall down and have no clue how to get up. Instead they open their months to scream and gulp down the water. Even my 2.5 year olds had close calls of gulping down pool water, choking, and coughing. I was next to her the whole time. It's just hard to avoid.

IT WILL SEEM THAT YOUR WIFE IS ANNOYED WITH YOU, ALWAYS ANGRY, PISSED OFF, STRESSED OUT, AND READY TO DIVORCE YOU ONCE SHE GIVES BIRTH... ETC. ETC. ETC. THAT IS HORMONAL IMBALANCE AND IS NORMAL! THEY MAY EVEN MENTION IT TO YOU IN THE HOSPITAL. HER HORMONES WILL EVEN OUT AFTER COUPLE OF MONTHS. THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! YOU MUST STILL GIVE HER LOVE AND SUPPORT... EVEN IF YOU WANT TO KILL HER AT THE TIME. YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO DEAL WITH IT. IT'LL GET EASIER!
edit: Just remember, no matter how tired you are, your wife will be more tired then you. She will need physical and moral support 24/7.

Congrats and Good Luck! Kids are awesome!

FYI: I have a 2.5 year old and 3 month old.

[Chantrea]

Oooh, while we're on the subject of after you come home:

As much as most hubbies aren't always comfortable with this--it's really helpful if you are willing to run interference (especially with your relatives) with people who want to visit. When your parents/sister/cousins come to visit (if you guys decide you are comfortable with that) in the first couple of weeks after the birth, be sure that they are willing and DO make themselves useful *before* they get their hands on the baby. If you have relatives who are not helpful, are passive-aggressive, or who can't keep their "useful" advice to themselves unless asked, be willing to be the bad guy and have a heavy hand in managing them. My hubby went above and beyond and dealt with *my* mother (who is the crazy inlaw, not my MIL who I absolutely adore) and helped protect me from her when I was very vulnerable. If there's anyone that your wife doesn't always get along with, please be willing to protect her; try not to take it personally if it's someone you're close to. As someone mentioned, hormones are wild for awhile, she will likely also feel very vulnerable, you will not only help bond even further with your wife if you are willing to help, you'll also mitigate some of the damage that can be done when you have a bunch of people who (sadly) often fight for dominance/ownership of the baby. (Grandmas often are not in their right minds after a birth either, though if you're lucky you have mellow/awesome ones, like my MIL).

People are going to ask what they can do--so have a list for them. As much as it seems stupid, actually having people bringining you dinner every other day for a couple of weeks is VERY VERY NICE. So if you don't have someone managing that schedule, write it down somewhere so when someone says "Hey, can I bring you dinner?" you can say "YES! How about on next wednesday?". Other things that are nice are to fold baby laundry/diapers, clean up the kitchen, even light housework IF your wife is comfortable with that (some aren't and that's okay). It's nice if you guys sit down and make a list of stuff that people can do to help. I wish I had done that with my firstborn, it got beaten into me when I had the twins.