Hospital Bed Rest Essentials

Today I am 28w5d pregnant. I have 37 days left until my c-section. I have been in the hospital exactly 4 weeks and have a 96% chance of going into labor this week.

I'm not going into labor in the next 7 days. I'm not going to have a July baby. I just "know". I do still feel I'll be having the baby between 31-32 weeks though....

Since I have no interesting updates about my experience in my luxury jail cell, I figured I would post about the things that are essential when you are on hospital bed rest, so anyone who may happen to stumble upon my blog in a similar situation can feel a little more readily prepared.

Clothes:
-About 2-3 pairs of pajamas. This way you can alternate or you can have a family member take home a dirty pair to wash while you wear a new pair
-2 bras. Again, you'll want to wash your bra after a week of wearing it, especially if you're leaking.
-slippers.
You don't need socks or underwear. The hospital has footies they can provide you with and these disposal mesh underwear. Of course you CAN bring your own, but I'm still leaking fluid after a month, why would I want to ruin a pair of my own underwear?

Toiletries:
-Full sized shampoo/conditioner (especially if you have a long term stay like me and have a LOT of hair)
-hair straightener or styling products. Straightening my hair means I don't have to wash it as often, plus it occupies a good 30 minutes of my time at least once a week
-pony tail holders, bobby pins, clips, etc
-deodorant
-face wash
-lotion
-toothbrush & toothpaste
-lipgloss/chapstick
-mascara
Some people may want to bring their own body wash, their own loofa's, and other items like makeup, a razor etc. A lot of this stuff the hospital will provide for you, it just depends on how at home you want to make yourself feel

OTHER ITEMS
-Food items. I hate the breakfast at the hospital so I try to keep a box of cereal or pop-tarts here. Also things like candy bars, cookies, granola bars are good snacks or good substitutes when you don't feel like eating the limited deserts the hospital offers. I also keep all the extra straws I accumulate as well as silverware just in case the kitchen forgets something one day
-Magazines/books- I have a training manual from my job and one of my school text books so I feel I'm doing something productive. In a month I've probably read about 20 magazines, and I'm on my second book.
-Puzzles. The hospital gives us word searches. I haven't really done any of them but I know they can be time consuming. I have a coloring book that I color in occasionally to pass the time.
-Hobbies- I knit. I've made two scrarves while I've been here. I like to make jewelry too and I wish I had some supplies someone could bring me, but I don't and jewelry supplies can be costly :( Also if you like to get manicures/pedicures ask someone to bring all the essentials so you can do them yourself- a nail file, nail clippers, a pumis stone and a thing of clear nail polish and a colored nail polish/ Once again that'll keep you busy for at least an hour about once a week.
-laptop. If the hospital has wifi a laptop is great. And if you have a laptop having a subscription to netflix, hulu, blockbuster, hbo, krackle, etc makes up for the lack of good television stations the tv offers.
-cell phone/charger. No explanation needed
-Camera/charger. Take pictures with your family/visitors and you'll need to take pics when the baby arrives. As much as I hate this period in my life, I've realized I need to start taking pictures when my son is here because this experience is definitely one I'll reflect on later in life.
-pillow/blanket from home. I just have a pillow but it does make it easier to sleep. The hospital uses really harsh detergent and I'm always itchy (plus the air gives you dry skin) so having my own pillow is saving my skin!
-debit card. If you are allowed to go to the gift shop of cafe occasionally you'll want to be able to buy yourself a treat!

If you have to be on hospital bed rest for a long time, try to make a routine. There are days when i absolutely don't want to shower, but I do it anyway because it passes the time, plus I realize that once I'm dealing with two children, I may only be able to shower twice a week (hopefully)! I try to go to bed and wake up at a certain time, eat at a certain time, watch certain shows. It all passes the time. Try to have as many people come visit you as possible. I hate asking people to come visit me but if they text and say they are going to try to make it soon, I totally welcome them because that also makes the time go by much faster. Try to talk to the nurses and nurse aids as much as possible. Even though the ones I have here can be a tad annoying, I try to talk to them because they also keep you company. Don't be afraid to ask someone to bring you something. I've had my friends and family provide all my magazines. Everytime Ted is here I ask him to go downstairs and buy me an iced coffee drink. My one friend flat irons my hair for me. It makes me feel better and gives me something to look forward to. Ask for privileges if you can. I'm showing no signs of labor so at least once a week I try to have my boyfriend or a family member wheel me down to the cafeteria so that I can get out of my room. Unfortunately I haven't been outside in about 3 weeks because of the extreme heat wave. I've also taken advantage of the fridge the nurses have and use that opportunity to be able to walk down the hall to retrieve my food. It's definitely nice to get out of the room as much as possible!