When we had our first kid, the hospital stay for me was awesome! I actually was bawling my head off when they discharged us. Oh, those hormones.
But for Kip, the hospital stay was a different story. So I asked him to write a post with some tips for surviving the hospital stay. Here they are:
Tip #1: Bring Your Snow Suit!
You might be thinking what a snowsuit has to do with giving birth. Other than making you look totally awesome, the answer is everything. Let me explain. Colton was born in May which is a warm spring/summer month. Bringing warm clothes to the hospital was the last thing that was on my mind. I thought if we could just get there alive we were good. But this was a fatal mistake.
It turns out giving birth is hard work. They don't call it "labor" for nothing. As we got to the hospital and things started picking up, Nicole asked me to turn the temperature down. Then she asked again... and again... and again. Soon enough, the temperature couldn't get any lower. I don't remember what the temperature was but it was ABSOLUTELY freezing.
I've never been to MT. Everest, but this had to be close. There she was with her fancy monitors and her warm cozy blankets while I'm shivering on the brink of hypothermia. Whoever said labor isn't hard for the husband hasn't experienced the cold in that hospital room. :)
It was basically life or death. Okay, I may be exaggerating a little teeny tiny bit, but the worst part was it was so cold I couldn't sleep. The several hospital blankets, hoody, and other efforts were to no avail.
So tip #1 is to bring a snowsuit no matter what time of the year. You'll look fresh, feel great, and keep warm.
Tip #2: Don't get sick
This may go contrary to decades of scientific evidence, but you can actually control if you get sick or not. You see, if I had brought a snow suit, I would have been fine. But all joking aside, do all that you can to not get sick. Whether that's closing your eyes and saying a thousand times, "don't get sick" or taking a less weird and slightly less awkward approach of rest and properly fueling your body, do all that you can. You'll be less stressed around the baby and everything will be that much better.
The only upside is the white mask looks kind of cool. Especially if you wear a white shirt to go along with it.
Tip #3: Bring food!
Don't be fooled by this cute and adorable cat. The struggle for food in the hospital is real. Luckily, the hospital had a robust cafeteria and amazing free slushies (they got Nicole through labor. Forget about me). Even still, I wish I had brought more food. I don't know if it's the stress or excitement, but you get surprisingly hungry. Be sure to pack plenty of food or your stomach will pay the price.
Tip #4: Remember, there's an outside world.
This is one of my favorite tips. After three intense days in the hospital, I finally got to go outside. They were about to dispatch us so I had to go put the car seat base in the car. I remember seeing and feeling the sun on my face thinking, "I'm free!" I stopped for a minute to take in a few deep breaths. It was nice, to say the least.
While it was short-lived, it definitely helped. It's okay to step outside for a minute or two (if your wife is okay with it) to make sure you stay sane. But either way, ff you feel cooped up, it will pass soon enough. Despite what you might think, the outside world still exists and you will see it again. :)
Tip #5: Know that you will survive!
This is probably the most important tip. If it's your first baby, the truth is you will have no idea what you're doing. Coming home from the hospital is a little scary because you've never done this whole parenting thing before. But don't worry, you will survive. If Nicole and I can do it, anyone can do it. Just do the best you can and you'll do great. Oh, and remember to breathe. That always helps. :)
So that's it. Five tips. Follow these and you'll be hip just like Kip!
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