Hospital Survival Tips from Momo Mom

Thank you to my fellow momo mom Shelby for allowing me to share this!!! Shelby just spent 8 weeks in the hospital on continuous monitoring before the arrival of her healthy (and big!) momo babies.  She wrote this to help other moms that may find themselves in the hospital for a long time period of time while waiting on the arrival of their baby or babies.  Thanks again and way to go Shelby!

"Dear Long Term Mom at Carle Hospital,

My name is Shelby and I called room 1056 at Carle Hospital my home for eight weeks awaiting
the birth of my twin girls. I thought I could maybe share a few things that helped me to survive
this journey as it isn’t always easy. Of course, you’ll need to consult your care providers to
ensure that it’s safe for you and your baby (or babies) before going ahead with any of these
suggestions.

Tips for you

•  Bring your own towels, pillow and blanket
• Ask about being upgraded to a long term bed. The bed you start with is likely intended for labor and delivery and isn’t necessarily very comfortable
• Get dressed in regular clothes, put on makeup and do your hair if you can. It helps so much to feel “normal.” But, don’t feel guilty for taking days off either
• Try to utilize all the people who are available to you. I met with the dietician,physical therapy, social workers, lactation consultants, pastoral care and consulted with the NICU team at various times throughout my stay
• Take this time as an opportunity to learn about parenting. You may not be able to go to the “All About Baby” classes, but talk to your nurses about having them cometo you or provide educational materials.
• See if you can have Jacuzzi time. It does wonders to alleviate the aches and pains associated with pregnancy
• Ask your doctor if you can have “wheelchair rides,” it’s amazing what a little fresh air can do for your frame of mind.
• See if from time to time you can have meals in the family lounge with your visitors. Eating at a table is something most of us take for granted
• If you’ll have a lot of fetal heart monitoring, bring in some of your favorite lotion to use in lieu of the ultrasound gel. I liked to use a cocoa butter cream to help combat stretch marks, plus it made the room smell good too
• Again, if you’ll be doing a lot of heart monitoring, sometimes you’ll need to use props to get just the right angle. Request mesh panties over wash cloths if you can, they are much softer on your skin
• If you’ve got to wear the ‘flowtron’ compression stockings because of limited mobility, from time to time, give your skin a break and wear leggings under them instead of pants over them."