This is my small contribution to any mom’s-to-be who have been messaging me to ask about the situation at Grand River Hospital, or what I ended up really using in my Hospital Bag.
Firstly, all of the staff at GRH were honestly so amazing and helpful during my labour and delivery process which was 22 hours long. Since this is my first baby I don’t know how it usually is there but I didn’t feel any panic or chaos during my stay. We arrived to the hospital when my contractions started and we were interrogated by a couple of nurses about our travel history, symptoms, etc.
You’re not allowed any visitors during L&D except for 1 person of your choosing. In my opinion this ended up being a blessing because it allowed my husband, baby and I to bond even further during our stay without having to entertain any visitors. It also gave me a chance to heal and practice breastfeeding without interruptions.
By the 3rd day, we were told that everyone will have to wear masks who is inside of the hospital, even if you are in your room you’d have to wear a mask. Luckily that was our last day and protocol is changing daily. If you are giving birth soon at GRH, don’t stress and try to remain calm. Try not to watch the news before your due date and trust the doctors and nurses. I can’t say enough good things about everyone there.
Part II :
I had purchased a lot of things before my due date, and some stuff I thought I’ll hold off on buying since I could just get it when the baby is born. Little did I know that everything will be closed and that Amazon will be a week to 5 weeks behind on shipping certain items. If you are having a baby any time soon, here are the products that I highly recommend you get asap and I’m so grateful that I had on hand because they’ve helped my recovery significantly.
For Mom
#1 – Silverettes : These literally save your nipples! They are pure silver covers that prevent you from cracking, infections, bacteria, etc. I’ve been wearing them since the minute I started breastfeeding and I never take them off. You simply wipe them with a dry cloth between uses. Fun fact about these is that you can send them back to the company when you’re done using them and they will melt them down into a silver pendant for you haha! I won’t be doing this but it’s a cute idea.
- Also consider getting : Boons lactation cookies. This is a Canadian company from Toronto. You simply eat a cookie 2-3 hours before breast feeding to stimulate your milk supply. I’ve been doing this and my milk has definitely come in, I’m not sure if I attribute it to the cookies or not but I re-ordered another pack.
#2 FridaMom postpartum products: If you’re having a vaginal birth, DO NOT skip getting these two products. They will save you! I only bought 1 pack of each and instantly ordered more because they helped so much with the healing process.
a) Instant Ice Maxi Pads– why I love these is because you don’t actually have to freeze them. You simply break the pad in half, shake it, and it becomes ice cold without become wet which the actual frozen ones would be. The cooling lasts about 2 hours plus they are absorbent. I suggest buying at least 2-3 packs of these and you can put them in your gorgeous Depends diaper.
b) Perineal Cooling Liners– these are almost like wet naps but they’re soaked in witch hazel to help with healing any tears/ stitches. What I also love is that they are really long so you can line the ice maxi pad for optimum coverage. You receive 24 in one pack, so again I suggest at least 2 packs because you will replace it every time you go to the washroom.
c) Upside Down Peribottle – It’s a great bottle for cleaning your self after delivery/ healing, however the hospital gives you 2 peribottles to take home which I think work equally as well. This purchase is not necessary but I do have one, and I keep all three filled up with luke warm water & Epsom salts ready for use beside the toilet.
#3 Ekouaer Nursing Gown : I wish I bought two of these, and now the wait time for it is a month! I purchased 1 in black, but I’m living in it! Both in the hospital & at home. It’s great because you can nurse with the gown on, it’s also easier to go to the washroom instead of pulling pants on and off. I highly suggest bringing this in your hospital bag to change into after delivery.
For Baby
#1 Baby Sound Machine Soother – Whoa this thing actually works to calm your baby down instantly. It has 4 different sounds that it makes, but my baby likes the white noise shooshing sound the best. The second we turn it on while she’s being fussy during changing or before sleep time, she calms down and goes into sleep mode. We also put it in her carseat when we take her to appointments.
#2 Snoo Bassinett – Yes it’s an investment for sure, no doubt about it. But it is seriously worth every cent and you get your ROI on it in the form of quality sleep. The Snoo swaddles your baby in the center of the crib and gently rocks her to sleep, if she starts crying the sensor will rock her a little bit faster and make a shushing sound, until she stops. If she cries even harder then it’ll rock her slightly faster, if she stops then it goes back to mode 1, if she doesn’t then it means she’s hungry or has to be changed. More often than not she’ll stop by mode 2 which means that nothing is wrong and she just needed to cry, but it allows you to keep sleeping while the Snoo does the work for you.
- Hot tip: join their mailing list and wait for 30% off discount which they do frequently. I purchased mine from the Indigo website during Black Friday and it was 25% off at that time.
#2 Medela Pump In Style - I wasn’t planning to buy a pump until after I gave birth and knew whether I needed one or not, but I am SO glad that I did end up getting one. I have the Pump In Style which came highly recommended and I see why. However, this pump comes with a 24mm flange which is actually pretty small for most women. I wasn’t aware of this until I actually needed to use it, so I ended up ordering the 27mm flange for easier milk production which my husband had to go pick up curb side from Baby’s R Us, and they only allowed the purchase of 1 quantity.
- Also consider getting the Haakka pump milk saver. This is a silicone pump that attaches to one nipple while your baby is nursing on the other. It collects all of the let down milk that is formed due to your other breast being stimulated. It works SO well and its actually mind blowing how much milk this little silicone pump collects. Can’t waste a drop!
#3 Snuggle Me Organics : This is her favourite place to nap during the day. It is the Canadian version of the US Dock-A-Tot. We only use the Snoo bassinet for nighttime sleep, otherwise she is in the Snuggle Me Organic. It mimics the feeling of being swaddled and allows you to have her within eye sight but comfortable & safe.
- Also consider getting the Bare Essentials baby blanket with this. She loves how soft and cozy it is. (obviously not a necessity but so soft for their baby skin)
#4 MamaRoo : Again a pricier purchase, but Gabriella loves it so far. This is one that you’ll have to do your own research on. We use it daily for her to sit in and interact with us.
I hope some of these help you, mama’s out. It is definitely a strange time to be having a baby, but it’s better to be prepared with some essentials, especially the items that will help you heal faster. When mom is happy, baby is happy. Take care of your selves and feel free to DM me if you have additional questions, I’ll try to get back to you asap.
* Check out my Amazon Faves for any other items that I purchased but these are definitely my top essentials for baby & mom.
Always,
Unik