Hospital deliveries can be expensive, but did you know you can get more out of the experience than just the delivery of your baby? Your hospital can be a very helpful place when it comes to stocking you with supplies. Think of me as your hospital-stay-freebie guru.
Here is the guide to making the most out of your hospital stay.
When you first get admitted into the hospital, you will find yourself being assigned a delivery room. This room has many useful tools to offer during your labor. The majority of hospitals in our area offer birth balls and peanut balls to aid in labor progression. This is a huge convenience given the size of these items. When I had my first son, I travelled to the hospital with my own birth ball. With a swollen belly, the ball was cumbersome to carry, to say the least. You will also likely find washcloths for cooling your face, neck and wrists during labor and lots and lots of chux pads for catching and covering the messes of birth. Prior to labor, ask your local hospital what birthing tools they provide.
Sometimes, to get the most out of your hospital stay, you just need to know who to ask and what to ask for.
Immediately after delivery, the nurses will help you get clean and iced up. During this time, there are a few items that are key to recovery. If they aren’t readily available, you can ask your nurse for Tuck’s wipes to help the swelling on the rear side and Dermoplast spray which can give some relief to the whole southern region. Although they are not stylish, ask for extra pads too. Request an extra package of each of these to take home. The nurses likely won’t mind at all, and it will save you anywhere from $25-$35.
Finally, you will be welcomed into your recovery room. This is the suite you will be in for the remainder of your hospital stay and with it comes MANY useful supplies and services. One great money saver: diapers and wipes! Each time the nurse comes in, kindly request more diapers and wipes. Some of the nurses will gladly load you up with supplies. Others, may turn their backs while you pack away some before you ask for more. Remember those chux pads? Ask for some extras to take with you for protecting your mattress at home. Those first couple days can bring a lot of bleeding. You’ll be glad for the extra layer of protection.
During your stay you will also have the opportunity to meet with the lactation consultant if breastfeeding is your goal. They will come to your room and offer education and strategies for successful breastfeeding. Use them as your personal lactation lifeline! Ask them to come back in several times, even if things are going well! Ask them to give you a breast pump demonstration using the Medela hospital grade pump. If you are using a Medela at home, you can ask for spare flanges, tubes, membranes, bottles, and sterilizer bags. They cost anywhere from $5-$30 retail per part. It’s almost guaranteed they will give you these things at the hospital, if you can remember to ask!
Some moms find a nipple shield to be helpful in the first few weeks of their breastfeeding journey. Ask your labor and delivery nurses to bring you a few nipple shields and a few extra tubes of lanolin or nipple cream if you aren’t going to use something else like breastmilk or coconut oil. These can really help ease a difficult start to breastfeeding and they can help protect your nipples in the process of learning. If you’re curious, nipple shields retail for $7-$10. Hospital cost: $0. *These should be used under the guidance of a lactation consultant with a plan for weaning. (Reach out if you aren’t finding the help you need with that.)
You will have a lot on your plate during the first few days of parenthood. Ask your partner and your doula to help you remember to ask for these helpful tools and money saving items. The more you save now, the less guilty you will feel when you late-night Amazon shop later on…but that’s a whole other article. Until next time, happy laboring!
Written by: Laura Martin
