We’re almost there! Officially 37 weeks and I couldn’t be more ready to see this little girl. But before then, we’re headed for a last minute ultrasound to get an estimate of little girl’s size and I can’t wait to catch a glimpse of her all grown up in my belly. Even though this isn’t super accurate, hopefully it’ll give us a good idea of where we are now and where we might be in a few weeks to make sure the vbac is safe until then, fingers crossed. Can’t wait to see my little girl again live on camera!
So this past weekend we’ve pretty much been scrambling around finishing the mini kitchen renovation that’s been taking place on top of a few more odds and ends for baby. Number one on the list was packing those hospital bags, not as fun as packing for vacation but a necessary evil. On top of the regular hospital essentials I also make sure that I have a couple gluten free musts in there too, so what’s in my gluten free hospital bag?
Baby’s on her way so what’s in my gluten free hospital bag?
- CAMERAS! We’re just bringing our whole camera bag with our DSLR and lenses, video camera (which we had to buy new last week, great timing right), and battery chargers for both!
- Clothes for Mommy (i.e. a couple loose tank tops and loose bottoms like shorts and capris, maybe a dress or two, and a zip up because you never know how chilly you’ll be in the hospital)
- Clothes for Daddy
- Shower essentials and a must have, flip flops for the yucky hospital floors
- Gluten free prenatal vitamins
- Gluten free labor treats (i.e. candies like dum dum or yummy earth lollipops)
- Favorite gluten free snacks for post-baby (I’m going with Schar cookies and pretzels just to tide me over if it’s an odd hour and the cafeteria isn’t an option)
- Some odds and ends like my nausea bands since I wasn’t feeling too well post-baby last time, a heat pad for those post-baby cramps and backaches, and an extra special big sister gift
- Our baby bag filled with baby essentials of course….
- Cord blood kit
- A special outfit to bring baby girl home in
- A few jammies to keep baby comfy during our hospital stay
- Some receiving blankets
- A pacifier
- Baby’s special gift from her big sister
Okay so our bags are packed, and when the moment arrives we’ll be ready but what about eating gluten free when you’re actually staying in the hospital? Haven’t really thought about it? Or you have and you’re really worried about surviving those first days without something to eat except your snacks? Honestly the thought didn’t even cross my mind last delivery time, but since last time we had more of an extended stay in the hospital for about four days, I’m well versed on eating gluten free as a patient and I thought I could shed some light for you on this one.
Post-delivery you may or may not be focusing so much on eating but trust me at some point you’re going to come out of your euphoric state and realize just how hungry you are thanks to the c-section starvation diet or the no food allowed labor and delivery rules. Either way, with a new baby in your arms you will find yourself at some point starving and ready to order a meal from the dreaded hospital cafeteria. First of all buzz your nurses in and request a gluten free menu, yup that’s right at our hospital they had menus for all different kinds of dietary restrictions so you more than likely will have a designated menu to choose from. Next up, choose away! My hospital actually had gluten free bread, a good one at that, so every meal I pretty much chose a sandwich of some sort since my tummy was super sensitive after my surgery but make sure you go with anything and everything you’re in the mood for because this is your chance to get some gluten free treatment. And now just wait, sometimes the wait is pretty long for food delivery at the hospital but when those trays arrived I was one happy new mommy especially since they actually held some pretty tasty gluten free breakfast and lunch/dinner sandwiches. If you’re hospital doesn’t offer a specific menu, always make sure you ask about gluten free options, and if you’re still out of luck, but I would really be shocked about that seeing as you’re in a medical mecca where food allergies shouldn’t be a surprise, you can always enlist some visitors to bring in some take out meals for you while you’re stuck in the hospital.
And there you have it, my tips to packing and staying in the hospital for your baby’s big arrival! It’s true, when you live a gluten free lifestyle it’s just that, a lifestyle and you can never forget about the challenges that may or may not exist in every situation, even delivery day. As always though doing your best to prepare ahead of time will always guarantee some comfort the day of, and thankfully for me I’ve already pointed out to my husband just how close our hospital is to an all gluten free bakery, how convenient right?!?!
So even though we’re not sure when baby will come, how she’ll arrive, and how long we’ll be in the hospital this time, we’re all packed and ready to go for the big day! So stay tuned for any baby announcements in the days or weeks to come because this Gluten Free Mom To Be is about to be a mommy of two very soon!
Sincerely,
Lindsay (37 weeks)