What to expect when you're expecting (141 page)

Toiletries, including shampoo and conditioner, body wash, deodorant, hand mirror, makeup, and any other essentials of beauty and hygiene.

Your favorite brand of maxipads, though the hospital will also provide some (skip the tampons).

A couple of changes of underwear and a nursing bra.

All the entertainment listed above, plus books (including a baby-name book if that decision’s still up in the air).

A supply of snacks: trail mix, soy chips, cereal bars, and other healthy treats to keep you from starving when the hospital food doesn’t cut it or hunger strikes between meals.

A list of phone numbers of family and friends to call with the good news; a phone card or calling card number in case you have no cell phone reception or the hospital doesn’t allow cell phone usage.

A going-home outfit for you, keeping in mind that you’ll still be sporting a sizable belly (you’ll probably look like you’re at least five or six months pregnant right after the birth; plan accordingly).

A going-home outfit for baby: a kimono or stretchie, T-shirt, booties, a receiving blanket, and a heavy bunting or blanket if it’s cold; diapers will probably be provided by the hospital, but bring along an extra, just in case.

Infant car seat. Most hospitals will not let you leave with the baby unless he or she is safely strapped into an approved rear-facing infant car seat. Besides, it’s the law.

Fill ’Er Up

Your kitchen, that is. Though shopping for strollers, diapers, and pint-size clothing understandably has been your priority these days, don’t forget to take a time-out at the market. Even with swollen ankles and a super-size belly weighing you down, grocery and staple shopping is easier nine months pregnant than it will be again for a long time—so take advantage and stock up now so you won’t have to later with baby (and car seat, and diaper bag) in tow. Fill your pantry, fridge, and freezer to the brim with healthy foods that are easy to serve—cheese sticks, individual containers of yogurt, frozen fruit bars, frozen fruit for making smoothies, cereal, granola bars, soups, dried fruit and nuts. Don’t forget the paper products, too (you’ll be using paper towels by the crateful, and disposable plates and cups can fill in when you don’t get around to emptying the dishwasher). And while you’re in the kitchen—and have the time—cook up some extra servings of your favorite freezer-friendly foods (lasagna, mini meatloaves, chili, pancakes, muffins), and store them in clearly marked single-meal containers in the freezer. They’ll be ready to pop in the microwave when you’re pooped (and hungry) postpartum.

Prelabor, False Labor, Real Labor

It always seems so simple on TV. Somewhere around 3 a.m., the pregnant woman sits up in bed, puts a knowing hand on her belly, and reaches over to rouse her sleeping husband with a calm, almost serene, “Honey, it’s time.”

But how, you wonder, does this woman know it’s time? How does she recognize labor with such cool, clinical confidence when she’s never been in labor before? What makes her so sure she’s not going to get to the hospital, be examined by the resident, found to be nowhere near her time, and be sent home, amid snickers from the night shift, just as pregnant as when she arrived? The script, of course.

On our side of the screen (with no script in hand), we’re more likely to awaken at 3 a.m. with complete uncertainty. Are these really labor pains or just more Braxton Hicks? Should I turn on the light and start timing? Should I bother to wake my spouse? Do I drag my practitioner out of bed at 1 a.m. to report what might really be false labor? If I do and it isn’t time, will I turn out to be the pregnant woman who cried “labor” once too often, and will anybody take me seriously when it’s for real? Or will I be the only woman in my childbirth class not to recognize labor? Will I leave for the hospital too late, maybe giving birth in the back of a taxicab (and ending up on the evening news)? The questions multiply faster than the contractions.

The fact is that most women, worry though they might, don’t end up misjudging the onset of their labor. The
vast majority, thanks to instinct, luck, or no-doubt-about-it killer contractions, show up at the hospital or birthing center neither too early nor too late, but at just about the right time. Still, there’s no reason to leave your judgment up to chance. Becoming familiar in advance with the signs of prelabor, false labor, and real labor will help allay the concerns and clear up the confusion when those contractions (or are they?) begin.