What to Pack for Your Child's Hospital Stay

 "What to pack for your child's hospital stay" can be a daunting thought and an overwhelming task.  Look no further my friend; here is a packing list for you and your child as you're recovering from surgery.  Keep in mind that this is more centered around open-heart surgery patients, but can be modified for any type of hospital procedure and accompanying stay.

For Your Child:

• A few button-up or zipper pajamas (you will want to avoid putting your child in a top that will force them to raise their arms up; their ribs will be very sore after surgery)
• Favorite blanket
• Favorite toy(s) or stuffed animal(s)
• A few storybooks
• Childs DVDs/Blu Rays (our hospital provided large cases of children's movies)
• Formula and bottles (if your child is not breastfeeding); keep in mind most hospitals will provide the formula for their infant patients, but it won't hurt to bring something that your child knows and is familiar with

For the Parent:

• Change of clothes, the comfier the better
• Cash or extra money for meals
• Some of your favorite snacks (you've got to have comfort food)
• A book or two to read
• A few of your favorite movies (you've got to have some "me time" at some point)
• A tablet/laptop (whatever you've got) and some headphones
• A breast pump if you're breastfeeding
• Your makeup bag, or a charcoal mask, or something to keep up with your regular self-care (just because you're staying in the hospital, doesn't mean mom/dad can't have a little bit of self-care)
• Your showering essentials (hospitals already have a smell with them, don't add to it!)

A few things to look into and plan for:

• Make sure that you do some research about the hospital you guys will be staying at
• See if there is a hotel close by if you don't live anywhere close to the hospital, or see if there is some sort of on-site housing provided 
• Ask your child's doctor if they have a tentative idea for how long your child will be staying in the hospital, that way you can plan accordingly
• Ask around to family and friends that have stayed at your hospital, see if there is bedding provided in the recovery rooms (in the case that you can't stay anywhere else or don't want to)
• Ask around to see how the hospital food is, or if you need to plan for Doordash or Grubhub

There really is no right or wrong way to pack, but it sure doesn't help to be prepared.  I found comfort from reading and watching a show or two on my tablet with my headphones (I didn't want to disturb nap time).  We were fortunate to have family bring us things that we needed or forgot to pack, which is not always the case for some people.  Don't be afraid to plan ahead.  Don't be afraid to overpack.  Don't feel terrible for giving yourself some self-care