STEFANY MILLS: Hi, my name is Stefany Mills. I'm with Touched By An Angel Childbirth Services here in Central Florida. We're a birth doula and postpartum doula services company, and I'm here today to talk to you about how to pack for labor and childbirth prior to going into the hospital. When you're packing your things, keep in mind you're going to need toiletries. These little sample sizes are great for packing for the hospital--shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Make sure the body wash you choose is not highly scented. Remember, your baby is used to your scent, and you don't want to mask that too much. Deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrush, a hairbrush and rubber bands or hair ties, these are particularly important for the work you have to do ahead. Often, we want our hair up when we're working out at the gym. It's no different when you're working out in labor. A toiletry bag to put all of them in so that they're easy to find, or so your support person can find them for you. You want to pack a robe. Something that's going to be able to fit you when you first go into the hospital when you're nice and big and rounded pregnancy, and something that's going to fit you after you have the baby as well. You may want to walk the halls during labor to help gravity do its work, or you may want to be in the hallways after you have your baby, maybe going to the nursery during their exams. For those same walks, pack a pair of slippers. Something that's comfortable and has a good non-skid surface; again, for using while you're in labor as well as after you have your baby. Pack your own towel from home. The towels they provide in the hospital are wonderful, but they're awfully small and they're a little thin. These are great for you to have for yourself because they're going to cover that very big belly of yours. Make sure it's a bright color so that it's not going to get lost in the hospital linens. Along those same lines, pack your own pillow; having some of the comforts from home are wonderful. Often, hospital pillows are limited. Have your own pillow with a nice, bright pillow case or something they're not going to have such as these princesses. So again, so they don't get lost with the linens. Pack clothes for going home in. The clothes you came into the hospital with may be too big when it's time to go home. Although, you won't have that belly you came in with, you will still have somewhat of a belly, so pack maternity clothes that maybe you were wearing around six months of pregnancy. Those should fit well at that point in time. And of course, you need to pack something for your little miracle to go home in. Something comfy, something light weight, something heavy, it depends on the weather. So remember, when packing for labor, make sure you have a pillow and a towel that are brightly colored, so they don't get lost in the linens, clothes that fit you around six months of pregnancy for you to go home in, and an outfit for your new little one. Thank you.
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