Next Time Around...

I've been meaning to write down a list for myself of all the things I will do next time the Hubby and I have a baby (if we are blessed with another baby).  There were some things that we forgot this time around when things got down to the wire, and other things I didn't know to ask about or make sure to do because it was our first baby... I hope this will help us remember next time, and I also hope someone else may benefit from some of these things.

I had to have a cesarean with Smooshy Boy, so I will probably be in the same boat next time.  I'm hoping for a VBAC, but we'll see...  whichever way I deliver, I will insist they put the baby on my chest for me to love on before they get him/her all cleaned up and wrapped up.  I didn't get to see Smooshy except from across the room, until he was swaddled up, with a hat on, and dried off.  He'd already stopped crying and everything.

We will also get a lactation consultant in the room within a couple of hours after the baby is born - I was too modest and reluctant to ask for help last time around, and really regretted it!  We will want to make sure the baby is latching properly and correct any problems before they even get started!

I want to make sure we take pictures the day I have the baby - I only have a couple from this time around, and they are some of my favorites.  I love seeing just how big I got, and remembering those last couple of hours before we met our son!  I loved being pregnant, so I was never at that "get him out, I'm miserable" stage.

While I'm in the hospital next time, I will make sure I put a real nightgown on instead of staying in the hospital robe - it seemed like such a big hassle to change into a gown and robe, but I think I would have felt more comfortable wearing my own clothes instead of a hospital gown.

Sleep!  I want to warn everyone now... I will be sleeping in the hospital next time, during the day.  So if you're there visiting (and I love having visitors), and I fall asleep, please don't be offended!  I didn't sleep during the day last time, and hardly got any sleep at night, and was emotionally and physically drained within a couple of days!  It made me very emotional and caused a lot of tears just from being over-tired... not next time!

I'm not sure if this is all, but for now, it's all I can remember.  That's another thing - I'm going to write more things down (starting now, I'm carrying a running "to remember" list with me at all times).  It's rough forgetting everything; pregnancy brain doesn't go away!

That's all for now, but I'd love to hear from any of you (whoever you are)... what are some things that were important to you when you had your babies, or will be important to you when you have them in the future?