rechelle's lifelyrics

Most of us will, at some point, be with someone at the hospital or emergency room, or have the need to go for our own condition. A few of us may be a helper during a loved one’s labor and delivery – which can mean many hours of activity without food or hydration if you don’t bring your own supplies. I had several occasions to be in these situations for my kids this month, and there are a few things I wished I had thought of before heading out.

• Wear comfortable clothes! Whether being stuck in an ER waiting room for hours or participating in giving care to a loved one, it’s important to be as comfortable as possible with clothes that don’t have elastic binding on the calves or items that are too snug for long hours in uncomfortable chairs.
• Bring a sweater or hoodie and comfortable socks that don’t bind on your ankles. Hospital rooms are kept very cold, and whether you’re the patient or a helper, it’s good to have an option to add a layer when needed.
• Bring a refillable water bottle and stay hydrated while waiting. (Fortunately, I did remember this one, because I don’t go anywhere without my large insulated Starbucks cup with ice water!)
• When you are the helper, remember food and beverage service is provided for the patient, but not additional family members. Bring some healthy snacks to refuel your body in case your time is extended past 4-5 hours. (I brought the food items and coconut water that my daughter listed for her labor and delivery in Tennessee, but I forgot to pack extra food and hydration for me and my son-in-law! We were starving by the morning when the café opened and I could run down to get something for us.)
• Bring a small soft blanket. The blankets you can request at a hospital are not soft, so you need to bring your own if that is important to you for comfort.

At the beginning of the month, one of my daughters was heading to the ER and I called her as soon as I found out about it. I made sure to list these considerations while she was getting ready to head out the door, because I remembered a time when I spent several hours in the ER lobby and was feeling so miserable while waiting to be admitted to a room. But I didn’t think about the importance of being prepared for myself on the several times this month I headed out to a birthing center, emergency room, or hospital for my daughter and daughter-in-law. I was so focused on their needs, I forgot about providing some of my own essentials!
As a lesson learned, I’m writing this article to be that phone call for myself, and hopefully for you, the next time the need arises.