What are some neat ideas I can do during the hospital stay and shortly after (I am having a baby) to keep?

Question

my 9 year old daughter feeling as involved as possible? I am getting her the "big sister" shirt of course and thought about getting her a disposable camera to take her "own pictures" of the baby or what-not....but I can't think of any other good ideas?? Thanks

To the second person that answered...NOT going to the doctor is NOT an option for me. I have several complications with this pregnancy that will result in a c-section. If I didn't go to the doctor, the baby and myself probably wouldn't fare very well...so that's not an option.

Answer 1

Firstly...to the twit who said everyone here has no idea...
You have no kids, and I hope untill your attitude changes you never have them.
Now to the answer of the question...
I have a daughter who is 10, she was the same age as yours when I gave birth to my second child, so I can totally understand what your saying, nothing worse than a child feeling left out with the birth of your next one.
Heres what I did...As I was pregnant over christmas (bubs was born in Feb) my husband took our eldest out christmas shopping for baby, she got her an outfit, wrapped it and put it under the tree. She had my old camera and 4 rolls of film to use during my hospital stay, she took oodles of piccys of bubs in her christmas outfit she had brought her, we also got her a plaster cast mold kit, and did a cast of her hand and foot and got her to do her baby sisters, and then paint and mount them on wood for hanging in her room. Get her to organize the babys room for when you get home, let her choose the sheets to make the babys bed and where to hang pictures in the room, let her set up your changing area, with lotions and poitions for the baby, ask her to smell them all and see if she thinks baby will like them, get her to go over every detail in the babys room so she feels like she has set it up.
While in the hospital try to save bath times for when she can help, even if its only to pass the towel and spalsh water on the babys feet.
My daughter was and still is excellent with the baby, and sometimes fusses over her so much that she drives me nuts.
Your daughter will love having a baby around the house and is at a perfect age to help you without being a pain in the butt at the same time.
Oh...and from time to time surprise her by getting her something special just for her, just as a thank you for being such a good help around the house and with baby.

Hope this helps a bit

Answer 2

just try to keep her involved let her know things that are going on... (within a reasonable amount of information of course).. let her feel the baby moving... and try going and maybe buying her a little something from you and the baby... the camera thing seems like a good idea... let her help with ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that she possibly can from now until after the baby arrives.... such as going baby shopping with you to help pick out items for the baby, and helping you set up the room... tell her you need to get everything organized and clean around the house before you go into the hospital.. (this is kind of a trick to get help with the house cleaning... but hey.. if she wants to let her...) and then let her help feed the baby and do other things that she is capable of at her age... just whatever she wants to help with.. try to let her help if it's not going to hurt anything... i hope this helps... i'm going through the same issue, only my first child is 3 so he doesn't understand quite as much... but best wishes and congradulations!!

Answer 3

Here's an idea...go shopping and have her pick out the outfits that the baby will have pictures taken in and come home in.

Maybe ask her to make some pictures or some art to hang above the baby's basinette for your hospital room?

Ask your daughter to pick out a favorite picture of herself, find a suitable frame and let her know that you want the baby to be able to see his/her big sister at all times, even when she's not available to be there at the hospital. Put it on your bedside table at the hospital. (and don't forget to have your daughter pack it for you in the "it's-time-to-go-bag".

Hope that helps! (we did most of those things with our kids as we were building our family)

Answer 4

If she likes crafts, maybe she could make the baby a small scrap book. She could use keepsakes from the hospital, cards and the pictures she takes with her disposable camera. She may also enjoy writing out the birth announcements.

Answer 5

The shirt is a great idea.Also use another shirt to put the babys foot and hand prints on.Camera a good idea too.Try getting those sweet baby pictures with babys head resting on a huge teddy bears leg.

Answer 6

Have your 9 yr old open any gifts for the baby.
Include the older child as much and in as many ways as possible in caring for the new baby once you're home.
You can read a book to your child while you nurse, that way all 3 of you are doing something together and the baby always loves to hear your voices.

Answer 7

you can have your daughter put together a baby box for her, I was eight when my sister was born, and I wanted to do everything, you can get like a shoe box or a hat box and let your daughter decorate it and fill it with pictures and the baby clothing the baby outgrows, you can let her do this for as long as she wants, I did it until my sister was a year old, and now my sister has the box to show her how much I cared and helped when I was little, I hope this helps.

Answer 8

Congratz on finding out your pregnant and hope everything goes well with the pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

Don't even read the other posters or doctors or nurses or any others in healthcare field as well above or below here and their answers because they are definetly wrong for sure. The reason why is because medical birth hasn't been around since the beginning of time and has been here for since medival, spl times as I think. Personally, I'm not for this kind of birth, but when it is truly a medical necessary and not made up to medical necessary and scaring you and your family, friends, and etc. I know I haven't been pregnant or give birth yet, but that will happen in the future. Since ever subscribing to Mothering Magazines and like how I see things now from the past. Also, I volunteer in Maternity Department at the local hospital by me, so I see, and etc there as well. I recommed you don't show up for your the rest of doctor's appointments or don't consult the doctor or its office or the hospital either pre regisation or admission test or the section, and so on. Definetly don't listen to your dh or any of your family or friends or doctor or others . Definetly get a midwife that's isn't mainstream or stuff like that. Also, please try to breastfeed afterwards because it's it much more better then formula. Breastfeeding as around since the beginning of time and formula was introducted last half century so breastfeeding is way better then formula again. Also, do attactment parenting more then mainstream parenting because again it has been around since beginning of time and not like mainstream parenting when it has been around for at least a century now. Think thats it and good luck with it.

Answer 9

There are some issues you could no longer administration that makes the toddler ought to leave the room. Like, whilst my son became born final September, he would not cry whilst he got here out and the nurses mentioned he had to so as that they could make particular his lungs have been working correct. So, they took him to the nursery, took off all his outfits, became down the air conditioner and poked at him till he cried sufficient to their delight. He became surely long previous for approximately 2 hours till now they delivered him back to us. yet, I did get to flow stand on the window in the nursery to computer screen him. you do no longer ought to allow your toddler flow to the nursery at night in case you do no longer prefer to. maximum hospitals purely supply you the alternative in case you prefer to sit down down back and the nurses at my scientific institution surely advised me that's what they're there for and to exploit it jointly as you could.

Answer 10

Wow. thats a lot of effort. She cant just enjoy the moment on her own? What can you possibly do to some how make the birth of a sibling some how more memberable?

I slept through the birth of both my brothers, didnt see them until the next day, we dont even have photo's of it.. and theyre still the most memorable moments of my life.