Pregnancy tip: When the time comes

My mom continues with her top tips for other moms (and dads) to be. Today on the Manu – when THE time comes: getting ready, heading to the hospital, what to take for the hospital, etc.

1. Have your documents ready in your purse: health insurance card, blood type card, and history of pregnancy documents (optional): pregnancy card, microbiology tests, laboratory results, ultrasound, etc. (this is especially important if you deliver at doctor other than your health-care provider that knows your pregnancy).

2. The midwife on your Lamaze classes in the State Hospital (Државна болница) probably told you that you have at least 2-3 hours from your first pain to the time when you should head to hospital. Wrong! When the pains and contractions start - go! Don’t wait, just go!

3. No need to rush to have the bag ready months before the full term! Yes, it is good to have everything ready before the baby comes, but don’t panic if it isn’t – while you are in a hospital, daddy take care of it!

4. If you want your bag ready anyway – this is the list of things you would need. Remember, you will need these things only if you plan to deliver in one of the state hospitals. If you go to a private one, the only thing you’ll need is: toothpaste, cell telephone, and a positive thought. These are some other lists I found on the net (1, 2), and this is my list (3), all of them in Macedonian.

5. At the end, as John Zakour says in his “Man’s Guide to Pregnancy”: No use writing much about the trip to the hospital, because you won’t even remember it anyway.