This heat is punishing. The baby has been in just his diapers all day for more than a month now, jus to help him deal with the heat. He is in airconditioning some days, but most of the time he is indoors with a fan and that's just not enough to stave off the dreaded heat rash that summers bring to children.
Bungang araw is generally harmless, but it's uncomfortable as hell for the child. It is painful to hear his nails violently scratching through his skin even when he is asleep. Here are few things we have tried. Some are better than others:
1. Caladryl. Generic name calamine lotion. It helps ease the itchiness but won't prevent a rash from appearing. Since it is in liquid form it is also not ideal for the daytime. It'll bleed into his sweat and it'll be a gunky sticky mess. Use at night so he is more comfy in this sleep. Warning though, the stuff is pink, so if you apply it and let the baby lie down on your sheets you'll have pink stained sheets!
2. Fissan. Make sure you ask the nice but clueless lady at the local drugstore for the kind that's for heat rash, otherwise he/she will give you the stuff for your feet. Apply liberally throughout the day. It gets caky when mixed with sweat. Just wipe him down and the re-apply.
3. If you are vigilant about keeping the rash dry then you won't have to deal with yeast infections. If the rash does end up with candida it'll look really raw and red and angry. Gah, not a pretty sight. It will also get worse really really fast if left alone. If the rash gets suspicious looking apply anti-fungal cream immediately and often until it dries up. If you can't get anti-fungal cream some diaper rash cream applied often will help dry it out, the fungus will die eventually.
4. When drippy with sweat, wipe down with a damp washcloth often. This will keep his skin cool as the stuff dries and gets rid of the sweat which, when sitting next to his skin for extended periods, can irritate his skin even more.
The only other thing I can think of is to wait this nasty summer out! We did take a dip in the pool. The pool had a hundred other kids there though, and 2 days later he developed a fever, so perhaps not the best idea :P
Monday, May 6, 2013
Taking baby to the ER: Tips
Baby J has inherited from me, the nasty habit of getting seizures when he has a fever. I've discussed seizures before, this post is about taking babies to the ER. As a nervous mom who lives 5 minutes away from Medical City and has a kid with medical insurance, it doesn't take much for me to decide to take J to the ER. We have taken him for fever/seizure 3 times, and for diarrhea countless times. Our family is there so often the floor nurses at the pedia area and at the ER pediatrics section know us already.
All this experience has taught us how to prepare for a trip to the ER. If you can't bring all of these when you first get there (emergency and all), get them immediately afterward or have someone bring them for you. SOme of these are for convenience and others are to save you money.
1. With every trip to the ER make sure you have with you (no matter the reason for going):
-a feeding bottle or sippy cup: if he is there for diarrhea they will give him rehydration salts and they don't supply feeding bottles
-a change of clothes for the baby: if he has a fever they will give him a sponge bath and he will need to change afterwards
-a washcloth: spongebaths in the ER, if you don't have one they will charge you for one
-disposable diapers even if your kid wears cloth: among other reasons, they use disposables to wrap around the area where the IV is tapped
- drinking water, snacks for the baby (cheerios are good food and entertainment): it's annoying to have to run to the store when someone gets thirsty
- sandals/shoes, socks: it will be tough getting your child to stay on the bed, they will be restless so having shoes will give them some mobility, the socks are primarily for the cold
2. Before the nurse puts in the IV tube, have her give you some time to decide where they will put it. They can put it on a foot or on a hand. If your baby walks, foot is a bad idea. If the iV will be on a hand make sure you pick the non-dominant hand (read: the one he doesn't use to play with the ipad). They do these things in a rush and don't consult the parent. If you end up at the hospital for several days the baby will be miserable if his right hand is all tied up.
3. Bring paracetamol and other medicine with you everywhere. Nurses know to ask if you have your own medicine. It is much much cheaper to bring your own than let the hospital supply something as simple as paracetamol drops.
4. Ask your resident/doctor incessantly if the IV drip can be disconnected. As soon as we knew Baby J was safe, we asked his doctor and he said it was fine. It bought J back a lot of comfort. The IV was pointless once his fever broke. They will just keep the tap open through a Heplock but the tube and bottle goes.
5. Bring chargers for your electronic devices. These are mostly to keep baby entertained.
6. If you plan to sleep at night, ask the nurses and housekeeping staff to minimize their visits to your room in the middle of the night to the absolutely necessary ones. I swear it is much harder to get well at a hospital because they just don't let you sleep! They are in there every 15 minutes mucking about. If you were not able to sleep at night, consider putting a sign on the door in the morning indicating you don't want any housekeeping visits. Housekeeping folks are noisy, they do their work in the morning so they are confident about knocking loudly and screaming "housekeeping!" when you and the baby are trying to catch up on sleep.
Lastly, sleep next to your kid on the bed if it's possible. They feel so much better when they are being cuddled and sleep very soundly when next to mom or dad. Also if you have a toddler it'll help avoid nasty falls from the bed :)
All this experience has taught us how to prepare for a trip to the ER. If you can't bring all of these when you first get there (emergency and all), get them immediately afterward or have someone bring them for you. SOme of these are for convenience and others are to save you money.
1. With every trip to the ER make sure you have with you (no matter the reason for going):
-a feeding bottle or sippy cup: if he is there for diarrhea they will give him rehydration salts and they don't supply feeding bottles
-a change of clothes for the baby: if he has a fever they will give him a sponge bath and he will need to change afterwards
-a washcloth: spongebaths in the ER, if you don't have one they will charge you for one
-disposable diapers even if your kid wears cloth: among other reasons, they use disposables to wrap around the area where the IV is tapped
- drinking water, snacks for the baby (cheerios are good food and entertainment): it's annoying to have to run to the store when someone gets thirsty
- sandals/shoes, socks: it will be tough getting your child to stay on the bed, they will be restless so having shoes will give them some mobility, the socks are primarily for the cold
2. Before the nurse puts in the IV tube, have her give you some time to decide where they will put it. They can put it on a foot or on a hand. If your baby walks, foot is a bad idea. If the iV will be on a hand make sure you pick the non-dominant hand (read: the one he doesn't use to play with the ipad). They do these things in a rush and don't consult the parent. If you end up at the hospital for several days the baby will be miserable if his right hand is all tied up.
3. Bring paracetamol and other medicine with you everywhere. Nurses know to ask if you have your own medicine. It is much much cheaper to bring your own than let the hospital supply something as simple as paracetamol drops.
4. Ask your resident/doctor incessantly if the IV drip can be disconnected. As soon as we knew Baby J was safe, we asked his doctor and he said it was fine. It bought J back a lot of comfort. The IV was pointless once his fever broke. They will just keep the tap open through a Heplock but the tube and bottle goes.
5. Bring chargers for your electronic devices. These are mostly to keep baby entertained.
6. If you plan to sleep at night, ask the nurses and housekeeping staff to minimize their visits to your room in the middle of the night to the absolutely necessary ones. I swear it is much harder to get well at a hospital because they just don't let you sleep! They are in there every 15 minutes mucking about. If you were not able to sleep at night, consider putting a sign on the door in the morning indicating you don't want any housekeeping visits. Housekeeping folks are noisy, they do their work in the morning so they are confident about knocking loudly and screaming "housekeeping!" when you and the baby are trying to catch up on sleep.
Lastly, sleep next to your kid on the bed if it's possible. They feel so much better when they are being cuddled and sleep very soundly when next to mom or dad. Also if you have a toddler it'll help avoid nasty falls from the bed :)
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
My one-year anniversary of breastfeeding
Ok so in reality what it really is, is my son's 1-year birthday. He had his party, which I begrudgingly granted my mother-in-law who was crestfallen when we first told her that a party was not going to happen. Back to the point. One year of breastfeeding, he had his party, now I am having mine.
What are the things I have had to deal with?
1. My mom constantly asking me how much longer I am planning to breastfeed. At first I didn't pay her any mind, I'm used to shrugging off the things she says. Lately though it's been really getting on my nerves, partly because she never stops asking and partly because her motives for wanting me to stop are completely irrelevant. Those motives as I see them are: so I can finally get to doing real exercise and get back to a size 4, so she can take the baby places without me, so my boobs can shrink back to normal size and I can wear correct-fitting clothes again, and so the baby doesn't become too much of a mama's boy.
2. A baby who is big enough to start really hurting me when nursing. He is a high-strung fidgety kind of kid, even when he is nursing to fall asleep he constantly kicks me in the stomach and pinches me.
3. Teeth. Lots of them.
4. Solid food on the boob. This is pretty disgusting. He will be eating fried chicken then 10 minutes later will want to nurse. Open wide! What do I see? Bits of chicken in his mouth ready to be washed down with breastmilk. Ick.
5. Pumping. I am so sick of pumping now I must confess. The good thing is, I hardly ever pump anymore. I have been breastfeeding long enough now that i'm pretty confident my supply is constant. So long as I am not away from him for more than 6 hours at a time then I don't have to bring a pump around. At this age babies also don't drink that much milk anymore, so demand is also lower.
6. Missing my boobs. My old boobs. The reasonable-sized ones that were high up on my chest and didnt' make me look like i was going to tip over because they messed with my center of gravity.
I used to say I will know when to stop breastfeeding because I would never get used to the idea of a toddler walking over to me in his shoes and shorts asking for dede. Yet here I am. You know why I'm still doing it? Because weaning is hard. It is hard for me, hard for baby, hard for daddy. It is a long project and is going to be emotionally draining. So I postpone because I'm a coward. I do expect to be fully depressed once he weans. It'll be so sad. I'll have more freedom, but i'll miss it so.
What are the things I have had to deal with?
1. My mom constantly asking me how much longer I am planning to breastfeed. At first I didn't pay her any mind, I'm used to shrugging off the things she says. Lately though it's been really getting on my nerves, partly because she never stops asking and partly because her motives for wanting me to stop are completely irrelevant. Those motives as I see them are: so I can finally get to doing real exercise and get back to a size 4, so she can take the baby places without me, so my boobs can shrink back to normal size and I can wear correct-fitting clothes again, and so the baby doesn't become too much of a mama's boy.
2. A baby who is big enough to start really hurting me when nursing. He is a high-strung fidgety kind of kid, even when he is nursing to fall asleep he constantly kicks me in the stomach and pinches me.
3. Teeth. Lots of them.
4. Solid food on the boob. This is pretty disgusting. He will be eating fried chicken then 10 minutes later will want to nurse. Open wide! What do I see? Bits of chicken in his mouth ready to be washed down with breastmilk. Ick.
5. Pumping. I am so sick of pumping now I must confess. The good thing is, I hardly ever pump anymore. I have been breastfeeding long enough now that i'm pretty confident my supply is constant. So long as I am not away from him for more than 6 hours at a time then I don't have to bring a pump around. At this age babies also don't drink that much milk anymore, so demand is also lower.
6. Missing my boobs. My old boobs. The reasonable-sized ones that were high up on my chest and didnt' make me look like i was going to tip over because they messed with my center of gravity.
I used to say I will know when to stop breastfeeding because I would never get used to the idea of a toddler walking over to me in his shoes and shorts asking for dede. Yet here I am. You know why I'm still doing it? Because weaning is hard. It is hard for me, hard for baby, hard for daddy. It is a long project and is going to be emotionally draining. So I postpone because I'm a coward. I do expect to be fully depressed once he weans. It'll be so sad. I'll have more freedom, but i'll miss it so.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Babies who play with boobies
I am not shy about nursing in public. Not shy at all. I will whip these puppies out in the middle of church if I have to. Breastfeeding will very quickly change your attitude about your boobs. They are no longer for sexual objectification, they are for the nourishment of your child. So whip them out I did! For many months I enjoyed nursing my baby while staying mobile and not having to bring bottles and formula. At around 8 months, things started to change.
As baby J started to develop fine motor skills he learned how to use his hands. He is also a little bit of a fidgeter. When nursing he plays with my shirt, runs his fist up up and down my chest, or claws at my arm. You can see where I'm going with this.
Now that he is much bigger and starting to walk, he is a little tougher to keep still when nursing. He has started playing with the other boob while breastfeeding. He'll put his hand over the other boob and squeeze repeatedly like he has a squeaking rubber ducky. Once he is done drinking, he will pull off, stare at the bare boob and then start pinching it. Very embarrassing in public! It doesn't help that he has started refusing to stay under a nursing cover. I have tried and tried and tried stopping him from doing this, nothing has worked so far.
Oy. I never thought I'd hesitate to nurse in public, yet here I am, unable to feed him in the middle of the mall because he will be playing with the boobs.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Do you really need a diaper bag?
Short answer. No.
Diaper bags are very cute. Tempting to drop a lot of money into a stylish brand-name diaper bag with hundreds of pockets specially designed for stuff you bring around with you when baby is in tow. If you're a slave to baby shopping, it is easy to find yourself at the check-out counter charging 4,000 on your credit card for a bag that will not find any use after baby is 8 months old. Don't do it, unless of course you are ok with spending that money. In which case, I envy you. But if like most moms you want to save that money for other purposes, say tickets to the Snow Patrol concert (kidding!), then hold off.
What makes a bag a diaper bag? Pockets and prints. That's all. Prints are for baby, or designs are so that they are chic, hiding the fact that inside you have soiled diapers and wipe cloths. I was gifted a diaper bag and used it for 2 months, then my husband and I both decided that it wasn't doing it's job well enough. It was too small and all the opaque pockets were making it annoying to look for things.
Diaper bags have to make all you need accessible at the time you need them. It is a delicate balancing act to change a baby on a changing table (if you're lucky to find one) in a public bathroom. The bag has to make everything easy to get to with one hand. That means all things have to be easy to find.
So for more than a month I obsessively went from mall to mall looking for a TRANSPARENT bag! I used to think these were so ugly. My aunt, years ago said they were the best things ever, she has two kids. I filed away that information for future use, but didn't really believe her. WHy would you want to world to see all the business you carry around with you? What about those tampons and half-eaten cookies I like to stash away in my bag? Will people see them? Yes. But it's a small price to pay for easy diaper changing and packing. All the transparent bags I found were just not large enough, or were too ugly to use a diaper bags. I mean, really, carrying around an ugly diaper bag is definitely too high a price to pay :)
We finally settled on a mesh backpack from Habagat (Not sure about exact price but it was under 2,000). It is the bomb I tell you. It is not so transparent that all your stuff is out for the world to see. Yet it is transparent enough that I don't have to open it to see if I need to put more diapers or wipes in there. I can see through all of the outside pockets, so no more fumbling about for rash cream with one hand while precariously holding a baby with poop with the other. It has enough pockets to organize baby stuff, and it is large enough for an overnight trip. The best part? Once baby outgrows it you have a perfectly nice backpack that anybody, baby or no baby, can use.
Case in point. Now at 8 months I find I no longer have to bring a ton of stuff with me when we go out. I only really need 2 diapers, a small pack of wipes, a nursing cover, and the plastic sheet for half-day outings. It will all fit into my purse. The diaper bag now only sees action when we are off for the entire day, or overnight.
So there, my recommendation is to not spend your hard earned cash on a diaper bag. Buy a decent regular bag or use one you already have. If you do buy look for a transparent one, or close to transparent one. Believe me, you will thank me later.
Diaper bags are very cute. Tempting to drop a lot of money into a stylish brand-name diaper bag with hundreds of pockets specially designed for stuff you bring around with you when baby is in tow. If you're a slave to baby shopping, it is easy to find yourself at the check-out counter charging 4,000 on your credit card for a bag that will not find any use after baby is 8 months old. Don't do it, unless of course you are ok with spending that money. In which case, I envy you. But if like most moms you want to save that money for other purposes, say tickets to the Snow Patrol concert (kidding!), then hold off.
What makes a bag a diaper bag? Pockets and prints. That's all. Prints are for baby, or designs are so that they are chic, hiding the fact that inside you have soiled diapers and wipe cloths. I was gifted a diaper bag and used it for 2 months, then my husband and I both decided that it wasn't doing it's job well enough. It was too small and all the opaque pockets were making it annoying to look for things.
Diaper bags have to make all you need accessible at the time you need them. It is a delicate balancing act to change a baby on a changing table (if you're lucky to find one) in a public bathroom. The bag has to make everything easy to get to with one hand. That means all things have to be easy to find.
So for more than a month I obsessively went from mall to mall looking for a TRANSPARENT bag! I used to think these were so ugly. My aunt, years ago said they were the best things ever, she has two kids. I filed away that information for future use, but didn't really believe her. WHy would you want to world to see all the business you carry around with you? What about those tampons and half-eaten cookies I like to stash away in my bag? Will people see them? Yes. But it's a small price to pay for easy diaper changing and packing. All the transparent bags I found were just not large enough, or were too ugly to use a diaper bags. I mean, really, carrying around an ugly diaper bag is definitely too high a price to pay :)
We finally settled on a mesh backpack from Habagat (Not sure about exact price but it was under 2,000). It is the bomb I tell you. It is not so transparent that all your stuff is out for the world to see. Yet it is transparent enough that I don't have to open it to see if I need to put more diapers or wipes in there. I can see through all of the outside pockets, so no more fumbling about for rash cream with one hand while precariously holding a baby with poop with the other. It has enough pockets to organize baby stuff, and it is large enough for an overnight trip. The best part? Once baby outgrows it you have a perfectly nice backpack that anybody, baby or no baby, can use.
Case in point. Now at 8 months I find I no longer have to bring a ton of stuff with me when we go out. I only really need 2 diapers, a small pack of wipes, a nursing cover, and the plastic sheet for half-day outings. It will all fit into my purse. The diaper bag now only sees action when we are off for the entire day, or overnight.
So there, my recommendation is to not spend your hard earned cash on a diaper bag. Buy a decent regular bag or use one you already have. If you do buy look for a transparent one, or close to transparent one. Believe me, you will thank me later.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Leaking breasts
Not all breastfeeding moms are leakers. I am a leaker. It can strike anywhere and at any time. It is a reminder that we are so closely attached to our child that even the thought of him/her will prompt a letdown. Pads are necessary of course, otherwise you'll have milk running down your shirt or you'll be leaving little droplets of milk all over your office floor. Question is, how not to break the bank on those pads.
Reusable breast pads are cheap, I got 3 pairs for P65 or something at SM. Used them once though, then never again. They are too thick, uncomfortable, and bunch underneath your bra that it is plain for anyone to see you are wearing them. Also, I was already having a problem with how large my breasts have become, I didn't need to add more volume to them.
The disposable breast pads are better, but expensive. You can find them at the baby stores for around P400 for a set of 30 or so. Not a sustainable solution if you need to wear a pair everyday for 2 years. I must confess though, I've reused these things 2-3 times. If I only had them on for a couple of hours, i'll use them again the next day. These are better fitting than the reusables, still some volume to them but less, and they stick to the inside of your bra with double-sided adhesive. There is still a bunching problem, but not so obvious if your shirt is fairly loose. All the packaging is annoying though, and I always feel bad throwing all the plastic away.
Finally, the obvious DIY solution I found online. Pantyliners. One piece cut down the middle, one half on each boob. Not for the heavy leakers but a good cheap solution for most. No bunching, no itching, no need to reuse because they're inexpensive, and no unnecessary packaging to clog our city's drains. It covers a smaller area so make sure it is on the right spot of your bra. Don't buy the superslim ones, buy the ones that are thick, they still won't be as thick as breast pads.
With padded boobies you won't have to worry again about hearing someone else's baby cry and leaking all over the place!
Reusable breast pads are cheap, I got 3 pairs for P65 or something at SM. Used them once though, then never again. They are too thick, uncomfortable, and bunch underneath your bra that it is plain for anyone to see you are wearing them. Also, I was already having a problem with how large my breasts have become, I didn't need to add more volume to them.
The disposable breast pads are better, but expensive. You can find them at the baby stores for around P400 for a set of 30 or so. Not a sustainable solution if you need to wear a pair everyday for 2 years. I must confess though, I've reused these things 2-3 times. If I only had them on for a couple of hours, i'll use them again the next day. These are better fitting than the reusables, still some volume to them but less, and they stick to the inside of your bra with double-sided adhesive. There is still a bunching problem, but not so obvious if your shirt is fairly loose. All the packaging is annoying though, and I always feel bad throwing all the plastic away.
Finally, the obvious DIY solution I found online. Pantyliners. One piece cut down the middle, one half on each boob. Not for the heavy leakers but a good cheap solution for most. No bunching, no itching, no need to reuse because they're inexpensive, and no unnecessary packaging to clog our city's drains. It covers a smaller area so make sure it is on the right spot of your bra. Don't buy the superslim ones, buy the ones that are thick, they still won't be as thick as breast pads.
With padded boobies you won't have to worry again about hearing someone else's baby cry and leaking all over the place!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Hospital confinement: Keeping baby sane and saving money
The entire ManilaMom911 family stayed in the hospital from Monday to Friday while Baby J went through his illness, just in case he got more seizures. It was tough. Tough to watch my kid call out for me with pain in his eyes. Tough to wait for test results to rule out serious conditions. Tough to bully the nurses into giving him meds when his fever spikes.
The illness was not painful, but all the pricks and meds were. In all he must have gone through 10 injections combined for various blood tests and his IV. Poor little man is not a bleeder, so the nurses would often prick him once, tap an unproductive vein and have to prick him again. Ugh. It was terrible hearing his screams as they squeeze his tiny arm to try to get 2 drops of blood out.
A few tips on being hospitalized with a baby, although I really do wish nobody would have to go through it:
1. Bring lots of toys. After 2 or 3 days your baby will become very very bored. Confined to the bed with an IV means no crawling and no leaving the room. By day 3 we would walk him down the halls with IV in tow just so he can see different color wallpaper. Iphones and Ipads come in really handy, equip them with baby apps.
2. Bring lots of diapers and leave the cloth ones behind. The nurses weigh his soiled diapers to see if he is peeing enough, then they throw them out. Also bring a lot of wipes, with an IV (Baby J's was on his foot) we couldn't clean his poop in the sink so we had to rely on wipes 100% of the time.
3. When packing clothing for him, pack a diverse set. Include long-sleeved shirts and socks because it can get really cold in the room.
4. I don't know why I forgot about this, but I learned the lesson on parking when I gave birth. Somehow I made the costly mistake again. If you think you will be in Medical City Hospital parking for more than a day, have someone bring your car home and just get picked up when going home. Don't rely on the "discounted" parking for those who are admitted. We were there for 4 days and we paid close to 700! It's 190 or something per 24 hour period.
5. Bring a wash basin if you have it, for his sponge bath. Otherwise you'd have to pay the hospital for one.
6. In Medical City upon discharge, they don't tell you that you own the pillow. You paid for the pillow, take it home with you. Leave the pillowcase though.
7. A discharge by 11am means you only pay for half the day. Our doctor made rounds at 12pm, but we insisted that we get discharge orders at 10am so we can pay only for half a day. It means clearing the room by 1:30, we had plenty of time to pack up and wait for the doctor.
8. Before you let them hook your baby up onto something, make sure your pedia ordered it. They hooked my baby up to a blood oxygen level monitor overnight. During rounds the next day my pedia said "what is that doing here? take it out!" I have no idea who ordered for it, maybe it's hospital protocol. I didn't think much of it until I studied the bill. I paid more than 2,000 for them to hook it up to my kid, then another 850 per day renting it.
Moms and dads, you are your own kid's best advocate. You know if something is wrong, don't let the nurses and doctors ignore you. I had to insist several times to get medicine to my baby half an hour before it was scheduled because he was spiking a 40 degree fever and feared a seizure. Be especially insistent at night, all you are dealing with at night are these residents who themselves look like they just got out of diapers. I wouldn't trust them with a headache, and I sure didn't trust them with my child's seizures.
The illness was not painful, but all the pricks and meds were. In all he must have gone through 10 injections combined for various blood tests and his IV. Poor little man is not a bleeder, so the nurses would often prick him once, tap an unproductive vein and have to prick him again. Ugh. It was terrible hearing his screams as they squeeze his tiny arm to try to get 2 drops of blood out.
A few tips on being hospitalized with a baby, although I really do wish nobody would have to go through it:
1. Bring lots of toys. After 2 or 3 days your baby will become very very bored. Confined to the bed with an IV means no crawling and no leaving the room. By day 3 we would walk him down the halls with IV in tow just so he can see different color wallpaper. Iphones and Ipads come in really handy, equip them with baby apps.
2. Bring lots of diapers and leave the cloth ones behind. The nurses weigh his soiled diapers to see if he is peeing enough, then they throw them out. Also bring a lot of wipes, with an IV (Baby J's was on his foot) we couldn't clean his poop in the sink so we had to rely on wipes 100% of the time.
3. When packing clothing for him, pack a diverse set. Include long-sleeved shirts and socks because it can get really cold in the room.
4. I don't know why I forgot about this, but I learned the lesson on parking when I gave birth. Somehow I made the costly mistake again. If you think you will be in Medical City Hospital parking for more than a day, have someone bring your car home and just get picked up when going home. Don't rely on the "discounted" parking for those who are admitted. We were there for 4 days and we paid close to 700! It's 190 or something per 24 hour period.
5. Bring a wash basin if you have it, for his sponge bath. Otherwise you'd have to pay the hospital for one.
6. In Medical City upon discharge, they don't tell you that you own the pillow. You paid for the pillow, take it home with you. Leave the pillowcase though.
7. A discharge by 11am means you only pay for half the day. Our doctor made rounds at 12pm, but we insisted that we get discharge orders at 10am so we can pay only for half a day. It means clearing the room by 1:30, we had plenty of time to pack up and wait for the doctor.
8. Before you let them hook your baby up onto something, make sure your pedia ordered it. They hooked my baby up to a blood oxygen level monitor overnight. During rounds the next day my pedia said "what is that doing here? take it out!" I have no idea who ordered for it, maybe it's hospital protocol. I didn't think much of it until I studied the bill. I paid more than 2,000 for them to hook it up to my kid, then another 850 per day renting it.
Moms and dads, you are your own kid's best advocate. You know if something is wrong, don't let the nurses and doctors ignore you. I had to insist several times to get medicine to my baby half an hour before it was scheduled because he was spiking a 40 degree fever and feared a seizure. Be especially insistent at night, all you are dealing with at night are these residents who themselves look like they just got out of diapers. I wouldn't trust them with a headache, and I sure didn't trust them with my child's seizures.
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