(Information by Brynn Homer, IHH Secretary and mother to Alex)

Being pre-diagnosed seemed to help a great deal for me.. I could plan and research soooo much… So for those new mommies out there here is a little list of the things nobody told us about our hospital stay…

1. They REALLY take the baby right away to get them stable before you can hold them…They passed him through a little window…
2. The life Flight team brings them back to you any number of hours after delivery.
3. The prostiglandins that babies receive to keep the PDA open made makes the skin hurt some and so the babies are irritable when you hold them.
4. We stayed in the PICU the WHOLE time because he was a cardiac kid and the whole team is in the PICU. . .so no need to have them rush to the NICU if there was an emergency.
5. There is so much for Three year olds (refering to her heart healthy daughter) to do that having them close is okay. . .although staying in the room was hard because only two were allowed in the room at a time…So everyone else had to hang out while the others saw the baby. . .also there are age restrictions… you must be two and older to go in the PICU and in RSV season you must be fourteen.
6. They also have two RV parking places in the parking lot, so if you can’t stay at the Ronald McDonald House they do have a place for a trailer. They also have about five sleep rooms, with a twin bed in them. We pulled off the mattress and used blankets on the box springs to fit two adults otherwise you can
   sleep on one of the couches in the waiting room… You may not sleep in the PICU.
7. Get a formal family picture with your newborn, even if you feel crappy cause you just had a baby… You will be so happy that you have pictures with all your little ones…You will never have that moment back. The hospital can set this up for free… so don’t feel nervous about how it will work…
8. Even if you took the tour with Kelly, take about an hour and find the washing machine, bathrooms, parent resource room and other places that are free and helpful, there is even a bank in the hospital.
9. If people from your home towns want to do something Now… To help you out… Have them start a meal card for you..It is like a gift card to the cafeteria… It will help in cost sooooo much… It is easy and people can add money to your card right over the phone.
10. Start filling out paper work for government help as soon as you can… it will only help your baby…
11. If there is anyway for your family to afford supplemental insurance (aflac, Colonial what ever) DO IT… It will pay you so much in the first year your baby is born that you will almost pay all of your bills with it…

PCMC has so many FREE things to keep you and your healthy kids occupied.

1. There is a Zoo pass.
2. Passes to Discovery Gateway.
3. There is The Jewish Fitness Center that has a swimming pool and a work out room.
4. They have free massages for the parents.
5. There are computers, fax machines, copy machines, phone cards, a digital camera (if you forgot yours one day.)
6. On the third floor you can have slushies to your kids and your content…
7. They have a movie rental book.
8. A library your can borrow books to read.
9. They also have a new program that a volunteer can come to the kids room and play with toys or do the craft that is going on that day…
10. You will find out that everyone wins Bingo (on Wednesday)
11. They have Healing Animals…Special dogs that come to your room and let you love them or pet them…