[Stormster]

My friend said it is very difficult to take care of a newborn in a hotel...we will be in Austin (fingers crossed) with a newborn and my friends keeps talking about the umbilical cord care and how difficult it is.

Also, I'm not sure my husband will be able to stay the whole time.

I am a first time mom. Not sure I can' handle it!
Any advice?

[kelceesmom]

We were in a hotel with our newborn. It wasn't that bad. We did end up buying a bottle warmer to take, had a big bowl to put water in to give her a bath. Took our pack and play, and a small cooler for the most part. The hospital gave us a enough formula bottles to last a week, diapers, clothes, blankets but we had brought that too.

[SchmennaLeigh]

Umbilical cord care? Keep it dry (no bathtub baths, only sponge bathing) until it falls off. The AAP no longer suggests putting any medications on it, just letting it heal at its own rate is the healthiest.

[BrandyHagz]

I was a single mom when I brought my son home and did fine.

I don't see why it would be difficult, provided you stayed in a hotel that could meet your needs.

I recommend an extended stay type of place - with a fridge and kitchenette type area - so you can prepare many of your meals, as well as bottles and what not.

[Lovebug]

We just got back from CO...were there for 10 days with our 3yo and our newborn sons. Like Brandy said, try to stay in an extended stay hotel of sorts with a kitchenette, etc. It was lonely being away from family and friends but definitely doable. You'll be fine!

--Renee

[quiescentfury]

I found umbilical cord care is about the easiest thing to take care of on newborn. Just like someone else said you keep it dry. You fold the top of the diaper down so that it is no covering the umbilical cord.

You will be absolutely fine in the hotel. Don't stress. The more you stress about it the harder it will be. I think the biggest concern is a fridge. You don't hve to have one, but it will make life a lot easier. Also take your own pack-n-play. I would not count on the hotel's. I would get the pack-n-plays that have bassinets and have a little part that acts like a changing table.

[ajjhmf]

The umbilical cord freaked me out with H too. The thing no one told me that sometimes it falls off in bits. with H is was like an onion. The bulk of it fell off, but then it kept peeling off layers for a few days after that. Just keep it dry and nature will take care of the rest.

You'll be fine.

[tondy24]

We actually found staying in a hotel easier than when we were at home. We stayed in an extended stay with a whole kitchenette, family room and bedroom so we had ample space to move about. Being in the hotel was so nice because we didn't have to worry about anything except taking care of DD. It is really no problem at all, I would not stress about it in the slightest.

Umbilical cord care was also a piece of cake, like the others have stated just keep it dry and leave it alone.

Good luck!

[Ricky'sMommy]

We were in a hotel suite for 9 days after the birth of our son before ICPC cleared us to go home. We did have a kitchenette with a fridge and a microwave. The thing I missed most was a washer and dryer. Babies really generate laundry. But we found a nice laundromat close by. Being away from home is hard but it allows you to focus solely on your baby without many distractions from the outside world. You will be fine!!

[MichelleL11]

One thing you could consider to make things easier is to feed the baby room-temperature bottles. We would just use powdered formula and mix it with lukewarm water. She has never refused the formula.

Not having to worry about "warming" the bottles makes it much easier to be on the go and it doesn't seem to have had any negative effects on our DD.

[loveajax]

Just wanted to wish you good luck..since we adopted in-state, don't have hotel advice...I was totally freaked by umb. cord care, but keeping it dry is the best advice...also, buy some "side snap" tee shirts to keep away irritation...I know this is gross, but we have DD's umb cord remnants in a plastic baggie hung up and "labelled" on our fridge (DH is a whacko!! she is 20 mos old!).....GOOD LUCK to you...While I am sure you will be stressed, I think you will learn newborns need very little but diapers, formula and love!

[rtsmom]

Sounds like you may have a few too many worry wart type friends. As many have said, don't sweat it. You'll be fine. And I also don't understand why your friends are stressing about the umbilical cord (???).

Be thankful for the opportunity to cocoon in a hotel room/suite with your newborn and relax and enjoy him/her, without all the distractions of home.

[Emster]

Stormster--did I miss a post somewhere about a pending birth?!? I saw a "hypothetical" post, but I assume from this post, its a go?

[Stormster]

First of all my friend is NUTS and made me worry for nothing! Second, this was so last minute I can't imagine it's going to work but our attorney is working hard and fast. We already have an attorney and a social worker working with her in Texas but as always there are obstacles.

She wants to meet us before she signs the papers. We don't know her at all, it's a five hour flight...it's such a huge risk. I would send her our profile and talk to her on the phone for 20 hours if she needed it but I just don't have it in me to go there from NY with all these unknowns.

She doesn't want to go home with the baby becuse she is afraid she will bond with the baby and not be able to go through with it. But we can't get there so fast, plus before any papers are signed....

She must have a lot of ambivalence to have made her first calls from the hospital bed and maybe she's not sure she wants to do it at all. I'd like to give her some time and space to really know what she wants before we make any trips....

But I've been mentally practicing how it's going to happen if it does happen I feel as a first timer I have to!:

I will buy a pack and play with changing table there. I may not have the benefit of the hospital stuff because she is being discharged today. I love the idea of the powdered formula, just while we are in the hospital. And the side snap t'shirts etc.

One last thing (just in case) one of the ladies on this site I forgot her name but she uses those wrappy snuggly things for everything. I remember her saying she took the baby on the plane in one and it was good because the baby was closer (safer?) to her body. I like that idea. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

Thanks and I'll let you know if we have him home or if it just wasn't meant to be. We're cool with it, what's good for the baby is all we care about. He has a mother and she really sounds unsure. She doesn't say it but we can tell. The crying is natural. It's not that....I only wish we had even a month to get to know her. This is a difficult situation. But more difficult for her than for us obviously.

PS There are issues with the bio dad as well...but he abandoned her so that may not be a legal problem.

[gottahavehope]

Good Luck with your situation. Don't stress about the hotel stay. I stayed 11 days in a hotel with my son. My husband had to return home during the stay too. The truth is that babies actually need very little, bottles (strangely enough my son always and still drinks his right from the fridge), a warm place to sleep and snuggle (I would bring or get from the hosptial lots of receiving blankets to swaddle), frequent diaper changes, and lots of love. I'm sure you can provide all that and more wherever you stay.

Let us know how it turns out.

p.s. the umbilical cord is kind of gross, but keeping it dry really is all there is to it.

peace,
K