Spending anything longer than 30 minutes in one place with a toddler, there are certain essentials that you need to have on hand, but make it 4-6 hours and the list grows. I will start with a few things that will help anyone with a trip to the doctor's office for a routine check up, getting your oil changed, or anything you dread doing with tiny humans.
Toys
PlanToys Nuts and Bots - $17.99
These wooden toys are rated for ages 24 months - 4 years, but all three of my kids at 17 m, almost 5 and 8 years old enjoyed playing with them. The large circular topped screw was perfect for little hands, but to honest, while he wanted/needed my help to screw them into the adjoining "bolts" he mostly wanted to treat them as drumsticks.
Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Baby iCan Play Case - $14.99
When I first saw this product (and this one)
I was horrified. I wanted to believe that I would never need to purchase something like this to keep my child entertained! We are already turning into a world where we as adults are umbilically attached to our phones, so I hate to think of passing it onto the next generation while they are toddlers. You know what I hate more? Trying to get a bored toddler to sit still for more than 5 seconds as he tries to jump off of the hospital bed or exam table. This struggle only ends with me giving in and handing him my phone, which he immediately throws to the grown and...yeah, that is worse. This toy let's him press on the home key incessantly (his favorite activity) or play with other apps (which he refuses). It has a screen protector for sticky fingers and can handle being thrown without threat to that ingenious glass screen (insert eye roll). One warning is that this is only compatible with iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch 2nd, 3rd & 4th generation.
Melissa & Doug Water Wow Paint Kits - $6.99 each
This was by far the most popular with my Monk and with Punkin, who loves all things art related. The spiral bound book comes with 4 coloring boards and a paint pen that you fill with water. When the boards are painted with water the colors appear along with hidden pictures. No coloring in the lines required, and no worry that he will color the walls!
Melissa and Doug Jumbo Triangular Crayons - $7.99
A friend gave me the brilliant idea to have Monk color on the exam table paper. Why had I never thought of this before? I bought him these special jumbo crayons because they fit better in his sweet chunky little hands, there is no wrapping to keep him from using all sides, and I love all things Melissa and Doug (no really, their stuff is just such wonderful quality!)
All four of these things can fit easily into a back pack or diaper bag with plenty of room to spare for all the necessities.
Clothing
As mothers we are programed to bring extra clothes for our little ones because no matter who you are or what your kid eats, an explosion of one kind or another happens to all of us. This is doubly true when dealing with a food allergy kid. Monk happens to react by throwing up most of the time, so be it a trip to the ER, an oral food challenge, or just a day at the park, I always bring extras for him.
The thing that I forget about is extra clothes for me. I didn't even think about it until an EMT, standing in the entry to my home told me, "Ma'am, would you like to change your shirt before we leave for the hospital?" This really happened. I had been thrown up on about 3 or 4 times and the epi shot had left Monk's leg bleeding, so I was literally covered in blood and vomit and had not given a second thought to changing my clothes in all the panic and worry.
Lastly, socks. Two out of three hospital visits we didn't have shoes for Monk, but thankfully we at least had socks. The obvious reasons for having socks is comfort, but beyond that, nurses will put a pulse-oxymeter on your kid's toe, and it only takes about one minute for curiosity to kill the proverbial cat and send little fingers to ripping at the tap holding the pulse-ox in place. Socks will keep it covered and, voila, keep it on! These Wrapables socks are super cute and they have great grips on the bottom to keep them from face planting on slippery hospital tiles.
Comfort Essentials
I dare you all to try to get a baby who has been given adrenaline followed up with steroids to go to sleep. You might laugh and think that I am kidding, but my child was climbing up the side of his crib, not to sleep, mind you, but to climb. He was quite literally climbing the walls with energy. The only thing that got him to sleep was his own blanket from home (no, the gift shop decoy didn't work) and his passy. So make sure to pack along any comfort items that will help calm your little ones.
Food
Hospitals have cafeterias, and actually, so does our Allergist's office, but try to find allergy friendly food in a cafeteria. The one time I tried, I came back with an orange and applesauce. After 4 hours of no food I had one unhappy kids who could have eaten 10 containers of applesauce without blinking. So pack food. Pack lots of food. If you are hospital bound, pack enough for the entire night just in case.
Extra Stuff
Each hospital and Dr.'s office that I have been at is located in the black hole of phone service. You can get a signal, and in fact they have wireless for their guests, but it will suck the life from your phone in a few hours flat. Imagine being stuck for hours in one place with noFacebook or Candy Crush means to communicate with family and friends. TAKE YOUR PHONE CHARGER!
Lastly, the strangest thing that I have packed in our little bag? Plug covers. We actually spent 4 hours at a hospital following a reaction, whose electrical outlets were bed level on the wall with the bed pushed right up against them! Yes, I spent 4 hours keeping fingers out of sockets.
Medications
Not that I every purposfully leave the house without his medications, and it should be first on the list, but there is additional reasoning in bringing your own meds to doctors offices and hospitals.
The most important reason is in case secondary doses of medications are needed in route. The one time we traveled via ambulance the EMT made certain that I had additional Epi Pens on me before we left. Texas allows EMTs to administer epinephrine, but they may not have it stocked in the ambulance.
Secondly, My allergist once told me that they have to charge $25 for a single dose of Benedryl in the office. Of course, if he needs it I never hesitate, but if he can wait until we get into the hallway, done.
Our pharmacy bill during our first hospital stay was over $1,000 with insurance. It amounted to one Epi Pen, Benadryl, Steroids, and Asthma medication. All of these things I either had in my medicine cabinet or in my purse at the time. Now again, I am not advocating for self administering meds in a hospital setting, but it does give me pause (and heartburn.)
I also had an experience in a non-pediatric ER setting, where the doctors on hand did not follow the same Benadryl dosage that my allergist and other pediatric ER docs had advised during previous visits. When I mentioned that Monk's hives (which covered his whole trunk) were returning and, according to my calculations, it was past the time for his next dose, the doctor told me that I had to wait at least another 2 hours before giving him more. What? Thankfully we were discharged shortly thereafter and I was able to give him his next dose on the way out the door.
Scramble!
I hope that this post didn't cause anyone to jump from their chairs and start running through the house collecting items. It does help to be prepared, but not panicked. Until now, each time I grabbed a bag to head out the door I remembered more and more of this list. Part of me doesn't want to have a bag packed since that seems like in some way I am willing the universe to give us a reason to use it, but I prefer to go with "the watched pot never boils" theory. And I will watch that bag like there is no tomorrow!
Disclaimer: Links provided in this post will direct you to Amazon.com. I am a participant in Amazon Associates and as such will receive ad revenue from items purchased through the above links.
Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Baby iCan Play Case - $14.99
I was horrified. I wanted to believe that I would never need to purchase something like this to keep my child entertained! We are already turning into a world where we as adults are umbilically attached to our phones, so I hate to think of passing it onto the next generation while they are toddlers. You know what I hate more? Trying to get a bored toddler to sit still for more than 5 seconds as he tries to jump off of the hospital bed or exam table. This struggle only ends with me giving in and handing him my phone, which he immediately throws to the grown and...yeah, that is worse. This toy let's him press on the home key incessantly (his favorite activity) or play with other apps (which he refuses). It has a screen protector for sticky fingers and can handle being thrown without threat to that ingenious glass screen (insert eye roll). One warning is that this is only compatible with iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch 2nd, 3rd & 4th generation.Melissa & Doug Water Wow Paint Kits - $6.99 each
Melissa and Doug Jumbo Triangular Crayons - $7.99
A friend gave me the brilliant idea to have Monk color on the exam table paper. Why had I never thought of this before? I bought him these special jumbo crayons because they fit better in his sweet chunky little hands, there is no wrapping to keep him from using all sides, and I love all things Melissa and Doug (no really, their stuff is just such wonderful quality!)All four of these things can fit easily into a back pack or diaper bag with plenty of room to spare for all the necessities.
Clothing
As mothers we are programed to bring extra clothes for our little ones because no matter who you are or what your kid eats, an explosion of one kind or another happens to all of us. This is doubly true when dealing with a food allergy kid. Monk happens to react by throwing up most of the time, so be it a trip to the ER, an oral food challenge, or just a day at the park, I always bring extras for him.
The thing that I forget about is extra clothes for me. I didn't even think about it until an EMT, standing in the entry to my home told me, "Ma'am, would you like to change your shirt before we leave for the hospital?" This really happened. I had been thrown up on about 3 or 4 times and the epi shot had left Monk's leg bleeding, so I was literally covered in blood and vomit and had not given a second thought to changing my clothes in all the panic and worry.
Comfort Essentials
I dare you all to try to get a baby who has been given adrenaline followed up with steroids to go to sleep. You might laugh and think that I am kidding, but my child was climbing up the side of his crib, not to sleep, mind you, but to climb. He was quite literally climbing the walls with energy. The only thing that got him to sleep was his own blanket from home (no, the gift shop decoy didn't work) and his passy. So make sure to pack along any comfort items that will help calm your little ones.
Food
Hospitals have cafeterias, and actually, so does our Allergist's office, but try to find allergy friendly food in a cafeteria. The one time I tried, I came back with an orange and applesauce. After 4 hours of no food I had one unhappy kids who could have eaten 10 containers of applesauce without blinking. So pack food. Pack lots of food. If you are hospital bound, pack enough for the entire night just in case.
Extra Stuff
Each hospital and Dr.'s office that I have been at is located in the black hole of phone service. You can get a signal, and in fact they have wireless for their guests, but it will suck the life from your phone in a few hours flat. Imagine being stuck for hours in one place with no
Lastly, the strangest thing that I have packed in our little bag? Plug covers. We actually spent 4 hours at a hospital following a reaction, whose electrical outlets were bed level on the wall with the bed pushed right up against them! Yes, I spent 4 hours keeping fingers out of sockets.
Medications
Not that I every purposfully leave the house without his medications, and it should be first on the list, but there is additional reasoning in bringing your own meds to doctors offices and hospitals.
The most important reason is in case secondary doses of medications are needed in route. The one time we traveled via ambulance the EMT made certain that I had additional Epi Pens on me before we left. Texas allows EMTs to administer epinephrine, but they may not have it stocked in the ambulance.
Secondly, My allergist once told me that they have to charge $25 for a single dose of Benedryl in the office. Of course, if he needs it I never hesitate, but if he can wait until we get into the hallway, done.
Our pharmacy bill during our first hospital stay was over $1,000 with insurance. It amounted to one Epi Pen, Benadryl, Steroids, and Asthma medication. All of these things I either had in my medicine cabinet or in my purse at the time. Now again, I am not advocating for self administering meds in a hospital setting, but it does give me pause (and heartburn.)
I also had an experience in a non-pediatric ER setting, where the doctors on hand did not follow the same Benadryl dosage that my allergist and other pediatric ER docs had advised during previous visits. When I mentioned that Monk's hives (which covered his whole trunk) were returning and, according to my calculations, it was past the time for his next dose, the doctor told me that I had to wait at least another 2 hours before giving him more. What? Thankfully we were discharged shortly thereafter and I was able to give him his next dose on the way out the door.
Scramble!
I hope that this post didn't cause anyone to jump from their chairs and start running through the house collecting items. It does help to be prepared, but not panicked. Until now, each time I grabbed a bag to head out the door I remembered more and more of this list. Part of me doesn't want to have a bag packed since that seems like in some way I am willing the universe to give us a reason to use it, but I prefer to go with "the watched pot never boils" theory. And I will watch that bag like there is no tomorrow!
Disclaimer: Links provided in this post will direct you to Amazon.com. I am a participant in Amazon Associates and as such will receive ad revenue from items purchased through the above links.
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