Sick Child: Hospital Packing List
I suppose it’s inevitable... with 4 small kids there has to be a point where a trip to the hospital occurs.
A couple of weeks ago our 5 year old had been running fevers across the weekend, then to throw in severe abdominal pain, and only an afternoon GP appointment available to see her, it was time to bite the bullet and head to the children’s hospital on Monday morning.
We went in the first time, sat around for the day, were looked at in the afternoon and then sent home in the evening… only to return again the following day with worsening symptoms… and more of an idea of what was needed in the bag!
Packing for a trip to the kids ED in a situation like this is kind of weird - a bit like early labour - you have to move quickly, yet there’s also no appointment to be late for.
Here’s a little list of some things to throw in a bag to make the ED and a potentially short stay at the hospital more comfortable for everyone involved... cos when there’s a sick kid with one parent at the hospital and siblings with the other parent at home, it’s not easy to pop across to the hospital in the car to deliver forgotten items.
This would be our starting point after our adventure this week -
Hospital Packing List
For the parent -
Phone (obviously)
Your wallet/purse containing a Medicare card - seems simple enough, but with more people using their phones for everything, it can easily be left behind.
Comfy clothes for sitting around in (including jumper for the air con)
Toothbrush and paste ** this makes you feel human
Hair brush (and elastics/pins)
Phone charger
Book
Change of clothes or at least, undies and socks
Drink bottle
Snacks and/or fruit
Tea/coffee flask (if time to make!!)
For the patient (child) -
Dress them in comfortable clothes eg tracksuit or leave them in their pjs with a dressing gown or cardigan/jumper. Bring shoes - you don’t want to be trapesing through hospital toilets and carparks in bare feet. If it’s cold, bring a coat or vest for when it’s time to leave.
Comfort item/s - blanket to put over lap, teddy
Drink bottle
Device with appropriate content loaded (and charger)
Headphones
Favourite snacks for when appetite returns (esp fresh fruit or veg)
Paper/notebook and pencil case in case they perk up and need something non-screen related to do
Favourite book
Pjs or change of clothes and undies
Brush and toothbrush (we forgot these)
Wet bag
Things to support a family in hospital/when they’ve just returned home
(that we received and were so grateful for)
Hospital -
***Uber eats voucher - our wonderful brother in law sent one of these to Joel the first night of the hospital stay, which meant he got to have some dinner once our patient had finally crashed for the night!
Once home -
Harris farm/grocery box with breakfast, lunch and dinner foods, as well as treats and a special drink like Kombucha (if the wonderful, anonymous sender of said box is reading this - THANK YOU!!)
Soups and yummy bread
Home cooked meal and special pouch yogurts for the kids
Pack of quiet time activities for the the recovering child to do once home and increasingly alert/awake eg lego, activity book, puzzle
As many families would attest to, heading to the hospital can be upsetting and exhausting, but we are so thankful for a health system that looks after our kids and gives them the medical attention they need.
There can be A LOT of waiting around in triage and at the hospital in general, so having some things up your sleeve like devices, books and activities can be just the distraction you’re looking for. Never has our girl watched so many hours of BLUEY (7 minute episodes)… but that’s all she wanted in her state of pain.
After pneumonia was revealed, she was put on some hardcore antibiotics and our little one was home and recovered in a few short days. We were SO thankful for the village around us.
Hope this helps if you ever have to dash to the hospital with any of your small people!
x