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When the little one arrives

Annie
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Megan Tipton (pictured) and her husband Taylor welcomed daughter Kirby in the fall of 2012. Her tip to other moms is to trust their doctor and the hospital staff.

Baby Buzz is a column about life with babies, from the perspective of a first-time mother. If you have baby stories to share, leave a comment under this article or email [email protected].

As the UPS truck pulled away from her home, Megan Tipton, 36 weeks pregnant and a mom of two, stood up to collect the delivered package. Suddenly, her water broke.

How could this happen, she thought? She wasn’t due for another month. Temporary panic set in, and, as bad luck would have it, her husband Taylor, who works in oil and gas, was in Austin for the night.

“I was calling everyone in my family to give me a ride to the hospital. I was so worried Taylor wouldn’t be back in time for the birth. I was scared. She wasn’t supposed to be here yet,” said Megan, her voice shaking. “Sorry, I get emotional.”

Dad made it back in time, and everything was fine. The couple and older brothers, Nate, now 6, and Austin, 4, welcomed Kirby that fall day in 2012; she weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and was healthy.

Megan urges other moms to be prepared for anything and to trust the hospital staff.

When birth happens before the anticipated due date, it is usually a surprise for mom and dad, but Megan says to remember it’s not the first for the medical professionals. “The hospital and the doctors know what they’re doing, but you might not get that comfort that you’re looking from the nurses and everyone,” said the Buzz-area resident. “They see [babies born early] all the time.”

First-time moms who plan to have their babies in a hospital often wonder what exactly to pack. I asked a couple of Buzz moms for their top tips.

Anne McAllister, a director of development for Dress for Success, and husband J.B. welcomed daughter Hays in spring 2013 at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas. Some items on her list you’d take on any typical trip away from home: travel-size toiletries, cosmetics and face lotion. But then there are the items you may not think of, like nursing tops, a Boppy pillow, comfortable undergarments and loose-fitting clothes to wear home in case you have an unexpected C-section. Also, Anne says, don’t forget your baby book to record memorable moments and for inking baby footprints.

“Be sure to take your most comfortable pillow in a non-white pillow case if possible, so it doesn’t get mixed up with the hospital ones,” said Anne.

If music is your thing, ask the staff if you can play your own tunes on their speakers. “I am going to create a special playlist for next time. They let me pick a Pandora station, but it wasn’t as good,” said Anne.

Don’t forget the electronics. “A good camera if you have one, other than your cell phone. I wish we had taken videos, even though I looked and felt awful,” she said. “Don’t forget a going-home outfit for baby. Have extra clothes on hand in case they spit up or have a blowout.”


Cabell and David Wood had their first son, Walker, at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women last summer.

Cabell Wood, director of development for Crime Stoppers of Houston, and her husband David welcomed son Walker this past summer at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in the Medical Center.

The couple did their homework ahead of time. “We took a tour of the hospital. We also took a CPR class at the hospital,” said Cabell.

Cabell says she had her bags packed by May 1 even though she wasn’t due until May 30. “I am not a light packer, and it looked like we were moving in. David had to take two carts down to the car when we left.” 

She suggests that new parents consider extra services the hospital may offer. “There is a photography service that came to see if we wanted pictures taken in the days after Walker was born. It’s called Bella Baby Photography,” said Cabell. “We were exhausted and not sure we wanted to. We ended up doing them, and they are now my favorite pictures.”

Finally, don’t forget about Dad. “Bring a sleeping bag and warm clothes,” urges my husband, Tyler. He slept in his extra-warm duck-hunting clothes due to the freezing temperature I kept our hospital room after I had our twins. The hormone surge made me hot.

“Just remember we [Dads] are not the patients,” said Tyler. “You’re there to fend for yourself. It’s survival of the fittest.”

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