Preparing to Take Your Wife or Partner into Hospital

We all hope this never happens to us, but sometimes it's necessary for our wives / partners to go into hospital at a moment's notice, and being men we are not always aware of the "essential" items that a woman will need while she is there.

Some of these items are not so important if she is only going to be there for a day or two, but if she is going to be in the hospital for a week or longer, there are a number of items that can make her stay more comfortable.

Essential Items To Take To The Hospital For Your Wife Or Partner

The first thing that a woman needs if she has to go into hospital is nightwear, either pajamas or nightdresses, the former providing more modest body cover, but the latter being easier to get on or off, depending on what is the reason for the treatment.

The second thing that few women like to be without is a makeup bag. This is not necessarily so they can don their "war paint", which is not always permitted in hospital, but they do like to have access to their various skin creams and lotions to stop them from looking any worse than necessary while in hospital.

Don't forget a wash bag of course, with essential items like toothbrush and toothpaste. If staying in for more than a few days she may also need shampoo and conditioner, and other body items. It's almost certain that you will be given a list of what she needs - you just need to know where to find these items and to take them to her in hospital.

Slippers are also essential, to prevent her from having to walk barefoot during her visits to the bathroom.

Your wife or partner will of course need changes of underwear and nightwear, so you may need to pack enough for a few days, and to be prepared during visits to take clean sets in with you and to take dirty ones home to be washed.

A dressing gown is also a good item to have, not only to keep her warm and covered if she is sitting up, but to cover her up during visits to the bathroom, or around the hospital. A lightweight dressing gown is preferable to a winter one, since hospitals are usually kept warm, and a heavy robe might be too much if she is feeling frail.

Of course not all women wear dressing gowns. Some may wear skimpy clothing to bed, or nothing at all, and they may also wear skimpy underwear or things. If your wife or partner has to go into hospital in a hurry and doesn't have all of these items at home, it may be that there is no time for her to purchase them before she is admitted.

In this case, if there is no other female relative, friend or neighbor who can assist, you may be required to pluck up your courage, and head off to the women's clothing department of the local department store, and to purchase these items yourself. If you find it necessary to buy her a pair of slippers, please avoid getting her anything that is impractical or embarrassing, like bunny slippers.

If the hospital permits these to be used, and most do these days, be sure to bring with you her cell phone and charger. This will allow her to keep in touch not only with you, but with other family and friends as well.

Many phones these days have internet access, so that will also allow her to stay in touch better, especially if she uses social networking sites like Facebook.

Luxury Items To Take To The Hospital For Your Wife Or Partner

Although hospitals usually provide their own towels, your wife might prefer to use her own, especially hand towels or face cloths.

Trying to sleep in hospital is not an easy thing, between the constant noise and the lights, so a set of ear plugs is a good idea, as is a good set or eye shades. Between these two items, she will hopefully have less distraction during the night and will be able to sleep a little better, which will aid her recovery.

Boredom will be the biggest problem for many people in a hospital, and there are various ways in which this can be relieved, depending on the person and the ailment that they have.

The traditional distraction for a patient in hospital has always been books and magazines, which can usually be purchased at a shop in the hospital, or your wife may have some already at home that she has not yet read.

A cell phone that has internet access has already been mentioned, but you may also think to bring a laptop if she has one. It's not always possible to get internet access at a hospital though, or if it is then it might be costly.

A laptop is however great for watching DVD's, as is a portable DVD player, however these may not always be permitted in the hospital, as often electronic devices are restricted.

An iPod or other type of MP3 player is a great way to help her to pass the time, since she can lie back and listen to her favorite music, or even listen to audio books. This not only helps to pass the time, but if the area of the hospital where her bed is has a lot of noise, listening to something can help to suppress that and help her to relax.

You need to be aware though that while your wife or partner is away from her bed, this is the perfect time for a thief to strike, and the more luxury items that she has (electronics, jewelry etc), the more opportunity there is for something to be stolen.

So male friends, if your wife or partner does need to go into hospital in a hurry, as mine did last week, hopefully this guide will help you to be more prepared to keep her comfortable and occupied during her stay.

Sources:

Personal Experience

Also In This Series:

Items That You May Not Be Advised To Take Into Hospital