To keep my child comfortable, I stay with her. That doesn't mean I have to be a martyr: I pack what I need, too, and I don't care if I get funny looks for showing up with a suitcase. We bring her own pillow and pillowcase, and I bring my sleeping bag. The hospital offers plenty of top sheets and thin blankets, but I learned pretty quickly that they easily slide off the visitor chair-bed, so I bring a flannel sleeping bag that stays put around me.
I wear yoga pants and a hoodie and slippers or flip-flops and pack warm socks, scrunchies for my hair, and lots of lip balm. I have found that aromatherapy keeps me calm, so I also bring lavender essential-oil drops and a diffuser (not a big one, not a candle-lit one, but rather one that plugs directly into a wall outlet). I also pack a noise machine and a sleep mask for each of us because hospital floors are noisy and brightly lit around the clock.
