Update on Low Amniotic Fluid at 35 weeks - also a couple of questions on totally different things

Last week when I posted I was very distraught because the midwife did an amniotic fluid index u/s and found that my level was only at 7.  I was sent home to drink water and the next day my level was still only 9.  I had been told by her that this was a potentially emergency situation and I would have to be induced at 37 weeks at the latest.  She then sent me home to drink even more water - a gallon a day.  I had another AFI done yesterday and my level was up to 14!  She and I were both so excited.  She told me that she felt comfortable letting me go into labor on my own now.  I am so relieved.  Good news at last!!!

Now, for two questions totally irrelevant to what I was just talking about.  :-)

Do I need to pack anything for the baby when I go to the hospital or does the hospital give you what you need?  I know I need coming home clothes for her but do I need diapers and other stuff too?

Also, has anyone used the parents choice Walmart Brand of formula?  I compared the ingredients and nutrients and it looked just about the same as the name brands just a whole lot cheaper.  I didn't see much difference but I mentioned it to my MIL and she acted like I was planning on feeding my baby pond sludge or something.  Opinions are welcome!  Thanks.

[kierstynsmommy]

Congrats on your levels! I am excited for you! About the parents choice formula, we used it and our baby loved it. For the first 3 months i breast fed, but then we switched to formula. We bought the Enfamil brand forever, and then we saw the Parents choice and DH was like lets just try it to see if she will like it. It has all the same ingredients in it. I will admit, I did feel guilty the first time I bought it. I felt as if my daughter was not getting the best formula possible. But after I realized she didnt have a problem with it, I was ok too. We were always switching our formulas though because she had really bad reflux. One thing you should know is that the PC formula is a little thinner than the enfamil and PC is yellow in color as Enfamil is White. That is the only difference between the 2 I could ever see. Enfamil 20.00, PC 12.00, that is a huge difference. Good luck!

[kierstynsmommy]

As for packing stuff for baby, I just packed a going home outfit, a binky, (if you have already bought some of these, be sure to bring one because the hospitals will probably be different from the one you bought), socks, and a blanket. I know my hospital gave me diapers, blankets, formula, binkies, hats, and everything else you can imagine. I would ask the maternity ward what they supply for baby so you can know what to bring and what not too.

[specialteacher]

Thanks for the heads up.  I think I will try the PC formula.  It's about half price and worth a shot anyway.

Have you been back to the doctor yet?  I hope things are still going good with your new pregnancy.

[jd1419]

I used Parents Choice with my second baby only.  Even with coupons the similac was still way more expensive.  Baby formulas are so regulated they all are almost identical--in saying they have minum guidelines they must meet to qualify.

For the hopsital I packed the going home outfit and a blanket for the baby so he could get used to having his own thing.  I also packed a really cute onesie for pictures.  I did not want him in a hopital tshirt.

[kierstynsmommy]

Thanks for the concern. I go on thursday to get another u/s to hopefully see the heartbeat again to see if it has gone up. After that, I am switching doctors because I cannot STAND the one I got!!! Good luck to you!