You've been waiting for months and now baby is almost here! You've been driving people crazy making the house just perfect and have everything packed and ready to go to the hospital...or do you? Most parents I know remember everything for Mommy's and Baby's stay in the hospital, but forget that there's one other person that will likely be staying too - Daddy! Especially if this is your first child, Dad will probably be just as stuck to the hospital room as Mom and Baby, so what do you do until they let the loves of your life come home?

I'm going to guess that you remembered the basics: fresh clothes, shave kit, maybe even a book, but did you ever stop to think how long you might be in that room? My husband can tell you that boredom and discomfort became his two constant companions during the 60 hours he had to wait with me when our son was born. What steps should be taken to avoid repeating his mistake of having nothing to stave of these unwelcome guests? You can start by having a complete hospital bag.

First, something quiet you can do while everyone is sleeping. A book or deck of cards works wonders! When the people around you sleep at odd hours don't be surprised if you find yourself fully alert at 2:00 in the morning; a book is a relaxing boredom-reducer and may just help you sink back into sleep. Alternatively, if you don't like to read, a deck of cards goes a long way -- but you may also want to pack instructions for all the varieties of Solitaire.

Games! Most likely your lady love is going to want to sleep quite a bit, but not all the time, and she's likely to be bored too. Bring along a couple good board games like Trivial Pursuit or Monopoly for something to do together.

Don't forget the electronics. When you're discussing the hospital room with the gynecologist or head nurse be sure to ask if there's a TV, VCR and/or DVD player available. Stock up on DVDs; this is a great time to watch the three whole seasons of that one TV show that looked interesting. Sometimes you can get lucky and have room to hook up even more than that. One of our good friends decked out his and his wife's hospital room with an X-Box 360 and PS3 to help while away the hours. A Gameboy or other hand-held game system might also come in handy.

Now most hospitals are great about providing a super-comfortable environment for a new mother to give birth to her baby, but that doesn't always carry through to the new father's accommodations. I mean, really, how comfortable can cots and hide-a-beds be? My husband is overweight and diabetic, I can assure you that after three nights on the hide-a-bed the hospital provided, he was more than ready to limp home. The discomfort may be able to be alleviated by a body pillow, camp mat or sized-down foam mattress pad. Alternatively, bring a heat pack to help ease the pain in your sore back.

Are you a smoker? Don't forget to throw in some nicotine gum or candy to help with the cravings, because that next smoke might not be easy to come by; many hospitals prohibit smoking on any property owned by the hospital, including the parking lot or garage.

This new baby is probably the biggest thing that's ever happened in your life (at least until the next one comes along) so your own comfort may be the last thing you think of before taking that fateful trip to the hospital, but it is a crucial part of hospital survival as you wait out the first day or three of your new child's life. This may be the last time you can just sit back and be lazy for the next few years so enjoy it to its fullest!