I need to pack a hospital bag. I really should know how to do it by now...

[CharlieAndLolasMummy]

But on my list is

slippers
chocolate
camera

Am thinking I will need more stuff.

This is baby no 3 and while I have halfheartedly said "oh yes, I WOULD like a home birth" the reality is that I have twice been transfered. And NEITHER time did I pack a hospital bag, resulting in a stop off at Sainsbury's on the way home whilst wearing dp's t shirt and no shoes .

So. What should I take? I like to travel light but not this light. And I hate packing, which is why I am diverting myself on here...

[whomovedmychocolate]

Stuff for baby, stuff for you. I'm assuming you aren't planning a long stay. And DP can pick stuff up when he comes visiting.

Chocolate comes high up on my list - as does lip balm and a hairbrush!

[tassisssss]

towels, soap bag, clothes for baby, snacks, TENs machine, nightie, make up, hairbrush

[CharlieAndLolasMummy]

oh hairbrush, thats a good one.

God, do I really need towels? Or do you mean THAT kind of towels?

I have also added:

tweezers (for eyebrows)

am getting there

[whomovedmychocolate]

Yes towels for bathing as well as fairy hammocks

Tweezers - hahahahhahah!

Toothbrush would be good for that 'sucked the G&A dry and now smell like a hamster' stage of labour everyone politely forgets.

[whomovedmychocolate]

nappies of course (possibly for both of you if your bladder control is shot)

Mobile phone charger

Change for car park.

[whomovedmychocolate]

Ooh I'm on a roll now - sudoku book, telephone book for when mobile goes flat and you can't remember numbers, your blue notes.

[CharlieAndLolasMummy]

omg though

how will I CARRY all of that?

I did manage to pluck my eyebrows both times, actually. My plucked eyebrows looked fablous with dp's "Save the Polar Bear" t shirt, I am sure.

[CharlieAndLolasMummy]

oh yes, change for car park, nice one.

dh has thus far wangled his way out of 2 parking tickets on the grounds that his wife was giving birth, but I fear his luck may turn...

[whomovedmychocolate]

Wheelie bags are great and you can smack the consultant in the ankles accidentally on purpose if he annoys you!

I'm glad you clarified re eyebrows, thought maybe you were planning a ladygarden purge for a minute

Oh and spare carkeys for when, in a panic your partner locks them in the car like a twonk!

[luckylady74]

sorry to be gross, but kandoo/moist toilet roll was a god send for me and cleaning wipes to clean the loos before you use them!
baby hats - my twins were prem, but we have large heads so the hats were too small.

[tassisssss]

yes to both sort of towels

[madamez]

Snacks. More snacks. Even more snacks (can you tell that the hospital I had DS in forgot to feed me the day after he was born)... otherwise nappies, wipes, nappy bags, vests & babygros (at least 3 of each as newborns cover everything with sick and sh*t), good book to read, lip balm, moisturizer (or baby lotion if preferred) nd loose-waisted comfy but not too revolting outfit for going home in.
Good luck and have a nice birth.

[MarsyChristmas]

flip flops for the shower!

[MarsyChristmas]

oh and buy cheap knickers don't waste time on the disposable ones. The bigger the better

[CharlieAndLolasMummy]

feck me, you can BUY disposable knickers? Why would you do a thing like that then? My cunning plan was actually to buy quite NICE knickers-those seamless Sloggi ones-but in black. Very much in black. I mean, there is not that much gore and I do have a washing machine.

Yes, nappies, must get them down from the loft. And babies do need clothes, that is true...And a sling, in case we haven't bought a car by then and I have to walk home (have done this before )

ok so list says

slippers
chocolate
camera
sleeping clothes (oh you don't want to see me in a nightie, there could not be a good excuse)
wearing-home clothes without polar bear pictures
snacks, christ knows what, and anyway I'll just eat them now but...(although the mws were actually very nice and made me LOTS of toast, possibly an entire loaf)
towels of both kinds

Am NOT getting in a shower after giving birth. There is a bath, and I shall be using it, whatever it takes. So might need a crowbar. But not flipflops. See under nightie.

[whomovedmychocolate]

Yeah disposable knickers have always puzzled me too! Whenever I think of them I think of these for some reason

• Birth plan?
• Toothbrush and hairbrush
• Receiving blanket - don't use it till they've cleaned your LO up though otherwise you have to take it home manky!
• Poking stick for deterring medical students.

[bluedomino]

Chocolate
Tissues - I cried a lot after.
Chocolate
Nighties rather than PJs as its easier to change that pad thing that absorbs "stuff" and if you have a catherta(?) PJs are too uncomfy.
Chocolate
facewipes - you feel really grubby after and sometimes they won't let u bath immediately.
Earplugs.
And snacks

[Gemy]

Do make sure the hospital does not supply anything because I made the mistake of thinking nothing was supplied, when infact an awful lot was supplied (from nappies, an abundance of bath towels was provided for my shower after the birth, maternity pads etc)

And I am not pro-disposable knickers, but I am pro tena pants. They are big and squishy and come nice and high up on the waist. Yes - they are extremely unattractive but when you can sit down without a momemnts thought after having to have stitches, they are worth it.

Pack a nice outfit for the journey home. I boought a loungewear suit - velour hodded zip-through top (ideal for BFing) and matching bottoms.

I packed things like body lotion, makeup, face moisterisor and did not use any of these things. Mind you, I was in and out very quick (in about 8pm, out by 8am the next morning) so maybe if I had have been in longer, I may have used these things.

[whomovedmychocolate]

My hospital supplied disposable nappies and nasty towels. I was grateful for my dressing gown and bath sheet - tiny towels when you are still the size of Brazil are so not funny!

[Gemy]

That's what I expected whomovedbychoc! But no, I was popped in a shower room with a lovely large shower cubicle and power shower, and a stack of massive soft towels! I was very surprised!

[whomovedmychocolate]

Did you wander into the private ward???

The shower room was so horrid I went to the bathroom instead and cleaned the bath out first! It was tres grim.

[Gemy]

LOL I know!

The hospital I had my first birth in sounds like that - I did use the shower but it was not nice at all. Certainly no stack of towels of anything like it.

[JoyS]

LIP BALM. And moisturizer. Labour really dries you out.

[Scampynoodle]

Hop you don't mind a spot of hijacking but how big a bag/ case is it OK to take into hospital? I've crammed everything into an overnight case with an extra bag for the baby but if I had my way I'd arrive at the hospial with a stack of trunks a la Zsa Zsa Gabor. What do you reckon? I don't want to look like a tit.

Cx

[CharlieAndLolasMummy]

Thinking on it, if I do end up in hospital there is an excellent chance that I will be in the midwifery led unit, which is lovely. It has LOTS of baths, and they even come supplied with posh toiletries. I am sure they must have towels...

oh and a toothbrush. Thats the kind of daft thing that I WOULD forget.

And a dressing gown, good idea.

Scampy-I don't think they especially care how much stuff you bring in with you, I do NCT stuff ( not a good advert really here) and I've known people take in birth balls, hifis. One dad even took in a tv, (he was disapointed-they wouldn't let him plug it in as it wasn't tested)

ok list says

slippers
chocolate
camera
sleeping clothes (oh you don't want to see me in a nightie, there could not be a good excuse)
wearing-home clothes without polar bear pictures
snacks, christ knows what, and anyway I'll just eat them now but...(although the mws were actually very nice and made me LOTS of toast, possibly an entire loaf)
towels of both kinds
toothbrush and toothpaste
moisturiser
dressing gown

poking stick

God I might just buy a new nice outfit. Am tempted, even though the homecoming journey is a 5 minute drive...