Caesarian hospital bag?

[DebsA]

I'm having our first baby by caesarian this Thursday and have no idea if I should have a different list of things to take - or does everything on the standard list apply i.e sanitary pads?

[desperatehousewife]

deffo have lots of big sanny pads. And big loose pants! Any anything that will help make you feel comfy

[18mumtobe]

i think it pretty much will be the same as with a vaginal delivery, and make sure you have things that will help you relax and feel comfortable after the babes born.

[Miaou]

Granny pants (also known in our house as Armpit Huggers). And don't make the mistake I made of getting my usual size, naively thinking that my stomach would deflate immediately - go at least two sizes up!

Best of luck for Thursday

[KBear]

Yep, big pants essential!! Loose tracksuit bottoms so nothing is tight round your waist.

How exciting. (I had an elective c-section too with my second child - a very calm yet surreal experience as in

"Mrs Kbear, are you ready to have your baby now"

"Yes doctor, I believe I am"

Waddled off to theatre, baby in arms very soon after! luvly! All the best for Thursday.

[mouseman]

Definately the biggest knickers ever - ones that reach your tummy button and won't rub the scar area. Also I found those horseshoe shaped breast feeding pillows invaluable - it raises the baby to you so you don't have to bend. Good luck

[Merlin]

Arnica for healing - get it from your health food shop. Tea tree oil - few drops in your bath water helps to heal scar as well.

[KBear]

Just remembered that the changing board that fitted over the cot so I didn't have to bend was a godsend. About £20 in John Lewis but luckily my dad made one for me. Worth every penny if you don't already have a changing station thing and agree that the V-shaped pillow for feeding was perfect too.

[DebsA]

Righto everyone, off to buy granny pants tomorrow...Blimey looks like my bag is gonna be the size of a small caravan. Am quietly cr@pping myself about this. Maybe have read too many scary stories and I'm not the kind to enjoy debilitation of any kind - however have avoided vodka for 9 months so I dunno why I'm worrying! Thanks x

[KBear]

Don't be scared (although I was too) but it really is ok. You will be well cared for.

As for debilitation - you will be up and walking the next day (albeit slowly and holding your stomach)! and then slowly as the days go by you will be able to do a little more. Don't rush it though, take all the help you can get around the house and make the most of it. You will never be able to sit still again for such a long time once your baby starts moving!

[DebsA]

ahh dunno about that KBear, I reckon he's in danger of getting kidnapped almost as soon as he's made it home - I have too many well-wishers (6 grandparents - help!!!!) who want a piece of him - hospital maybe my only chance for him to work out who his mummy really is - that is if daddy remembers to hand him over!

[fifilala]

I agree with the big pants! Mins cs was an emergency ut would request one now, personally speaking I found it a doddle and (maybe I shouldn't have) but was washing floors/vaccuming etc within 10 days (hubby had to go away with work and parents are elderly and lived 250 miles away), therefore just had to get on with life. GP also allowed me to drive again at 3 weeks and was willing to write a letter for my insurance company if it had been needed.

Good luck for thursday and any difficulties now will be worth it when you have your bundle of joy (+sleepless nights!)

[Laura032004]

The only things that I'd add to this list are:

• bendy straws. I found them great the first night after the c/s, when I couldn't sit up to take a drink.
  
  
• squash/drinks if you don't like water - although prob on a normal list, it's esp important to keep drinking after a c/s so that you don't get a UTI after the catheter.
  
  Make the most of your helpers - let them do the work while you bond with the baby. I hardly moved off the sofa for a couple of weeks!
  
  Hope it all goes well for you. I felt terrible after the operation, but if you make the most of the painrelief (which doesn't affect ability to bf if you are planning to), it does get better v.quickly.

[jampots]

what about some peppermint cordial for those "after op windy pains" - I know the hosp will have some but at least you wont have to keep asking. Agree big pants and anything to make your first few days easier. Probably extra pillows too

[ladymuck]

DebsA, hospitals have shocking little storage space, so pack an overnight bag for yourself and babe and get dh/p to bring in other stuff later. It'll still seem like a huge bag, but not quite so bad as packing for 4 nights!

I would add pen and paper to the list - I was always making lists for dh, and you need a pen for menus etc. Also I went for pepermint tea rather than cordial, but definitely bring something!

[Laura032004]

I had the big bf pillow from bumpto3, and this made a fab pillow for me at night too. The hosp pillows were awful.

Also, maybe a board game? Seems mad to think back, but ds slept a fair amount of time, so dh and I played endless games of scrabble.

The wind pains are awful aren't they?!? I forgot about them. Luckily I was in a room with another c/s lady, so we could compare and contrast. I could have sworn that there was another baby in there that they'd missed!

[fifilala]

Sorry-forgot to add dried apricots, the toilet is sometimes a problem!

[welshmum]

Had my 2nd c-section fortnight ago. My tip is get up as soon as they'll let you - even if it's just to stand by your bed. Apparently it's the getting moving that encourages all your bits to settle back into the right place/gets your blood circulating etc etc Good luck - mine was fine.

[janinlondon]

I second the dried apricots. Start eating them the second you get back to your bed from theatre!! And if you are taking some sort of slippers, make sure they aren't the sort you have to bend down to put on.

[Hazellnut]

Definitely big pants and arnica - Also Vitamin C with Zinc (one of the drs recommended this to me).