December 2010: Our Christmas Babies are growing but our energy levels are slowing!

[WhatWillSantaBring]

With thanks to the provider of the snappy title (it wasn't me - I think it was Strix)

Link to Stats thread (I hope)

Here

Oooh, that's a good list. Forgot breast pads, lip balm and ear plugs/eye mask.

I really do not wnat to go to hospital and I REALLY REALLY do not want to have to stay in hospital postnatal ward.

I think I will pack the bag anyway,just so it is done. That will probably jinx it and mean he comes at 41+6...

Miffster - after last week, I'd see it as an emergency bag, no matter what your birth plan is. You may need to go in for assessment at some stage and be kept in overnight and it's not nice being without everything.

I'd only pack enough for 24 hours (not including labour!) in any case as your DH or someone can always bring more in and if you're in and out quickly, it'll be annoying to be lugging around a bag with loads of stuff.

I didn't see breast pads on your list??? Or lip balm.

I'm packing...

Me (emergency/labour bag)
Breast pads x4
Maternity pads x2
Wash bag with mini shower gel/ shampoo/ conditioner/ moisturiser/ body butter/ toothpaste/ spritzing face spray plus lip balm (it's very dry in hospital IME plus panting dries your lips out!), facial wipes, deodorant, toothbrush, hairbrush, hairband
Towel (hospital ones are tiny)
Flipflops for showering (though it was all v clean when I was in)
Decent nightie
Cheapo thin nightie for labour
Sleep bra, normal pants, socks
Big knickers
Slippers
Thin dressing gown
Snacks, inc. some drinks (am thinking of adding a bottle of lemon barley as I got so fed up of plain water!) and dark chocolate
Drinking straws
Book of Sudoku
Cash, inc. change for vending machines, newspaper trolley, parking, etc
Camera
Mobile charger

Baby
Pack of NB nappies
Cotton wool balls
Nappy sacks
Mini changing mat
Muslins
Bodysuits x5
Sleepsuits x5
Cardi
Hat
Blanket

Me (extra bag to leave in car)
Breast pads
Maternity pads
Lansinoh
Pillow
Nursing bra
Big knickers
Change of clothes

Doh! Cross-posted.

I didnt pack breast pads, because in my case with DD, didnt need them till milk came in on day 4 - up until then had no leakage

I forgot the jug! And I must get some Gatorade and glucose sweets too.

Earplugs/eye mask will obviously only be of use if you don't have your baby with you in the ward.

Cool, thanks Japhrimel.
Think I will pack on Monday - first day of mat leave!

Can't wait to start nesting and resting and cooking. Am about to have a bath and get into bed now because I am bushed. I had to go and lie on the sofa in the meeting room at work today in my lunch hour and I went to sleep for 70 minutes! And snored, apparently.

Can't believe it is still only Tuesday.

FWIW if you haven't experienced it, leaking colostrum can make a right mess of your bra even if it isn't enough to soak through. I leak some nights already.

Miffster think as long as you don't wear the sandles with the socks sound great! I don't think that packing is no confidence in hb, just a contingency to avoid murphys law. Same for you MrsS with move. Also probably useful to have it all in one place anyway just in case.

Think odd extra things i'll have on my list will be

• snacks
• music to listen to
• possibly something silly like my own cup with my preferred brand of tea, as v fussy with tea :)
• chocolate biscuits and pepsi max for DH to keep him going (in fact he might need his own bag!)
• I'm a massive one for tv reruns in times of stress so probably laptop and box set. (can go in DH bag)
• wet and dry labour clothes for water pool.

Was thinking of having emergency bag in the car as am 20 miles from home if I went into labour at work, the last work event I am (planning on) attending is EDD -5!

Miffster I'd say yes you need more mat towels, ime bleeding afterwards is very heavy at first and you'll be changing them a lot. I have a few packs already and will be getting more. Mittens as well, I'm planning on taking some in just in case for the baby. Possibly some snacks for you and dh if you do have to go in and have some change for parking/cash for food. Cotton wool to change nappy maybe some nappy bags.

OWO definitely a camera! Have to make sure mine's charged.

japh like the list. How are you feeling now?

I'm quite achey tonight and crampy, seems to be becoming fairly usual for me lately...fed up with the braxton hicks too as they're really uncomfortable.

More towels...writes it down...I have got about 7 packs already, Kotex nighttime and sainsbury's mat towels but thought 10 would be enough for a 24 hour hospital trip... How many towels do you get through in an hour for the first few days then? looks scared

Sorry about to be disgustingly TMI but boy do I HATE san towels. I was using tampons from my third period aged 13. My mum was but I think riding horses shredded my hymen at an early age and I was performing every night as a dancing fairy in a skintight silver unitard and cobwebs in a production of Midsummer Nights Dream so wearing towels wasn't really an option...anyway, I never looked back and now it's Mooncup all the way. My periods were always horribly painful for first 24-48 hours but madly efficient and over in 3 days.

The thought of all the endless leaking and bleeding and sweating and milk -dripping and night-bra-wearing and yeeuchy stuff is making me quite depressed. Although I know it is all in a good cause.

Sigh

I like being pregnant. I have a feeling |I am not going to like being post-partum much at all...

..although I can't wait to snuggle Tiny when he arrives. He is already a big solid kicking lump of a lad and I love him to bits already.

miffster I wouldn't expect to go through 7 packs (assuming 10 in a pack) in 24 hours but I'd have the other packs at home just in case you had to stay in longer. I think I had to change every hour or two at first and it slowly died down. I don't like them either. Also you can leak and need to change one a lot sooner if you get a clot or sudden gush so a few may get used that way. Not very nice stuff but practical!

Miffster I think I would ditch the fleece throw and the pashmina (it is really very hot on maternity wards) and take a thin dressing gown instead. Definitely take a fold up change mat because meconium on sheets is pretty gross and they don't change them while you're there. And something warm to put over baby while you transfer from hospital to car. If you're only doing an emergency bag I would only take one change of clothes for you to go home in - likelihood is that you'll be in PJs the whole time you're there anyway (hopefully only 24 hours) - and if you need more clothes you can always send DH out for them.

You will also need some bits of cotton wool to pop in nappy prove that baby has wee'd - they wouldn't let us out before we produced a wet piece of cotton wool - and I was sooo desperate to get home!!

Don't think of it as a vote of no confidence in HB - think of it as insurance - you know if you pack really thoroughly you won't end up needing any of it!

Oh, and ladies, don't forget maternity notes!!

Thanks SlightlyTired & C&G...adds to list
cotton wool
pack of disposable change mats
light dressing gown
trainers

The idea about the fleece throw and pashmina were instead of a coat for me to come home in, or to wrap Tiny in as well as the cellular blankets whilst we were waiting for cab outside in December! (We don't have a car). DH would have to go home to get the car seat for Tiny though so could pick up a coat & anything else needed for me then, I expect. Leggings, Tshirt & hoodie were for me to wear to come home in. As I'd go to hospital in whatever I was wearing at the time, which could well be not much at all if it was an interrupted HB labour...

I am going to think of it as insurance,good idea. I always buy travel insurance and I don't think that means I am going to have an accident and need it.

Right, bath and bed for me. Night and thanks all!

Slightly I had so much stuff with my three, never did learn that I didn't need the half of it! Probably end up the same this time too lol. I didn't have to show a wet nappy though. I got out of there 8 hours after having ds1 and about 6 hours after having ds2 even though it was about 10pm, couldn't wait to get home! Dd was different as she was in scbu for a week.

CheeseandGherkins - thanks for asking. I'm feeling much better now and the soreness in my back is easing, so I think it just was a rib injury last week. Baba has got her bum well under my ribs and she objects if I cough!

Miffster - I'm with you on the hating san towels! As well as the ick factor, they remind me of my MCs.

C&G - for all my talk about being sensible with the packing this time around, we shall see what actually ends up going to hospital with me!

Hmm - I wonder if the reason why we had to show that she had a wet nappy was because my waters didn't break and DD was born in her amniotic sac. I know they were certainly more concerned about checking her temperature regularly, since when her head came out they realised she had done a poo in the waters and went into panic mode. (Never will understand why they did not break the waters.)

Anyway.

OWO I am also 35 weeks and TOTALLY sick of being pregnant. Baby's head is jammed under my ribs - I can't sit properly and bending is out of the question. I am Braxton-Hicksing all over the place, and I am OVER IT!!

oooo slightlytired isnt that supposed to be a really lucky thing to happen??

Yes Lauren I think there are loads of superstitions around it - there's definitely something about it being protection from drowning. I have to admit that at the time all I could think was - erm, surely it would have been easier to push her out if I wasn't also pushing out a bag of water at the same time??

lol yes good point! I had never heard of it until I got pregnant and joined mumsnet, I always just assumed that waters broke at the beginning of labour and thats how you could tell it was starting...ohhh how naiive I have been!

maybe its because of the tv versions lauren I thought that too! ...Also on Tv baby comes within about 1/2 an hour, all clean and soft and looking about 6 weeks old![hgrin]

oh will that not happen Button??!

japh glad you're feeling better, hope you stay that way :)

Slightly hehe, me too definitely, I know I'll end up packing loads of stuff and use none of it :o

Morning all. Baby's been active most of the night and this morning again as usual. Pretty sure she's not head down, maybe transverse, but she is moving and changing positions quite a lot from what I can feel. My mum's birthday today so we'll be off to see her after with some presents. I'm still itchy :( might give midwife a ring later, I'll have to check when my next appt is as I might be able to mention it then instead, beginning to feel like a hypercondriac with everything that's gone on lately...

slightly thank god Im not the only one, it hurts to walk, i moan in pain in my sleep and wake DP up, I wake up, we shuffle and limp around and wake up needing to wee, great hey!!

Oh and my boobs are like fountains if they get squeezed - double joy

Morning all

I had to stop and double over on the way in to work because of very low pain in my abdomen, felt a bit like upset tummy pain, twisting in my guts. I was also very thirsty. I had been walking for about 25 mins.

When I got to work I had to lie down for 20 mins as I felt so crap.

It might actually be upset tummy pain, I ate 3 slices of toast and a cold sausage for b/fast which is quite a lot for me. Combined with the usual BH I get when I walk too far too fast and am tired. My lower belly went rock hard.

Anyoen else had similar experiences? I am feeling a bit worried, probably just over anxious because didn;t sleep very well and failed to have early night as planned ( overactive brain and reading MN compulsively).

Hope you ladies are all well.

Miffster - I get tummy ache if I eat and then do anything so it could well be that.

CheeseandGherkins - I'd definitely give the MW a ring. OC isn't something to mess around with, especially at this stage and IME it takes a while to get things moving.

I'm only 33 weeks but am very uncomfortable too. Baba is now head down pretty much all the time and has her bum stuck under my ribs, so I can't bend, can't eat much and can't cough at all comfortably. And her having hiccups in my pelvis feels so weird!