How big is your hospital bag?

[LoveInAColdClimate]

Mine is fricking massive! I have been watching OBEM and people seem to arrive with something about the size of my handbag . I, on the other hand, have filled the bag I normally take skiing. I have put smaller bags inside (one for the birth, one for the baby, one for me after the birth, and one for DH) so it's a little bulkier than it would be if I'd just put the stuff straight inside the bag, but it seems huge. Am I going to look ludicrous? I know I probably won't care much by the time I'm in labour and heading into hospital but I don't want the midwives to think I'm nuts.

I'm not taking a load of crap (I don't think!) - just the things that always get listed on here as essentials, and/or the stuff listed in the MN Pregnancy book. Have I just packed really, really badly or is everyone's bag this bloody big?

Thanks!

I was in for a few days before hand due to Preeclampsia, had a wash bag and DP would bring stuff in and home as i needed it.
For the birth I just had a few things for baby, nappies, wipes babygro etc in my nappy bag.

You don't need very much.

Why would your partner need a bag?

He's got some snacks, swimming shorts (as we're hoping for a water birth) and a clean t shirt in case he ends up covered in blood or poo!

I have been told to take a dressing gown, nightie, and a load of maternity pads, which are taking up a lot of the space - don't I need these? What if I need to stay in?

I have 2 bags packed - one with the labour stuff, clean pj's and 1 lot of baby clothes and 1 days nappys, also got some travel size shampoo, shower jel and tooth paste then the other bag has a few days supplys in it, will leave that at home and DP can bring it if we need it and take home all the stuff i used or is no longer needed.

I'm not bothering with a dressing gown it's always warm in hospital, bought slipper socks take up less space and the hospital provide pads but taken some of my own i checked the shop at the hospital and they sell them anyway.

Which one?! I have the rucksack I took round australia for me, a changing bag with essentials for the baby, a carrier bag with food and drinks, and a bag in my mum's car with mine and the baby's going home outfit. DH also a bag!

Thanks all (especially Jenny - nice to know I will not be the only one looking as if I'm coming for a fortnight!). I thought a dressing gown would be nice as in the dreadful eventuality that there are no private rooms available, I don't really like the idea of having to wander to the loo in my nightdress in front of other people's DHs. But it is taking up a lot of space in my bag (although not as much as it was when I initially packed DH's old fluffy towelling one, when I could hardly do up the bag - I have swapped it for a thin one!).

Do you plan to be going to hospital by car? Personally I think lugging in a massive bag might be a bit of a pain. Would it be an idea to pack a smaller bag - stuff for birth, clothes for DH, few clothes for baby - and then a bigger bag for if you stay in longer? You can leave it in the boot of the car unless it's needed.

I've bought new PJ's for the ward as i'm 100% sure i'll not get a private room made sure they are dark colour long legged and the top is short sleeves n high neck so i'm decent, also bought a little 'sports' bra from primark for under my PJ's so my massive pregnancy boobs don't scare people!

There is a good point about being on a ward if you end up on one, you have others around you that are in exactly the same position as you to talk to when your DP's not there :) A friend ended up inb a private room with DC2 and said she felt very alone and isolated when her DP was at home.

We took quite a few bags too - My overnight bag, my labour bag, DH's bag and a change bag for baby. DH left his bag and change bag in the car (thinking he would have a chance to get them during labour) and ended up having to walk through the hospital covered in poo to get them after his first cuddle with DS without a nappy!

I did use my dressing gown (although it wasn't big and fluffy) - especially to wear in bed when my parents and in-laws came to visit - and slippers. I got through a lot of pads (wore them two at a time to start). In fact, I used most of the things I took in and the things I didn't use (like my tankini) were things I'd still advise people to take (I couldn't use the birthing pool but would have if it was available).

I had a rather large overnight bag for me, and a changing bag for the baby.

Unfortunately I added a but more every day I went overdue so by the time that ds1 arrived at 42+5, I had much too much with me!

Hmmm, maybe I'll leave the post-birth bag in the car! Although having just watched OBEM I suspect I may not care about how big the bag or what the midwives think is when in the throes of labour .

At our hospital you can pay for a private room which apparently enables your DH to spend more time with you (longer visiting hours), which is what we hope to do but one has to be available. Am keeping fingers crossed.

You probably won't. But if you're in a bit of a hurry your DH may welcome not having a bag he has to drag behind him on wheels! You could be like my friend - head out before she got to the ward. .

That would be nice if not very dignified .

Second time round I divided it into a labour bag and an afterwards bag. So much easier to know all the gubbins from delivery can just be swiftly removed and you start again with fresh pjs, toiletries, towels etc all ready to be unpacked. If you're anything like me you won't have the wherewithal to sort out what to do with all the labour stuff, where to put it, what's what etc. And big bags are a pain if you have any kind of instrumental delivery or intervention and can't pick them up.

Mine was huge! I took a dressing gown and I'm glad I did because the ward was freezing! I looked like I was going in holiday for a month with the amount I had. But tbh I used everything I took with me xx

I had my small pink suitcase on wheels and a changing bag. Seems like far too much but i did use all of it. Hairbrush, toothpaste, tooth brush maternity pads but i did know i would be staying in overnight as my midwife had put it on my notes cos i am epileptic and was worried about seizures so i went in plenty prepared! With some clothes to come home in too. Just in case the clothes i was wearing got blooded or pooped on!

Mine is the next size up from a cabin suitcase. Feels huge to me but, DP is going to carry it anyway :o
Might try to see if I can squeeze everything in a smaller one.

i have packed two cabin sized bags- one for me for during and immediately after the birth with all the standard stuff, and the second for the baby and my going home from hospital clothes. It also includes a cot sheet and two baby blankets and clothes in two different sizes.

I was in for four nights last time so didn't want to be stressed that I wouldn't have enough pants/ clean pyjamas that I had chosen myself!

Thanks, everyone. I'm not sure how much I would trust DH to bring in the right things if I needed to stay in longer so perhaps better to have it and hope not to use it.

It was a small wheely bag but only because I thought it would be nice to not have to carry anything.

Love - I had a massive bag too. We also had extras of certain things in the car boot - snacks, nappies, PJs etc - so that they could be accessed fairly easily if need be. Then at home, I'd re-arranged a drawer in my chest of drawers so that it just contained easy to wear post labour clothes (PJs, massive knickers, T-shirts I'd be able to breastfeed in) on the basis that if I stayed in for longer, I could then direct DP to that one drawer to get the stuff I needed & it would be pretty impossible for him to get it wrong. There was also a shelf in the bathroom which just had maternity pads, breast pads etc. I'd also sorted out the baby stuff so all the newborn vests were in one pile, the newborn babygros in another, the 0-3 vests in a third etc so that, again, it would be a struggle for him to pick up the wrong stuff if he had to get any extras. And in the hospital bag, I'd put a set of clothes in each size together in a freezer bag & labelled so that DP could find the right thing easily. I know that that's ridiculously anal, but I was 15 days overdue so I had plenty of time for this sort of thing!

Are you me, Murtette? I love your thinking!

Love- im planning on a full blown suitcase+2x holdalls!!hehe!!you can never have enough stuff hun!I will definately look like im moving in!!
Good luck!xx

Hurrah, thank you, blossom, someone else not turning up with a small clutch bag! Good luck to you too.

As well as the bags, I was also carrying two pillows. Leaving the hospital involved several trips to the car as we also had DD in her car seat by then and we were so scared about carrying her that DP carried her out whilst I watched out for things to trip over etc.