Hospital bag essentials

[sunshinela]

Hello there

I hope this thread is useful to you as much as it will be to me. I am 6 months pregnant with my first and have been wondering what the key essentials to pack for your overnight bag are. Perhaps those of you who have been through it before could shed some light? It may seem like a pretty obvious question but I am totally unaware of what childbirth will be like considering I haven't even started any classes yet either!
Here's a yummy [bisciut] for you to say thanks in advance.

Hi Sunshinela and congratulations.

Here is my list

1. Lots of knickers that you can just bin.
2. A nightie that you don't mind binning.
3. Camera with film and batteries
4. Flannel
5. Radio/ipod for you and partner
6. Some food for your partner. It is unlikely that you will want to eat anything
7. Stuff for the baby but don't go mad simply baby grows are best don't forget a hat.
8. Hairbrush and lip stick. I looked a right state in the photos. At the time I didn't care but in hindsight I wish I looked a bit more human
9. Money for a cup of tea for partner. Things might have changed but DH was so thirsty as they only feed the mum.

10. Take your sense of humour.

All the very best
JD

My labour bag contains...

old nighty for labour
2 pairs of socks
Slippers
pack of cheapy knickers (I dont like huge ones which most people recommend, I found they rolled down. I prefer hipsters so they fit nicely under my former-bump-sag)
2 packs of maternity pads
Old bath towel
Flannel, shower gel, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, moisturiser, lip balm, hairbrush, bobbles and clips
Nursing bra and 3 packs of breast pads
PJs
small pack of wet wipes and about 15 nappies
2 vests, 2 babygros, 2 hats, scratch mits

Pack of paracetamol
Fibogel
Lucozade for me, coke for DH
will also contain snacks but dont have these yet

I also have a hospital pile/box, but this isnt organised or in a bag yet!!

Definitely some rescue remedy. It contains arnica which will help with any bruising you may get and I found it helped me relax in the days after the birth (maybe all in the mind but still helped). The bottle is only small so wont take up much space in your bag.

Also, a razor in your toilet bag. I ended up staying in for 6 days and it is so hot in the ward so I was in vest tops and my underarm hair went crazy. I thought I wouldnt care but actually it was so nice when I did go for a shower or bath to be able to shave my underarms and make myself feel nice/human/me again.

Lastly, a toothbrush for DH. I went in for induction which started on Friday evening and baby didnt arrive until early hours of Sunday. DH stayed with me the whole time and only had toilet & food breaks so it was a nice touch for him not to have minging breath.

Also, I had 3 bags - one for me for labour or if I had to go in overnight (one nightie, spare pants, toothbrush). One which had all baby stuff in it, and one with stuff i would once on the ward (so extra pads, pants, nighties etc).

ahh yes, there is a razor in my hospital bag pile

I took:
A nightie with buttons for breast feeding
Big pants
Maternity pads
Sleepsuit for ds
Nappies
Cotton wool balls

Things I wish I'd packed:
Food and drinks! Ds came early and I didn't pack any I was so hungry when I got to the maternity ward. Things like raisins, oat bars and cartons of juice would have been good.

The first time I took:
four books (to get me through all that boring bit waiting to have a baby! I was being induced, so not quite as mad as it sounds)
portable CD player
disposable pants
feeding bras
maternity pads
nappies, couple of babygros, vests,

clothes for me to wear during the birth and something to get changed into afterwards
Camera

Obviously I never read the books and didn't have enough clothes for after the birth when I was in for four days following emergency CS.

The second time I had a bag for me (more clothes for after the birth, gave birth 40 mins after arriving so no time for a change of clothes during the birth), a bag for the baby (plenty of babygros/vests/cardigan/clothes to go home in, cotton wool, more nappies than you might think) and a bag ready for DS in case the baby came in the night and he had to go to a friend's (which it did, and he did).

Second time I also left out the books (and got bored with nothing to read in the day I had to spend in hospital afterwards when the baby was mostly asleep) but took lots of food. Not for before the birth, so much, but for the day after when you are starving and the hospital food is awful.
I also didn't take the CD player the second time - but I would another time because it was the one thing we had to make the delivery room/subsequent operating theatre ours during the first birth.

Didn't take but should have:

Shampoo
Flip flops or slippers for walking around the ward

as well as the obvious listed above i've also been told straws, Vaseline and tat aerosol air mist you can get. Remember having that on holiday and it was bliss then so think it will be amazing and better than a fan/flannel during labour

On the shampoo note, my tip to absolutely everyone is to wash your hair at home in early labour. The showers in my hospital had about as much force as being spat on, so was glad I didnt have to wash my hair!!

Tantie - bag packed for DS1 is a brilliant idea, thank you very much for that!! :)

I'm also considering packing pile cream

Definitely include one or two straws, if you have an epidural they make drinking so much easier. Or cartons that come with straws if you don't mind drinking sweet things.

Cooling face spray mist was great too.

Slippers or flipflops - if you have to stay in the staff can get a bit narky if you walk round with nothing on your feet.

Lots and lots of change for parking - you never know how much you need.

Post labour snacks - you might not eat during, but you will want something after and hospital offerings can be uninspiring.
Phone and a spare battery/charger, so you can natter to your family when DH goes home.
Bolster or comfy pillow/bf pillow - hospital don't always provide enough pillowage.

Just remembered another thing which was helpful - dry shampoo. Good for a quick spruce up if you havent had a chance to have a bath/shower before your in-laws turn up at visiting time.

Also, second the post labour snacks (I took a couple of boxes of cereal bars) as if you miss breakfast because you are busy feeding/sleeping and they come to give you your painkillers they wont let you take ibuprofen unless you have eaten.

You ladies have been absolute godessess! Thanks sooo sooo much for all these wonderful tips. I am so glad one of you noted to take slippers. I have such a weird, crazy, OCD problem with walking barefoot ANYWHERE so taking slippers to walk around a hospital is something I hadn't thought of but would absolutly need. haha.

Thank you.