Hospital bags... Help me identify some mystery items?

[SourSweets]

Hi again,

So after a recent panic about whether I was going into early labour (I wasn't) I've decided to pack my hospital bag. It's my first time and I don't really know what I'm buying, or rather I know what I'm supposed to need but I don't know why.

So, here are my questions:

Towels: I'm told dark towels (for obvious reasons) but do I need just one big towel for showering in the hospital or a couple of little ones purely for down below? Or both?

Pants: How awful are disposable ones? I might just spend a bit more and get normal ones that I'll throw away after. What did you do/will you do?

Vaseline: For baby's bum if you're lucky enough to grease him up before the meconium poo comes. Are you ever lucky enough? Is the poo really that bad that you can't just get it off with wipes?

Also on my list: Nappies, going home outfits for both of us, magazines, snacks, lip balm, hair band, big t-shirt, bikini top for water birth, muslins, swaddle cloth, maternity pads (Only taking a pack of 10, will I need more?) Ipod, breast pads, dummies (not sure I'll even need those but they don't take up any room), small jug for diluting the wee after I've had him.

Have I missed anything?

Thank you for any and all advice, as always.

Oh and Sudocrem, extra sensitive baby wipes and phone chargers...

I took one large dark towel which dh then took home and replaced with a clean one.

I hated disposable pants and took a motley collection of old holey pants, which were then chucked out after the gory stage.

Never heard of Vaseline on baby's bottom - tbh, I probably wouldn't as I have weird reactions to Vaseline, but maybe that's just me!

You've forgotten chocolate on your list!

Good luck when the time comes :)

X-posts - the hospital I gave birth in wouldn't allow baby wipes to be used, we had to use cotton wool and water, so I would probably get some cotton wool in.

I never used sudocreme - found it very harsh. There's no need to use nappy cream unless your baby has signs of nappy rash. When there is nappy rash, I always found metanium the best cream to deal with it.

More maternity pads.

Towels: You'll really appreciate having a shower after the birth so bring however many you usually need for a shower (ie: a big one and one for hair if you wrap your hair up after a shower)

Pants: I bought a multipack of black ones and tbh, I never threw them away, they were fine after a wash.

Vaseline: I wouldn't bother, babies bums don't need anything put on them, the meconium isn't as bad as they make out so no need to panic.

I'd pack two big packs of maternity pads. One pack only did me a day or two each time and I was still bleeding badly enough to need them at that point. The first two times I was at home but really didn't fancy running to the shops for more. Third time ds2 was in SCBU and I was very grateful that I'd finally learned my lesson and packed two packs!

Thank you cards? I had some and some Chocs etc in the car so dh could bring them in when we were going home.

Erm... Totally can't remember what I had in my bag. Cotton wool for dc- you use a LOT with those nasty first poos, or wipes if you want to use them. Nursing bra. Toiletries for you. Change for car park/vending machines. Errr, can't think of anything else.

Forget disposable pants, they are hideous,get some primarni specials.

I would get another pack of maternity pads as well, and something comfy to wear in the ward, so pj trousers and a feeding vest or similar

Phone charger

You don't have baby grows on your list and you should have at least a couple... This is from someone who went into labour with DS1 5 weeks early and had no baby clothes with us (or nappies!).

pants - never used disposable ones, but bought packs in primark o supermarket for about 2.50. big pants!

also feeding things - soft breast pads, nursing bras, lansinoh. or bottles if you are bottle feeding (not too sure what happens with that i have to say);

nightshirt / PJs with easy access for skin to skin and feeding; slippers and dressing gown, flip flops for showers;

again have never used wipes or vaseline on a newborn (though heard vaseline is good) - some hospitals like you to use only cotton wool and water (use pads, not fluffly balls!)

i think that they have provided pads for me when ihave been in before so 10 may be enough - its all i have packed at the minute!

something nice to drink if plain water isnt your thing. nice food too!

i am taking a bath and hand towel if space allows, toiletries (not too perfumed) and make up.

three vests and sleepsuits for baby to start with and a cotton hat. blanket for going home along with car seat.

thats all i can think of at the moment...

Oh yes and take a pair of flip flops for the shower!

I took
-big black knickers - threw out after
-one pack pads, in two.nights, didnt use whole pack (however others have gone through multiple packs)
-button down vests
-dark pj bottoms and a dark.nightie (incase of catheter)
-ipod
-I wore.home what I wore in as I changed once I got there
-clothes for baby
-nappies.and wipes
-deodorant
-pen and paper (wrote down who bought what, had many visitors as in three days)

Excellent - I hadn't even thought of toiletries! And a toothbrush might be nice. Thank you cards and chocolates are also a great idea. I'll definitely get more pads as that seems to be the consensus.

Thank you so much!

Socks for during labour. My toes were freezing! Also flip flops for the shower in the hospital.
I've had two dcs and never experienced the poo stuck to babys bum. You could pack water wipes in case your baby has a particularly nasty nappy
Best of Luck Sour sweets

A water spray bottle. Ace for when you are boiling hot in the middle of labour.

Food, the hospital vending machine was useless and you can't escape the ward to visit it.

As for baby wipes, had DD2 not been born at home, they would have been told to stuff cotton wool and water where the sun doesn't shine.

i really wouldn't put anything on a newborn except water, which rules out vaseline, sudocrem and baby wipes.

Dummies for a newborn? Never even heard of that. imo i would want to learn more about them and when they were hungry, and also would suggest frequent sucking on you in the early stages to encourage the milk to come in.

i thought disposable pants were fine but tbh taking ordinary pants and just washing them would be ok I would think.

anything you like as comfort food - i wanted an apple after birth, as indeed under any circumstances.

i took a large bottle of water and a packet of Fybogel as i was paranoid about the first poo. Said poo was effortless, but i dont know if that was because of the water and the Fybogel.

I'm a skank (and the hospital was spotless) but a lot of people like having shower flip-flops I think.

I bought a couple of maternity nighties from mothercare and am still wearing them 10 years later because i'm too cheap to buy more

Having said all that, I took 3 enormous bags and never used anything except the apple and the water, but what the hell? Better take too much stuff than not enough.

I bought cheap packs of black pants from tesco and they were absolutely dead on, fine after a wash and way more comfy than disposable ones.

Agree on more pads.

I didn't get to change DS's first nappy...or any until he was a few days old so can't comment on meconium.

Maybe some small change in a purse incase you are in a bit longer and want to use the bedside TV or go down to the shop. Also incase your OH is caught short for car park money.

I ended up in hospital for 6 days before DS and 5 days after he was born so would recommend you have two bags. One you take with you and one at home that someone can pick up for you if you end up being in longer and therefore needing more bits and pieces.

And good luck when the time comes!!

Handy hint for home....get some witch hazel from the chemist and pop the bottle in the fridge. You can pour it onto a sanny pad for soothing relief if you end up with stitches...

Leading nicely onto....get some night time pads with wings. I used to put one of those into my knickers and then put a maternity pad on top. In the first few days, I had to change the mat pad often and used to find that if I had been sitting down for a While and stood up, the blood would 'pool'. It saved me from a yucky leakage having that extra layer on more than a few occasions.

I had bought some big Primark knickers for afterwards with a view to chucking them out afterwards. I am still wearing them. I am too embarrassed to tell you how old my dc is who I bought them for.

Good luck with your new baby. Such an exciting time!

I had an M&S multi pack of pants, still have them, they didn't take the beating I was expecting! Make sure you go for BIG ones that one rest on a c-section wound, just in case. I would also make sure you have a few more pads to hand, either with you or in the car, in case you end up being kept in for any reason. Another MNer suggested a sports bottle for diluting wee, which I think is a fab idea, much easier to direct and control the flow.

Cheap pants that are high rise (belly-button high is good, as your tummy suddenly sags down when there's nothing in it anymore and it hasn't started to pull back in yet. The pants will hold everything in, be more comfortable and help reduce the weird sensation of having a 'pouch' for a few days)

I also double chocolate & tonnes of pads. That first night I had pads wrapped round my pads across my pads and still bled on the floor every time I dared to go pee so that is very important.

Good luck!

Cotton wool I was in a no wipes hospital.

Baby blanket

More maternity pads than you have.

Outfit for trying to feel normal to go home in.

Also leave a pile of things you think you need at home with instructions for dp of what and where they are in case you need changes. This includes baby clothes also.

Do not get disposable pants - hateful things. Multi pack from primark does the job - just make sure they are big and not too loose.

A rubber ring - blow up in case of piles.

• a pack of cleaning wipes. the hospital shower rooms/toilets were shockingly dirty both times.
• snacks, in case you miss meal time and in case you get a hunger pang after labour (it's called labour for a reason!)
• a pillow (I took a blow up camping pillow with a normal pillow cover), there were no pillows on the ward.
• coins for tv/internet