C section hospital bag & recovery

[Mikethenight2good]

Hello ladies,

Apologies if this has been done to death. But I am booked in for a elective c section and need to organise my hospital bag.

This is 2nd time round for me (crash c section last time) so you would think I would know what I am doing! I need advise on what to pack for the hospital and what I should wear the few weeks after. I stupidly wore mat jeans after and got an infection from them rubbing. Are leggings OK?

It will be May when baby arrives so I am hoping it might be warm enough for dresses, but even then my mat dresses don't lend itself well to B/feeding which I was fortunate to do last time & would like to do again.
Many thanks

I've packed 2 pairs of pj's a nightie and loads of granny knickers and leggings to come home in amongst all the other random crap... Good luck x

A lot of "granny" pants to go over the scar, so it is not rubbed. I also found C-section underpants from NCT shop useful for the first few days. I was fine in maternity leggings to go home. Lots of maternity towels, as you are likely to bleed more after the section. Also, don't be shy to ask for hospital ones while in there - they are so much more absorbant. They usually don't give many, but for me they never said no when DP went to ask (I'd gladly paid for them if I could find where to buy!).
Sports bottle for water, as you may find it difficult to sit up the first day.

Get lots of proper waist high granny pants, hot wash them and change them a couple of times a day. Get a box of sterile gauze packs and put a few pieces of gauze directly on the wound. Then, you know those giant maternity pads, use 2 of them in your knickers - kind of making a giant long one. So when you pull your pants up there is clean maternity pad covering up over your pubic bone towards your tummy button. That way there is a little light cushion over the scar and if anything rubs against each other it's the gauze and the pad. Change the pads lots and the pants a couple of times a day.

I was really shocked by some of the crap advice I had from HV re: drying the scar area with kitchen towel or hair dryer. It's major abdominal surgery FFS and needs taking care of properly.

Thank you ladies, much appreciated

Primark nightie with buttons all the way up has been really good as they can access whatever they need to easily - several staff commented how practical mine is for catheter/bfing/anti coagulant injections in stomach etc.

I wore I nightie in hospital when I couldn't get up but I am not a nightie person.
BHS do some excellent knickers, all cotton no trim, very comfy think I went for high leg sp don't know if they have other styles.
I took crocus instead of slippers for ease and could use them in the wet rooms.
I wore trackside bottoms and leggings just make sure things go over your scar and don't sit on it.
Good luck. X

Peppermint tea bags and capsules!
Mother care do a belt which although pricey would be handy I think.

Slippers you can step into
One of those little tiny things on concentrated squash, to make all the endless glasses of water a bit more interesting
I wore mat leggings took home in, and loose harem-style pj bottoms for a day or two round the house/in bed. I was wearing mat jeans after a few days and they didn't cause me any trouble but obviously that might not be best for you. The time before, I wore long Jersey skirts, which were v comfy.
Knicker-wise, I just changed my granny pants once a day and wore a maternity pad crossways across the scar, also changed (at least) once a day for the first few days.