Is your hospital bag enormous?

[sazzybee]

I've pretty much finished packing mine. What with towels, toiletries, spare nighties, bras, pads, nappies, babygros etc etc, it looks like I'm planning on going on a two week holiday

Does everyone's bag look like this or am I going to look like a total saddo when I go in? I don't want everyone laughing at me

Ah - that could be better. Mine is split into three bags on the inside - a Boots bag, a Mothercare one and a Primark one. Dead classy me.

I could put it all in three nice bags but am a bit worried one would get left behind.

I took 2 big bags in with me, one with my stuff and the other for the baby stuff. They were large sports bag type bags. I did take too much stuff in such as spare clothes but I would rather have had them with me and not used them than needed them and not had them there.

Mine was quite small for my first
Probably be even smaller this time as I didn't get anything out of it apart from a tshirt until after the baby arrived

I had a bag for me and a bag for DS. Screw em. Take as much with as you like.

The boot of my car is currently full ! There's a bag for:
1)labour (nightie, light dressing gown, some toiletries, juice cartons, custard creams (for the sugar!), bed socks),
2)the ward (big pants, 2 sets pjs, more toiletries, magazine, towel, slippers, outfit for going home)
3)LO (a few nappies, couple of baby gros, snow suits for going home, wee cuddly toy)
4)In case of CS & longer stay (2 extra sets of PJs, more big pants, extra toiletries, book)
If it helps explain any... I organise IT events for a living and I've had way too much time sitting around thinking about this.

I must be the only person in the world that took a tiny bag!!!! However, I did insist DH bought me a new bag every day with the stuff I needed.

NB the thing I needed but didn't have was a large mug because the hospital cups were child sized and I'm a fiend for my daily cuppa!

I think next time - should I have to leave the house - I'm going to take something bizarre like a space hopper, just for comedy value.

I took 3 bags... a small holdall for baby things, a small suitcase for me after the baby, and another small suitcase for labour! I am hoping to condense next time, but, I did use everything so I don't know how! I took 3 towels though, one body, one hair and one to stand on

Birth bag was small and I even forgot slippers, but actual hospital bag was huge, DH filled his giant holdall and sneaked it in the next day .

Mug great idea I wish I had thought of that I hated those silly little cups.

I took in a small suitcase (the kind with a long pull handle and wheels), couldn't believe anyone could put all that was needed in one teeny tiny bag. But the hospital did give us a 'what to pack list' which I found very usefull.

my first one was enormous and I didn't use half the stuff.

I think the trick is to pack a couple and leave one on the car for DH to get later.

This time (although planning a homebirth) it's fairly small - I have learned the lesson!!

Hey Sazzy it's a good idea to have three bags in one, when I had dd it happened so quickly, by the time my mother gathered all my stuff to follow me down to labour ward...baby was out and crying though if I put my three bags into one I'd have to use a massive suitcase and it would look ridiculous!
I get really cold and shivery when in labour so all my warm clothes for labour take up alot of space, but I guess I can just put it all on when I'm heading to hospital...and reading what other people pack makes me think of more things to stuff in a bag

Fairy lights?!

I have one v. small holdall type thing with baby things, and bigger bag for me. Does that sound reasonable? There's hardly anything in either of them at the moment though, should really get a move on!

i cant remember what my hospital bag was like for ds1,but i ended up in hospital for 10 days anyway so there wasnt enough stuff for me.

this time,i have a rucksack with my things in(nightie/dressing gown for normal,nighty for birth,slobbing around clothes-as i am getting induced and anticipate a couple of days of sitting around bored-plus pads,big knickers,toiletries etc)and a small suitcase for baby(3 babygros,3 vests,cardigan,snowsuit,pack of nappies,hat).i cant pack my slippers as i still need them at home.

what have i forgotten???

its ok if you have relatives who can pick stuff up from home for you and bring it to the hospital,but if not then its best to take as much as you can

This made me laugh as I remember my poor effort of a bag! I was having homebirth but all went a bit wrong and ended up in hosp. I was sure I would not go to hospital but did so had not packed too well. When I got up for a shower I had no towels and the ward only had baby towels so I was in the bathroom with the tiniest of towels trying to wrap them around but it just did not work!! I forgot a hairbrush and dh had to bring toothbrush but forgot paste and when I asked him to bring in a hat for dd and scratch mits he brought in a boottie for her head and a pair of socks for gloves!! Next time will def pack it properly!! (MYSELF!!)

My friends sister did not pack enough maternity towels and did not expect to bleed as much as you do (oops sorry if your first time but it is a very heavy period so remember lots of maternity pads and paper pants or lod pants) anyway she asked her DH to bring her some big towels so he brought in beach towels!!!

Make sure you have enough. Wards also dont provide nappies etc so get it all in the bag!

Remember a nice big towel for after shower and dressing gown.
Camera (already charged - bit difficult if you dont know when your going to go in but keep it on charge!!!)

arnica tablets for healing!!!

Fairy lights?!

I knew I'd forgotten something ;)

I live in London and it's impossible to park near the hospital so leaving stuff in the boot and getting it later isn't an option.

My hospital has told me to pack 6 of everything for the baby so I have. Shall I get rid of some of it?

Can somebody please motivate me to finish packing my bag!? It's been sitting in the same sorry state with hardly anything in it for over 2 weeks...

I packed everything on the back of the mothercare catalogue and I still haven't used that baby oil! (ds=5y and dd=3y)

Main things to pack:
Labour
Self:
-Old nighty
-Clean nighty to change into for after+dressing gown
-Socks
-Slippers
-Light snacks
-Pack of disposable knickers in case waters go early on
-Drink (though water should be freely supplied by hospital)
Baby - note that baby's clothes shouldn't -be the best set you've got as babies come out quite mucky and don't get washed straightaway as this makes them get cold.
-Hat (oh how many times mums don't bring in hats!)
-Vest
-Baby gro
-Nappy
Ward
-Clean PJ's/nighty
-Proper clothes (hospital lobbies often prefer mums to go downstairs in day clothes)
2 packs of maternity pads (not Always, but the proper ones)
-Old or disposable knickers
-Toileteries
-Towel
-Change for the telephone
-Reading material (you never know you might have one of those sleepy babies)
-Spare clothes and pack of nappies for baby
-COTTON WOOL BALLS!!! -

And that's what I think is absolutely necessary. Don't pack for 2 weeks, it's more likely that you wont be in for more than 1-2 days unless you get a CS or there's some other kind of problem. If you do stay in longer, your dh/dp or other regular visitors can always bring in a fresh change of clothes and take away your laundry. That's what I did and it saves people breaking their back during transfer from labour ward to post natal ward.

I've compiled this list our of experience as a mum and a student midwife. It includes the most forgotten items (baby hat!, cotton wool balls!, nappies!) and the items which in my experience are just essential (disposable knickers!)

I seem to have tons of stuff but then I'm having c/s so know I'll be in for a few days. The essentials are just so bulky, ie maternity pads, nappies, slippers take up half the bag.

Our hospital issues a booklet telling you to bring a small bag which will 'fit neatly' into a bedside locker but then gives you a huge list of stuff to bring.

Ha, my bag's not fitting into any locker!!

I ordered some toiletry type things online from Boots, and agree about how bulky everything is... delivery man turned up at the door with a box almost the size of me! I was also very alarmed by the enormous box of breast pads, it has to be said.

This might be a really daft question... but I'm probably going to be in for a few days, do I need normal clothes for every day? Or do I just slob about in PJs (like I do at home )? Haven't been in hospital since I was born, so not sure what's the norm!

I was in for 5 days Becca coz my ds was early and not feeding well. I didn't make it past clean pjs until the day I went home, but it's really up to you. Whichever way if you think you will bf you need lots of tops coz of milk leakage and lots of bottoms coz of blood = lots!. Remembering how hot the hospital is though, I would have been grateful for my summer dressing gown rather than my winter fleecy one.