Nice bits for hospital bag

[estobi1]

I am off to M&S to by my big granny kickers for my hospital bag today and I just wondered if anyone has any ideas about nice bits to pack.

Looking at my feeding bras, various pads and feeding nighties it all feels very dowdy and clinical and I just wondered if anyone has any good ideas of bits to make you feel nice afterwards. Tiny baby clothes are very nice to look at though!

Your pillow! There are never enough in hospital. Also flip flops - I have still got athlete's foot 18 months on... My best labour aid was a cold flannel.

a really good skin moisturiser. I had a sample of the number 7 cream (the one that reduces wrinkles) and a very good body moisturiser. Really helped my skin to recover and made me feel half human.

Take snacky things I ate loads of dried apricots, biscuits, some drinks to last you until visiting when your visitors can bring cold ones, magazines, birth announcement cards in case you get bored. Roll on deodorant, hospitals are hot but it's best not to use sprays, too strong for baby. A good concealer as you won't feel like putting much make up on but in my first photos I look like I have been punched as my eyes were so dark (lack of sleep!)
Take loads of change for the phone as it's nice to ring home if there is something you feel like and they can bring it at visiting.

Good luck with the birth and enjoy your baby!

Oh and if you are breastfeeding this is a MUST, I only wished I had some in my bag. The midwives were reccommending it but they had none. It is the best you can get for sore nipples...

www.lansinoh.co.uk/lanolin_product_info.html

Take lip salve and hand cream... hospital wards are usually far too hot and can dry out your lips. And you'll be washing your hands more times than you thought possible with really harsh hospital stuff so a bit of hand cream will come in handy.

And I would say take one thing for your baby (risk of too much stuff going missing.) But it's nice to have one thing from Mummy and Daddy that the wee one has had right from birth.

tinned fruit - lovely and refreshing

as for shower gel i'd recommend a baby no tears one, doesn't sting on cuts and grazes which is good if you have drips put in (can use it on baby when they are a bit older too!)

and inform dh/dp to have a gift for you for doing really well - dh bought me a lovely necklace which he gave me whilst i was being stiched (bless him he's never picked best moments [grins])

pillow and food for birth partner - even tho you might not feel like eating they need their strength