Hospital bag - OMG, ought to pack, what goes in it??!!

[dizzymama]

This might seem like a really trivial question, but it's beginning to give me (even more) sleepless nights! I'm at the stage in my pregnancy where I need everything to be ready to go. Most things are prepared but the bloomin' hospital bag! What on earth do you take with you? How long can I expect to be in? What the heck do I put it in...a suitcase (presumably not!), a tesco's carrier bag (being daft now I know!!!) Please help me, my brain is no longer capable of making obvious leaps!!!

I'm surprised you passed him at all! At least that's over withg. You can enjoy (?) the rest of term until you leave in peace.
Not much else in the domestic godess front as yet but hope to make some suet free mincemeat in the next couple of weeks and feed the cake again before topping it with glace nuts. Oh, and I've got to make the fudge soon too. I really don't know why I do all this. I must have something better to do!

Good idea with the biscuits warmmum!!I'll send dh down Sainsburys!!!
Cadbury, he failedon some aspects, especially professional values!!!

I spent ages packing and unpacking and when i went in, i had unpacked unknowingly and had sod all with me.
DON'T forget your camera for those special moments, (after the birth of course!!)
Agree with food, i was starving and it only took a few hours.
I had dd at 8.58 pm and was home the next morning. (Well midday)

GOOD LUCK +

Do they have a cd player in labour room? Some relaxing music might be useful. Make sure your birth partner knows what's in there to make useful suggestions. Your own flannel to 'mop brow'! It can get quite hot in there.

Lots of change for parking and phone.
HTH and good luck!

I would take a couple of disposable changing mats as some hospitals dont provide them and its a real pain if your little one wees on your bed! Also notepad and pen - handy for making lists of things for hubby to bring in for you!

Dont forget a watch or clock. I didnt have one and couldnt tell the mw what time I fed babe at in the night what a bad Mammy am I not timing my feeds to the minute

I was in longer than expected after dd as had to have an ECS in the end - obviously hope that won't happen to you.
My essentials to pack other than what's on the list and probably already covered would be -

• something to read
• change for the phone
• several nighties/pjs or whatever you wear (not fleecy/wooly things for you - it is hot on maternity wards)
• something to eat and drink (dried fruit/nuts are good or glucose tablets for an instant sugar rush!)
• lots of old big pants/disposable pants and lots of maternity pads - not ordinary ones! Good luck!

try and give birth in the morning, then you can go on 12 hour discharge and not have to stay in over night!!! (worked for me guess I was jammy huh and I hate hospitals)

We took 2 big bottles of water - one we put in the freezer at home and took out when we left (at 3am) and then the water stayed really nice and cold throughout the labour (24hrs +)
Also - the hospital we were in didn't want too many bags cluttering up the place, so we took the min and once on post labour ward, unpacked and my hubby took home stuff i didn't need anymore (was in for 4 days due to c-section).
Would def. take pillows - was brill to have my own

Take your own paracetamol for afterwards (NOTE Not effective during labour!), it saves you asking the nurse.

Yes. Water. DH kept having to leave room to get more, and I really hated that. And dizzymama, I'm delighted you liked the list. As i mentioned, I put it together w the great women in my prenatal class and with suggestions from my sisters, etc. I love the way this type of good info gets passed around.

definitely snacks - I couldn't eat anything during labour and as I had ds at 7.30pm had missed dinner so felt faint and exhausted and really needed my brekkie in the morning! (my dh ate my dinner, bless him!)

Maybe a flask of tea - after I had ds midwive said I need something hot and student midwife gave me dh's half drunk tea that was cold!!! They were busy that night but still!!

PS: I saw somewhere in this thread about bringing a nice box of chocolate or biscuits. I love that idea. Esp since as I adored the midwife who delivered DD and she was only filling in at the time, so I couldn't even send her a thank you post-partum!

Sorry - haven't read through this whole thread properly yet, but I'd strongly recommend your own pillow. I inadvertently had mine when I was hospitalised a few days before my 1st baby and it was really comforting to have something familiar and comfy that smelt of home in the delivery room. When I was in labour with no.2 I went in and took it with me. I felt a bit silly but the midwife said it was a good idea esp. as they had just run out of pillows. I shall be taking it with me again in Feb. for no.3. Along with a nice selection of cheeses that I'm craving. I've always been STARVING after giving birth!!

Besides all the obvious. Don't forget snacks. Hospital food is always shite and doesn't come around frequently enough for mums I don't reckon. Nuts, dried fruit, muesli bars, chocolate bars, fruit etc.

Oh, and big knickers and bigger pads eeek.

Ditto the maternity pads and disposable knickers (loads of them) and several pairs of pyjama bottoms (preferably not white!)

Kendal mint cake - instant energy & lovely minty breath!

Remember having to send DH out for more mega maternity pads - all dignity goes out the wondow !

My life saver with both of my births was a radio. It just really calmed me down listening to music (I listened to Heart 106.2 throughout the night). Made the whole experience less clinical and did mean that I didn't have to listen to the other 8 women giving birth

Makeup for photos! And a cute first outfit for the baby as you may want some lovely photos of him/her too. I found ordinary towels perfectly fine and not like having a brick between your legs. I wish I'd had pillows (and a duvet, but that's pushing it ). FOOD.

I haven't read all that's on here but there was just one thing I REALLY wish I had had. I had a quick labour (lucky me I know) so most of the things like food, pillows, magazines really didn't need to be there for the labour itself. But I meant to (and would of had if my waters hadn't broken 2 weeks early) get a bottle of water with a sports cap. I was soooo thirsty during labour, and in between pretty much every contraction I had to ask for my water to be passed to me. It was annoying and awkward and would of been much better to have a bottle with a no spills lid on it. HTH, and good luck with the birth!

I couldn't get on with maternity pads or paper knickers, so would advise that you get max absorption but min bulk ordinary pads (i.e. always night time) and lots of cheap big knickers (as big as you can).

i packed always night-times but at first they were not absorbent enough - but the hospital did provide me with them until i left hospital. I froze a bottle of water a week before i went into labour - took it out as we headed to the hospital and by the time i was in active labour it was lovely iced water

One thing I wish I'd had in hospital after the birth was an eye mask (like you get on planes). When I was trying to get to sleep after the birth, people kept coming in the ward and snapping the lights on all through the night - very irritating!

Don't forget your birthplan and if the midwife reads it and laughs (like mine did), change your midwife!!

More 'pad' advice: they do give you them after the birth but they will be the bulky type with no sticky strip on them which is pretty useless. I found slim night time pads fine.

As said, disposable pants and lots of maternity pads. Also, have some big, high waisted pants in case you have a c/s - you won't be able to stand normal pants or anything low down rubbing on your stitches.

I wish I had taken my nipple cream (begins with K - can't think of name at mo, but has camomile in it). My dd sucked and sucked for the entire 2nd night in hospital before my milk had come in, and by the time I came home next day my nipples had blood blisters - ow ow ow!