What's in your bag?! (Advice please!)

[hulahoopqueen]

If you are now packing, or have ever packed, a hospital bag - what couldn't you have lived without? What did you miss? What random item did you throw in and it happened to make a huge difference?!

I'm all ears to any and all suggestions 😊

Device with loads of music/TV etc downloaded
Charger for said device
Massive pants
Water bottle

Extension lead! The plug sockets are always miles away from the bed so this made life easier. Also the peri water bottle to squirt your vag when you pee!

Nice big comfy knickers. Ones you won't mind if they get stained (blood). You'll need plenty of maternity pads as well. Make sure they are maternity pads mind, not sanitary towels that you would usually use for your monthly period.
Best wishes to you remember you have got this! And if you forget to pack anything, the hospital will usually be able to help you with so try not to worry

My own pillow! Hospital pillows, unless absolutely brand new, are about as flat and as comfortable as pancakes. Having my own was brilliant. Much comfier. Just don't have a white pillowcase incase they get mixed up.

Long lead (2m) charger! Or a power bank at the very minimum. The only thing I needed to change was my phone though. DH brought his own chargers to handle the speaker and his own stuff for labour.

Snacks! I had planned to eat them in labour, but eating was the last thing on my mind. It was lucky I had them, as with DC1, my last full meal had been Wednesday afternoon. I gave birth late Thursday afternoon. Then didn't get onto post natal until 11pm Thursday night. Next meal was Friday morning at 8am. Other than the post birth tea and toast I was offered no food. I was starving. Those snacks saved me. Btw there is 24 hour food available, even if it is just a sandwich. I've worked in the hospital for years, and ordered for patients many a time. I just forgot about it, and the midwives were too busy to remind me. Breastfeeding makes you super hungry too, so good to have between meals.

Following x

Following 🙂 x

Flip flops for the showers
Lip balm
Hand cream
Face masks (nice creamy ones not a mask as in for COVID!!)
Books
iPad
Decent sanitary towels the cheap hospital ones are awful
Badedas body wash
Something warm to bring baby home in
A notebook and pen
Hair bobbles and dry shampoo
Snacks
Bottles of water with sports tops on them ideal for labour

Congrats to everyone expecting

Thick easy put on/ off ankle socks, feet get so cold. Ear plugs it’s so loud on the ward with screaming babies! Eye mask it’s so bright in there at night when you have a chance of sleep. Black,bra height knickers. Something that smells nice so you can feel a tiny bit back to normal and relaxed when you have your post partum shower. Water bottle and snacks. Maybe a scarf- I found it really cold in bed and you can’t pull the covers right over your shoulders- good luck it’s exciting

Powerbank
Snack bag!!!!!! Snack bag was a lifesaver! Water & a million other drinks.
I packed and repacked my hospital bag a million times and beyond basic clothes, toiletries, pads & nappies these were the only things I needed

Lip balm, long charging cord, change of clothes for me and baby.

Then at home I sorted all my cupboards really well so if I needed stuff it was easy to grab. This proved helpful for DC3 as I was in for a few nights.

Small shampoo and conditioner. Think the stuff provided wasn't great.

Snacks snacks snacks and water/juice etc first time around I definitely didn't take enough..

The first time I gave birth I had a light blue nightie on and I leaked blood and I had to walk down the ward with other men seeing that. Everyone else had black nighties!
Dressing gown too.

Leggings, comfy pants, more pads than you think you'll need. Face wipes.

I didn't need that much. You get loads of nappies and cotton wool and stuff there.

Cereal bars, crisps, jelly to snack on, lip balm (gets so dry with all that breathing!)

what I most recommend is definitely double up on maternity pads and wear one on top of the other. A) this is good for unexpected gushes, b) when you stand up after sitting down it doesn’t feel like your vagina will fall out!

I also loved having an eye mask and ear plugs, I was induced on Thursday morning with dc3 and didn’t have him until Saturday - antenatal is NOISY! Maybe some squeezy squash if they still do it, hospital water is pretty grim

@hulahoopqueen How long do you have left to go OP? It’s all very exciting 😊

• long charger cable
• lip balm
• water bottle with a bendy straw!! (Meant by DH could still give me water when I was lying down👍🏻)
• maternity pads! Boots own ones are good! Pack what you think you’ll need and then pack an extra pack 😅 I’m 2 years after having my baby and I’m still shocked at just now heavy the bleeding was 🙈😳
• button down pjs/nightie if you plan to breastfeed.

I also grabbed a packet of Boots Maternity Mats when I was packing my hospital bag and flung a couple in the car. Ideal for flinging on the car seats of you’re making a sudden trip to the hospital 😅

The Avene Eau thermal water spray. It is hotter than the sun in hospital and it's the only thing that helped me feel refreshed.

Would have also loved a mini fan - next time!

It might be a stupid question but why is it necessary to bring lip balm? Are the wards very dry?

I probably only used about 10% of what I packed, despite being induced for 4 days prior to labour. For me I couldn’t have survived without my handheld fan as it really was hotter than the sun both on the wards and in the delivery suite.

Arnica tablets, they help with healing the bruising afterwards!
Lip balm, straw cup, extra maternity pads, disposable underwear, lightweight shortsleeved nighties (the hospital was so so hot and I'd taken long sleeved nighties I was roasting and so uncomfortable)

Second time around, I was in hospital for a full total of 6 hours. I used barely anything! I went home in what I wore in... fresh undies obvs, an outfit for baby, couple of nappies etc.
So my biggest suggestion is to pack one "immediate bag" and a bigger bag in the car for staying overnight as it was a right pain routing through everything!
Also, flip flops for a shower. I didn't bother with my own towel as it looked like a murder scene, so better to ruin their towels.
My own pillow was amazing when I stayed with my first.
Lip balm... and a chocolate bar and bottle of coke for a few hours later when you finally want aaaaall the sugar!

So dry, so hot.

Take a nice big water bottle too as the hospital will only give you tiny cups.

During the labour itself I actually left all my bags in the car. I wandered in and was convinced since it was my first time they would tell me I wasnt dilated and Id be sent home. In fact I was 5cm and ready to go. I was plopped straight in the pool. I'd watched all the videos and packed so carefully but when my DH said Ill nip out and get the bags I insisted he didnt leave me so I didnt have anything. The only thing I missed was my giant waterbottle with a straw.

For afterwards buy the adult nappies as the ones they give you are rubbish. Button down nightie, socks, long charger, headphones and sucky sweets.

I had a book and my laptop but didnt use them as I stared at the baby non stop or played on ny phone. Was in 1 full day and night with 1hr of visiting allowed.

@Liveafr So dry and hotter than the sun 🤣 All the breathing too! I used gas and air as my pain relief and it made my lips horrendously dry.

@Username24680 thanks, that's good to know !

I've got my list ready so I'll copy it here:

Big water bottle with straw
Handheld fan (giving birth in May)
Extra long phone charge cable
3 x button down nighties in black
2 x nursing bras
5 x big black knickers
1 x pack of maternity pads
Nipple cream
Spritz for bitz
Comfy going home outfit
Flip flops for shower
Mini shampoo, conditioner and body wash
Flannel
Toothbrush
Mini toothpaste
Mini face wash
Face moisturiser
Body moisturiser
Hair brush, hair bobbles and a claw clip
My own towel from home
Perineal bottle
Perineal cooling pads
My own pillow
iPad with episodes of a series on just in case I'm in for a while
Earphones

I missed lip balm in case lips get dry from gas & air and also mascara in case I feel like putting any on upon leaving (I doubt it!) 😂