REAL essentials for birth and immediately afterwards - come and help me with my list

[FrannyandZooey]

Most of the lists on websites etc are making me laugh with all the things they consider 'essentials'

what do you really, really, need?
so far I have got

maternity pads
breastfeeding pads
few baby clothes
nappies
cotton wool
somewhere to put baby eg moses basket, made up with sheets

if in hospital:
clothes for me to come home in
nightie(s)
towel(s)
toiletries
maternity notes

what have I forgotten?

I was recommended to take a small jug (bought today!) to fill with warm water and pour over any stitches when you have a wee, so that it doesn't sting

comfy comfy clothes - MIL bought me a sort of velour tracksuit thing (boak) - turned out to be the only useful thing she ever did - that first shower after birth with proper hair wash and everything, all clean and then into this comfy outfit felt so blissful I could almost forget my sore bits.

chocolates

leave in conditioner - maybe it's a PFB thing but I was too scared to spend long enough in the shower away from her to shampoo and condition

a digital watch - MWs kept asking me to fill in this chart thing with feed times - I had no idea what the time was at any point and had to keep looking for my mobile to check

this is a crap and random list sorry but I am waiting for my tea to cook!

oh - lucozade sport for the labour

car seat!

a sarong in case you have a c-section. I just took an old one I used to wear to festivals but found it really handy.

Earplugs are essential IME - if it wasnt tiny newborns desperately trying to feed all night (poor wee mites), it was their mums snoring loudly AAAARGH! For same reason IPOD worked well - could still hear DD as she was right next to me.

Put a lippy in your labour bag - very soon after you think you are looking at your very worst, people will want to start taking loads of photos of you!

Hi there. Didn't manage to get thru reading all replies so here's my tips, sorry if you heard them already!
HOSPITAL
2 flannels, 1 so dh can place on your face and 1 warm to hold on your lower bits coz it burns a bit and warm water will be soothing
Mirror just in case you want to see it
Biscuits and sandwiches, my hosp was rubbish at feeding me
Far too hot to wear bra so don't worry
Bath stuff
Make up, you'll prob want to do something to make self feel a bit normal
Clothes for bub
Camera
Think most hosp supply nappies and anitary pads now. Mine did
Nail clippers for baby
BATHROOM WIPES AS YOU DON@T KNOW WHO USED IT BEFORE YOU

Don't worry too much about at home coz you can sort all that when needed. Always handy to have nappy rash cream, just in case, lots of muslins as they are multi use, small tub of formula even if plan to bf, just in case. Better to be prepared.
GOODLUCK Xxx

Also, save yourself some £ and don't buy disposable knickers, complete rip-off. Get down to primark as they sell knickers for about £1

ditto no paper knickers, treat yourself some cotton ones from Primark etc

wipes (remember with dd1 struggling with massive meconium poo that was just not shifting with cotton wool and water whilst doctor waited patiently in background. How they ever deemed me competent to look after small baby shall never know).

Definately food!

flip flops.

More pads than you think its ever possible to need.

Black legging/pjs if you are kept in for longer, so if you have a bit of leakage (tmi I know but this was my experience), you haven't got to traipse down to the toilet with a leakage for all to see on the back of your nightie.

goood luck

I used this lot:

clothes with lots of room but not like big sacks
old black knickers
breastpads
nursing bra
nice moisturiser
shampoo and hairbrush
towel
toothbrush and paste (although it took me hours to remember to use them - yuk!)
big pads, plus use as many of the hospital ones you can, they are fab and HUGE
comfy clogs to pad around, go to loo etc
2 muslins
some little clothes for the baby
little blanket
a few nappies too!
camera
phone
apple juice in little cartons
fruit
raisins
paracetamol (although when I said I had my own MW looked at me very sternly and said NOT allowed!)
eye-liner and lipstick - MW kept whispering how amazing I looked as I walked out with my new son, I was glowing with happy hormones obviously, but make-up certainly helped make me look a bit more glam!

Oh yes, the funny bit was being told while in labour that I had to clear all this stuff back into my big bag ready to transfer to the delivery suite, as they couldn't keep a room for me!