Right. What do I need in my hosp. bag for a planned c-section?? Help me pack!!!

[WhipMeIndiana]

this is baby no. 2, but my first c-section.
What will I need??????????????????

thanking y'all in advance X

[MadBadandDangeroustoKnow]

This isn't about what to take, but try if you can to get into a smaller room. I was stuck for five days in a semi-darkened room because the woman in the bed next to the window wouldn't allow anyone to open the curtains. Also, I found an unplanned benefit of taking the Hello magazine which dh had bought me as a treat was that the nurses would ask to borrow it and then they were my best friends - when you're tethered by drips and a catheter, you need the nurses to be your friend!

[mummymusings]

oh yes madbad be lovely and nice to the nurses and they will be nice to you, fetch dinner, tea, drugs etc, and they do rather deserve it!

[devonblue]

Second lots of wet wipes...

[MadBadandDangeroustoKnow]

And twice as much san pro as you think you'll need. Don't rely on the hospital shop!

And plenty of flannels - I felt very hot for a couple of days afterwards and a nice cool flannel on the forehead was bliss.

[Sal22]

Scratch mitts for the lo. Ours scratched himself from the first minute and we forgot to take any. Luckily one of my first visitors brought some as a gift - couldn't have done without them.

[Martha200]

I second getting your own room if you can too. I couldn't book this but it was written on my notes in red captitals that I would like one, and if one is free they wont turn you down.. I paid one hundred notes for my stay of 3 nights, was much better than section one first time around with shared ward, meant less stress for me and I was able to concentrate on bfeeding without worrying about disturbing other mums with all the noise.

Recommend some chocolates for 3am when you are tired and have to feed too

[eidsvold]

I also found - paper towels for patting wound dry. Second or third the arnica tablets - did not take it with dd1 ( emergency and I did not know about it) took it with dd2 and 3 - fabulous.

I also took in tea tree oil - a few drops in warm water to bathe wound when dressing comes off - keeps infection at bay. So a few drops in a basin of warm water - wet paper towel - pat wound with wet towel, then pat dry with dry towel then chuck of course - helps wound heal.

peppermint tea or cordial is brilliant - keep up your fluids as much as possible.

get walking as soon as possible.

[gladders]

the whole thing does make you feel a bit icky, so anything that makes you feel more human is good - wet wipes, lip balm, nice toiletries, perfume, nice clothes etc.

you do need to be sensible so peppermint tea/apricots are a great idea, but do remember to dispatch people to the shop for whatever you fancy! I had been craving sushi for ages so dh was sent over the road to get takeaway yo sushi the second night - much nicer than nasty hospital food!

sorry - i know all a bit off topic but do remember to pamper yourself...

[lilQuidditchKel]

yes I'd agree chocs are almost as important as the arnica, peppermint tea, prunes & apricots!!

use wet wipes in the loo. much tidier and gentler that way (though you'll have to bin them rather than flush them, nappy sacks help with that).

i moved my feet as soon as I could feel them, just flexing, to help get blood moving. I was worried about thrombosis. I was trying to stand within 24 hours and am sure just that bit of mobility helped...

[mrsshackleton]

don't shave your bits, what's wrong with hair removal cream a couple of days before! You can leave a little landing strip, it's the top bit they're worried about near where the scar will be
Eyemask and ear plugs are essential!
Don't bother with stupid c-section recovery belts total waste of money, they're all lumpy under your clothes and do bugger all.I found being given voltarol up the bum also acted as a top laxative (tmi?) Good luck x

[mistypeaks]

Deffo the huge pants (up to your boobs if you can - you do NOT want your knicker elastic anywhere near your wound - I had to wear DPs boxers until I could get decent size pants - damn me and my impractical little thongs. I don't know what I was thinking)
Lavender Oil. A few drops in the bath helps to heal your wound and relaxes you and helps you sleep (added bonus it made my LO sleep well too).
Not so much what to take, but make sure the nurses put the call button close to you. Mine was on the beside table. I coudn't move to get to it and was desperate for a drink which I also couldn't reach.
Squash if you hate plain water. (Hospital squash is vile)
One of those feeding cushions. Babies always seem to want to lie on you wound to BF and I couldn't get the hang of lying down feeding for quite a while.
Flip flops for going into the shower/bathroom.
Keep a spare sanitary towel with you when you go to the loo, to press against your scar whilst you go. Or if you cough or sneeze. It just hurts less.
Again not one to take in, but be prepared. No-one told me this. When babies are born by C-section they don't get all the mucous squeezed out of their lungs. So at some point you will get a horrendous coughy/sicky/choky baby. It is quite horrible if you're not expecting it. Just be prepared to pop LO on their side to help let it out!!
If you're lucky like me, baby will do the first tar like horrible poos whilst you're stick hooked up to the drip. Which means DH or a nurse will have to change them .

[Word]

Don't try and move around unsupervised. I did, and got stuck with pain, and had to yell for help! Was stupidly attempting to change baby's nappy. With hindsight, I should have asked for help.

(Ask being the operative word - I didn't feel I was being treated like a patient. Considering I'd just had major surgery, this is bonkers). Don't feel forced to leave, before you're good and ready!

[hayley2u]

i had c section 9 months ago.
big knickers, matrernitypads(plenty of them). nighties as you ll have a catheta in, but also some pjs for when it omes out. i would take some painkillers in as they only give you paracetomal they day afteri take more f0r a bloody headache).
loads of mags,
make sure you put everything right necxt to bed as will be very painfull movng too much.

[Word]

I'd have prunes or similar before going in, too.

[hk78]

hello, i had a planned cs with the 2nd baby too

i packed

favourite cd, they said they could play it in the operating theatre (tbh it was over so quickly i dont even remember it being on)

arnica cream (but didnt use it cos i didnt want to put anything on the wound after all)

big pants that come higher than the wound

i would agree with hayley2u about taking your own painkillers in cos they try to give you only paracetomol: but i can't, cos the midwife told me that they had to know exactly what i've had for their records
(but i would , yeah!!)

if i was doing it again, i would getsome sort of grabber thing, for things that are just out of reach: where it's not important enough to call the mw, but you can't face the effort of moving to get it either (e.g.newspaper fallen on floor, lol)

before i went in, i cooked a load of veggie sausage rolls, stocked up on packs on fruitandnut mix, whatever is your favourite thing, got dh to bring them in bit by bit each day.

baby wipes, tea tree oil,lip balm/vaseline, make sure your pj's or nightie is DARKcoloured, one less thing to worry about

maybe some of those anti-bac wipes if you're worried about dirt, obviously that's something your visitors can do

don't know if you are supposed to shave yourself : i forgot, and when mw came in before the op, she jokingly told me off, got down on her knees and did it herself ,lol (oh the shame) as she said 'shall i do it in a nice heart shape for you?" lol

[Highlander]

Whipme - 'resting' reduces blood flow so impairs wound healing and increases your risk of DVT.

[Pinkjenny]

Make sure all the pj's and 'normal' clothes you take in with you have high waists, second the fact that you don't want ANYTHING even close to touching your wound. Even the memory of it makes me squirm.

[Jennifer08]

Best advice I was given without overwhelming with a long list of what to have:
BIG M&S COTTON KNICKERS! Do not take those big paper crap ones - you want COMFORT and to know they won't roll down on the incision - extra big and if they get bloody then bin then as they're not very expensive.

[Jennifer08]

Oh yea - and don't get a nice pedicure - they take the polish off to monitor blood flow so a waste of money.
Agree with previous comments to make sure your necessities (baby stuff - nappies, wipes) are near to hand.

[Martha200]

Um, just thought of something else.. not to take in, but when you go to the ward and get given something to eat, make sure you have one of the sick bowl things near you... I was taking it carefully but then I felt really sick, I buzzed, and waited, buzzed again then fortunately the water jug was nearby and vomitted madly into that.

A staff member came in just as I spewed to overflow, I missed the baby, but hmm I was soo embarrassed. The care assistants were fab, so just a warning, though you may not feel/be sick from the meds, be warned before you eat!!!

[WhipMeIndiana]

blimey lots more stuff there...

so you get to wear surgical stockings, eh?

must remember to remove toenail varnish, forgot that with dd..

I was so hungry after dd I ate a whole bag of dried apricots...had diarrohea which with my 3rd deg stitches was NOT fun, I may leave the dried fruit..

thanks for all this, it is really interesting. good to know about a potential baby-mucus incident too

[WhipMeIndiana]

I got some mahoosive knicks today from Matalan

[paddyclamp]

can't say the drugs made me feel sick!

get up and about asap. I was up within 12 hours and in the shower. They made me sit in the chair 4 an hour before they'd let me get on my feet but after that i never looked back.

shave urself! the ONLY discomfort i had from my section was a nasty shaving rash from bein shaved by the midwife!

[mollysawally]

The diarohea is much better than constipation, trust me its painful .. eat the dried fruit

[welshlinz]

Reading this thread with interest. Although not pregnant at the mo, I have been told next baby must be born via c-section.
This stuff sounds terrifying to say the least !! Big knickers, drips, cathaters ???
Got to admit, it all sounds really frightning.
One question to ask, how long will I need to spend in hospital after the section??. Already got 1 child so wouldn't like to be away too long !!