stupid hospital bag question

[Tinkerisdead]

if i pack a labour bag and a seperate ward bag, which do i put my toiletries/clean nightie in? This is my first baby and have no idea how soon or where i actually would get a shower etc?

I know its a bizarre thing to think about especially as im planning a homebirth but still... humour me!

these are all recommended my Mners on hospital bag threads and all are deemed essential by people..

In bag:

Tshirt/nighty to deliver in
socks
a hairband
Toiletries esp deodorant in trial sizes
Birthplan/pregnancy notes
Clean nighty for ward
dressing gown - dark coloured, but lightweight fabric
big dark knickers
slippers/flipflops for showers etc
nursing bra
maternity pads
dark towel
breast pads
babygro
vest
cotton wool
muslin
nappies
nappy sacks
and disinfectant wipes for the nasty blood splattered toilets....

In bag in car - going home outfits, extra nappies, vests, baby gros, outfit that you'll fit into if on ward for longer, snacks, squash, any other bits that you might need if in for a couple of days

ha ha cmotdibbler, you've stolen all my snacks and drinks for labour!!!!
And what about my rocking music and pillow!!!! you have however provided socks, i will add them to the massive list

for labour - polos and lipbalm (not that I had time to use them this time)

Personally, by the time I was in labour I couldn't have given a flying feck about snacks, drinks, music, lipbalm or anything else - was just concentrating on the job in hand. Think I did suck some ice at one point. But didn't have an epidural, and laboured from approx 9pm (on my own on the ward as had been admitted after waters went, and can't actually tell you when contractions started, but was found labouring at 10.30) to 6am.

agree with cmo's list, but you need chocolate and something to drink. I only wanted iron bru which was weird as I usually hate the stuff.

do not rely on hospital vending machines.

Oh, and a couple of blankets for the baby. The NHS ones, ime, were horrible.

don't see why you need your own pillow tbh - the nhs does have loads of pillows andimo it's best to get home before nightfall anyway

yes ilovemydog, i had a need for fanta (can't remember last time i had fanta...) and a mars bar

i had v long epidural last time and wasnt allowed to eat hence polos, also make you taste nice when youve thrown up. i wanted lipbalm and water this time but as you say was too concenrated/quick to ask. music was good for early contractions first time... thing is, everyone deals with the pain differently too. So maybe thinking about how you deal with really bad period pain (ie do you get really hot? do you need distraction? or do you just focus on the pain and need nothing?)

I'd agree with comments about food - you don't know how long you'll be there and you don't want to have to worry about going to the shop/not being able to find exactly what you want. IME the less you can take the better as there's enough to carry/remember when you take the baby home. When I had DS4 recently the midwive said I asumme you want to be out in the minimum 3 hours as I had such a small bag (she was right but I wouldn't recommend it for DC1). There were maternity pads galore and she gave me so many to take home that I still have the ones I bought unopened.

I've been warned to bring (dark) towels with me as south London hospitals are like cheap hotels - you get one smallish towel and that's it.

And everyone I know who's given birth says take food with you. Although SIL2 got a lecture on eating her 5 fruit/veg a day after the nurse saw the empty jaffa cake boxes and crisp and flapjack packets (almost all eaten by her birth partners! But still necessary)

Dear Doctor's Wife and Cmotdibbler,, having had 2 completely different deliveries, (fast AND agonisingly slow) this is what i think if important to pack-

Sweet stuff - drinks, biscuits,chocolate, quality street - whatever is your favorite - you will have just run done a marathon equivalent and you need ENERGY fast.This coming from a committed health freak.

Paper knickers - sure you can wash your old pairs but you will get through them like nobodies business - take about 7 pairs.
Pads - strangely, Tena lady were the best, pack x1 pack

Slippers, nighty, dressing gown - I bought the most glamorous possible - why not??

Nursing bras x 2

Nappies x 16, wipes, bags

Toiletries
Spare towel
Baby blankets x 2 and muslins x 4, babygros x 4
Baby hat x 1
Change for phone

Comfy going home outfit.

Tens machine - if u want but massage and paracetomol SOOOO much better

WHAT YOU WON'T NEED
flip flops for shower - my hospital was clean and really, you have more things to worry about than verrucas
Delivery nighty - the hospital will have a gown
Breast pads - milk comes in about 2 days after birth, hubby can bring if ness.
Waterspray / own pillow / a fan - the hospital will accommodate

Birth plan - well it all goes out the window (cynical)

TAKE IT ALL IN ONE BAG
from my experience, 1 bag to 1 panic stricken man is all you can reasonably expect

If in doubt about the above re gowns and towels etc, track down mums who have given birth in same hospital as all are different.

GOOD LUCK
on the finest adventure of your life......

like you said, you are planning a home birth but it is good that you are still packing a labour bag. i'm planning a home birth too but will be packing one just in case. i am going to take a tour of the maternity ward so i can get a better idea of the layout and how things work there. i would suggest putting 'bathroom' things in one small bag that fits into the others. skin/hair care products, lip balm, sanitary pads toothbrush. all the things you would normally use in the bathroom. most important though, go through the bag(s) thoroughly with DH/DP and make sure he knows exactly where everything is in the bag.

SuzyQ excellent stripping down of the list and rational. PMSL at you have more things to worry about than verrucas.

I would say take 2 packs of maternity pads - I gave birth in the early hours of the morning and had to get dh to go home and get some that evening as I was going to stay in for one night and was bleeding so heavily.

As well as cereal bars etc as a snack I took a bag of prunes - don't laugh - I didn't want that first poo to be any worse than it had to be .

Definitely just take one bag but don't overfill it - by the time dh had rummaged through to find stuff he couldn't get it all back in and it was a pain to carry it up to the ward.

Definitely stock up on things like pads and nappies so you have a goodly supply at home - your dh/dp will be flapping far too much to go and buy the right ones...

When I was heavily pg with dd, I was in Boots browsing the baby things. A stressed looking chap with a very red face came up to me with a packet of maternity pads in one hand and breast pads in the other, and said "Excuse me, I hope you don't mind me asking, but which ones are for, errr, ummm down below? My wife has just given birth and sent me out for some!"

Leave anything you thing you might need, inlcuding the clothes you want to wear to leave hospital, but don't want to take with you in a neat pile where your dh/dp can't possibly miss it - my dh would be hard pushed to find a clean bath towel, and we've only lived in this house for 5 years .

I took my own pillow after a few MNetters recommended one on a thread very similar to this but 18 months ago!
I found it lovely to have an extra pillow to lie/lean/kneel over etc that felt nice when I was in (very long) labour and reminded me of home.

Definitely take lip balm

Take some water bottles that are the sports kind, so you can drink if lying etc, easier than straws. I also kept two of mine in the freezer so I had lovely cold water for a while (unfortunately didn't stay frozen for required 30 hours!)

good idea to keep toiletries in separate little packet so DH can find them. I had an urge to brush my teeth after about 20 hours in labour and wash my face etc.

I took CD's and massage oil and they didn't even come out of the bag, but take them anyway just in case

keep some spare piles of clothes for you and DC at home where DH can find them in case you need more, and this also means that your DH won't be left to his own devices and turn up with going home clothes that you haven't worn for 9 months and cannot fit into

I packed on the assumption that Dh could get more nappies/clothes etc when needed, so filled my bag with things that would make me feel comfortable during labour.

One last thing, I had emerg section, so the first time that DS had his nappy put on was by the nurse, so was glad I'd packed all DS's stuff in a separate compartment, so nurse wasn't having to rifle through my knickers to get to the nappies etc as I was stuck on the bed giving directions!

I found a strange fascination with packing and repacking my hospital bag and making numerous lists so i could tick things off! Good luck!

Don't assume they'll provide towels, sanitary towels, nappies, cotton wool etc - my hospital didn't - is it a South London thing?

My lo needed changing every couple of hours so I'd say that a 28 pack of nappies would last 2-3 days (which is way longer than anyone wants to stay in hospital).

I had an elective C-section and took a bag for me and bag for baby - which made it easier for MW and DH to find things when we were in recovery. The top things in the baby bag were a nappy and sleepsuit for once dressing was appropriate.

Most important - pack small make-up essentials! sounds vain, but just as you're looking the worst ever, people will all want to start taking photos of you! I packed lipstick, mascara, comb etc. and believe me, I was so pleased I had the foreisght when I saw the photos a few days later!

Contrary to what SuzyQand2 says, don't assume that hospital will provide a fan - mine didn't but we took one with us (had left it in the car initially. Hospital very unhappy with us for wanting to use it but it was 35 degrees in the post-labour ward - am definitely taking it this time.

Also, I'd take flip-flops - not to avoid verrucas but to avoid blood and urine and whatever other shockers some mums think it's acceptable to leave on the floor of communal loos and bathrooms.

try and keep it to a minimum.... i had a HUGE bag going in for ds and really struggled to find what i needed without unpacking the whole thing.....

my top tip would be to use some of those clear toiletry bags - one for nappy/first vest/babygro) and a second for the critical toiletries (wipes, lip balm, shower gel, whatever) - makes them easier to grab....

This has been really useful for me as I'm packing my bags this week & needed reminding despite doing it twice before

Last time I took sepia and pulsatilla with me and the pulsatilla really helped with the fluctuating hormones. I did take arnica, but can someone remind me what it's for in tablet form and when to take it. I'm hoping to have vaginal birth again but is it helpful for section too?

arnica is good for bruising and trauma.

The mention of fans reminded me: my local hospital won't let you plug your own appliances into the mains. So make sure you take spare batteries for anything electronic you take with you.

I would take two bags - one for you and one for baby. I took one and by the end it had dirty and clean stuff in or at least as others have suggested, put things in seperate bags in one big bag.

A clean pair of pyjamas if you're going to stay in is lovely - I gave birth in water but put one pair on afterwards & it was lovely to have a proper shower the next day and to have fresh pjs to change in to.

The spray water things you can get are brilliant (Evian do one) during labour.

Remember some straws too - some of the positions you get in make it very hard to drink!

I agree with Chelsie about the make up. In the photos it looks like I put it on with a trowl but it made me feel better!

Flip flops and a change of pants, t shirt etc for your partner and maybe even somethign to eat.

I ate dried apricot throughout my labour for some energy but would advise big meals with pasta etc in the run up to your due date.

Good luck!

I've been told to take flip-flops as even if you manage to get a room with en-suite that's sparkling when you get there, by the time you've given birth there's fluids and gunk of all sorts everywhere and knowing it's yours doesn't make you want to tread in it...

And battery-operated fan as you won't be allowed to plug in electrical things.

Friend recommended about four cheap pillows in ugly pillowcases (so they know you aren't stealing theirs!), plus piles of food, nappies, old pants and large nightshirts. Sounds like a plan to me...

Not going to repeat the obvious but I would tell every first-timer to take a TENS - worked incredibly well for me but does not for everyone, but worth a try.
Evian spray was fabulous when I was boiling hot in labour.
Presumably they would clean your ensuite bathroom though after you have given birth - I would take some kind of footwear in any event.