Desert island disks: what was the one thing you wished you had packed....

[helpivegottogivebirth]

Hi everyone -

am due on the 6th June. Am getting bag sorted finally after a long period of denial.

Anyway, I have a question:

What is the one piece of equipment/thing/luxury item that you have packed in your bag, that isn't on all the obvious lists?

Or if you've been and done it all before, what was the one item you wished you'd packed?

i used NOTHING out of my bag last time except my giving birth t shirt and pads obv

Ditto MOM - except the bendy straw which I couldn't have been without as was in too much pain to move at all and was clinging onto the gas and air for dear life so needed to have little sips of water.

Good luck - I'm due today so am playing the waiting game with you at the moment

THis is going to sound ridiculous, but I wish I had taken cotton wool balls instead of a pleat - much easier for nappy changing.

Squash to put in the water.

I took my makeup bag and was glad I did - I had nail varnish in there, and could get my sister to repaint my toenails after emergence section!

I mocked the idea of disposable pants when someone gave me a box to take but was glad of them - I hadn't realised that, when your waters are broken, you continue to expel amnio fluid with contractions for some time after!

I'd also recommend packing a second bag at home with additional clothes for you and the baby incase of a longer than anticipated hospital stay - I had packed for a stay of 36 hours and was in 6 days. I had to write a detailed list for DH of clothes which were bf and c-section friendly, and he still ended up bringing some completely random items when he panicked and couldn't find what I had asked for!

had hosp bag on case, needed it after undiagnosed breech transfer for em c-s.

got DH to bring in:

• a pint glass (they only had piddly little things and i was THIRSTY!) - maybe find a plastic one?

• a decent pillow - the hosp ones were shite

• FOOD - they do not feed a bf woman properly in hosp!!
  'toast or cereal?' what??? both, all of it, then some more in a minute, lol!

• oh and money for the card/phone thingie so i could MN!

some nice cleanser,toner and moisturiser.it was tropical in there

going home clothes for me that fitted would have been good idea...had to send DH home for odd assortment of maternity stuff , I had packed a new top, which I thought was quite loose around waist so would be fine, didn't have clue just how much of the bump would still be there.

a nightie/dressing gown that I actually liked would have been nice, instead of the cheapest I could find because I resented having to buy stuff just for night or 2.

I second taking your own pillow - I've done that with all 3 of mine. I always put a brightly coloured pillowcase on it, so its easy to recognise as my own and I don't leave it behind.

If this hot weather is still continuing when you're in labour, you may want to put an electric fan of your own in your car, in case the hospital has run out as happened with my last DC.

I took an insulated sports bottle which DH filled up at the water cooler for me - the water stayed cold in the tropical conditions of the hospital.

I'd second snacks - flapjacks etc are great to have just an arms reach away!

I'm not sure a hospital would let you use your own fan as it would have to be electrical tested before use - ime (I work in a hospital) this can take weeks!

Food I had ds by csection at 11 am and was given nothing until breakfast the following day and then it was inedible just ceereal with warm milk - oh and water.
Don't bother with all the pretty outfits for the baby - just the easies to get on and off.

i used nothing! T-shirts and pads only

hospital was BOILING so didn't want make up on

this time we are packing a change of shirt for DH - he was there for hours in the same outfit and was feeling a bit eugh ...

Agree with decent snacks - dried fruit, packs of crackers etc though

take a biiiiiiiiiiig towel (dark colour for your bath), lavender oil, arnica (for bruising)

vaseline - for baby's bum, for your lips which may be dry and eyelashes (no need for mascara)

HAIRBRUSH and hairbands ...

Thanks everyone for your great ideas!

It's really nice to hear from people who've done it all before. Interesting that so many of you say you used nothing! I'm sure this bag packing/ticking off lists is just a diversion tactic...

But I do think the food thing sounds important - everyone seems to say they are starving afterwards but are only given a couple of slices of toast!

I'm investing in a microwaveable tupperware box, filled with spinach and ricotta filled pasta thingies, plus a jar of sacla pesto. I'll need something savoury after all the flapjacks/trackers/dextrose tablets.

Oh yes I hardly used anything from my large suitcase but then again I discharged myself the next morning .
Cold water if you can figure that out and I really fancied a really fresh fruit salad and got sis to bring one in from M and S.

I would say lip balm and hair bands.

Wanted to add, that this time my DH has packed himself his own little bag with a toothbrush & clean tshirt, pants & shorts as he got baked in his jeans last time & also spent some time sleeping on the floor. And also tons of crisps as although you are fed meals your birthing partner/s doesnt.

havent bothered with a towel this time as used hospitals last time & was home 6 hours after giving birth.

Second the suggestion of squash. I also would have loved it if visitors had brought fresh fruit or a nice cold smoothie instead of chocolate. Not to sound like an ungrateful cow but it was so hot that I just wanted something nice to drink rather than sweets.

Take way more pads that you think you'll need and a water bottle with a sports cap. Fill it with warm water and use to squirt on yourself while you wee after the birth.

Can you tell that weeing and pooing became my primary concern post-birth?

Good luck!

IwishIWasMoreOrganised - they did let me use my own fan. In labour and afterwards. Let's hope some stupid health and safety rules won't prevent me doing so when my next DC is born in a month or so, if they've run out again...argh!

Things I forgot to take this time which I really wanted;

a nice big towel for me and a towel for baby for his first bath

cranberry juice to help with the waterworks after being catherterised

Things i took with me but never actually used;

make up, I had this fantasy that I would be sittiing up in bed looking gorgeous for my visitors... in reality you really don't care what you look like by that point

too many outfits for DS,

lol at make up, nosleep - snap!

Those toddler toilet wipes really saved my life/fanjo - you don't really feel like dragging toilet tissue over the area for a few days, and you use so many at once you need the flushable type (normal baby wipes can block toilet up - doesn't go down well with mws!)

I also got DP to stick some sugar/pack of teabags/coffee in his bag for DC2 because delivery suites are often a bit stuck for supplies for partners and it doesn't hurt to get on their good side early on in proceedings by donating some

Snacks and drinks for while in labour.

Own pillow - the ones in hospital are covered with plastic (under the pillow case) and they make you sweat - it is far too hot in there...

Cool clothes for you to wear - you will still have a pg size bump - for afterwards on the ward. I hated sitting around in my nightie all day.

drinks drinks drinks - I just remember being so thirsty in labour, because of the gas & air, and poor DH could hardly bring me water quick enough either for me to drink or to pour over me and cool me down! So big pint glass (and straw??) and/or couple of water bottles would be good. We also had freestanding radio/ipod playing music, got REALLY familiar with it but at least it gave me something to focus on.

I had two home births but the things that stand out are camera (couldnt find it when DS1 was born) and baby bottom balm to put on baby's bum to make changing meconoum nappies much easier (I didn't do this either time but wish I had)....

Agree about taking a dark towel and also a dark, long t-shirt or three...

sorry, meconium even....

** more food for afterwards. i craved savory and starchy and could have eaten three samosas at two in the morning rather than just the one i'd packed. toast and snacky stuff won't cut it.

** a list of legitimate reasons for not discharging you. i was kept in for no good reason other than the admin not being a priority (baby born without intervention at 9.42am and both me and her fine) and had an awful night on the wards when we could have been at home. knowing what i know now, i'd've discharged us both.

good luck!!