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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

First night in hospital: what do you wish you'd done/brought?

79 replies

ethicsgirl · 30/08/2009 12:38

For dc2 I want to be a bit more prepared as I had a horrible time with ds1. I spent the night in a ward with noisy women, ate vile food and hardly got a wink. Looking for suggestions of what might improve my stay this time round. I felt so lonely and anxious last time.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

ruddynorah · 30/08/2009 12:40

i would ask if there were any other free beds apart from the one opposite the bathroom they gave me. i'd even pay for a private room to get away from the noise.

Mamazon · 30/08/2009 12:41

MP3 or a DS or something. and a really really good book.

oh and some biccies or pre packed sandwhich or something to eat as the food is awfull normally and i seem to give birth during the night and im always hungry at the wrong times for the meal carts

MrsMattie · 30/08/2009 12:46

Eyemask thingy for when they insist on putting the strip lighting on at silly o'clock.

Biscuits & yummy treats - a good stash of them for breastfeeding fuel.

Magazines / a good book

HidingFromTheDM · 30/08/2009 12:47

I'll second that mamazon. I wish I had taken a book. My darling DD slept right through the first night on the ward, but I'm convinced she was the only person to do that. I was awake all night and would have murdered someone for a book, some biscuits and a pot of tea!!

Aside from all the essentials you probably already have on your list, I would add:

a book or two
biscuits
juice
mp3 player and headphones
EARPLUGS!

Original poster

ethicsgirl · 30/08/2009 17:49

thanks for theses suggestions. next time i will be better preapred. a private room sounds like the answer. does anyone know if hospitals ever take your baby away for a couple of hours so you can get some skip in the style of old fashioned hospital nurseries?
not very cool, i know, but it was the kind of thing I dreamt of when i had dc1

OP posts:

nappyzoneisback · 30/08/2009 17:59

eye mask defo - would skip the earplugs as i managed to sleep through dd waking up the entire ward anyway while the sister looked for the perputrator then shook my bed silly and gave me a rolicking for not hearing my child.

scroobiuspirate · 30/08/2009 18:00

my dressing gown

SpawnChorus · 30/08/2009 18:02

Definitely some food! I've given birth in two different hospitals and at "reasonable" times of day (afternoon/early evening) and I had to literally beg to get any food. I managed to get some tea and toast immediately after DD, but because I'd been in labour for 36 hours I hadn't signed up for supper. I eventually managed to scrounge a left over ham sandwich at about 10pm (I don't usually eat meat ).

Then with DS I had to wait for about 5 hours to even get the tea and toast, and then had to wait until morning for breakfast.

God I was SO hungry!

So yes, TAKE FOOD!

PleaseMrsButler · 30/08/2009 18:10

Maternity pads.....I had none for my first night after having DTDs...

Tamlin · 30/08/2009 18:13

I took a journal although I'm not usually the journalling sort, and wound up writing through most of the night (in between fits of bawling). Can't read most of it now, but it made me feel better at the time.

I think I will be packing ipod with good earplugs this time - last time DS never cried all night but the other babies kept yowling and I kept leaping up thinking it was mine.

yomellamoHelly · 30/08/2009 18:36

Pillow and nice blanket. Have never found hospital beds very comfortable/welcoming place to relax in. (With dd literally had no sheets on bed after giving birth and waiting to go for 7 hours.) Defo ear plugs. Otherwise music and choice of reading matter. Also second/third/whatever lots of food and drinks.

FlyMeToDunoon · 30/08/2009 18:43

Nice post birth friendly bath stuff, shampoo and body lotion. I was dying for a bath the morning after and had brought nothing.
I say food too.I finally got cream crackers and dairylea at around 3 am after a nice nurse rootled in the fridge.

Toppy · 30/08/2009 20:24

Wish I has sent DH home. We were lucky enough to be placed FREE OF CHARGE ! in a spare single room which had a pull out bed for DH to stay the night. He snored full volume all the way through and kept me awake all night. I was in a worse state the following night than immediately post birth

FrameyMcFrame · 31/08/2009 18:02

cold drinks

A bit contraversial but I took in a pack of dummies with my second DC. It meant that in the middle of the night after awful labour and no sleep for 36 hours and screamy baby keeping the ward awake I had something to give the midwives when they came round offering the formular top ups. which they did.

I then got 4hours uninterrupted sleep and went on to bf ok without the formular.
not for everyone but it worked for me

kathyis6incheshigh · 31/08/2009 18:12

Ethicsgirl, one of the older mws did that for me (took my baby away I mean).
I'd had a long labour then my (normally thoughtful but in this case overexcited mum) came to visit which meant I basically hadn't had any sleep for 4 days. I rang the bell despairingly in the middle of the night because I couldn't stop dd crying. She said 'So you want me to nurse her at the desk for an hour or so so you can get some sleep?' and I gratefully said yes please..... then woke up 8 hours later and she was gone! I went and found her in a little room next to the desk nicknamed the 'sin bin'.
Am v grateful to said old-fashioned mw. She did the right thing.

BlueSkyDay · 31/08/2009 18:21

antibacterial wipes so i could wipe over the toilet seat and sink myself before using the bathrooms as they were only cleaned once a day.

also mobile phone charger.

nice comfy dressing gown & slippers you can slip on, not ugg boots style in case you have any stitches, hope not for you though!

moosemama · 31/08/2009 18:43

I had a dreadful time in hospital with ds2 as I was supposed to be discharged within 4 hours but ended up being kept in overnight due to 'hospital policy' because of the time he was born and because his temp was low and took a long time to stabilise. I was totally unprepared and hated every minute.

First of all if you don't go for a private room, I would ask for a corner bed if there is one available. Last time I was in a bed opposite the entrance to another ward and felt totally exposed. This time I had a corner bed which meant I could look out the window, I had lots of space either side of the bed and had much more privacy.

This time I took:

my own nice big fluffy pillow and a soft shawl so that I was comfy lying down, reclined and breastfeeding (those metal framed recliners on the headboards are killers)
a pack of juice cartons so I had plenty of cool drinks (other than a warm jug of nasty tasting water)
a couple of cheap puzzle/take a break type magazines (useful when my brain wasn't working properly) and a good book
some granola bars, raisins and a couple of bananas and crisps as well as a nice big bar of chocolate (it was sooo good to eat the chocolate)

Having been on a ward where practically every baby except mine screamed for a lot of the night leading to some very stressed Mums, I might suggest getting to grips with a wrap sling and taking one with you, then if you do have a crier you can schnuggle him/her up and go for a wander rather than stress about him/her keeping everyone awake.

Now, if I could have just done something about the lady who was listening to the radio and talking full voice to her baby at 4 in the morning 2 bays down from me it would have been great.

juuule · 31/08/2009 18:50

Looking back I think that I didn't need anything other than I'd taken. Too wrapped up in the newness of everything with my first. Food was fine, rested when I could, talked to the other mums if we felt like, didn't if we didn't.
Didn't sleep a wink with the following babies. Busy either feeding or cuddling or looking at newborn.
Nope can't think of anything that I wish I'd done or brought.
Hope things are better for you this time round ethicsgirl.

lottiejenkins · 31/08/2009 19:05

My first night in hospital with ds2 I was very ill, I lost ds1 when he was born prematurely at 26 weeks. Within two hours of giving birth i was suffering with black sickness and diaroeugh(sp) It was truly horrific, like something out of a horror film (seriously) I was isolated into one of the rooms i was in before I had ds1 (because it was near the toilet) and put on a drip, ds2 was put in the nursery and bottle fed (I breastfed the next day). I spent the entire first night rushing with the drip(which made a noise similar to Marleys ghost in CC) to the toilet and back holding one of those grey bowls! (Not a recomennded first night)

nemo4 · 31/08/2009 20:34

I had both of my children taken by the nurses. It was great and I was so knackered I didn't feel bad about it. For me, it was the best thing to do for the baby, me and the ward! Mind you, DC2 was brought back as they couldn't get her to settle either. ( A definate sign of things to come!!) She would only settle if she was in bed with me - something I wasn't that comfortable with personally.
Things to take - have someone bring in a flask of coffee or tea.

moosemama · 31/08/2009 20:59

Ah yes, you've just reminded me. DH brought me a big flask of decaff coffee - so much nicer than the hospital dishwater.

oopsacoconut · 31/08/2009 21:02

Your very own pillows and DH brought some towels from home too - I was sweating madly and found myself sticking to the lovely plastic matrass so DH made me a layer of towels to sleep on. Also When DD was born I didn't have a clean t-shirt in the delivery suite so wore DH's shirt it was the most comfy thing and very cool, easy to BF in too.

Snacky food for those late night feeds.

ThingumyandBob · 31/08/2009 21:13

I ended up staying in for 48 hours post birth, grim. I wish I had taken:

Ear plugs.

Eye mask (I got so tired I put my dressing gown on my head I was so desperate to sleep)

I-pod

Note pad and pen (very geeky and practical, but there was loads medical info re baby being throw at me that I needed to remember, very tricky when half asleep.

Was very glad to have however: homemade chocolate brownies, tin of, from my best friends mum, life saver, huge stack of cheap £1 a pair M&S pants, slippers and my mobile phone!

Mummygoesohh · 31/08/2009 23:27

I took my Christmas Cards to write with me... well it was December!
I found my Evian facespray was great for freshening up. And my scented pillow spray..
I also took a packet of value knickers as opposed to paper pants- muchmore comfortable and at 99p for 3 pairs, about the same price.

kittykittybangbang · 01/09/2009 11:47

Why is it so noisy on those wards? In my experience it wasn't babies that kept me awake but other people. The next time I go I'll definitely take ear plugs and an eye mask.

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