hospital bag

[Paddysmum]

Hi. I am 32 weeks today and beginning to think about packing my bag ready for hospital. Would appreciate any suggestions on the items I shouldn't be without!

best thing in my bag was the tapes we made to listen to on the tape player they provided in the labour rooms. the hours seemed to go by a bit quicker while listening to our favourite music.

were not was.

for baby i would only take vests and babygros, any other clothes can wait til you get home. and take more than you think you will need!

and also, take a million sanitary/maternity towels, and breast pads

and a mirror, cos they are like gold dust in hospitals

Plenty of snacks for DH/DP - and you if you are allowed. I remember the vending machine being broken and the cafe closed - poor Dh didn?t eat for hours and hours with DD1.
Lavender oil was great for me
I took some thank you cards and a pen with me so that I could get those done out of the way before I went home (being ridiculously organised...)
A bag of change for car parking and to buy a phone/tv card thingie.
Camera. Wish I had a little instant one. DH took his good one in but took it away to get the photos developed, wished I had a little cheapy to catch those precious early days moments when alone with the baby without worrying about losing an expensive camera.

painkillers.
Honest, all i got after dd2 was 2 paracetamol and they didn't really scratch the surface! (Don't worry though, it's worth it )

Eye mask so you can sleep when the lights are on.

Flash cleaning wipes as the loos are always filthy and you should wipe them down before you use them.

Extra pillow for comfort (Chelsea & Westminster had run out of pillows!)

Ear plugs!

snacks and drinks
I took 2 pillows which DH slept on for a bit
very light dressing gown

evian face spray - great for cooling down during labour
arnica tablets - (start taking them at the first contraction) to aid healing from swelling, bruising stitches etc.
glucose tablets - particularly if the hospitals policy is not to allow you to snack during labour
things to keep you entertained if labour is slow e.g. a pack of playing cards crossword puzzles etc

if poss pack 2 bags one for labour and one for you hospital stay (include baby's stuff in this one) then your dp can take the labour one home after the event making it easier to find things in hospital and less to carry out when you leave

Definitely a cleaner

A camera (if poss either an expensive digital, 35 mm or disposable as cheaper digitals cant always cope with flourscent lighting- learn how to set yours up first)

Again, LOADS of sanitary pads- proper maternity ones (Asda and Mothercare are great) coz thery're made softer, leave the ordinary ones for when you get home

Snacks like dried apricots to keep up the fibre

Lippy for photos

A few nighties- blood stains! Get all the others clean and easy to find too, just in case you have to stay in and DH ends up bringing a ten year old minging one!

Carrier bags for the dirty baby gear

oh and make sure you have an outfit to go home in (prob will still need maternity wear) i was planning to wear the outfit i arrived in (changed into a night shirt when i arrived) but when it came to leaving discovered dh had taken it home the night before so had to send him home for clothes, i don't know about your's but mine is hopeless at choosing clothes for me

A notebook and pen. It's nice to make little notes (if you're up to it) of how you feel, although if truth be told, you should spend any quiet moments like that trying to get some kip! I found the face sprays etc annoyed the hell out of me during labour and the most useful thing of all was tons of change for carparks/telephones. Remember how HOT the wards are. I packed winter pyjamas and reeeeely regretted it. Also, don't feel you can only wear nightwear through the day. It can make you feel more human to wear loose trousers/cotton shirts etc. You'll be really thirsty, so a good supply of your favourite mineral water and boiled sweets for energy helped me through.
With my first labour, I took in three books (I must have thought I was going to a hotel for a few nights....) The midwife thought it was hilarious. You won't need them!

lots of huge cheap granny knickers for afterwards (not disposable knickers, they are horrible - esp if you have a caesarean, as they will rub on your scar).

loads of maternity/sanitary pads (ordinary night-time ones are enough after the first day or two)

put the baby's first clothes somewhere really obvious so that your DH can find them

disposable camera is an excellent idea.

I spent ages compiling a collection of CDs for labour, then couldn't bear listening to anything during contractions. Take an iPod or walkman or something for the postnatal ward though - handy if you are awake feeding the baby during the night.

sarongs are nice and airy on a hot postnatal ward. I'd put loads of weight on just before ds was born and you retain a lot of water in the days after the birth, so my sarong was pretty much the only thing that fitted at that stage.

do you know the thing I wished I'd taken the most was a mirror (as someone else has said). When I'd just given birth I really wanted to sort myself out (shallow I know!) but there wasn't a mirror in any of the bathrooms there. I'm 29 weeks now and won't be forgetting to pack one this time round

nappies and sleepsuits. Not just the fancy going home outfit like me....

moisturiser, soap, lavender oil, tissues, arnica tablets

Flip flops for wearing on the ward and in the shower...

FOOD

Had quick birth so all the music, games etc stayed in the bag but the snacks I had taken in for labour kept me going for only first few hours of the stay. I was STARVING and lived on Twixs and Ribena for first 24 hours - all that energy you use to get the baby out needs to be replaced somehow.
Going for a homebirth this time and a full fridge

"v" shaped cushion was a godsend if you've got one. Also a little teddy for his cot as the goldfish bowls are a bit boring

I know this is sooo sexist - but make sure dh or dp can work your washing machine!! I was in for 5 days and only had 2 nightshirts which kept getting milk leaks and blood on them and not enough clothes small enough for ds! Every day I sent dp home with a bag of washing!

Put all babies new first outfit in a little bag so dh cant lose part; he dressed ds3 then we went for our bath, when we got back we found he ahdnt out a cardie on ds3 so baby was under a grill unit to warm him up!

It WAS midsummer and we had been keeping boys cool at home rather than warming them, I think dh forgot that new babies get cold easily.

Toilet roll, in case your unit like mine only has the scratchy stuff, no bidet, and you have stitches.

A favourite baby book in case there is anything you want to look up.

A watch.

Lots of money for phones- some units now have those media centres with e-mail etc which take five pound notes in a voucher machine rather than change.

The lady in the bed next to me swore by one of those v shaped cushions (infalatble might be more practical?), so that was a good idea back there.

Check what the hospital supplies. Mine did not supply ANYTHING. Not even cotton wool & a bit of baby bath oil to wash baby with.
Also get diff sizes of bodysuit/sleepsuits (don't need loads of each) cos there's a huge difference & some newborn sizes swamp a 7lb baby.

If you live near enough for your dp to get to shops then just get the minimum and focus on you & the labour.

Good luck

Sorry keep thinking of things!

Can you borrow a small baby sleepsuit just in case, amazing how many babies don't fir into new baby suits as last post says. I ended up with hundreds of new baby suits and a 5lb baby!! Blinkin nightmare, baby kept gettinga rms lost inside.

I took a litre bottle of water, straws (so that I could drink lying down - didn't actually work brilliantly) and Fybogel because I was so paranoid about constipation or any kind of painful experience down there postnatally.

Don't know if they made any difference but I had no trouble at all or pain with 'movements' despite a 2nd degree tear. ds was literally 30 mins old when I said, 'right, pass me that bottle' and started on the water.

A friend took concentrated apple juice which she was allowed to sip on during labour.

Pack 2 bags, take one in with you in anticipation of a straightforward labour and maybe an overnight stay or 6hr stay. At home leave another bag for the if I need to stay a couple of days, more nappies, clothes for baby etc.
Means your dh won't be trying to find stuff or pack for you.

Dependent on your birth partner you may wish to label the bag(s) and put a list of contents

Trying to tell DH where my grotty tshirt for labour was once I had been given pethedine was not easy!