Hospital Bag

[ChaCha]

Where did you buy yours? Or what did you use?
Any suggestions? Links for good bags?
(Am a big bag fan!)

When did you start getting it ready?

Any suggestions of things to pack that aren't usually on the checklists?

tbh,I didn't eat at all throughout labour! Think I forgot !! What I found useful though was gloucose sweets as listed below and bottles of loucozade..mw did keep checking on the amount i was drinking though so beware, don't think you are meant to have too much high energy drinks.
I also bought those Tesco value knickers and they were brilliant! Think they are even cheaper now..around 60p so even better!

I packed LOADS and didn't really use much. My labour was just over 10 hours and at the time it seemed to last 5 mins..???! Didn't seem to have time for anything not even diary writing !
I got my bag ready at 28 weeks! They were bought from next (logo holdall):similar to these
I bought the small one for the delivery room and the larger one for the ward.

I had so much that I had a case plus a bag!!!

Most things have been mentioned.Cold drinks are a must for labour and arnica to be taken after.It really helps the healing and my midwife says she wished everyone took it.Also id bottle feeding,disposable bibs.My first was sicky and hubby was backwards and forwards for 5 days (c sect) with dirty washing

Make sure you take your TENS machine!!

I approve of enormous lists as you may use almost none of it but boy it's annoying if you don't have it.

1. Details of your hospital's policy on amenity rooms, in case you need to stay, the ward you're on is preventing you getting any sleep, and a private room would help. E.g. at our local hosp there are amenity rooms that are about 40 a night but they are allocated on a needs basis, or you can bankrupt yourself by booking a single room ahead for £336 a night.

2. Fybogel (from the chemist's), litre bottle of water and Tommy Tippee child's beaker so that you can drink lying down. Nip any constipation in the bud. Remember that any painkillers will tend to constipate you even if your diet is fabbo (by which I mean take the painkillers, just take action!)

3. Card in your wallet with all the breastfeeding support lines on it. On the principle of taking an umbrella so it won't rain. You DON'T need to be looking for these numbers with a new baby.

hope all goes well!

Definitely get Tesco value knickers or similar that are so cheap that you don't mind throwing them away if necessary. Forget paper ones, they are so scratchy with tight elastic (for me at least!) unless you like the sound of rustling of course!
Also my heavy bleeding made me really squeamish at first, so each time i changed I just threw pants and pads in a nappy sack til things calmed down a bit. I know it's a bit wasteful but it helped me cope those first few days after the birth.

I cannot stress how important flipflops are! The showers are yukky yukky yukky and a cheap pair to walk around in (instead of slippers on their dusty floors) which can be thrown or disinfected once home is a must. I didn't have any with ds, but told all my pg friends since to take some and they've been really thankful. Just about to pack my bag (34wks) and I think the antibac wipes & hand towel/flanels are two great tips I've just picked up from here.

Also, with regards to baby, they (hosp mw/nurse) will use johnson & johnson chemicals on their lovely fresh newborn skin, which IMO is way too harsh. Either just use water or buy a mild organic baby shampoo for their first water experience!

People seem to have most of it covered, but I really recommend the following:

Eyemask - very useful as it is never dark enough on the wards to sleep, with people being admitted in the middle of the night etc.

Earplugs - soft foam ones. - You can still hear your baby cry if he or she needs a feed in the night, but cuts out background noise ie: other peoples babies crying & nurses clomping up and down the wards in really loud shoes grrr .

Good Luck!

I took my own pillow & pillowcase in, which is really comfy if you're going to be in hospital for a while. And lots of water!

I took a nice leather photo frame with a picture of my partner and son in and also a nice cushion from my comfy sofa to remind me how lovely it will be to be at home (esp when you are stuck on a noisy ward!!)

There are some really invaluable tips here..think i need a bigger bag!

Firstly...congrats on your pregnancy!!U'll love it!!My boy is 13months old and I remember it so well!! Dont worry about the bag...anything you forget cant be that important...or you would remember!!If it is important it will be easy to get hold of...trust me...you wont care if its not the night dress you picked or the best sandwich in the world!! Just enjoy it for what it is...its not meant to be glamourous, or as perfect as you imagined, however, it will be VERY special....whatever is in your bag. Good luck xx

Bottles of STILL orange lucozade drink- Great for sipping in labour if you feel sick, and better still to revive afterwards! I drank loads. Also took lots of snacks of twiglets and cereal bars as I knew the hospital food would be few and far between ( was admitted for 2 very long days at 36 weeks)
Treated myself to expensive toiletries so I felt even more special having a shower.
TENS machine and spare batteries- I needed them too!

Just packed mine (37+ weeks) and realise I have forgotten pads.

I'm not bothering with night-clothes this time because last time there was so much blood that I just sat naked or in old tee-shirts all the time. Everything seemed to be covered in it!?!?!?

DRINKS and FOOD are MOST important - I was also STARVING after a nearly two-day labour and was offered nothing to eat!!!

Also PARACETAMOL, so important - you will need it after the birth!

Two tips - (1) disposable knickers are horrid and more expensive than M&S black cotton knickers (£5 for 5 pairs I think) which are more comfortable and you can still throw away afterwards if you need to and (2) don't bother with maternity sanitary towels, they are horrible and bulky and in my experience anyway Allways Ultra (with Wings!) Night sanitary towels were just as efficient and much much more comfortable. You will be so paranoid about them leaking anyway that you'll be changing them every hour or so !

Oh and one more thing - first labours can be short and quick and you may not have time to use the birth ball, eat dried fruit, listen to music, drink ribena etc etc, I can remember being a little bit disappointed that all those well made plans had gone out of the window (was only in hospital for 2 hours before dd was born!)

Good luck everyone!

Very true jotc13: and on a similar note, first labours can be SLOW and PAINFUL and again you won't give a toss about cans of peaches (I think that's a joke?! ) or music... I had lots of CDs and snacks prepared for my first labour but it was 27 hours and during that time I felt too sick to eat anything and any music just irritated me and made me want to throw things (maybe that's what the peaches are for?).

Dont forget to take a pen, my hospital is fantastic, (also very very clean which is brilliant) but everytime i had to write the meal required forms out i never had a pen, and the MW's were busy to ask (for such a little thing anyway) so i recommened a pen, and paper for just dodling on,
Ive just had to go in for 48hrs obs and this is one thing i wont forget when its time lol

disenfectant wipes
flipflops
money
squash (fizzy drinks are nauseating and I got sick of water).
diary - the drugs are wonderful but amnestic (I had a CS). It think I would remember little of my time in hospital without them.
cushions/pillows galore - the more you can use to wedge yourself in then the more comfy you will be.
radio - I found that the drugs made it too hard for me to concentrate to read. Radio4 was a lifesaver.
Definitely cheap cotton knicks as opposed to paper disposables.

Definitely do the cleaning wipes - essentially for cleaning the bath/shower/loo before you use them.

Would also pre-freeze small bottles of mineral water and then just remember to grab then out of the freezer on your way to the hospital - ensures you have a good supply of really refreshing cold water during your labour.

Take bendy drinking straws - if your trying to give birth on all fours - it's far easier to drink out of a bottle using a straw rather than have to change position to ensure you get some liquid.

Trying to give birth on all fours? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!! Mummmmmmm!

Cha cha - intrigued as to why you 'eeek'd' at the concept of birth on all fours?

I found a hotwater bottle really useful during my first labour. There are times when you feel shivery and cold and times when your back aches. The hottie was great both times.

A face flannel was great too to put on a sweaty forehead.

Rescue Remedy, frankinsense and clary sage oils to sprinkle on a tissue and inhale. Frankinsence is very grounding and helps with your breathing and clary sage is very relaxing but it also helps you focus for all that pushing.

I found throwaway knickers great, simply because you can just throw them away! And mothercare maternity pads are by far the best. They are comfortable and soft to sit on. They are bulky, but it didn't matter in the least to me. I was hardly wearing them under my leopard print trousers!!

Another tip is to soak some maternity pads in some witch hazel and boiled water, some in fresh ginger steeped in boiled water and some in brewed up and strained chamomile flowers (sold in Neils Yard and other health stores). Put each pad in an individual freezer bag and freeze. When you get home from hospital, take a few bags out and pop them in the freezer to defrost. If you have stitches, they are supposed to be wonderful to use. Very soothing. Read about this in a book, so am going to try it this time around. Baby due tomorrow so I had better get brewing!

Good luck to you all.

Daisydot, I can just imagine ds1's face when he opens the freezer for an ice pop....

I think a couple of blankets for the baby is a really good idea, my hospital had run out so dd just had a towel. I'd also take plenty of babygrows and vests, dd had swallowed alot of mucus (long labour - but not unusual apparently) and kept sicking this up for the first 24 hours, kept having to change her clothes and had to send dp and my mum off to buy more. I'd also recommend Purdeys for after, its a great energy drink with lots of vitamins too, and chocolate has to be essential! Good luck!

I would also add - don't take too much!!!
I took loads when I went in for DS1 - especially food but then they wouldn't let me eat anyway
My DH spent most of the first few hours carting all my stuff around with him as I was moved around so much. Don't forget that you partnere can get more stuff from home for you later although you must pack this yourself or you will end up with really weird stuff - I asked DH to bring in some clothes for me and he brought the shirt I'd last used to paint in... god knows where he found it!