I have started to pack my bag...

[ALovelyBunchOfCoconuts]

Can someone tell me if I have forgotten anything?

I know there have been so many threads about this but just need someone to tell me to stop panicking!

So far I have:

Towel/flannel
Pants
Maternity pads (3 x 10pack)
Nighties x 2 for labour and one after
Jogging bottoms and vest tops to act as pjs for the ward
Toiletries - shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, toothpaste, face wipes, hairbrush, bobbles and clips (toothbrush will go in at end)
Carrier bag for dirties
Slippers
Socks
Phone charger.

Have I missed anything essential? I haven't started babys bag yet as I haven't washed any of the clothes yet, doing that this weekend. So far that has pretty much filled a small pull along case, like an air hostess has. Is that ridiculous? I'm going to have to have an extra holdall for baby things. I feel a prat going with 2 bags.

reading this thread makes me realise why we got funny looks in hospital - I had to stay in with ds three days after a 2-day labour, didn't bother putting any clothes on until the second-last day (luckily a moment before my dad unexpectedly walked in!), and apart from baby stuff almost all my bag was food! I left in the same t-shirt and skirt I'd arrived in.

The food and drinks were vital though - the hospital food was good but I tended to be hungry outside those times.

If your DH has ancient briefs you wish he'd get rid of, steal them to use for maternity pants - they'll be wonderfully soft and he won't want them back!

Sophe29 - I am planning to get out asap afterwards. If I can walk I'm going home. I had a two day stay with DD and this time I don't even plan on getting moved to the ward! I want my shower on labour ward so DH can stay with baby get dressed and go! I just know now that this will never happen and I'll be in for ages!

I'm not decided on whether to BF or not yet so Bf bras and nipple cream are on a maybe list. I really need to get thinking about that.

Elliotts - Have you not done your bag yet? I'm only doing mine this early as MW said he may come early and I don't want to get caught out and have nothing prepared.

Aitch - Thanks for that. I hadn't even thought about that rankness!! Definitely taking flip flops now!

And someone asked if I was due this month? No, not til October 1st. I'm preparing early!

Lavender Aromatherapy Oil - its fine for babies & will help both you & baby relax & sleep & a real blessing when you go off for that post labour bath

A diary or note book for your DP/birthpartner to keep notes - I wanted to strangle DH when he started scribbling away into the one he brought, but after the fact I was so glad he thought of doing it - you lose all concept of time, so it makes for interesting reading later - for example my 10 min trip to the loo where I got very cross because the midwife & DH where insisting I go back to the bed & I was comfy - was actually 4 1/2 hours

jut in case - a bottle of Spirulina tablets (great source of iron) - I lost a lot of blood, so my BP was very low & they wouldn't let me go home - I was in for a week until I realised that I needed Iron to get my BP back up, I ended up discharging myself after a chat with the nurse who agreed that the food they were giving me wasn't exactly iron rich - with hindsight taking Spirulina would have got me home much quicker,

& I would recommend flip flops over slippers, due to wet bathroom floors

Good luck

Ordinary comfy lounging clothes. I felt really silly walking around in my night shirt in the middle of the day when I wasn't il.
I felt vastly more under control the second I threw on my leggings and long top.

3 years ago MN recommended a black towel, as it shows less, erm, bodily fluids, when walking across the ward afterwards.

this time, I am also going to pack decent tea bags and a wee jar of Marmite.

I'recommned buying a spare cheap toothbrush now and packing it. You dont want to need to remember anything when the moment comes.

And some dried fruit to get you going again afterwards Snacks for DP too, you don't want him rushing off to the canteen and missing all the action.

Spare pillows. I bought a cheap-as-chips 4-pack from Argos, so I didn't care if any got lost (in the end, they didn't) or messed up in any way. They were so useful!
Food and drink, definitely.
Painkillers.
Something to read/listen to while you wait

Poundland has those aerosol water sprays in - I've got one in my hospital bag for if it's really hot (which there is a good chance it will be).

coconuts how on earth have you fitted all that stuff in a hostess style suitcase?? Mine was full after 2 packs of maternity pads and a pack of nappies! So have admitted defeat for now and dumped it all on the spare room bed....

Pink - the nappies are not in my case. I'm having a holdall for baby bits. Just my stuff in my case.

Left to put in are:

• Toothbrush (will buy a new one this week and just stick it in)
• bras
• more pads
• flip flops
• Water and snacks for me and DH.

If he wants spare clothes he can sort himself out

So baby stuff. I need:

• Vests - How many? How many of each size?
• sleepsuits - Same questions as above.
• Nappies
• Scratch mitts
• Hats

Brain has now gone blank....

Oh and pink I have bought travel size minis for my toiletries to save space and to save packing my normal stuff at last minute. So all toiletries are in the little zippy space, phone charger, carier bag and other miscellaneous little bits in that bit too.

In main part are pads, pants socks at one end, towel/flannel rolled up small hotel stylee, then nighties, joggers, tops etc rolled up on top.

The extra bits should all fit on top as case is v. stretchy.

All baby stuff shouldn't fill my holdall so I should have extra room in that bag for other luxuries that have been mentioned that I would like to take but could live without.

Get someone to bring you in a cool bag with decent fresh food and drink in it! The food in our mat. hospital was beyond grim. My DH brought in squash, fresh fruit, salads, chicken and biccies etc. I was very hungry breastfeeding twins! And couldn't bring myself to eat the grey sludge provided by the NHS!

I am really surprised at everyone's experience of crap food. When I gave birth 3 years ago to DD the food was fab and still was fab when i was admitted a few weeks ago. In fact, on the day of my discharge with DD, I refused to go home until I'd had my cooked lunch I'd booked!

On the post natal ward at my hospital, there is also a room available for teas, coffees, toast and fruit available all day long so will hopefully only be needing snacks for labour.

Really surprised actually that everyone elses experience was so grim.

Nope not yet coconuts !! you've made me think i should though, so have started making a list from this thread :)

i brought a foot spray with me coz i reckoned the ward/room (whichever was available) would be super hot!! i also recommend uploading your iron in anticipation of blood loss.. i lost 0.8l and my iron was 10.8 on leaving the hosp so not too bad :)

I've got sleepsuits with built-in scratch mitts - DD kept knocking normal mitts off which drove me mad. Mothercare and John Lewis plain white sleepsuits have built-in mitts for up to 3 months size I think.

Sorry, I skimmed the thread but I have the lovely job of seeing Mums when babies are a few hours old and the main thing they are worried they didnt bring in is baby nail clippers, do not underestimate how long their little nails are esp if past due date and they scratch their little faces once they discover how to get out of their mitts. (also phone chargers as prev mentioned, these are the top two I get asked to help with)

dont panic.

my dd was prem, i had flip flops, a book and dh's pj's (dont ask) with me when i got sent to hospital. we managed!

try not to stress, things will sort themselves out if you forget something. someone can nip to the shop/ fetch stuff from home if need be. not ideal, but dont worry too much.

some women had more stuff than i'd take for a month, some had less than me.

good luck

take an ipod though

and a camera

Water in a sports cap bottle, I found when I was at the gas and air stage of labour I got really thirsty, and only had access to little plastic cups of water, at that stage I didn't have the coordination to drink them, gravity wasn't working in my favour at that point!

re: baby stuff quantities, i have gone for 3 vests, 3 sleepsuits (built in scratch mits) and 3 hats. I think 3 hats is probably excessive, but my brain wouldnt let me decide which one I liked best, and they are very small! I also have one thin cotton receiving blanket,one cellular blanket, a pot of vaseline, and a packet of 20 newborn nappies.

In my "extra time" bag (which is left by the front door for someone to bring to me if needed) I have another set of 3 of everything (except hats!) and 20 nappies.

Take a towel and wash stuff for your OH as well - it is really hot and if you are there for ages he could have a quick shower. They don't encourage OHs doing that but if you get to a bathroom and he comes too...
I was given a ready mixed gin and tonic for my first one and packed that but I think I'd have thrown up if I'd drunk it ! Tea was much more welcome

Witch hazel and more maternity pads than you think you can carry

Get a multi pack of sport top water bottles. When empty can use one of those for squirting down there.

Also hospital water and those manky jugs-yuk. TAKE FOOD, postnatal ward survival. Also paracetamol. Wet wipes for you. Wiping with tissue + stitches =nooooo. Arnica tablets. Thought it [homeopathy] was all total shit, but actually they helped TONS.

Flip flops, leggings and baggy tops. Big lightweight wrap cardi. Great to throw on to see visitors/shuffle etc. More maternity pads than you think you need. I resorted to size 1 nappies when I ran out. Surprisingly effective and comfy!