hospital bag...

[kiki22]

When do i pack and what will i realistically need??

first time and don't wanna miss anything or end up with a load of stuff i don't need! help x

ScrummyYummyMummy Glad I am not the only one that wants to take their makup bag.

Xmasbaby11 I am packing as usual just in case.

Oeisha I have yet to ask but was given the impression that becaue we are under the care of the consultant we may have at least an overnight stay. xx

Lucozade or dextrose tablets are really good. They keep your sugar levels up nicely during labour if you don't feel like eating anything and they taste quite nice too.

I used one of DH's old shirts to labour in - longish but allows easy access to the vital areas (!) and means that when DC is born, you can just unbutton it and makes skin to skin really easy. During labour if you're hot/cold whatever, you can just do up or undo as many buttons as you like. Oh and it smells of DH which I found v comforting

most useful things for me were vaseline (lips get chapped when in labour), one of those cooling water spray things (for labour), hair band to keep hair out of the way.

But by far the most useful was the cheap changing mat (from poundland) for changing Lo's bum as I had to use the bed.

Bags didn't make it to hospital either time with me - first time we forgot it during the emergency transfer (and neither of us even remembered a phone!) and the second time I didn't think I was in labour and was not expecting to stay. So I guess I'm saying don't worry about forgetting something cos none of it was that useful in the end (although a phone would have been handy..). I was a big fan of using the hospital gowns. I didn't have to wash the blood out of my own clothes .

My tip is to get a load of clear plastic ziplock bags and sepearate stuff according to different needs - one for shower stuff (dont forget to include sanitary towels and big knickers in this bag - one for baby clothes etc.

You will inevitably be asking other people to fish around in your suitcase and get you stuff and it will be a lot easier to find if its in see through bags.

Take lots of mini packets of dried fruit - great when you are starving, easy to eat and will help ward off constipation.

"In my hospital you're out in 6 hours unless there are complications!" I think you're forgetting the labour bit?! Even if they had let me out after 6 hours, my labour was over 12 hours in the hospital. And I wasn't really in a position to pop to the shop! Nor was DP as I wanted him there with me.

I was told I would be out in 6hrs too and had no complications in labour (phew) but it took forever to get someone to come and check Lo before we left so was in there for maybe 16hrs instead

you really dont use much to be honest! I had 2 bags and alit I didnt use!
first bag for me
pjs
big pants
maternity sanitary towels
toiletries
phone charger (esp if you stay in there bedside phones afe v exspensive)
hair brush band (my hospital had hairdryer but honestly it would have woken the babies and I couldnt be bothered I had just given bith after a 24 hr labour resorting in forceps)
going home outfit

2nd bag for baby
pack of nappies
cotton wool balls(my hospital wouldnt let me use wetwipes)
vests x2
babygrow x2
hat
coat to go home
(my hospital privided formula etc)

to the ladies that are packing lots I can.asure you it wont get used you just dont have time you have a baby to.look after and youll be too tired to care if your hair make ups done etc!
ems xxx

oh scratch mits are handy x

In fact, if you manage to read a whole book in the first year of having a baby (let alone while in the hospital) you've got paid help you're doing really well IMO!

LOL @threefeethighandrising other than friends and family there is no help.

I was in for 2 nights and didnt' need 3/4 of the stuff the lists suggest - i ended up wheeling a bl**dy suitcase in!!! Next time I will take a holdall. I would suggest asking a sensible pal who has recently been through it - I wouldnt' bother asking someone who's slightly over the top and dappy - good luck and hope you are in and out. p.s. take food and drink for labour though, and for the dad. x

I have fond memories of reading in hospital - I stayed in for about 36 hours after DD was born (by choice), and visitors (aside from DH) were only allowed between 3 and 5pm, so not much to do. DH and I took it in turn to cuddle DD and to read. But agreed that I read more on that day than I did in the whole of the rest of the year!

Ok so i've ended up with a suitcase but only the wee tiny ones for over night it's the only decent bag i could get my hands on heres the list

Nightie
slippers
hair brush n bands
mini toothpaste shower jell shampoo.
camera
tenner in change
t shirt for DP
a hand held fan
some munchies
lip balm /face cream

Pj's
a towel (£4 on sale in asda)
maternity and breast pads
8 nappys
wipes
cotton wool
sudocream
vest / sleepsuit / socks /mits / cardi

extra clothes n jammys for me n bubsin a bag where my mum can pickit up and bring it to me and i'm pretty sure mum can raid the house for whatever else i want.

yummymummyyobe1 I think most of the stuff on your list is generally practical and not a bad idea.

Some of the things on your list make me think you are a bit head-in-the-clouds (genuinely meant in the nicest possible way) because having come across you on previous threads I think you seem lovely but without any idea of the reality of birth or post-natal experience.

Things such as a special nightie for receiving visitors - if you feel well enough to get changed into a special visitors nightie rather than just wanting to lie in bed with your boob out feeding desperately needing sleep, then you're well enough to be at home and then you won't need your nice nightie in the hospital.

Washing things (towel etc) for Dad - if you're in an NHS hospital then there won't be anywhere for him to have a wash and tidy up other than the rather delightful men's loos which are almost always in another part of the hospital rather than in the maternity area. Old pyjamas for labour in DH's bag? He won't need to be in pyjamas, his normal clothes are fine. Honestly :)

If your fluffy towels are not dark, then please - get some that are. Either in red, black or dark blue - nothing that shows blood because they will be ruined and you won't feel lovely using them.

Same with the socks - make sure they're dark in case of any drips (having a baby involves a lot of blood afterwards, and you don't want to ruin lovely cashmere socks with stains)

Johnsons baby toiletries (or any other brand) - newborns don't need ANY toiletries. The best thing you can use on their skin is water, plain water and nothing else (other than cotton wool to apply it, or wipes if you don't want to use cotton wool and water for nappy changes). They're full of chemicals (however gentle they say they are, or how lovely they smell) and your baby does not need chemicals on it's lovely perfect newborn skin.

And make sure that the candles aren't going to set off any smoke alarms in the delivery room (and if you DO take them, you'll need something to light them with!)

A few luxuries are absolutely great for making you feel human again, after the hardest day's work you'll ever do in your life, just don't take too many (because you don't need to - with a bit of luck you'll be in and out and home again the same day!) and don't be surprised if 90% of what you take doesn't make it out of the bag in the first place :)

yummymummy If you're under consultant care then yeah, they may want you in longer. My reaction was to the 6h and out idea. That seems like a very quick labour and outing...

I also asked during my visit that if I felt totally overwhelmed, then could I stay longer than "usual" and yes...I could, they ultimatly want a happy Mummy on exit, but would gently push me to go home if they felt I was ready. I was also VERY glad to hear they had fairly restricted visiting times for family. Felt so sorry for SIL, as 6 of us just rocked up after a few hours...

Vaseline packed, and call me vein, but basic makeup is too. Last thing I need is my hyper-critical parents telling me how terrible I look. Vaseline was recommended if you're thinking of using entonox as it leaves your mouth VERY dry...I can testify to this thanks to an emergency run already. I was nil by mouth, so they wouldn't even let me have sips of water...felt like my tongue was a billion times bigger than it should be thanks to my throat being so dry, but at least my lips felt ok!

looks like a good list

I would take out the sudocream and replace it with vaseline. Babies are only in danger of nappy rash after they have been in nappies for ages and a newborn's skin will be a bit too sensitive anyway. You can put vaseline on their bum though to help you wipe off the first few meconium poos which are very sticky.

I'd also add a bottle with a sports cap, If you are planning to bfeed you will be thirsty and one handed a lot

I'd also pack that second bag well, so that your mum can just grab it and go, its amazing how everyone goes into a tizz when a woman is in labour - make it simple for them!

Flisspaps I am something of a rose tinted girl. LOL. I'm really hoping to be home asap as it means DP, DS and I can spend some quality family time together in the two weeks DP has off.

Oh I had not thought of the batheroom thing for DP perhaps babywipes will do for him. Perhaps a new non white towel is called for then ( I feel a shopping trip coming on). As for DS I forgot that babies smell all yummy when tiny, scrub his soap bag) The not using 90% of stuff sounds about right for me.

Oeisha I will have to discuss this with the MW in the week, as there has been talk of a few nights stay to make sure all is okay. Oh thank you for the heads up on Vaseline.

Baby wipes will be fine for DH, it's not as if he won't be able to pop home once baby is born and you're on the PN ward (if you go there) because of visiting hours, so he can get washed and changed and have a kip there anyway.

Definitely scrap the white towel. Save that for the baby!

Thanks flisspaps I have the cutest baby towel thing with mummy and baby giraffe on all cute and fluffy with a hood.

DP agrees going home to Shower, Shave, and sleep LOL. I suspose he will need the rest as I am sure this LO will not be the sleep through the night baby from day one we want. LOL.

I had two bags of stuff but didn't use half of it! Agree with a decent nightie for birth so pics are ok (mine was cheap primark so didn't matter if it got ruined) and I liked having my pj's to change into afterwards.

Other things I found useful were dried apricots to snack on (helped with the first toilet visit too ) and I really wanted lip balm in the middle of the labour but forgot I had it in my bag (same went for facial wipes so DP ended up wiping my face with an old hospital towel while my nice Simple ones stayed in my bag!) Hair bobble useful too. And lots of pads. And cheap black pants-so glad i had these and not paper pants.

Hope it all goes well x

I'd check with the hospital before lighting candles. If they have oxygen in the rooms they'll probably have a no naked lights policy.

Having partaken in an unessesery evaccuation of maternity today (antenatal care is attached) thanks to a now very traumatised little boy pressing the alarm button in ANC (bless, he was very pleased with himself until he saw our faces), I can wholeheartedly say it's not wise to take anything in that would 'burn' especially around oxygen sources without previouslt asking whether it's acceptable. Fire brigade had to search EVERYWHERE just in case the alarm hadn't just been triggered by the little boy.
If it's for scents, some places (like birth unit at stepping hill) offer their OWN hot stones system you can put you oils on to...so that might be worth an ask.

it was the midwife that said sudocream actually which i thought was a bit wierd but it's on there now so just gonna leave it, will get vaseline and have just put in an empty sports water bottle :)

Now i'm of to watch help DP put the cot up yay :)