Hospital Bags for Dummies ...

[TheBreadstick]

OK, so what's the definitive list of stuff you wouldn't live without in your hospital bag? Equally, what's a waste of time packing?!

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Hello, this thread is a little old; for up-to-date recommendations, take a look at our guide to what to pack in your hospital bag.

Iv been advised to take lots of maternity pads - more than you'l think you'l need, and either disposable knickers or loads of cheap big ones (not sure why big).

Big pants is presumably to fit all those supersized maternity pads in!

The big bit is cos you want them as comfy as possible and not to rub on scars/sore bits (sorry if tmi) and they are easy to pull off (and throw away!).

I never made it to hospital with a bag but I most missed my phone, phone charger and food during the labour. I used hospital gowns and pads. Good luck!

mines packed and ready to go but i've not consulted any lists cos it is a mine field and the one i got from the hospital said 40 nappies and a lifetime supply of your own bath towels! At the end of the day if i've missed anything DH can nip home/to the shop for it. The hospital where i plan to have my baby discharges you after 6 hours and i've also fitted it all into 1 sports holdall

FOR BABY
2 newborn onsies
4 newborn vests
2 hats
2 pairs of mits
Nappy sacks
10 newborn nappies
Vaseline
2 Sample packs of wipes

FOR ME
Maternity Notes & Birthplan
2 vest tops
2 nursing bras
T shirt
Baggy PJ Bottoms
Socks
Big grannie pants (4 pack from Primark)
Maternity pads
Handful of breast pads
Toiletries (Deodorant, Toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, brush)
Glucose tablets

LUXURIES
Small bottle with Ribena in it to mix with skanky hospital water
Snacks (packet of dried fruit, 2 bottles of lucazade, bag of haribo, couple of cereal bars)
Straws
Couple of carrier bags for dirtied clothes
DAB Digital radio (it's small and has an iPod dock so can have good music!)
Camera
Phone Charger

Blanket, pramsuit are in the carseat that are staying in the car, along with a bag with some lose fitting lounge/yoga pants and a t shirt/hoodie for me to come home in

see this

Disposable pants and lots of pads. Disposable pants are much easier to rip off, to save messing about.

I didn't get a chance to pack a bag for me second time round - luckily I had DS2's clothes ready, but no nappies, and the hospital couldn't supply any. The midwife had to beg and borrow from other mums on the ward until DH could get to the supermarket at 4am.

Started carrying around toiletary bag (2 face cloths, moisturiser, shower gel toothbrush and paste an a headband), two pairs of knickers, a baby grow and breast pads in my work bag. Becoming paranoid I'm going to go early. First time I'd be early for anything, my mum went two weeks over with me. :o

I took lots of snacks with me which DH loved during my labour and I really appreciated during the night after DS was born. I had put some bottles of water in the freezer too so I had lovely cold water rather than warm hospital water! Pack a dressing gown for wandering round the ward if you stay in.

Just to make things even more confusing, I highly recommend packing a bag to leave at home for if you get kept in hospital. I had planned on getting the 6 hour community discharge, but was kept in for three days following a complicated delivery. It's not a fashion parade in hospital but you will potentially want a couple of pairs of cheap trackie bottoms and t-shirts (if you don't like receiving visitors in your PJs, if you're not fussed then more PJs), underwear, lots and lots more maternity pads, breast pads, some maternity mats/puppy training mats, some toiletries, a magazine, iPod and earphones... that sort of thing. I had packed some clothes but ended up getting blood and newborn poo on stuff and then had to ask DH to find me more clothes at home.

sorry if TMI, but go for a dark pair of PJ bottoms for wandering about the ward. I got caught out by this and it wasn't nice trying to nip to the shared loo when there were loads of other folk & their families are all wandering about

You may also want to take some powdered milk/carton for baby if not brestfeeding or if breastfeeding doesnt work that way you can choose the brand and have a little time to see whats best.

Thanks Ladies

melliebobs your list sounds very sensible - not sure what the hospital policy on how long they keep you where I am but may add towels and a change of PJ's to my/your list in case I'm in overnight!

Thanks again.

I have heard a small jug is great, after DS1 all the grazes and sores made it terribly painful to have a wee..so I've heard that when having a wee fill the jug and pour it onto yourself whilst weeing, this dilutes the wee making it less painful

big cheap knickers (hated the disposable ones), proper maternity pads (sainsburys do them with wings) do not presume normal ones will do I promise they wont.
Pj's are a must but dont take heavy thick ones as hospitals are flippin boiling!
I didnt get to use shower gel, shampoo, etc because I tore and you cant be getting any soap down there so that was a waste of time. Do not take make up, etc.

Our hospital supplied nappies, cotton wool and these little tie back gowns for the baby to wear so we never used the baby gro's as they were too fiddly and I was knackered.
So to be honest I could have got away with 2 x pj's, a hair bobble, lots of knickers, pads and a going home outfit for baby!

dont worry about taking milk or bottles or anything, they have SMA normally but some have a choice if breastfeeding isnt possible.

A good tip I've had is to get your birthing partner to pack the in-labour bag, that way they are way more likely to be able to find things.

There is a good list here

Do not buy maternity pads, they are rubbish buy TENA pads...yes the ones that old ladies use lol. They are bigger, more secure, more absorbent and yes quite comfortable. My waters broke early and I was gushing (sorry) for three days before my baby arrived and these are the only things that saved me for soaking all my clothes. They where also great for the bleeding after which seems to go on for a lifetime.

Ooh! I think we're discussion of the day!

yummicheddars - good tip, I had heard peeing was painful. Think my 'overnight bag' is slowly becoming a long haul trip! Time to dig out the rucksack from my backpacking days!

senna for constipations a very good one.

Oh one other luxury I've got which I forgot to list is compressed water/face mist that's in an aerosol. £1 from superdrug. Remember taking it on holiday and it was bliss. So if hospitals are as hot as people claim should be very usefull

Big cheap cotton pants - ideally black/dark coloured
Maternity pads - lots, I wore 2 at a time, end to end for the first couple of days.
Light ( ie not fleecey) dressing gown (postnatal wards are tropically hot but you may still want something to wrap round yourself as you shuffle to the loo)
Lip balm (dry lips from all the deep breathing/super hot ward)
Slippers/flip flops - to shuffle to the loo etc
Munchies - cereal bars etc, cartons of juice (you may be admitted at an odd time, that means you have ages to wait for next meal, and you may have post-delivery hunger/thirst)
Carrier bag for dirty clothes (eg babygros once posseted on etc, clothes you wore into hospital - I put my 'labour and delivery nightie' in the clinical waste bin when I had my post-delivery bath)
Your least-hated items of maternity wear, to wear home again (nope, a loose fitting top/jeans in your pre-pg size won't work...sorry)
Note pad and pen - noted down list of 'people to tell' and their numbers, just in case phone died. also used to note down times of feeding baby, in case the MWs ask.

Something to read (newborns often - not always- sleep quite a lot the first night/day...knackered from all that 'being-born' business)

Oh..and hairbands/clips to keep hair out of your face during labour and out of your eyes when you are staring down intently at your own bosoms and the mouth of a small baby, again, trying to make them fit together appropriately.

As a bit of a veteran can I recommend as well as the obvious things - lots of baby wipes (my hospital only provided cotton wool which is useless on meconium) but my favourite thing in labour was a little battery operated hand held fan. I used it the whole time because labour wards are hot and labour is sweaty. Also lots of sweeties for after when you are sat on the ward with only the prospect of a soggy sandwich available. As for the big knickers, maybe take a few sizes because the ones I got fell down all the time which was very annoying!

What I Packed (Bold - stuff I actually used)

For baby
3 onezies
3 vests
1 cardie
1 Hat
1 Mitts
Nice blanket
Pack nappies - used half
pack wipes
Coming Home outfit
Pramsuit
Dummies - incase she wouldn't settle
Botty cream
Nappy sacks

For Me
3x pjs - used one
1 nightie
pair slippers
pair flipflops
Dressing gown
Pack one size up nickers in black
2 packs maternity towels
Tinted moisturiser and mascara - for photos
Vaseline
Hairbrush - didnt use, went 'feral' for three days
Hairbobbles
Maternity notes

Water and snacks
MP4 Player with comedy shows on - for evenings (was in two nights)
Camera and phone and chargers for both
Notebook - wrote in what gifts people had given so I could do thank you cards