Labour bag

[justhayley]

Hi all, I no there are a million hospital bag threads on here but I'm on my phone and can't find them.
I have the day off work today & am off to buy stuff for my labour bag.
Can I have a list of the things that got you through.
I'm going to focus on the baby part of the bag at the weekend but your more than welcome to add a list of baby things that need packing as well so I'm not asking again in a few days.

Thanks in advance

Hayley x

Oh & I'm planning a water birth - do I need anything in particular for that?
I'm thinking bringing a bikini top - probably won't care about being naked in front of strangers when contractions kick in - but just encase

Main things:
A straw
Lip salve
Dextrose sweets

I have 3 bags this time. A small labour/post birth bag, with the above things and 1 pair of knickers and a pad, wash bag, clean nightie in (amongst other things) Whatever I need for labour and the first hour or two after birth is in that bag.

A changing bag with baby's stuff in for straight after birth (one vest, babygro, hat, blanket, 2 nappies etc)

Main bag - in case we're admitted to the ward Saves having a big bag in the delivery room if we're in hospital, and it's easier for DH to find stuff quickly in smaller bags rather than rooting through 20 pairs of massive pants to find my flannel mid-contraction!

Check if you need to take your own sieve and towels in that case!

First timer here but I was given a packing list by the midwife.

nightie/t-shirt to wear during labour
clean nightie for afterwards (i'm packing two in case I have to stay in longer)
lightweight dressing gown
slippers
toiletries bag
clothes to go home in
nursing bra
5 pack cheapo big pants
thick maternity towels - 2 packs of 10
packet of breast pads
socks (apparently people appreciate warm socks in labour)
A pillow (can be stored in the boot of your car until needed)

Money for the car park (although ours takes cards anyway)
Mobile phone plus written list of numbers in case you run out of juice
CD if you want to listen to music or mp3 player
Isotonic drinks, energy sweets, some snacks for your birth partner
camera

3x vests and sleepsuits
hat
scratchmitts
blanket
cardigan/jacket/snowsuit according to time of year
packet of newborn nappies
cotton wool
socks or booties

2nd timer here, but bad labour last time so prepared for everything.
2 Nighties with buttons
vest top for pool
5 pairs of knickers 2 sizes bigger than me
slippers
nursing bra
breast pads
maternity pads x 24
toothpaste/brush hair brush shampoo ect
jelly babies
bananas
10 frozen caprisuns (so they stay cold) in little freezer bag
snacks for DH
lanolin cream

Baby

5x vests
3x up to 1 month baby gro (built in scratch mitts)
1x packet of nappies
cotton wool/ little bowl (hospital doesn't supply)
cardigan
blanket
coat for coming home in.
metanium cream

magazines, MP3, kindle

DH will bring going home clothes when he comes to collect me :)

Ooh the frozen Capri suns sounds like a good idea.

I second what the rest have said. One baby bag (with nappies!), one labour bag (good idea to lay everything out on the bed and get your birth partner to pack it so they can find things easily) and one hospital stay bag.

My DH also had a bag for him during labour, which he left in the car and really needed! It had swimming trunks in case I needed him in the pool with me and towel, drinks and snacks, and a change of clothes. DS' first act was to poo all over his t-shirt and jeans and he had to borrow scrubs to change into!

Bottled water and straws were the big thing I used during labour (and TENS machine). Before the labour started (i was induced) I used my ipod a lot and easy puzzle magazines and afterwards I really appreciated my eye mask (lights don't get turned off until really late on the ward) and my nightie which unhooked for breastfeeding. You may also want a little notepad and pen to keep a record of feeding and nappies.

I took in lots of stuff that I didn't need, but better safe than sorry - they won't be surprised by the amount you're taking!

Thank you everyone appreciate it! Think my first stop will be primark for big pants, and cheap PJs. A straw? Am I being thick here? Why do I need to bring a straw?

So you can drink in bed without sitting right up? I'd just use a bottle with a sports cap personally.

because you will either be on all 4s or on a birthing ball and you will be really thirsty, i found drinks with straws invaluable TBH i couldn't labour on my back at all it was agony even in the pool and trying to drink out of a bottle would have pi**ed me off i think, but its all down to how you feel at the time, i would take a straw though just in case

A bottle with a sports cap is equally good, but it takes up more room

Arh that makes sense - would never have thought of that! Thanks all.
wonders where I can buy a pink plastic curly straw like I had when I was 5

Got a fair amount today then ran out of energy.

*Got night shirt for labour and stuff to wear when the baby arrives
*String bikini
*Nipple cream
*Bath pillow
*Big knickers
*Vaseline
*Chunky socks
*Flip flops - to wear when I'm hoping out birthing pool
*Feminine wash - recommended when heavily bleeding & can use after stitches if necessary.
*cooling face spray
*maternity pads

feel a bit more organised now - will hopefully have mine & babies bags packed by the weekend.

Thanks for all your help - feel free to keep adding stuff.

Hayley xx

i really dont think you need half of that! I had spare clothes for me and baby and thats it! Your partner will likely go home pretty soon after the birth depending on the time of day and so can collect further things surely?!! With dd1 i was kicked out after 15 hours and after 6 hours with dd2!

sunnyday that's my thinking. I've not packed nipple cream or breast pads - milk doesn't come in until day 3 or so, and very few people are in that long. I've got a pack of maternity pads - I hardly used any last time, I took the advice from here to get lots in and ended up giving them away. Anything I need that I don't have can be brought in by DH - he's very competent though, not the sort to bring inappropriate items (tampons instead of sanitary towels, or pre-pregnancy jeans) and is happy to ask in shops for personal items if he can't find them

I wish I had made up a pile of stuff I might potentially need at home, as my DP is a bit incompetent in that department . I was in hospital for 5 days and so needed a LOT more than was in my hospital bag. I'd been obsessed with nighties as all the lists told you to bring front-fastening nighties, but then had an emcs and on the ward I actually wanted PJ trousers and vests. DP struggled to find them, bless him, I think I spent the 5 days in almost the same clothing... and don't even get me started on what he bought in for DD when asked to bring in new babygrows and vests!

So just because being in hospital for more than a day or two is so stressful anyway, I'd recommend making a few piles at home of extra PJs, baby clothes etc so your DP (or any other visitor) can just grab some more stuff for you without any hassle. And it means you can take in a smaller hospital bag on the day.

Oh, and don't forget your phone and camera chargers...!

Food - lots of chocolatey, sugary stuff. You might not eat properly for 24+ hours; when it's over you might be mega hungry and need to make up some calories PDQ. Or maybe that was just me...

Im a bad packer - you should see my case when I'm going on holiday i havnt been able to master travelling light yet.

In my defence though the nipple cream isn't really for my hospital bag my nipples are abit dry already so want to make sure they are ok when bubba needs them.

I want to have as natural a birth as possible so am going to bring a few non essentials in to try & make myself abit more comfortable.

The bounty website highly recommends a bath pillow for a water birth, it wouldn't be something I would have thought of buying but they were a few pound in boots so thought I'd get one, and my mum swears by having a water facial spray to keep cool.
I reckon everything else iv got so far is pretty essentialish

My friend who was in for a few days also recommended flip flops for the showers, if that makes you feel better about those, justhayley :)

thanks mummybare

Definitely pack lip balm - gas & air can make your lips really dry, and a mini hand fan - gets so hot in labout /maternity wards adn you'll be working hard!

If you're planning to breastfeed, remember a comfy nursing bra (I had one of these: www.bras4mums.co.uk/emma-jane-seamless-nursing-bra-365-3208-p.asp) - you'll probably be a bit achey after, so think soft & stretchy :)

Good Luck! :D xx

I'm also in hospital bag mode, or hospital suitcase mode at this rate.

I have GBS so I'm assuming baby might be in for a few days, someone mentioned cotton wool and a bowel which I hadn't thought about. Where in hospital do you change nappies - do they supply changing mats or something?

Also, baby clothes for going home. It will be May so do I need a pram suit or would a jacket suffice? (or get both and see what the weather is like?)

(Sorry for thread hijack OP, everytime I read another thread it triggers more questions!!!)

Swivel no changing mats are provided, I just changed DD on my bed! You can get travel changing mats which fold up if you really want one. The best I've found so far are from the 99p store

Didn't see your next question - May can be very warm, I'd not have a pram suit, a cardigan and thin blanket would suffice if you're travelling by car - overheating a baby is worse than keeping them a bit cool

thanks Fliss, excellent, one less thing to buy. Haven't done changing mats yet, but it doesn't seem to be a priority and there's enough coming with me as it is.

Lol I dont mind post hijack the more questions you ask the less I have to
I was thinking about pram suit as well - im due very end if April so like you could also be having a may baby. Iv been given 4 fleece pramsuits which I'm sure will be too hot, I am thinking just cardi & jacket and a blanket. If your leaving the hospital by car you can just wack up the heating if it's cold or put one of ur bits of clothes around him/her till your home if it's a cold day. If your getting public transport maybe bring one just encase. May is usually quite a nice month though so I don't think you'l need one.

I just read some hospitals don't let u use baby wipes?!?!?! Is this true? I'm confused why wouldn't they let u use them?