What's the best thing you took in your labour bag?

[teacups]

Two of my girlfriends are due to have their first babies in March and have asked me what was the best (and worst) thing I took in my bag when I had dd.

Worst - disposable knickers. Huge, scratchy, lasted less than a few hours as I made DH go to M and S on the way home after being up for 2 nights to buy me some bigs to go over my caesarian scar.

Best - food! Took a big stash of prunes and apricots as was worried about first poo afterwards but ended up eating them on first day before DH came back as food provided was totally inedible.

What were your best and worst things?

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try again cod, third time lucky!!

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TBH......Dh's change of clothes!!
It was a long (ish) labour and I was out of it for the most part! He appreciated being able to change and freshen up when all was done!
Oh, I did appreciate my digital radio though - back ground noise!

Best - would take slippers that you can throw away after (I didn't take any and as I walked on hosp floor worried what i was walking on...)I also didn't take any nice pjs or dressing gown as I was worried about blood... duh. Buy new after, be comfortable now. Took food for dh (I wasn't hungry and had to shut him up) and would definately get my hair done the week before, and take some mascara and lip balm.. I'm the largest most shocking looking thing in a hell of a lot of photos of ds...

Worst - food (for me, didn't eat), all the ten tons of baby clothes they tell you to bring, waste of space someone else can bring them in after if you need them. and all that rubbish about vaseline and cotton wool ... wouldn't get that black poo off ds if you added turps...

oh and breast pads and disposable pants, waste of money. You're leaking so much that breast pads make no difference and you may as well express it. and you might as well just go a size up and get cheapy pants from tescos.

O God! I forgot about paper pants....yuck and shudder!

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best -arnica tablets, snacks
worst -nightdress that didn't open up enough to breastfeed

Best - a bar of chocolate to consume after labour was over.

Worst - disposable knickers - horrible things. Just put in loads of ordinary knickers and buy up a store full of sanitary towels is my advice.

God, wish I'd bought a nightie and not pj's. I had a c-section and couldn't bear anything against the scar. Plus had loads of people checking on it plus my down belows (also ripped to shreds). Had to borrow large t-shirt of ds which he grabbed on way back to hospital - really grim looking in first day photos then friend lent me her maternity nightie which was respectable but made me look like a cleaning lady. Plus it was synthetic and I'm sure it didn't help with my b.o. (I was too ill to shower properly for several days).
First thing on my list for second baby was a cotton nightshirt.
Agree disposable knickers are pants.
Had a lovely Clarins bodywash which did cheer me up.

Arnica tablets every 6 hours regardless and lots of Chocolate hob nobs....oh, and bounty bars and diet coke...... and flip flops to wear round stinky ward and nasty bathroom.....

Worst was silly baby socks that didn't stay on and the hospital was so hot, you didn't need them.

I could have done with twice the amount of nighties and pants that I took - if you have a long labour you will just not believe the amount of stuff you go through! (Got t shirts soaked getting in and out of bath during labour, was wearing pants when waters went, needed about half a pack of maternity pads and pairs of knickers to soak up waters on on-going basis during one afternoon, sorry if this is too much information!!!)

Maybe have a second bag packed in case of complications? You never think it'll happen to you but I ended up needing so mcuh stuff and sending DH home to dig it out was chancy at best - never knows where anything is...

my top tip is to pack two bags. One for the labour room and then another to take up to the ward with you. We kept the second in the car and dh swapped bags before he went hiome.

Also lots of packets of dried fruits. Really gets you moving afterwards!

Best: antibacterial wipes, face wipes
Worst: hair straighteners, disposable pants

lip balm
fruit shoots
clean clothes

oh and sanitry towels -just to be obvious

Best:
Food, I gave birth at 9 pm, it was midnight before I got to eat my packed lunch and it tasted SOOO good.
Earplugs (the more expensive wax kind, not foam)
Journal (those first notes are so precious now)
Nice bath stuff (Molton Brown ginger body wash!)

Can't think of anything useless, but did get a lot of chocolates from visitors which I gave to the nurses...!

Pineapple juice and ice cubes (not together)- last one was a genius idea (dh's!)

I would suggest you tell them peppermint tea in case they have a C section and suffer with the dreaded trapped wind - agony.

best - cheapo Ethel Austin big knickers. Really comfortable despite being so cheap.

worst - music tapes for labour. as if...

A flannel. Was the only thing i used ! cold and wet over my face so i could switch off to the world Even the mw laughed at me.

And cartons of drinks - easy to sip through floor.

And dp was glad he bothered to make sandwiches before we left home.

oooh yes, paper knickers!

Yep, food. I gave birth to DD at 11pm and so no food offered until the next morning. I had a 32 hour labour and was starving.

Things I didn't use:
Homeopathic birth kit, face spray, glucose tables, massage oil, birthing ball, socks, magazines (after epidual was too relieved to do anything except thank god the pain had gone. For 12 hours. After the birth I was too dazed for 3 days)

I do think it really depends on your labour though.