Help me pack my hospital bag please!

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I packed hospital bag about 2 weeks ago with main bits and pieces but needs all final bits sorted today. I have had quite a complicated pregnancy want to leave it by the front door just in case, as I've had several hospital visits in the past couple of weeks and I'm not convinced I'll make it to my due date!

So far I have:
Towels
Nighties
Spare underwear
Maternity pads (how many should I bring to hosp?)
Nursing pads
Toiletries - toothbrush/cleanser/deodorant etc
Baby clothes (what exactly should I take? I have all the basics but not sure how many of each I need?)
Nappies

I need to find something comfy to wear home and organise some snacks and drinks for DP; any other suggestions?

I'm sure there are lots of things I have missed out so would love to hear ideas but I'm mainly concerned as I don't know how much stuff I need?
How many maternity pads will I use etc!?

I took a pack of pads (10 in a pack? )but they gave me some in the hospital anyway. Disposable pants or cheap belly warmers from supermarket that you could chuck out. I took 3 vest and bAbygrows and some scratch mitts. About 12 nappies again in bounty packs etc you'll get a few.

Unless you are a million miles from hospital leave your going home stuff at home and your DH can bring it in for you.
If you end up staying in longer than a night/day your DH can refresh supplies of everything if you tell him where stuff is.

Dressing gown.
I really wish I'd taken one, just a cheapy cotton one, as I had to walk from the pool room to the bed room with just a couple of small towels, and I'm pretty sure I flashed my bits to some woman's poor husband!

It all depends on how long you will be there. I has my birth at a birth unit, which has a 6 hour discharge. So I had one bag with things that would last a day, and then DP knew where everything else was (in a bigger bag in bedroom) in case I had to be transferred to the bigger hospital.

I didn't use any maternity pads till I got home, as they supplied MASSIVE (and by massive I mean from my belly button up past my bum crack) ones that taped on? I bought 6 packs of ten, and used 3 or 4 packs before moving onto normal pads after abut 9 days.

In my bag I had:
1 pack of 10 Maternity pads (didn't use)
1 pack of 5 Disposable knickers (didn't use)
5 pairs of cheap pants (used 2 pairs)
1 disposable mat to sit on in the car to protect seat!
Nightgown (which I wore home with PJ bottoms)
PJ's
Cardigan/Hoodie
Spare bra (which was a good idea, because I went in the pool, so the one I was wearing got wet)
Food : chocolate digestives, dried apricots (eat after labour, they'll help with first bowel movement!)

Baby's bag:
5 nappies
Pack of wipes
2 sleepsuits (different sizes!)
2 vests (different sizes!)
2 hats
1 wooly cardigan
1 blanket for car ride home
Sterilised bottle and carton of formula (in case he wouldn't feed, didn't use)

Food! All I got after the birth was toast and tea, and there was nothing for DP at all. Take some easy food (muesli bars etc.) and drink cartons so you're not dependent on the staff and local meal times to get something to eat. I've never understood how in hospitals they dish out paracetamol like smarties, but you can't get a decent meal.

Also, magazines in case it's a long wait.

That's funny about the tea and toast...the midwife must have bought in about 3 or 4 rounds of tea and toast during my 7 hours in the birth unit. I kept dropping crumbs in the pool, and sucked milky cold tea down with a straw during the last 30 minutes.

Thank you all, it's nice to know what other people brought as it's difficult sometimes to know what's really useful/essential.

I have a dressing gown, almost forgot to put it in, so thank you sarry!

Think I will pack a spare bag with extra towels, undies, comfy clothes etc that DP or someone else can pick up easily incase I do have to stay in.

2 things that got me through labour - flannel - originally used on my head to cool me down then ended up biting a hole in it whilst pushing was such a great aid!

Also straws - the only position was "comfortable" in during labour was all 4s there's no way I would have been able to turn around to drink!

Our hosp has a cafeteria so in the morning my mum went up for full blown breakfast and bought dp some back down kinda handy if ur starving !

Hi all

Im also in the process of sorting my bag/bags out due to a few problems, think baby may arrive early currently 32 weeks!

I went to my first parentcraft class this week and they gave us all a list of what to pack, thought this may help:

Labour bag:

Sponge/flannel
Water spray (optional)
Oil or lotion for massage
Loose shirt or nightie for labour
Slippers for walking around
Food & drink for you and birth partner
Socks
Books and magazines
Pod, mp3 or cds

For after labour:
clean nightie for after labour
Bra & pants
Sanitary ps
Flannel & towel
Toiletries & hairbrush
Camera
Outfit for baby :
1 vest, 1 baby grow, 1 happy, 1 card, 1 hat & scratch mits
Baby cot or pram sheet
1 blanket cotton or cellular
Carton of formular if bottle feeding

Suitcase/holdall
Nightwear
Dressing gown
2 maternity or nursing bras
Nipple cream if bf
Sanitary pads
Old or desposable kickers
Tolietries and make up
Moist tissues or soft toilet paper optional
Money
Couple of pens
Day clothes for the ward
Mobile phone & charger

4-6 babygrows
4-6 vests
Scratch mits
Hat or bonnet x 2
2-4 cardigans
Baby blanket or shwal and sheets
Baby toiletries
Cotton wool
Nappies
Baby towel
Baby wipes unperfumed

I know this seems loads, think i'll pack it all as i'm not close to my hospital and due to carrying a small baby, I've been told i'll be in for a few days after having her!

Pillow sounds silly but I got df to bring one in for me the day after thr birth. Dd was born in the evening and I had to spend a couple of days in afterwards I wish I had packed it from the beginning. MY pillow made me soo much more comfier.

Some of the things I was recommended and were a godsend were a couple of packs of breakfast/cereal bars and some small cartons of Apple juice. They recommend apple rather than orange as orange can be a bit acidic on the tummy. I went through about 10 cereal bars and about 12 cartons of juice and I was only in 1 night!

If you have long hair a couple of hair bands and hair clips to get it out of the way as it was so damn hot. Also second the cheap dressing gown in a dark colour so it covers any mishaps and also cheap black primark/asda pants rather than the paper ones. Oh and a dark bath towel.

Oo great tip we had from our nct classes were to put babys first outfit in a little freezer bag in whatever bag you are taking as your birth partner will be asjed to dress the baby then they cant put them in the wrong thing.

Yoga trousers to come home in, regular kind not maternity. Your stomach is a bit wobbly (and sore if you've had a section) and they are the comfiest thing imaginable. If you have an electric fan, stick it in the boot of the car in case the weather turns warm or your tolerance for 30 degree maternity wards is low.
Socks - I was freezing during labour (in a heatwave)
Flipflops for the showers
Wetwipes for you, not the baby. If you have a CS it will be a couple of days before you can have a shower, but they are handy for grubby loos etc.
Change for the snack machine. If you are in for a few days you will NEED a Twix at some point after visiting hours. I had a £20 note but never thought to get it changed. Everyone tells you about change for the car park - trust me you won't give a flying f##k about the car if you want some chocolate.
Def food. My god but it is grim. I got lucky and my MIL sent big chopped salads for lunch and dinner in every day so I just had brekkie in the hospital but two slices of crap bread, marg and jam I was starving by 10am (they get you up early!).
Try to keep it to the bare minimum, you won't have the space on a ward - this is the time to buy those little bottles to "decant" shampoo into. Leave all your makeup at home and get your eyelashes dyed. Just ban photos in the hospital!
Reading glasses/contact lenses
Phone charger/top up card
I did two bags - labour bag, incl going home clothes and two days wear for baby. A second bag in case of a longer stay to leave at home but prepacked so not relying on DH to find anything. Worked a charm and you can stick them all in the car and send them running if you need extras. Two bags also means that if you are using public transport to get there or back, you can send stuff home ahead of you and travel with the bare minimum when you leave.

My hospital have given me a list which include towel, baby blanket, snacks, at least 2 sets of pyjamas, over sized t shirt, book, maternity pads, plenty of extra knickers, at least 2 sets of clothes plus hat for baby, clothes for me, snacks, toiletries etc. etc.

They then say that they can not accept luggage larger than cabin size as they have limited storage space. Not sure how it will all fit in

Food food and food ! It may only be tea and toast but I swear that toast (after birth of both DCs) was the best thing I have ever tasted and will never be beaten!!!

Personal recommendations are percy pigs, lucozade sport (the berry one) and several boxes of nutrigrain bars

Hope that helps!

plastic bags - in case you have to stay in a few days and want to send dirty laundry home.

I had a shower 24 hours after my cs but wipes for you are def a good idea. I was bought some gorgeous ones from l'occitane by a friend. they cost a pound each but my god they were worth it.

coloured pillowcases for your pillows so they don't get mistaken for hospital ones and taken away for cleaning never to be seen again.

plus make your birth partner pack the bag. I carefully packed mine and my husband rummaged round and disturbed everything the first time I asked him to get something out.

a spare t-shirt for your male birth partner if he's going to do skin to skin too.