What should partner bring to the hospital?

[HelenHen]

He's completely unprepared and I know he's gonna want to start using/eating some of my stuff if I don't get him prepared . Can anyone recommend a list of a few things he should bring with him? Will he be able to get cleaned up in the hospital at all?

As I was a nurse and had worked in labour ward as an auxiliary, I was pretty prepared for labour-although still really nervous!
DH arrived when I was 8cm, with his little bag of drinks, nibbles and book...god love him, he never even got to open it!

Tell him to get snacks, drinks and something to read/do, maybe pack of cards?

However, I have a real thing about a birth partner being just that-a partner. It is not a floor show, where he stands around looking useless and wishing he wash"t there. Does he know your birth plan-he needs to know what is going to be happening, and speak up for you and your needs/wants if you can't.

Does he know the contents of your bag, does he know what breast pads are? Does he know what maternity pads are? Baby vests? Babygros?

I would get very agitated if DH was standing around looking helpless after I had just been through labour!

If he wants to be there, then do the research and homework. My DH did read the stuff I gave him, and held my hand, rubbed my back, gave me sips of water and was very supportive. But I knew he wasn't "enjoying" it IYKWIM. Which is why I had BFF as partner for DS2 ,and will be having a really good friend as partner for DC3, due next month. She is coming over the do birth plan with me tomorrow.

I'm not sure if the hospital would have any shower facilities etc for DH. But many wards do provide a kitchen area for tea & toast.

Good luck!

A big expensive eternity ring, flowers and lots of cake. They have vending machines for spectators.

Seriously, get him to take food. I was 3 hours into a drip induction and chewing the pillow in pain when DH announced he was going to get a sandwich 'before things got going'. Bloody idiot! I'm still waiting for the flowers and the eternity ring in fact. He did bring me a flapjack so I guess that counts as cake

Food and drink
Reading matter
iPod or similar
But they also need to be prepared to not get any of these out of their bag if you need company / help (food is allowed).

My 3 deliveries varied greatly in terms of sitting around time vs action and with DS1 I think DH would have struggled with nothing to read while I had a 10 hour epidural assisted first stage!

Deck of cards sounds like a great idea. I've tried going through my bag with him but I know it will just go over his head. He won't be great at that stuff but he WILL be great at feeding me and doing everything I ask during labour and holding my hair and reassuring me and stuff so that's the main thing hopefully.

Lol poachedeggs... I've been going on about the eternity ring and the flowers for ages... he's good at getting cake and stuff but he seems to think I don't like flowers, no matter how many times I say I want flowers... it doesn't make sense. I've been meaning to text his mom to make sure she knows that I will be expecting flowers... and I don't care how they get there