so what do I need for my labour bag and what do you never need but everyone says you do?

[jayjaybaby]

hi please help me do you really need books snacks mp3 players masssage oil candles phone cards small change a small elephant and a magic elf

Paper pants!!! you will never ever need paper pants unless you feel the urge to do some origami mid contraction, get some big cheap knickers from the market/ pound shop instead.

out of your list, the only essential thing is SNACKS frankly. After the birth you may well be starving and there might not be anything readily available to eat in the hospital. I can't tell you how glad I was that I took in loads of flapjacks/sandwiches etc. Didn't use anything else out of my carefully packed labour bag

they'll let you use mobile usually, so wouldn't bother with phone cards/change

The magic elf might be useful if he can magic away the pain....

Take loads of maternity pads, i did,nt take enough and the midwives were v. stingy about giving me more.
Agree about snacks, i was starving after ds2 and toast was not enough!!

Slippers if you plan on wandering about or going to the loo and don't want to catch anything icky. I didn't have any and my feet swelled up so much I really struggled to get them back in my shoes.

I don't remember using anything else. I couldn't eat so snack wouldn't have helped me perhaps for DH though .

I didn't use many of the things in my labour bag. (no snacks but prevented DH from wandering too far). 3 baby gros and 3 vests were a bit too many, but I suppose they ask you for that just in case the baby has to stay longer in which case DH could have brought some from home. And music.... in 37 hours of labour I never felt the need to add sone musical background to my discomfort, I just wanted some peace and quiet. :)

Take a pen, paper and a small non-ticking clock.
I didn't and could never remember the answers when they asked me about feeding/pooing etc.
(And it mattered, jaundiced non-feeding baby etc.)

Thats tru they always ask about poos and feeds and I didn't even know waht day it was. MIl kept me right as she was there most of the time.

books/magazines/mp3/gameboy etc - oh god yes. It's sooooo boring waiting to be discharged and it gives your Dp something to do whilst you're in labour for x amount of hours.

snacks - yes, for you and Dp. I had Ds1 in the evening, and by the time everything was sorted out I had eaten nothing for about 36 hours, but had obviously gone through all the physical effort of giving birth to a 9lb+ baby. I was starving, there was nothing on the ward and all the cafes in the hospital were shut. I have never made that mistake again!

small change - I would say yes for the car park but in most hospitals that actually requires a 2nd mortage instead

mobile phone - never had a problem using it.

Agree with Scribble, paper pants are ........well, pants really. far better to buy cheap big granny ones from Qs or poundstretchers, They feel more secure, and hold the pads in better, which reminds me....

Maternity pads - uncomfortable and bulky. You're better off getting the highest absorbancy night time pads (with wings), they are a lot more comfortable, and imo work far better.

Black bin liner for blood stained towel post birth and most people have to change their pj's a few times after birth due to heavy bleeding.

Flash bathroom wipes to give the bath a quick clean, unfortunatley hospitals dont train their staff in cleaning!!!

My friend told me to do this and I was glad i took her advice, the next day after giving birth I decided to have a nice bath and was disgusted to find it filled with hairs and dirt.

I would say paper pants (think I found Boots the comfiest) are essential - if you bleed like I did - or have a CS even having cheap knickers would be a waste.

The only thing that was not in the list and I wish I had taken with me were some plastic flip flops, the shower was filthy beyond my imagination, droplets of blood all around the place and those little animals that started running around when I turned the shower on (YUUUUUUKKKK!!!)

No sorry but NO NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO to paper pants As you can buy 3 for £1 just chuck them. I had a CS and the cheap granny pants were lovely as they cam up so high above the scar. Loose round the thighs as I has thrush too, don't ask.

Chandra great idea flip flops for the shower.

I had those little cartons of juice with a straw which was brill and clever dh packed a small thermos with ice cubes - god how much did I love him after that.

MeggLeVache awwww! I had little cartons af fresh orang (minus the ice) I am sure they help with the postnatal constipation too. If really bad with constipation I recomend Sunny D, those chemicals do something.

I found them really easy to drink as well - no matter what position I was in I wish I had thought of flip flops and flash wipes!

Flash wipes! fantastic idea! the toilet was a mess too!

A bath towel or two: maybe they provide at some hospitals but wehn i had ds1 14 years ago the midwife looked at me as if i was mad wehn i asked for a towel and she said they had none and gave me a sheet for after the shower
Flash wipes , slippers, dresing gown

Chandra how is your ds's diet going?

sorry about the hijack JayJay!

After first baby I was given loads of pads, bath towels , terry napies for baby etc etc. After DD at the same hospital they looked at me like I was a thieving gypsy when I asked for another pad. I had to go and get towels and baby bedding from the cupboard as they didn't bring it to you and seemed to want to ration everything.

Take your own pillow' I had a v shaped one which was great for the fisrt few days of comfort and bfeeding the hospital ones are crap and they are sooo stingy about using them!

Oh yes own pillow, the hospital ones have a plastic protecter liner on them and it is very crinkly and sweaty.

MeggLaVAche.... do you have a crystal ball? how did you know about my diet?

It's going fine, thank you. Much better than I expected :)

Baby bedding at my hospital was quite coarse, it felt like sand paper. (Loved my hospital, didn't I? )