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

[lovemygirl]

Deffo need own pillow. I took 2 to Kings (London) - just as well as they don't provide pillows on labour or post natal ward as they get nicked! Great state of affairs!

Grapes are great - I ate loads during long labour. And remember that it is always BOILING on past natal wards so don't take winter nighty even if snowing!

Sainsbury's maternity pads with wings are far better that anything a hospital can provide and don't move around so much.

If you can find it, one of those evian face sprays is great for those sweaty moments while pushing when your face feels like it is going to explode!

ENJOY ! It is amazing no matter what you take or how the birth turns out!

[clop]

Books: no time energy or concentration to read anything.
MP3 player: didn't even exist when I had ds1
masage oil, candles, phone cards, small change, elephant and elf: used none of that.

I actually needed... cheap knickers, maternity pads, nappies, clothes, blanket & carseat for baby, change of clothes for me, and clothes to sleep in. Didn't have but I suppose a dressing gown could have been useful. More snacks rather than less can be useful.

[allyco]

my labour bag consists: 1. Chapstick. 2. Flannel for DH to mop my brow 3. Clean nightie.

That should do it!

[jayjaybaby]

thank you to all of you was scared id have trouble findiong a magic elf

[MissChief]

no need for:
useless overpriced childbirth homeopathy kit
energy snacks for labour (but you will be starving after)
camdles
books? if you have an epidure, guess maybe, otherwise, you'll probably be feeling the pain, as it were, too much to concentrate..

[sfxmum]

i took my towels and food nobody feeds you and i was starving after long labour.
had choc sucrose tablets and water for labour.
dried fruit, apricots really good to get things moving afterward
oh and my i-pod used it to block out annoying talk while in theater removing my placenta

[CarolinaMooncup]

paper pants are the most useless invention - my postpartum ass was obv too big for mothercare's largest size as the elastic waistband was exactly level with my caesarean scar.

Wish I'd had the foresight to buy cheap granny pants.

Deffo take sandwiches - I had a very long labour and it took dp ages to find one tuna sandwich from some vending machine at 8pm so thank god it wasn't any later because I was starving and the sandwich really gave me an energy boost and helped me cope with the pain.

You prob don't need as many maternity pads as you think you do - you'll need them in labour if your waters have broken (saves you hunting down a MW for a pad if you've brought your own) and for the first day or two, but after that (if you're still in hosp) night-time pads are fine and much less bulky.

I couldn't bear the thought of listening to any of my carefully-chosen CDs during labour, but it was fab to have them after the birth in the middle of the night for feeding ds, when the postnatal ward seemed a bit too desolate.

[Kif]

relaxing whale music! Useless!

[K7]

I took so much stuff I just didn't need... Certainly didn't touch the £30 homeopathic kit, as MissChief mentioned below. Or the snacks and sucrose tablets - they made me vomit in the delivery room - nice! Massage oil never used, TENS machine disregarded shortly afterwards, socks untouched, took four pairs of pyjamas in slightly paranoid state and only wore one. What I didn't have that I really needed were baby clothes the right size, extra extra bottles of water and a phone card for the hospital phone. Bah!

[Skribble]

If you are going to take reading material for during (not likely)or after, particulary during feeds, I suggest cheap tacky magazines with very short articles. You do not have the concentration or peace to concentrate on full blown novels.

You will have baby brain, note books are handy for writing down things you need to remember, like who gave you what presents, time of feeds, your name, the babies name etc.

My labour lasted 48hrs so sandwiches for after would have been a waste .

[diddle]

well i've written down loads of extras for my bag now.
I am definityl taking flip flops, i hate wearing slippers and baby is due in June so i know it will be hot, and the maternity unit at my hosp it boiling anyway.
Gonna go and chuck the rest of my list in my bag now, then i'm ready.

[acnebride]

Large bottle of water, straws and Fybogel as I was worried about constipation/first poo afterwards. No idea if it helped or not but it helped me to have them, and certainly the first poo was no problem at all despite tearing.

Don't be persuaded out of taking anything that you personally feel you would like. I had three large bagsful, of which I used nothing at all during labour (though quite a lot of it afterwards) but it helped ME to be taking everything under the sun. Also meant that dh had a job to do in ferrying all those bags around.

[motherinferior]

More baby suits than you think you might need.

[eefs]

need lip balm

[bramblina]

Arnica tablets.

[blueteddy]

You definitely need more baby suits than they advise you to pack. I took 4 sleepsuits for 2 nights in hospital, but both DS's were very sicky after the birth & I got through all 4 of the sleepsuits on the first night & had to ask DH to bring some more the next day!
Things that I didn't use were socks incase my feet got cold (read that I should pack these) - I didn't notice or give a flying stuff about how warm my feet felt while giving birth!
Also I bought some scented spray mist stuff, which came back unused.

[earthtomummy]

YOUR OWN PILLOW! Really can't say strongly enough how nice it is to have a familiar feel and smell from home - plus my 2nd delivery the hospital had run out of pillows in the deklivery suite..and the hosp. ones are horrid. Nice shower gel for a shower or wash down is good too- splash out on something really pampering. Also prob. more maternity pads than you can imagine!

[tjacksonpfc]

i feel really lucky now with having my ds and dd at odstock in salisbury with dd i was in labour for 26 hours with a huge dvt so had to stay in bed wired up and they fed me and dp more sandwiches and coffe that we could ever eat or drink and with ds i was in labour for 2 hours but had to wait all day to go home as he had hip dispacier and had to see specalist and agian we were fed all day. i ddint use anything other than clothes from bag with ds as i was out the same day but with dd i was in for 5 days so books and music were a god send

[lusciouslynda]

I am due in 2 wks and finding this really helpful.
Last time had really early c-section so no time to prepare.
DH brought me paper pants - they irritatd my wound and I am sure they helped cause the infection I ended up with. This time have bought granny pants in huge size from Asda. Cheap enough to go in the bin.

Flash wipes - genius idea!!!

Snacks - yes, yes, yes!!

Slippers - they wouldn't let me go to the loo without them. Had to wait for a wheelchair (and was I aware how busy they were? Bitches)

[loubaby]

lots of chocolate for afterwards!!

[Enid]

lol @ magic elf

personally I'd only pack the magic elf

[DumbledoresGirl]

I have to say I find the concept of a labour bag rather odd. You need an old nightie to labour in unless, like me with No 4, you want to lie in the bath throughout or have a water birth, but other than that, I can't say I needed to take anything with me.

[Enid]

never got mine out of the car last time

[donnie]

ear plugs! these are very handy if like me you had to stay a couple of nights due to a complicated birth.You never get any peace in a maternity ward! my earplugs were well appreciated.
Agree that maternity pads are crap - use the normal night time towels with wings, less bulky and a lot more comfy.
Towels for the bath/shower.
warm socks.
food!
also vaseline for chapped lips which mine definitely were after all that screaming ( sorry!)