Hospital Bag - done to death but please tell me if I missed anything?

[LittlePeaPod]

I am having a CS and consultant says i will be staying in for at least two days. Please could you let me know if I have missed anything? maybe I have gone overboard

My Bag:
-birth plan & pregnancy medical notes
-books, mags, news papers etc.
-breast pads
-dressing gown - what kind? Light weight or warm?
-pyjamas, nightdress (front button) and slippers
-disposable panties or cheap cotton panties
-pillow and feeding pillow
-nursing bra (one cup size larger than pregnancy or get measured at 38 weeks)
-healthy snacks and sweets/crisps/juice and bottled water
-cane f clothes
-laundry bag for dirty clothes
-hair bands, hairbrush, soap, shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser, make-up, tooth brush, toothpaste and dark coloured towels
-maternity sanitary pads
-pad/pen to write down notes/feeding ties etc.
-phone/camera careers etc.

Baby's bag:
-6 front button all in one any grows
-6 muslin cloths

• 6 bibs

-4 cardigans -6 hats, mittens and socks -car seat -water wet wipes -nappies, nappy cream and apply bag -Aptamil ready made baby formula - 2 starter pack (in case BF goes wrong) -infacol for feeding -snowsuit for going home in (winter baby) -3 swaddling/baby blankets -soft toy/comforter for our DD

DH bag:
-book, mags, papers etc.
-change of clothes
-list of contact numbers to let people know when she is born
-camera and battery/charger
-lots of loose change (parking/snacks/sandwiches etc.)
-toothbrush

Vests for baby?

Thanks SaucyJack. On the list.

Ziplock bags with wet flannels - maternity wards are hotter than the sun. It's good to have something to cool your face.

Ditch the formula if you really want to bf - the first few days you will feed relentlessly. It's normal. If you have formula you will doubt yourself and be tempted to use it.

Thanks Nancerama

Flip flops for the shower

Cotton wool for baby (apparently some hospitals make a fuss about using wipes)

I'd say lightweight dressing gown, when we had our parenting class the postnatal ward was like a furnace! Which might also mean you might not need too many cardi's for baby?

(this is all a total guess as its my first time too!)

Thanks Pink. On the list..

I'm just packing a short, quite thin dressing gown, my big fluffy one took up the whole bag on its own!

Thinking about the feedback, I think I am going for a thin one too..

And no snowsuits - they should never be used in car seats - dress the baby normally and pop a hat on and a couple of blankets over.

Take more nighties than PJs. You'll have a catheter after the OP and won't be able to wear trousers until it's taken out.

As you know you're having a CS, ask for a prescription of your medication to take home in advance of the op. I was discharged on a Sunday - DH was gone for 2 hours driving around looking for a pharmacy that was open with my drugs in stock. I was stuck at the top of the stairs in too McGarry pain to come down

In hospital they will probably ask you if you want pain killers and laxatives - take the laxatives even if you think you don't need them. I was told off on day 3 for not taking any, but until then they had led me to believe it was optional!

Lip balm/Vaseline. Your lips will get really dry and chapped otherwise.

Thanks again. I didn't know that about snowsuits.

Thanks Last - on the list.

Eye mask and cotton wool/ear plugs. Guaranteed you baby will sleep for a couple of hours during the day when it is particularly busy on the ward.

Not sure how much autocorrected to McGarry!!!

You have a lot of stuff! Bare in mind it will need to ft in side lockable locker ideally so it's out of the way. ( so doctors etc can get close if needed in emergency etc)

From this list:
Baby's bag:
-6 front button all in one any grows
-6 muslin cloths - 4 should be fine

• 6 bibs - one should be ok. The muslin cloths are the same as bibs so just use them

-4 cardigans - 2 should be plenty. Baby will be mainly in babygro/ vest and blanket anyway. Only need cardigan if extra cold and usually hot on wards -6 hats, mittens and socks- no need for socks, babygrows have feet on them. 2 hats/ mittens max -car seat -water wet wipes -nappies, nappy cream and apply bag -Aptamil ready made baby formula - 2 starter pack (in case BF goes wrong) -infacol for feeding - wont need this. You don't give with bf babies anyway, and you won't know if colicky until later anyway. So wont need for 1/2 day old -snowsuit for going home in (winter baby) - babies shouldn't wear snowsuits in car seats. This is because they are padded so you can't tighten properly. In a crash the padding will compress and baby loose. When you leave hospital in winter, put baby in baby vest and babygrow. Add cardigan. Add hat/ mittens and a pair of soft booties over babygrow. Then strap baby in seat and add blankets over the top of them to keep warm. Also means you can remove blanked easier if they get warm in car -3 swaddling/baby blankets - I would just take 1. -soft toy/comforter for our DD

You can always get you dh to bring in more if you end up saying in more than 3/4 days. And you will want him to take dirty stuff back by then also.

Comfortable clothes for you to go home in and as your trying to bf some nipple cream/ gel cooling pads.

I would recommend your own anti-bacterial wipes and gel; you can take to the bathroom and give things a wipe if you don't like the state (it should of course be clean, but maternity wards are notoriously short-staffed, so it's good to be self-sufficient).

Further I would recommend Evian/Vittel/Avene mineral water spray - it's a great cooling effect and also when you are stuck in bed after op and you can't move you can use it to freshen up your face. Similarly, you can use the wet wipes for yourself to save yourself a trip to the bathroom for a freshen up (as you won't be going for 'normal' reasons, courtesy of the catheter - btw catheters are great, I'm not joking!!).

Take hotel size toiletries to save space; also consider dry shampoo, as you may not want to have a shower until you get home...climbing in and out of a shower/bath can be quite a big effort after the op, and with a combo of wet wipes and dry shampoo you can end up looking (and feeling) quite presentable and all achieved from a lying down position!

Good luck with it all!

Thank you. This is so helpful...

Second the fact it will be hotter than hades on the ward, so baby will need to wear the bare minimum (esp if bf, a number of my friends had to use a fan as baby too hot to feed!). Thin nighties, humungous pads (tho ward will provide if you run out), bear in mind you may leak blood too as lying down (I had a lovely blood spot on the back of my pjs...) so you may want a few nighties to change into. Water spray might be useful too. Disposable pants must have been designed by men, go for comfy cotton ones!

I probably wouldn't bother with the soft toy/comforter either - baby will be comforted by you

Definitely get prescription sorted, I left the ward after having given birth 12 hours previously with nothing, and had to drag myself to docs the next day to get diclofenac which they wouldn't prescribe and codeine, which they wouldn't prescribe as was bf (NB both of these drugs are compatible with bfing). Being told all you can take is paracetamol is a bit overwhelming...

Nursing bra - go for one of the bravado crop tops or similar as they are stretchy and will accommodate mahoosive-rock-hard-milk-coming-in-boobs better than a sized one and are more comfy. Lansinoh is a must for nipples.

The ward will probably provide a lot of the changing stuff, like cotton wool, top/tail bowls etc. You shouldn't need nappy cream for newborn skin either - too sensitive.

Phone charger might be a good idea?

And enjoy your maternity leave (v. envious as still have 7+ months to go...)

You don't need all those bibs and hats...

There is so little space in hospital cubicles. I would take half that stuff out and leave it in a separate 'going home bag' for your DH to bring in on the last day - your clothes, car set etc. Or leave the car seat in the car until you are ready for it.

Do you want any music? your iPod or whatever?

In June 2013 the MHRA issued guidance that codeine should no longer be prescribed to breastfeeding mothers. Recommendation is now paracetamol, ibuprofen and naproxen.

Thanks again. Glad I posted. A fewthingsi wasn't aware of like snowsuits in car seats and codeine etc...

I only found out because of the course I was on. I had codeine in 2011 when it was still allowed. 'Twas lovely!

I second the lansinoh cream. Saved me from giving up bf on day 3 and I wished I'd had it in hospital. But they may tell you you shouldn't need it but ignore that if you get sore! You can put the lansinoh on and persevere without pain. (Hopefully).

With the pj / nightie thing, I didn't have a Cs so not sure of the better option in that respect, but from a bf perspective I'd go for a t shirt / shirt. Reason being that with a nightie you have to keep getting it all out from underneath you every time you feed which is pretty uncomfortable. I regretted choosing a nightie for this reason.

I loved my old lady nighties! I got them in a size 14 (usually a size 10) with buttons down the front for easy feeding. Definitely getting the same this time round.