DH has packed himself a hospital bag...

[TheBookofRuth]

I haven't packed myself one yet, but apparently DH did his last night. It contains, amongst other things, an umbrella. When I queried why he regarded this as an essential item - was he perhaps expecting our son's first action after birth to be a rain dance? - he explained it was in case it was raining when we had to leave for the hospital:

Me: "er, where are we walking to, in this hypothetical rain?"
Him: "to the train station"
Me: "you expect me to get the train to hospital when I'm in labour?"
Him: ".....that's probably not a good idea is it?"

He doesn't even have first-time fatherhood as an excuse, our DD is two!

I asked my DP to pop into Boots the other day to get some bits and bobs for hospital bag, basically baby wipes, and a pack of sleep suits. He came back with two different thermometers (one for ears - £30!!- and one for bath water ), a packet of baby socks (because you can never have too many 'and they're so cute!', apparently), a musical toy, tampons (?!) and instead of sleep suits an admittedly very nice outfit thing - unfortunately in size 'early baby' - up to 5lb. We're now 36 weeks and a growth scan at 32 weeks had the baby at over 5lb then. When I suggested that we should perhaps at least take that back and change it (having lost the thermometer argument), he explained that he had told the lady not to worry about a receipt as 'she was faffing'. I think my first error was making the Boots request when he'd spent the better part of the afternoon in the pub...

Also, I just told him about the umbrella. His response: 'ooh! I never thought of that!' followed by poodling off to put one in the car .

You have lovely partners. It's nice to read things like this. I didnt have that so it's good to see what a 'normal' dad would have been like.

Ah bless him. What else did he pack?

We had to go into hospital on wednesday night for monitoring for about 2 1/2 hours (turns out all was ok in the end :) )and my husband was "really bored", so I'd also be intrigued what he should pack in his hispital man-bag, apart from an umbrella obviously!

Aw! In DHs dad bag, he packed a change of underwear and clean t-shirt, a wash bag, phone charger, some snacks (they feed mums, not dads) and book. He also took a sleeping bag and blow up air bed as our hospital let dads stay over, but not give them any bedding. If you have to pay for parking, or have vending machines in the hospital our of cafe opening hours, worth sorting a load of coins to go in the bag.

Mine packed a picnic! Not just a few snacks, but a brand new posh cool bag, plastic plates, cups and cutlery, M&S pork pies, ginger beer, roast beef sandwiches, big slabs of Brie and cambizola (for after the birth), a Victoria sponge, a bottle of fizz and numerous other things. He'd popped to M&S on the way home when I'd phoned to say I was in (early) labour, and thought it would be a nice treat for me. Needless to say I was not overly interested when the pork pies were produced at about 8cm dilated....

This was for DC1 though. With DC2 I don't think he packed anything, and he forgot his phone. We're not expecting DC3, and I'm just hoping he remembers to come with me to hospital .

now expecting DC3!

I love this thread! My dh and I are soon to be first-time parents and I think my dh would love the idea of the picnic basket

Btw some I have requested a large fruit trifle for my post-baby treat!

DH packed himself a cycling magazine and a Mars bar.

Don't forget to have a little bag ready for your elder children everyone. If they are going somewhere when you lot go to hospital.

I told OH he needs a bag...
Spare t-shirt
Spare underpants
Toothbrush
Tablet (ipadesque)
Towel

my DH didnt even think that he might need anything for himself So I've packed him some spare socks, undies, t-shirt and some toiletries and a towel if he needs a shower.

Not sure whether to take our tablet as we wont have internet connection etc

What lovely OHs... mine will come with his phone that is permenantly glued to his thumb and maybe his iPad if he has enough time to think of it!

I have to buy and pack things for his Golf weekends otherwise he wouldnt even have shower gel to wash with!

The rest of the stuff is sensible enough - clean tshirt, clean pants, deodorant, toothbrush and paste, phone charger, kindle, snacks and drinks. I was in labour for more than 24 hours last time so he wants to be prepared this time. No picnic though, sadly!

On the other hand, I have no idea what to pack for myself. Last time I packed everything suggested on the mumsnet list, just about, ending up with one huge bag and a couple of overspill carrier bags - and hardly used any of it. They put me in a hospital gown and I stayed in that till I was discharged, so I didn't need the clothes is brought to labour in. They had me on nil by mouth straight away in case I needed a CS (which I did - not sure why they persisted so long with the myth that it was going to be a natural birth when they clearly didn't believe it), so I didn't get to have my snacks and drinks. I wasn't allowed out of bed until I was discharged, so no chance to have a shower and use my toiletries, and as DD didn't sleep for most of the time we were there, I certainly couldn't be bothered with make up or trying to do my hair. So this time I'm wondering whether to bother!

STOPwiththehaha, I sort of know what you mean. I grew up without a dad and to be honest didn't really miss one, so it wasn't till DD arrived and I saw my DH with her that I found myself thinking "oooh, so THAT'S what dads are for!"

Oh this has made me laugh. My husband also packed a bag, it was 95% pasties.

Aw all these OH's sound so sweet! Great news that they've been organised enough to pack a bag already.

My hub was in total denial that due date was fast approaching and thought he'd have plenty of time to pack. On the day I went into labour (39 weeks so a bit early but still) he suddenly panicked, rushed into town leaving me alone and spent 2 hours shopping, coming back amongst other things with a months supply of haribo and a pack of 250 bendy drinking straws! Of which 249 are still in the cupboard 2 years later!
I will be ensuring that his bag is packed by 30 weeks this time around :)

Should our DHs be packing hospital bags then?! Never heard of this before. I have mine packed (the usual - mini shower gel, 2 in 1 shampoo & conditioner, deo, facewipes, toothbrush & toothpaste, hair brush and bobbles, shower towel, maternity pads, breast pads, earplugs, 10 disposable pants, 5 normal pants, 2 x nighties, dressing gown, kindle & charger. And will pack 2 nursing bras. Also have a pack of snack a jacks and a robinsons squeezed juice thing. Will wear my outfit home that I wear in, and will use the same flip flops I wear in as slippers).

For baby I have: 24 nappies, pack of wipes and nappy sacks, mini sudocreme, 5 x vests, 5 x sleep suits, 1 cardi, 1 hat, 1 x blanket and 1 x towel. Also the car seat.

What should I pack for DH?

MrsGiraffe, my waters went spectacularly on the outfit I came in wearing so I was glad of a spare pair of trousers in my bag (they also went again an hour later all over the floor and nightie, dressing gown and slippers I had changed into!)

I had ds early, went over with mum for a scan. They said c section in the next hour - rang dp who legged it from work in filthy construction clothes.

Mum rang my dad who said 'I'll being some stuff over'
Obviously I had no bag packed at all with me so hoped he'd maybe bring me one of mum's nighties etc.

He brought Greggs pasties for dp as 'the poor lad might get hungry'

Your partners sound lovely!

My DH forgot to pack his for DC2 and my overwhelming memory is of me pushing a large baby out whilst yelling "no, you can't have my jelly babies. They are mine and you didn't pack your fucking bag"

I'm sure the midwife must have pitied our newborn DC2....

Your DH's sound lovely!! All my DH did when I was having DC3 was make sure he had his fags and enough money for a couple of cups of coffee and a sandwich at the Costas downstairs from the labour ward!! Although, to be fair, that was all he needed!!

Mine packed a change of clothes, washbag, towel, snacks and a hip flask of whisky. Only one item got used....

Mine packed mostly cheese. I'd so missed being able to have stinky cheese while pregnant so he'd got a whole wheel of Reblechon amongst others as a little surprise.

Problem A - these were in his normal sports kit bag, not a cool bag
Problem B - from going in, to the twins coming out, was almost 24 hours
Problem C - hospitals are HOT

I couldn't understand where the smell was coming from during labour and was paranoid it was my own feet, which obviously I hadn't seen for several months.

When the cheese was triumphantly produced about a nanosecond after the twins were born, I was actually sick.

But I luffs him .

In all seriousness, I think they should take:

Sleeping bag/blow up mattress (even if they can't stay over afterwards, if labour is long/overnight, they might be able to grab a quick kip)

Washkit for them and change of underwear, and antibac hand stuff

Camera, with fully charged battery!!!

Snacks and drinks

Books and magazines

Loads of coins

An infinite supply of love and patience and calm and sympathy, for you, and then a steely resolve to stand up for you and fight your battles with hospital staff, if necessary