Hospital bag! What was useful what wasn't so useful?

[saiyme09]

I'm a little way of to giving birth however as I enjoy being organised slightly neurotic I've been considering what to pack for my self the baby and if anyone found it handy for there partner to have some spare clothes and toiletries?

Just to 'have it ready'! My second ds was prem so I was NOT expecting that! It is SO good to feel organised (even if baby's arrival takes you by surprise!!)

I took a t shirt and deodorant for DH which both got used.
Nighties - I was catheterised for 24hrs after EMCS.
Formula starter pack - the one with mini bottles and teats. I was planning to EBF but had to give formula because DS had low blood sugar. Hospital provided formula and bottles in recovery but not on the ward.
Little juice cartons - I got through loads of these!
Even bigger pants than you think - after CS the only pants that stayed above the scar were the massive over-the-bump maternity ones.
Some mindless but entertaining games on your phone to fill time in the dark during sleepless nights on the ward.

Phone charger, food & drink, dettol, baby hats in pink and blue (stops people calling baby "IT", which in hormonal haze I always found upsetting). Large, high-waisted knickers that you will be happy throw away. Headphones.

Have the telephone number for the labour ward on your phone& know where it is located in the hospital (usually covered during the antenatal classes). There's apps you can download on your phone to time contractions.
A copy of your birth plan for hospital staff.
Playlist of your preferred music during labour (if necessary)
Phone, Camcorder and camera & chargers (check batteries in case they need charging)
A washbag with your toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, facecloth, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hair brush, hair bobbles)
Flipflops for using in the shower (to avoid getting verrucas or other unpleasant things from using a communal shower)
Dark coloured bath& hand towels (some for labour bag& some for your hospital stay)
Dressing gown & slippers
Nightdresses (with buttons if planning on breastfeeding and some for labour bag so you can do skin to skin)
I put one baby vest, baby sleep suit, cotton cap & mits in a zip lock bag and put it in my labour bag so it was all organised for baby to be dressed after birth.
Bras(a few because when your milk comes in even if you're not breastfeeding, you'll leak &need to change them)
Comfy knickers
Breast pads (even if you are not breastfeeding)
Maternity pads (the bigger ones are better because more absorbant)
Aromatherapy oils to relax you during labour
Ipod and charger (to listen to music if the ward is quiet and good during labour to relax
Earplugs and eyemask incase the ward is very noisy at night
Spare plastic bags to send home dirty laundry during your stay (hopefully dh could put it on so you don't have a heap waiting when you get home)
Outfit for coming home (loose fitting)
Lansinoh cream If breastfeeding (some hospitals supply a small tube to start you off so you may not need to buy a big tube at the start)
A sports water bottle and some tea tree drops to splash after going to the toilet if you have stitches (prevents the wee stinging)
For the baby; pack of nappies, vests, sleep suits muslin clothes, water wipes(or hospital recommend using cotton wool and a small container for water for wiping during nappy changes& top and tails) baby wash for first bath & soft bath towel.Most hospitals provide blankets for the cot. Going home outfit for baby. Car seat& that it is fitted correctly and your dh knows how to work it for collecting you and baby from hospital. Cellular baby blankets for going home.

Pack three separate bags: labour bag, your hospital bag& baby bag(dh can bring your bag & baby bag in when he takes out labour bag to the car)
A bag for your dh for labour with a spare change of clothes, toiletries, food & drink, change for car parking and phone credit to send a group text or call family& friends once your baby arrives.
Have a few spare nightdresses, bras, baby clothes/vests arranged at home so dh can bring them in if you need them.
That's everything I can think of ...bar the kitchen sink
You can pick and choose what suits you from the list so you have what you need. It also depends how long you are in hospital and the type of birth you have.

Sweets - that list is like your packing for an apocalyptic event! X3 bags? How did you dh carry x3 bags and new baby in car seat out?

Here, small over shoulder holdall. Handbag.

PANTS!

I had an EMCS and didn't have big enough, or enough, pants. Had to send my sister out twice to pick some up. I also took way too many clothes for DS and he was a much bigger baby than expected so some didn't fit anyway.

just remember you need maternity clothes, not pre-maternity clothes for getting home the day after

Money for the tv, I had given birth fed dd and settled down for a bit of crime thriller ! Really felt settled instead of sat unable to sleep from all the adrenaline of given birth. Dd slept but I didn't !

I had a nice comfy dress to wear home and massive knickers !

BEST tip I had was to put everything out that you want, BUT ASK DH TO PACK IT. Genius! When you're convulsed in agony communing with your cervix, DH will know where he packed the bloody ice cubes/squash/facewipes or whatever it is you absolutely need but couldn't possibly explain which pocket of the bag it's in. Maybe others' DHs are different but mine is cursed with the 'can't see what's in front of him' syndrome.

Bring lots of pants and lots of packs of pads, I wasn't prepared for how much bleeding I would do. Also bring an extra pair of whatever you are wearing on your bottom half because the first time I stood up to go to the bathroom I pissed myself lets not mince words here.
Plenty of snacks you'll actually enjoy. I avoided naughty things because I thought I wouldn't want to eat stuff with fat/sugar around my labour and would need slow release energy - but you might get stuck in hospital for days after your labour, bring stuff which will make your stay more tolerable!
I really wish I had had a tablet or laptop to access online information/advice/videos about breastfeeding. Breastfeeding advice/knowledge on the postnatal ward can be rubbish and lots of people have early difficulties.
Drinking straws were very useful. I brought isotonic drinks but they made me be sick, I will stick to water if I have another.
I would advise to bring about 6 vests and 6 onesies with built in socks and mitts for the baby, and lots of nappies. You might not need them, I was encouraged to just keep him wrapped in blankets in a nappy a lot to do skin to skin, but I still only brought a few changes of clothes and ran out. You'll only need a blanket for bringing the baby home and they have them in hospital, so no need to bring more of those. You definitely won't need any more fiddly clothes!

Oh, and yy to eye mask and ear plugs! There were people on the phone, a woman sobbing (), babies screaming, alarms going off, people with their lights on all night on my ward.

Here's my advice based on previous experience.

Pack two bags.
An overnight bag, then a longer-stay bag. Leave the longer stay bag either in the car, or at home by the door so someone can get it for you if needed.

Bag one: With everything you need for labour and if you are in just 24 hours- maternity pads, paper pants good you can rip them off and bin-em. Most of it has been mentioned.

Bag Two: A long stay (post-labour) bag. If you need to stay in more than 24h, send someone home, or if you came by car, to the car boot for the second bag with extra clothes, extra baby clothes, extra nappies etc snacks, bf related things etc.

A word of warning about phone chargers- you're generally not allowed to plug anything in in a hospital unless it's been safety checked as it's potentially a fire hazard. Nightmare if your battery is low so I advise leave it on airplane mode or off as long as you can bear. It's your neck if you decide to plug something in sneakily but prepare to be bollocked.

Sweets list is sooo long! Some great ideas but doubt it's all necessary and some can go in the second bag.

Bear in mind most hospital wards are really warm so you probably won't need fluffy dressing gowns etc, a thin one will take up less space. Perhaps ask the midwife or someone you know who's been if it's warm on the wards. I suppose in wintr you'll need more.

I like to travel light so take as little as possible (wear the same clothes home that I wore in, getting changed into birthing clothes as soon as possible).

Most essential IMO is bottles of water and snacks for the labour and then more snacks for afterwards. If you go through to the post natal ward in the middle of you night all the food that will be available will probably be a sandwich.

I also like to take nice travel size shampoos and things and flips flops for the showers.

Another essential has been cotton wool to plug my ears (I was never organised enough to find actual ear plugs), it can get a bit noisy at night on the post natal ward.

Others have said it but my biggest tip is LIP BALM!

It was on every list I ready before I had DD1 but I just thought it was for vein people or something! No one explained gas and air gives you super dry mouth and lips!!!

I didn't take any and I really wish I had!

Going to pack a little lipstick style one this time (as opposed to a pot of Vaseline) so DH can apply for me!!

Suppositories. I'm not joking. Despite a third degree tear, my greatest discomfort in the two days I had to stay in hospital was the haemorrhoid that had 'popped' during labour. Took them a day to get some cream for me, which was useless anyway. Suppositories sorted it out super quick.

One great tip I got from MN last time was to bring a pack of Tena Lady pants in addition to maternity pads. They were fantastic for the first twenty-four hours post birth - nothing prepared me for the sheer amount of blood

Snacks! I gave birth late at night, I was allowed my delicious one piece of toast and that was it. I was so ravenous I surreptitiously ate the remaining pot of jam neat later. There was nothing else, DH had gone home, and nobody would give me anything else: "you've had toast". I hadn't eaten for the best part of two days... So a supply of wrapped snacks would be a good idea.

Everyone always covers the essentials, so I'll cover the nice extras :)

Magazines
Your favourite sweets and lots of them
Cereal bars (good for a mid-night nibble - you can be awake all sorts of funny hours with a new baby :) )
Lip balm
A new, pretty dressing gown for if you get visitors (I didn't want to be sat in just my nightie in front of FIL and BIL for example) and it covers you from other visitors when you go to the loo etc.

Also
Birth partner to pack their own bag with change of clothes, sweets, magazines, change for vending machines, toothbrush and toothpaste etc. You really don't know how long labour is going to be so it's no harm for them to bring their own personal bits and bobs too :)

matchingmoll that's terrible. Awful. I would have not left DH go without filling my lap with vending machine rubbish if nothing else. Other than that I can't believe they couldn't rustle you up a bit more toast, or even just plain bread and butter if no time to toast poor you!

Oh yes, ear plugs and an eye mask. You can almost guarantee that when you and your baby are finally asleep, somebody and somebody else's won't be :)

Unisex clothing for your beautiful new baby.

I only packed girls clothing after we were told we were having a girl at scans week 20 and week 36.......

We came home with our little boy in pink and all his first photos are in pink!

Sorry if someone has already sainthood but I'd take two pairs of going home bottoms as I stood up and leaked all over mine.

You don't need as much as you think, my hospital even had drinks and snacks. I didn't take any music and now think that would have been nice.

Marking my place. Very good advice here-thanks. Already got huge knickers from Sains-Simon Cowell would be proud

AgentAlice- I agree with travelling light hence the 2nd bag idea, but wearing the same clothes home as you wore in? Did you take a spare set?

My waters broke just as I arrived at the hospital and got out the car, so it was just as well I had a change of trousers!

Somewhere on MN I read a tip about taking plastic jug for pouring water on your bits when you go to the loo to ease the stinging and keep stitches clean. Twas an excellent tip.