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?

More than one size of unisex baby clothes. I had scans weekly in the run up to birth, the last on the day before. I was told that the (3 weeks early!) baby was over 9lbs. Our DD was 5lb,6oz and the midwife tied knots in the legs of her first outfit. My DH had to go out the next day and buy several tiny baby outfits to get us through our 5 night stay.
Also I took and used my straighteners in secret (had a side room). I always feel so much better when my hair isn't a frizzy Monica mess, so take something that makes you feel good (fave lippy, nice perfume, bit of bling jewellery.. )

A second towel for your hair. After my first I bled all over my only towel and had to dry my sopping hair with a tiny clean corner of it. You could plan to not wash your hair, but after hours of sweaty labour you'll probably want to!

I never used anything out of my hospital bags. At all.

It was basically an exercise in packing and unpacking.

Pointless really

Stupid question, but why are people saying "big" pants? First time pregnancy, am I missing something? Would the pants I'm wearing at 9 months pregnant be unsuitable for some reason - do I need bigger ones?

Timeflies - it's to hold the maternity pads securely mostly. So granny style highish ones, not bikini briefs. Maternity pads are big and you will prob still leak, it's not like a period flow at the start.

(And actually don't buy them in too big a size for same reason, I'm a 10 so bought a 12- last pg bought 14-16 so were too loose which defeated the purpose)

I think the big pants are for a couple of reasons, they need to accommodate massive maternity pads and are comfy against c section wound if you have one. I got large disposable ones from mothercare at first and then the black sloggi type ones from m and s two sizes up. I am 7 weeks on after having dd, and back to my pre pregnancy weight and still wearing those pants because they are so comfy. Yes I have washed them!

I liked the idea of the clothes for the baby in a bag but then remembered that would be an issue because of the size confusion in my case. The midwives got so fed up rummaging through my bag to find what they wanted they just put her in hospital stuff at the start anyway!

Most things have been covered but my main tip is to take DARK trousers/pjs. I was very self conscious in my beautiful floral patterned ones in case I had leaked on them, despite the huge maternity pads.

Reiterate taking lip balm - actually I took a couple so that there was always one in reach!

Btw I had dd in late November and the post natal ward was absolutely roasting (I had to open my window in the end, couldn't stand it any more!). They must have spent a fortune on heating. So even then you may not need any thick layers - I would just take a few thin ones.

Ear plugs, all the other babies cry, and yours is the silent little darling, but you still can't sleep for the noise.

These tips have been so helpful ladies! I'm secretly dreading the overnight stay! I love my own bed! However I'm sure I'll manage to 'women up'...maybe if I look at it like a big sleepover whare everyone is exhausted and addled with medication and pain!

the usual things everyone has mentioned, but things i found useful that nobody had told me: sucky sweets during labour, slippers, so many spare pants (but my waters broke early on and just kept going everywhere ruining everything!!), an L shape pillow, and tooth brushes for my H and i. take more the enough for baby- as PP have said, you'll have the wrong bits, or have forgotten something if you're not OTT about them. my daughter got blood on a baby grow within minutes of wearing it and id only taken 2 or 3!! i found it helpful to have separate bag for myself and baby.

I had an emcs so I'm so glad I had bought a multipack of BIG knickers that covered my scar. Also throughout my pregnancy below bump trousers felt nicer, but they sat on my scar after so leggings and over bump trousers were better for me.

Take a box of chocolates but give them to the midwife before you deliver! I had beyond incredible care but my labour was very very long, it helped the midwives to have a pick me up throughout!

Snacks and drinks are good, but drinks with a straw worked better for me mid contraction (Ribera and Capri sun). My midwife also gave me some lucozade tablets as I couldn't face eating but really needed a bit more energy, not all midwives allow this so it's worth taking your own.

The other thing was the Andrex flushable toilet wipes. I ended up having an epidural so couldn't move off the bed to go to the toilet. Nobody told me that my waters would break and then continue to go throughout my entire labour. I felt wet, uncomfortable and unclean despite the regular changing of my bedmats. I used these to feel fresher.

If you are thinking about nappies, my baby was slightly under 8lbs and still fitted into the micro baby size.

Good luck

I had a cs and I took one big nightie and one pair of pj's. The post natal ward was hotter than hell and I had to wear a pair of flight sock things all the time I was there something to do with a cs and dvt risk. So I couldn't bear the pj bottoms over the stockings (which went up to mid thigh) and the blankets I was sweating buckets.

Therefore on the 2nd night I had to wear just the pj top and the stockings. When I got up to see to ds2 I looked a right state with a short top and my arse hanging out.

Moral of the story go long nighties and leggings rather than pj's - just in case!

Why oh why must the wards be so hot.

Detox wipes - the bathrooms can be disgusting, especially the loo seats. Your own pillow, hosp ones are measly floppy foam numbers, but put a coloured pillow case on it, or you may never see it again. Dressing gown, hairbrush, mouthwash and toothbrush/paste, flannel.

I'm in hospital now after having my ds this afternoon. Wish I had a pillow! I'm bottle feeding and only brought one pack of ready made bottles, I need more as he's feeding a lot.

Other things are extra pj bottoms and some tiny hats! His head is too small for the ones I've bought as his temps a bit low so he needs a hat indoors.

Two things that I used most were a bendy straw, and a facecloth. Would also recommend your favourite snacks, as you won't feel like eating, but if you have a long labour it will greatly help to have something to eat.

I was pleased I took a bottle of squash as I don't enjoy drinking tap water. I had to swap my flip flops for crocs as I was wearing compression stockings.

I had a load of stuff laid out on the spare bed so it was easy to get DH to bring extras for a long stay. I would have wanted a new dark towel for every shower because of bleeding. I agree a separate one for your hair is a good idea.

I didn't wear it much (hot and in private room) but I had a dark waffle dressing gown for walking around the ward.

yy to pillow, I made dh bring one in for me. I wish I'd had a small torch too, the light in my cubicle didn't work and it wasn't bright enough to see to read at night. I was so lucky though in that the hospital is connected to the university I work for, and so I could log on to the internet, think that kept me sane. as a pp mentioned, going online to read up on things like breastfeeding was very useful.

Don't worry too much about having to stay in as you might not.

I was determined not to stay in unless I had a cs, my daughter was born at noon and I was out at 8pm, that was after a 30 hour back to back labour with ventouse, episiotomy and stitches.

The midwife said she had expected me to want to stay one night but was fine with us going home if that's what I wanted.

1st time round I took far too much stuff, we were actually moved around a fair bit (triage to labour ward to surgery to recovery to labour ward again then finally post natal) and poor DH was like a pack horse.

2nd time around I went minimal but took two bags, one for labour and the couple of hours after it, and one for the overnight stay (I knew I'd be staying in due to ELCS). The overnight stay bag stayed in the car and DH nipped out to get it when I'd been settled on the ward.

In the labour bag I had:
my toiletries (the bare minimum to feel clean, I don't get posters who took stuff for pampering!);
a nightdress suitable for breastfeeding (agree with PP that pjs are too hot and useless if you have a CS or are catheterised for another reason);
A couple of pairs of big knickers and a packet of maternity pads;
Flip flops, the pool slider style that you can wear over compression socks or in the shower if necessary;
Baby's first outfit (a handful of nappies, a vest and sleep suit);
Blanket for baby.
If you're having a VB and might be in labour for a while I'd add another nightdress to that list and some drinks and snacks.

In the overnight bag I had another nightdress, more maternity pads and knickers, more vests, nappies and sleep suits for baby, and some chocolate biscuits . Empty plastic bags are also useful for sending home washing with DH. Before I left for hospital I laid out my going home outfit (leggings or something comfy round your bum) and DH brought this in when he came to collect me. There's really not much storage space so I'd resist the urge to bring too much stuff.

I only took one main bag. But inside had those mesh luggage organisers. Really helpful as then everything easy to find as didn't need to rummage through the whole bag. Roughly had one for baby, clothes for me, toiletries, and an extra ( with some sweets/ phone charger/ extra nappies etc)
As mesh the maternity nurses could easily see which one was for baby for example.

The most useful things I think were flip flops, lightweight dressing gown, aforementioned big black knickers (get cheap cotton ones and plan to chuck them, they are more comfy than the disposable ones) suitable soft bra.

I didn't have a csec or need a catheter and preferred dark PJs for bfing/general comfort (not a nightie fan!)

Nappies cotton wool vests babygrows for baby (my babygrows had integrated scratch mitts iirc) maybe a hat.

None of the "nice to have" things got used at all although I was lucky to have nice food. Guess if the food was more typical NHS fare then you would want some snacks.

Basic toiletries to have a nice shower plus a bath towel and hand towel for your hair. Also bear in mind that clingy maternity clothes look great stretched over a full term bump and rather less amazing on a post delivery tummy - go for looser fitting!

Obviously check what your hospital provides as well, it seems to vary wildly.

Mints are nice in labour.

Baby wipes! Some people (and hospital staff) will disagree, but stay clear of the cotton wool :-)