Hospital bags, what are you taking? Please help a chronic overpacker!

[OhTheDrama]

I'm almost 38 weeks and just putting the finishing touches to my hospital bag. This is DC3 (DC1 I can't really remember what I packed, DC2 homebirth and just had an emergency bag which wasn't used). I'm also a chronic overpacker and always end up with far too much. Please can we compare lists?

My bag (my carry on cabin case):-
In a plastic bag at very top of case is everything for labour.
Dark cheap nightdress
Cosy socks
Facial wipes and water spray
Dextrose energy sweets (used these in previous labours)
Empty water bottle
A ziplock bag containing a vest, sleepsuit, hat and nappy for baby.

Nightdress
2 Nursing sleep bras
3 pairs disposable breast pads
5 disposable knickers
3 pairs big granny knickers, 2 sizes too big
2 packs (so 20) maternity pads
Pyjama bottoms and a nursing vest
Lightweight robe
Slippers
Coming home outfit (joggers and a nursing top, pair of socks)
Snacks
Lucozade sport drinks
Antibac wipes (my hospital is mainly bays with communal toilet facilities, was extremely grim last time!!!)
Toilet bag with travel sized toiletries, hairbrush, toothbrush, tinted moisturiser, blusher and mascara. 2 facecloths.
Towel
Some plastic bags to separate dirty laundry
Note on case reminding us to pick up my notes and phone charger

Babys bag
3 newborn vests
3 newborn sleepsuits
2 cotton hats
Pair of scratch mits
Cardigan
12 size 1 nappies
Pack of waterwipes
Some cotton wool
Mini pot of sudocrem
Mini top to toe wash (my local hospital insist on bathing them when they get to postnatal ward!)
Towel (stipulated on hospital list)
Blanket
Coming home outfit (sleepsuit,vest, hat and bib set)
2 muslins

Carseat in boot with a bag inside containing a heavy weight cardigan, knitted hat and fluffy blanket.

Have also put some extra things in a carrier bag to leave at home so DH can grab it if I stay longer. I was admitted to hospital at 22 weeks and all he brought was mismatched pyjamas, toothbrush, chocolate and 5 books so I'm a bit of a control freak now!

Some flip flops to wear in the showers? I also packed two pairs of black jogging trousers... They go with everything and hide everything!

I see you've already said joggers!
I'm a terrible overpacker - I took an enormous bag in when i went in to labour last time, but it's better to be prepared!

Good idea on having the extra bags packed at home, I've done that too as I can't stand the idea of DH packing for me - Lord know what I'd end up with!

How far are you from the hospital? I ask as I've packed a little less that you (just one box of mat pad, fewer knickers etc.) as we're only a couple of miles from the hospital and it'll be very easy for DH to pop home and pick up my extra bag very easily if I have to stay longer than 24 hours. Actually like you with your DC2, I'm planning a home birth so my bags are packed just as a precaution and so it's easy for DH to find the things that I want. I clearly don't even trust him to be able to get what I want, even when we're in the same building

Originally DH gave me a very small bag to pack -have now gone for a handluggage sized suitcase but wondering if I should go to my next size up one.

My list is very similar to yours although I haven't put as many pads and nappies in!! (might need to rethink this but running out of room).

Some of my scans have shown baby to be a bit larger so I've put in clothes and nappies in two different sizes and will leave two piles on the spare bed so DH can select the right one. -I imagine I'll be in overnight as this is my first. He'll have to come back with the car seat anyway as we'll be taking a taxi. We're an hour's travel away though so don't want to have to do that too much.
On the other hand the WRVS shop at the hospital has baby clothes and other bits and bobs so can make use of them if necessary. And friends have said they found it handy that Sainsbury's and Mothercare aren't too far off!

Good idea to have a standby bag. No I dont trust my OH either snakes. When he has been required in the past to bring me a pair of socks how come he managed to find the most nylony pair of socks I own?!

I took two suitcases! One large for me and a little one for baba! Never have too much though and had room to stick a comfy pillow in!

I have two suitcases and a changing bag, though one of those bags is only for the event of needing to stay in the hospital. I also have a list for stuff in case bump has IUGR (happened with DD) and they decide to keep me on a ward and pump me full of steroids then induce me. and I have given DH a list of stuff for a bag because otherwise he will take his keys, wallet and phone and expect me to have done everything else (and because some stuff won't fit in my bags

I have dangerously overpacked, but it all fits into the smallest bags I have...

Pre-Induction Bag
*knickers x 3
*PJ’s x1
*Maternity tops x 2
*Leggings
Squeezy squash pod
Make up (moisturiser, bb primer, shadow primer, ready to go kit, make up wipes, cleanser)
Toiletries: hairbrush and bands, toothbrush x2 (one for DH because if labour takes forever there's no way he'd have actually remembered to pack his toothpaste) and toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, deodorant, hand cream (because sanitiser strips my hands), lip balm (because hospitals make for dry lips) )

Labour Bag
Tens Machine
Natal Hypnotherapy Book
remedies box
Massage oil.
squeezy squash pod
Disposable breast pads 8
disposable maternity pads 10
disposable knickers x 3
Lansinoh
toiletries
Make-up (in case I somehow have the energy to care about the state of my face)
Black towels x 2
phone charger
nighty x 2 (both the nursing nighties)
nursing bras x2 (1 day, 1 night)
slippers
Pj’s
Going home clothes
Get this all together and get DH to repack it so he knows where to find it all in the bag.

For Baby (pack into changing bag)
Wet bag with vest, sleep suit, nappy and hat
vests x2
body suits x 2
Blanket
Muslins x 2
some newborn nappies (1st size, hospital had prem nappies last time, we can go out and buy them if needed)
comforter that smells of me.

Post Labour Stay bag (ready in car)
Maternity pads x 10
Disposable knickers x 5
Breast feeding tops x 2
neuners nursing tea
stretchmark cream
nursing bras x2 (1 day, 1 night)
Pregnacare breast-feeding
to come back in clean:
trousers x 2
Nightie x 1
pj’s x1
Baby (have stacks ready and labeled by size to go in above bag )
6 x vests
6 x sleepsuits
2 x giant muslins
2 x standard muslins
nappies
Cotton Wool Balls
small bowl (for cleaning baby)

DH’s Man Bag
a change of clothes (or at least top and underwear)
Laminated birth plan (this is more a list of medical instructions that are in my notes ordered by labour stage so he has something to be in charge of)
loose change.
phone charger.
snacks
mints
drinks with straws (don' t fit in my bag)
prune juice (for the dreaded post birth poo, again doesn't fit in my bag)
painkillers for him. (and energy drinks)
the iPad loaded with books and games and a contraction timer app. (a frivolous thing I know)

Chocolate digestives. I was STARVING after the birth last time as as it was 9pm all I got offered was a cup of tea.

Oh my goodness. Mine is absolutely pathetic compared to those!

Outfit for baby
Boxer shorts that DH won't wear because they're the 'tight' kind, for afterwards, hold the pad in (paper knickers are just a ridiculous waste of saggy time.)
Old t-shirt to labour in
Nice PJs for afterwards (layered, because I think after having a baby your thermostat goes a bit off, one minute boiling the next, frozen)
Makeup bag (BB cream, blusher, mascara)
Wash bag with miniatures and deodorant
NB nappies
Maternity pads
A couple of breast pads (not bothering too much with breastpads, never really use them for colostrum and even when my milk does come in I'm not much of a leaker)
Lansinoh (smother it all over the nipples the second there's a hint of a crack)
chewing gum
fruit pastilles (nice little sugar hit if I'm not vomming as per usual in labour)
Dole jelly yoghurt things (have always felt pretty sick and lacking in appetite after having my other two so these little jelly pots are great).
T-shirt for DH in case his top gets covered in baby gunk and he might not want to drive home/go to the shops like that!

That's it!

I am booked for a homebirth so hopefully won't have to go in, my thinking is that if I did go in, I only really have to consider stuff for the first few hours as hopefully I'll only be in there for that long. If I did have to stay in DH could (probably with help from one of my friends), find the right stuff or pop to the shops.

Wow. The boo- that's loads! Where are you planning on putting it all?

Bare in mind you might be moved around a fair bit. I was in 4 different wards 1 before, 1 during, 1 straight after, 1 over night. And I only was in hospital 16 hrs start to leaving. Each time bag was put on bottom in bed by feet and wheeled bed to different place. X2 suitcases plus changing bags and handbags just wouldn't fit!

I had X1 hold-all plus X1 handbag. The hold-all had mesh organiser bags in so baby stuff in one, mine in other, toiletries another etc. handbag had kindle, money, phone, lip balm, etc.

X3 changes of clothes for both baby and myself.

Well during labour there would only be the small suitcase ( about the size of a hold-all) and the changing bag. Then if they kept me on a ward those bags would go and be replaced by the (only slightly) larger suitcase which is the suitcase I used last time so I know it's not big enough to get in the way. If I have to stay in to be prepared for an induction then the labour bag wouldn't be on hospital grounds until induction day. It looks like a hell of a lot but it doesn't actually take up that much space. Had I put it all in 1 bag to plan for all eventualities however it would be a different story :p

And I won't have a handbag, I barely ever use a handbag normally anyway.

Baby won't need a hat inside the hospital but will probably need a cardigan if you are due soon. Top to toe wash is not necessary only water should be used for first few weeks. So I would ditch one hat just keep the one for coming home and add another cardigan.

soon some hospitals are actually obsessive about baby being in a hat in the hospital, we didn't take one with us for DD and I think we ended up bringing about 4 hospital donated wooly hats home because every time I took one off a midwife would produce a new one.

Wow TheBoo I feel slightly better now! Yes yes to what a PP has said about some hospitals being obsessive about hats on babies, mine definitely is.

Really except in SCBU they don't allow hats in my hospital as they say babies will over heat.

Painkillers, doctors take aages to prescribe them

Mine wore hats virtually every day of life until about 6 months indoors.

Where you in America Art? Unless your babies were prem it's not recommended due to overheating.

No, I live in London. Health visitor always said how appropriately dressed they were. Cotton indoors, wool outdoors.

Strange , the guidelines must be different countrywide.