Hospitals bags - your most useless contents

[broodylicious]

So there's lots of talk about hospital bag contents all over the web. Great big long lists of things that are apparently essential. I thought it'd be a bit of fun (and possibly help ftms) to start a thread that lists the items you were told to pack in your hospital bag but proved totally useless and redundant.

For me, it was a specific outfit to labour in; got to hospital, clothes came off because it was just too ruddy hot. Who cares about dignity when your bits are on show to a total stranger or five?!

I had a ridiculous surplus of maternity pads ass someone told me you use loads.

I wore clothes during labour and put on makeup after ds was born!

When DD was born mobile phones were just becoming popular (in my family anyway) so I took birth announcement cards and stamps!

Everything else got used including make up.

I gave birth in a hospital gown not the nightie I bought for that purpose - I didn't even question it when they put it on me but I guess it saved my nightie getting mucky.

Don't talk to me about bloody snacks - I bought loads of really nice snacks but they didn't tell me I wouldn't be allowed to eat once they moved me to the delivery room! I was not happy!

Normal clothes. Yeah, because I really wanted to get into jeans. Lived in yoga pants and massive polo shirts. I think I foolishly imagined that my bump would just disappear overnight

On the other hand, I did end up reading a lot! The slight perks to a baby in NICU (if forcing a brightside to things). I have a great memory of sitting in my chair with DD asleep in one crib on one side of me, the mum from the next bay's baby asleep in his crib on the other side of me as she'd gone to shower, reading Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with a cup of tea.

(I think I also foolishly imagined all of the newborn stage would be like this!)

Those battery operated lights that flicker like candles. I'd pictured a calm, serene water birth by flickering "candlelight" alongside my calm jazzy CD. In reality, I screamed
"FUCKKKKK" at a lot of midwives until they gave me an epidural

Lovely little miniature toiletries. No. What you need is something easy to open with one hand. As a pp said- it's no spa break
And as for buying an expensive birthing gown?! Bring your mankiest long t-shirt. It'll get a lot mankier. Then throw it in the sanitary bins they have in the loos asap...

disposable knickers, got binned, so horrible.

Ooh someone upthread mentioned straws being useless. I was numb from the waist down for six hours so couldn't get out of bed. The straws were invaluable! I would pack those.

I agree with snacks. I can't think of anything else.

Going completely against the grain but I ate all of my snacks during my first labour and got dh to bring more in as I had an overnight stay. I also read a book in between being admitted for hbp and going into labour at midnight that night.
I didn't use the disposable knockers - waste of time and not big enough so wore my extra large asda granny pants instead!

disposable knockers

Definitely go for the granny pants, disposable ones are awful!

As we were leaving for the hospital my DP decided to pack the full size Scrabble set.

Seeing as my vocabulary was limited to 'HHNNURRRRRRGGGHHHHHH' for the next 28 hours, we didn't get round to using it.

opps really should proof read before I post! Having said that disposable knockers might have helped breastfeeding!

Pillows

One essential I did take was lots of banned cheese. As soon as the baby was born (well, maybe a little later) I could tuck in. I don't think I was very popular on the ward with all my stinky cheese.

I third the paper pants, ridiculous! Sent my Sister out to the Tesco round the corner for two packs of cheapy big knickers that were much more comfortable (and actually fit! paper pants come up tiny) and just binned them Oh and I am another who didn't wear my birthing nightie- I was so hot in my room I asked for a hospital gown because they are open in the back, much cooler

Take note of what takeaway food is nearby, I sent dh prompto to Byron burger for the larger Stilton burger they had after baby was born! Was starving and a piece of old toast was not greatly received

I'm packing what I need based on my previous experiences of fast labours and my poor DH having to go home in a taxi wearing clothes soaked in amniotic fluid twice

I have a tendency to pack something stupid like a book to read in labour and forget my bloody clean pjs! I even forgot to take clothes for myself to go home in last time. I looked gorgeous going straight home from the labour suit in blood stained pjs!

as all mine have been sections i have pretty much needed everything ive taken in as ive been in a good few days.

Agree it depends on your labour. First labour dh ate all the snacks, lucozade tablets, read his magazines and kept giving me water with the straw in a cup. Didn't use the millions of clothes they tell you to take for baby as ds1 and me went home the following day.

Labour2 didn't use my tense as had an emergency c after a day of being induced unsuccessfully, but spent all day watching films on my iPad or reading a book. And then spent 12 days in hospital with ds2 so then used everything in my bag and some!

I didn't have my bag with me but got DH to bring some stuff later.

Book - I was in 8 days and didn't read the thing! If you're going to take one take something light, mine was about the Rwandan genocide, not quite the pick me up I needed!
White pants / sexy knickers - DH brought those. The midwives thought it was hilarious.
Baby clothes that were gigantic
Skinny maternity jeans - I was too swollen

I think the moral of this story is pack your own bag early and not your DP/DH

Trousers - it's all about the dress and over the bump (which is still there!) leggings.

Book - I had an EMCS and begged DH to bring the iPad in so I could Google what the heck to do after a c-section as I hadn't read up on that at all!

Dressing gown - agree it's so blinking hot a decent length nightie with front buttons for breastfeeding is all you need. And slippers because hospital floors are manky!

Depends on the circumstances with snacks! I ended up being in 9days and 4 were spent being induced lol x

With my first I packed a puzzle book, thinking I could do crosswords in between contractions. Not fucking likely!