Hospital bag - what don't they tell you to pack?

[BexusSugarush]

I have scoured through this forum reading all of the posts about the essentials, and have that covered completely. What I know alot of us want now are opinions on personal comforts you took, things you wish you'd taken and also anything that you would specifically have your partner bring.

You can never be too prepared :)

I think it's all very personal to each person so take what you would usually use at home as that will be very different from someone else. It's basically the essentials that you have plus preferences

Snacks for on the ward after birth! I was starving! MIL had to send Dh in with sandwiches lol

I was grateful for the snacks I had in my bag, I had bought them for labour but didn't get round to having them, but they were great for something to nibble on the ward afterwards.

Flip flops for the shower.

Lots of snacks
Warm toasty socks- the really cosy ones

Defo Snacks for afterwards my dd's were all born evening and nobody ever bloody offered me feck all to eat till breakfast the next morning! (You can tell I'm still mad about it ha!) I did ask but think they brought me an apple and a rich tea biscuit
Ds was born in the morning so I got lunch and tea before going home!
You need loads of maternity pads your oldest pants and few changes of pj bottoms.
You don't need breastpads because you won't leak first few days.
Whatever toiletries you would usually use.
Roll on because the noise of deodorant spray makes the baby jump
More food - it's hungry work
phone charger.
A thin dressing gown - it's always boiling hot on the ward.

Oh and some juice. I was massively dehydrated.

Some Fybogel. I had to wait till a doctor had written it up on my prescription card. I sent DH out to the local supermarket to get some as it was quicker!
It helps with the 'scary first poop'. Gross but true.

Snacks for after (I liked those porridge pot things)
Squash (the mini Robinsons things are v useful)
An old hand towel to use as a shower mat if you hate putting your clean feet on a grubby floor like I do!

Flip flops and litres of water.

I would suggest comfortable big black knickers. I also suggest having a second bag packed at home (or at least putting things aside) in case you need a longer stay. I was in over a week, and hate sitting around in pjs so wanted some clothes but my DH kept bringing in hoodies (not needed in the equatorial post natal wards)/things that hit my wound/non giant knickers. And flip flops (my feet were so swollen post section that only flip flops fit me).

In my first pregnancy I was unexpectedly admitted to the understandably noisy antenatal ward and was extremely irritated at the thought of my earplugs and eye mask stuck at home in the hospital bag which we'd decided wasn't worth bringing in until the morning. Second time round the eye mask and ear plugs stayed with my notes so they were always to hand just in case-it didn't need them but it was much better that way round!

Your own supply of paracetamol for afterwards because you can never find a midwife on the postnatal ward!

Apricots dates prunes etc to ahem keep things going incase you have repair work it helps the first passing a they'll want to know about before you go home

Pillows! In non-white covers.

Ditto to the pillows. Hospital pillows are in short supply, I managed to beg a second one, but it vanished whilst I was having my section. 1 pillow is never enough!

Food
Less stuff than you think. It is a pita in a very small cubicle trying to wade through 100 pairs of black pants and black t shirts to find a soft bra.

Warm socks!
Big knickers

Nice roll on perfume as it perks you up nicely.

Ear plugs, baggy pyjama bottoms, disposable knickers, tea tree oil (few drops in a sports bottle filled with warm water to help healing down there if you have stitches), long vests, nipple cream (lansinoh),

Oh and pack an extra bag to keep in the car in case you're admitted containing extra clothes (you and baby), maternity pads and underwear saves your other half having to pack this.

More food. I had a bag of Haribo, which was fine during labour, but then I puked up the tea and toast I got given immediately post-birth and was bloody starving.

Something to wear during my (unplanned) foray into the birthing pool would have been a good idea too...

And I totally forgot shampoo and shower gel so yeah, that.

Definitely your own pillow. Ear plugs and eye mask to stand any chance of sleep on a ward. I took some nice toiletries for the shower and a big dark coloured bath sheet. Sports bottle to fill with water to use on your bits when you wee. Snacks like cereal bars and some bottled water for after labour - my DS was born at 7.38am and it was 1pm before I got anything to eat on the ward.

Things that weren't on list that we needed were:

1. cleaning fluid to clean bathtub/toilet before using it.
2. wrench to turn on water as taps were missing.
3. food as I had "missed" the dinner orders because I was too busy having a baby.
4. water bottles as there was no one to bring me water and I couldn't get out of bed on account of having just had 40 hours of labor and a cs.