What did you want when you came home?

[salemtheteenagecat]

Just been thinking about hospital bags etc.. and my DP has asked what I would like when I come home?

It took me a while to work out what he meant but when chatting about it I said I would love to come home to new PJ's, dressing gown and slippers(dark nights have set in, want to be cosy, de hospitalise)

Thought maybe a new lush bath bomb - is this a good idea after giving birth??

My fave meal all ready to go? favourite snacks?

What would you like? or what did you have that was ultimately the best thing ever - I fully understand that baby will be No1 :)

[nilbyname]

My mil brought over some food for the freezer and on our day home 2 friends dropped in hot meals.

Fire was lit, heating on and the house was spotless. DS almost died during childbirth and we had a crash team assist during birth. It was awful. People were so kind afterwards, I'm filling up thinking about it!

Sil brought me all sorts of oils and arnica tablets to help me heal. Loads of DVDs

We had sausages and mash one night and it was so nice, real comforting stodgy food. DH cut it up for me and I shovelled it in.

Loads of nice biscuits in for when you have visitors and have your DH ready to be host.

[MamaMoose1]

All I ever wanted was to have some help when I got home, had a c section with my third, my husband had only one week of work (self-employed) was hoping I'd have some help from family with looking after my older two during the summer holidays, but it never happened and I struggled a lot, was in lots of pain most days, but I had no choice to get on with it. I think having the help and support helps a lot, I look back on those days I struggled and it just seems such a blur.

[queenc81]

Mama moose I was the same. Just wanted some help with the children. I had 2 emergency sections and both times husband went back to work the next day

I also wanted proper food, big hearty meal with lots of vegetables, cosy blankets and Netflix in bed. Oh and water by the bucket load, I bought wine thinking I'd be desperate but couldn't face it, felt so dehydrated when I came out of hospital. X

[Sgtmajormummy]

A hot shower! I'd had a line in my hand which meant I hadn't been able to wash all over since the birth.

MIL was amazing support BUT she cooked me a horsemeat steak for my first meal back.
It was BSE time, and in her day they thought horsemeat was better for bringing your iron levels back up.

I took one look at it and thought "Placenta!"

[Dixiechick17]

I came home to two pieces of rare steak, that was all I wanted :)

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Go straight back to hospital because I was overwhelmed and felt dreadful. They were way too quick to get me out, looking back.

[AButterflyLightsBesideUs]

Clean bathroom, fresh bed, nice flowers, food, more food. No uninvited/spontaneous guests. Pate & fresh bread. Pile suppositories. Painkillers. Some kind of stool softener.

Glamorous eh?!

[TheHubblesWindscreenWipers]

Clean sheets
Warm clean house
I found one of those armrest tray things from ikea super useful so I could sit on the sofa and feed with supplies at hand
Freezer full of batch cooked dinners
General supermarket shop done.

I was in hospital for almost a week - God it was so nice to be home! Dh did everything while I just recovered and fed ds.

[Dreamer100]

Do people really need stuff? How about just being glad to get home to your own bed (maybe a change of sheets if needed) and peace. I can't imagine asking my DH to lay on gifts and a buffet after we've both been through such a huge experience. Perhaps these are things first-timers think about. Once you've had your baby you'll realise that just being home and safe and comfortable is all you need. Sorry if that sounds patronising, don't mean to.

Also, the most important thing you need afterwards is a very supportive partner and lots of encouragement for breastfeeding.

[FlyingCat]

A clean house and a nice meal including LOADS of fresh nicely cooked vegetables. Hospital food was awful!

[Butterpuff]

Your DH is really great for asking now. My DH asked me while I was on the operating table. I think as a distraction. I said paella. We picked one up from Tesco finest range in the way home from hospital a few days later. He suprised ne with the magmum of champagne. ....not opened 18 months later. Really, my bed and my family were what I wanted so we could start our new life

[Bexta147]

New pjs, clean fresh bedding and a nice vodka and lemonade!
Magazines or a good book but I have been unable to concentrate on a book so magazines probably better.

[salemtheteenagecat]

Dreamer - just to clarify that no one on here especially myself we're expecting gifts or anything along those lines. I've actually stated that baby is obviously no1 but why can't you come home to little home comforts we have done something amazing and deserve something if nothing but a home comfort of food, clean house fresh bedding! If my dp would like to do that for me or any one else are more then welcome to, non of it expected or demanded.

Women have a lot of pressure put on themselves to do good every day especially when pregnant I think a little bit of well deserved selfishness is acceptable!

[WilliamHerschel]

I was very sore and am not sure a bath bomb would have really gone down well, though that isn't my type of thing anyway.

I would want to come home to a clean house, some nice clean pyjamas would have been nice. A DVD box set (or similar) so i could cosy up in bed/on the sofa breastfeeding and trying to catch up on sleep. It was a very tiring time as I had not slept for a few days. Id have probably liked not to have any visitors for a few days too.

[choccybiscuit]

A decent dinner! I was do disappointed to find out no one in my family had made me a meal. I had to make do with mcdonalds. Was not happy.

[QforCucumber]

Mil was here when I got home, I was ready to be so angry - I wanted new baby family time - until I walked in and the house was spotless. Every inch cleaned, bathrooms, all the washing done, and she stood there with a cup of tea and a ham sandwich. It was 3pm on a Sunday and I almost cried - had been in hospital since the Thursday and had to go home still catheterised due to bruising.
The best feeling ever. Dp and I didn't have to anything for a week in the house as she had just got everything sorted for us.

[Bollyroo]

Salem, great thread and your DH is so lovely! I've just shamelessly got MrBolly to read this as only 6weeks to go for us. Perfect timing. Thank you everyone.

[MrsGsnow18]

My plan is to hopefully have house visitor ready a few weeks before due date.
I'd be happy to come home to DH having done his dishes and milk in the fridge to make cups of tea.
I like the idea of having some nice biscuits in for people visiting.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es]

Tidy, warm house (mine were winter babies), and all the banned foods, I had runny scrambled eggs on toast as soon as I got home.

Nothing on earth would have induced me to drink alcohol, I was tired enough as it was without adding that to the mix, DH did produce a little bottle of champagne but I really didn't want it. I also didn't want flowers cluttering the place up, we have a small house and it was being taken over by baby stuff, I was sent huge bunches of flowers by work and some relatives and had nowhere to put them.

[Shannith]

Google meals for new mums or similar. There a few companies that will deliver a weeks worth of food. I think cook do it too, but there are cheaper options.

When my friend had her second I sent her a weeks worth of bung in the oven food (she had a pr schooler too). Shen sent me a lov lay card say BEST PRESENT EVER! For me it food and lots of it. Stuff you can eat with one hand. Flowers and baby grows are lovely. But food is what got me through the first few weeks after and EMCS.

I was in hospital for 4 nights and my DP brought me takeaways and smuggled in a cold beer. Still the best meal of my life was some hospital stew/mush with mash potatoes. I have never eaten anything so fast and demanded seconds and thirds. I missed out on the famous tea and toast as I was so out of it on morphine.

Lots of things with mash are good as you can Hoover it up while feeding.

And pate. And runny cheese. And rare steak.

Waitrose used to do a pack of 12 mini rolls white/brown/seeded that DP would make up for me with cheese and ham and leave by the sofa. One day I think I got through all 12.

Oh, and one of those thermos things for tea/soup so you can have a hot drink all day.

And wine. And shitloads of chocolate.

My NCT group used to meet up for decafe coffee and cake once a week (all pfb and breastfeeding.) After about 3 weeks we cracked and met up for a glass of wine instead.