Hospital bag?

[Gabbslou]

Hi everyone! This is my first pregnancy and I'm starting to think about my hospital bag and getting it ready. I have a rough idea of what I need such as a few baby outfits, a couple of comfy pjs for me and an outfit for going home, nappies and wipes, car seat, breast pads and nipple cream. Have I missed anything major or have I covered the basics? Any tips or things you wish you knew or had while in hospital? Thank you!

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Hello, this thread is a little old; for up-to-date recommendations, take a look at our hospital bag checklist.

I sorted all my things into separate freezer bags e.g. Underwear in one, nighties and dressing gown in another, breast pads and maternity pads etc and wrote on the front what was in each one. It meant that even if my DH was scrabbling around finding things it was quick and easy to put everything away again as you don't have much space.
Good luck OP, I hope everything goes well.

Dark nighties, towels/flannels, flip flops (for shower. Toiletry bag with your essentials that has a hook (hospital bathrooms can be a bit grim) bring squeezy bottle for spraying your bits first few times you go to the loo. Some antibacterial handwipes (for general bed area (they can be frightful) Dressing gown (or nighttime hoodies), warm socks, slippers. Breast pads, cheap granny knickers (loads, more than you think possible), industrial strength sanitary pads! Your own pillow and pillow cases. Lots of small change, phone charger and/or juice pack. Snacks and cartons of orange juice type things. Great idea re:freezer bottles of Evian. Going home outfit for you.
For baby. Vests (again more than you think you need-prewashed and folded with babygros (prewashed) and some baby cardigan type things. Nappies, wipes, nappy bags, nappy cream,muslin cloths (lots). Bring formula (just in case) you can get ready to use type (m.boots.ie/h5/cat_hub?unCountry=roi&path=%2Fen%2FSMA-1-First-Infant-Milk-250ml-Ready-to-use-From-birth-onwards_1262737%2F) some baby dummies/soothers (just in case) so you are not faffing about. Prewashed towels for baby. Going home outfit (including outer wear if it's winter weather) and baby blankets.
I had three canvas bags inside one carry on type case. Baby bag (for when baby born), labour bag (for during and right after) for me, hospital bag (for my stay containing stuff for me and lo)

A couple of packs of those square glucose energy tablets. I was induced 3 times and they wouldn't let me eat so those were a godsend. Big black pants.

Best thing to pack? Tena pants. Better than any granny pants. Padded, elasticated, can bin afterwards so never have to see them again. And leak proof! (Trust me). Not the most glamorous purchase on your Tesco trolley but there we are. Pretty much lived in them for the first 48 hrs and nothing else (was the heat of summer 35c heat and all that).

breast pads, tens machine , magazines, crosswords etc, etc

MummyTheGregor

Harvested Colostrum

I have this. It's in the freezer in 1ml syringes in a ziploc.

I have no idea how to take it to the hosp. It'll defrost quite quickly I guess. How do you store it?

I wish I'd had something like pringles. My bag was only half packed due to going into labour early and I had no food in there. I ended up being in a week as DD was in NICU. I kept missing dinner because I was sat with her and one night I had a packet of haribo from the vending machine for dinner because it had the most calories.
I'd pack some savoury snacks too, the sugar gets too much.

Just a word of warning, we packed me and baby into different bags......and forgot to put babies bag in the car. Poor little mite wore a nappy and a donated knitted cardigan as a first outfit until DH managed to get out and get an actual babygrow!

Taking it one step further, I found it extremely useful to pack the baby's first outfit (including nappy) into a food bag, so: nappy, hat, vest, babygro and scratch mitts (if you're using them; I just liked the babygros with fold-over cuffs). It meant that DH could literally just pull one thing out of the bag ready so that when the baby made an appearance there was no scrabbling around in the bag, opening packs of nappies, dislodging all your careful packing.

I gave birth two weeks so today. Planned for a lovely water birth , one EMCS later and from my hospital bag I was glad for...

● The nightie I laboured in (it was an ankle length old lady style cotton one, loose and easy to get on/off without assistance, easy for midwife to examine without any need for knickers etc.
● Good lip balm and inoffensive juices (midwife told me that everyone is reccomended to bring the flat isotonic lucoazade, which is what i had, but they gave me a bottle of fizzy because the sugar is much more important to keep you going, they kept a supply available) and gas and air completely dried and chapped my lips, it was worse the next day (and I was completely hoarse). Inoffensive in that if you are sick, it won't taste awful on the return journey.
● Mints: I was sick with every contraction. So I couldn't eat anything but it was nice to have something to freshen my breath. Also jelly babies.
● Maternity pads and big knickers. I also took some people puppy pads (you can get them in boots next to the maternity towels) and was glad for them. I couldn't wear knickers because of the catheter for about 18 hours so was tethered to the bed with a bag of wee and you still bleed even with a c-section (which had genuinely never occurred to me).
● I took baby bundlers (nighties) rather than baby grows. Easier than fiddling with poppers, I got newborn size and they fitted my almost 9 lb born chunk (the newborn babygrows/vests wouldn't touch the sides. You can get them in marks and spencer.
● Nappies, Water wipes. Charger. Earphones.

Practice how to use the car seat with a doll maybe, it took me and my Mam 40 minutes to work it out when I'd been discharged.

I'm sure I'll think of some more..

My DS is 10 days old and the stuff I really valued from my hospital bag was:
-Cartons of juice
-Mini bags of haribo
-Mothercare maternity pads

• Big knickers

-Nappy bags

• Scrathmits and hat for baby

Please buy tena incontinence pads. So much better than normal sanitary pads after delivery. I would suggest to keep a pair of crocs just in case. Easier to walk around and easier to manage if your water breaks.

Hi SpaceDinosaur
re the harvested colostrum - not sure if this will pan out but I plan to take it to hospital frozen and labelled then give to the midwife to pop in the fridge for us once we get there in case it's needed (I've got gestational diabetes and struggled to get a good latch with last two dc).... we only live 10 mins from the hospital so not bothering with a cool bag or anything..... once defrosted it should keep a few days in the fridge.... If I remember I'll update on how it goes!

Lots of maternity pads, lots of disposable pants, a large towel, dressing gown, some food and drink, nappy sacks, basic toiletries.

Thank you MummyTheGregor

Mr Kipling cake slices and jam sandwiches.

Phone charger.

Also I'd like me you prefer to travel light but panic you won't have everything so really want to take your whole house, pack your main bag with a few of everything and keep a bag of spares/extra/the kitchen sink in the car - only if it's unlikely to get broken into / parked in a safe place / can hide your swag bag sufficiently.

Good luck for the birth.

If not I'd

My sister took adult nappies for her 2nd because she said wearing knickers and maternity pads with her first was too leaky and she felt comfier wearing the adult nappy and just changing it every hour when she went to the toilet. And moist tissues definitely !!

Don't worry about breastpads, the milk doesn't come in till day 4 (ish)! Nursing bra. Swaddling type blanket for the baby (the nurses will
show you how to wrap the baby up). A hat for the baby.

Get a really thin dressing gown, not a fleecy warm one. Maternity wards are hotter than the sun.

Ask your midwife about temps/bed setup on the wards. Pj shorts and a vest were more useful than a dressing gown for me as hospital was hotter than hades and windows don't open. Own pillow was also a huge plus.

Recommend old flip flops/cheap slippers. Mine went in the bin as I walked off the ward. More so if you're in for a few days and having multiple showers.

Worth packing as one soft bag with what you need for labour & 1 set of baby stuff/3 nappies. It helps in case you're in in a rush and having to carry your own bag around.

Then the rest in a bigger bag you can leave in car and someone can get for you once your settled on post-natal ward.

Yes to snacks for both of you, lots of pads, earphones, eye masks.

Best thing I had was Percy Pigs sweets and lots of small cartons of apple juice. Both times i under estimated pads for me and nappies for baby. Take loads.

Several bras, just in case! I had two that I alternated wearing, but as soon as I gave birth I found I sweated RIDICULOUS amounts and they weren't comfortable to keep on while they were sopping Also take talc for the same reason. All toiletries and toothbrush etc, plenty of change for the car park and for the tv in case you have to stay for longer than expected (We managed 6 days due to DD being jaundiced) Phone charger, snacks and drinks, nighties and jammas, and your own pillow. Slippers. Dressing gown. Wipes, nappies, vests, babygrows, a blanket and cardigans, socks, a hat or two. Muslin cloths, nappy cream, nipple cream, anything else...? Oh yeah, the kitchen sink Better to pack it and not need it rather than have unexpected delays (or frenzied yearnings, in my case) for things. Don't be the woman on the maternity ward at three am frantically searching eBay because your maternity bras are far too small and you weren't expecting to go up to an L cup because your body has betrayed you...

Nighties and a light dressing gown. Comfy jammies are fine unless you have a catheter in or if you have a section a night dress is looser over your scar.

Can anyone post a pic of their hospital bags so I can gauge the size please?? Mine are going to be massive at this rate.. not sure what is normal...