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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

what did you regret not packing in hospital bag?

154 replies

Waterfountain97 · 08/05/2018 19:05

I'm 30+3 and over next couple weeks I'm buying the things for hospital bag so was just curious as to what things people were happy they took things they didn't actually use and things they wish they took
Thankyou 😌

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CocoLoco87 · 08/05/2018 20:05

Glad I took 2 nighties. I gave birth wearing a brand new one for DC2 and it got trashed so the nurse took it off over my head and it went straight in the bin I was glad to have a spare for when I was all cleaned up!

And for DC1 I didn't have enough snacks to last 2 night stay in hosp. I then over packed for DC2 but rather pack too much than not enough.

Dozer · 08/05/2018 20:08

I didn’t take anywhere near enough clothes for the baby either time: couldn’t believe how fast they got through them with sick-up etc.

Flip flops were useful. And a scratty washbag, the bathrooms were grim so wouldn’t want to spoil a nice one.

Giant pants were not useful.

CatchingBabies · 08/05/2018 20:17

As a midwife who notices the things people often wish they had:

Big comfy knickers, big enough to not sit on a section wound if you end up with one. Lots and lots of pairs!
Proper maternity pads. The super thin scratchy ones are no good for episiotomies.
Pyjama tops or nighties that button open if you are planning on breastfeeding
Slippers, the stockings we give you are very slippy
A bottle of cordial if you don’t like tap water
A variety of snacks for both in labour and afterwards

For baby sleepsuits with the fold over mittens are better than having separate mittens, failing that socks stay on the hands better.
Enough clothes to account for leaking nappies or a vomiting baby, they go though a lot more than you think!
A hat for straight after the birth that you don’t mind getting ruined if it becomes stained.

chocolatesun · 08/05/2018 20:19

Pack a lovely comfy pillow from home. Hospital pillows are hospital. Just put it in a colourful pillow case so it doesn’t get left behind or mistaken for a hospital one.

bassackwards · 08/05/2018 20:20

I forgot to bring my own pillow and really regretted it. Also, not enough maternity pads. In hindsight I wish I had brought those Tena briefs.

WowIFreelStrange · 08/05/2018 20:20

if you have long hair, pack a bobble there's nothing worse than being super sweaty and warm and your hair all over your face and in your mouth.

made this mistake with ds1. no way was I doing it again with ds2.

BowiesJumper · 08/05/2018 20:21

Mini electric handheld fan. The post natal ward was hotter than the sun...

eurochick · 08/05/2018 20:22

Food! After about 36 hours of being nil by mouth I got a tiny salmon steak (around the size I would feed my toddler), three mini new potatoes and some undressed salad. Probably around three hundred calories when my body was demanding thousands! Luckily there was an m and s in the lobby, but I wish I had taken more substantial snacks.

LittlePotSoonHot · 08/05/2018 20:22

Tweezers!

letstryagainaaahhhh · 08/05/2018 20:24

A rubber ring to sit on and more than one nightie, as mine was stained with blood.

harrietm87 · 08/05/2018 20:27

After reading about it on here I put 2 bottles of ribena in the freezer and took them to the hospital. By the time I'd given birth they were mostly melted and I had delicious ice cold ribena with tiny pieces of ice in it - they were GLORIOUS! My only regret is not taking more than 2!

Also highly recommend dried apricots- gets you on your way for the scary post-birth shit.

feelinggoodinspring · 08/05/2018 20:29

Food!

bloomsburyer · 08/05/2018 20:30

So glad I took my own paracetamol for after pains. I asked a midwife for some but none arrived as they were really busy.

Rufffles · 08/05/2018 20:30

I ironed (for the first time) one of my favourite pairs of pyjamas and it felt AMAZING putting those on after I’d given birth. Once I had them on, I really REALLY enjoyed a little bar of dark chocolate that I’d tucked into my bag after seeing it recommended on one of these threads.

Things I packed but didn’t use:

battery-operated tealights for labour
tankini (didn’t get to use the birthing pool as hoped)
breast pads (milk didn’t come in until after I’d left hospital)
books / magazines (I didn’t have any waiting around time before the birth, and after the birth I was too busy staring at my little boy and keeping in touch with people on my phone)

Things I wish I’d packed more of:

pyjamas (sadly I bled through my ironed pair!)
baby clothes (I think I took 3 bodysuits and 3 sleepsuits; not quite enough)

Hope this helps. Good luck!

ForTheLoveOfSleep · 08/05/2018 20:30

Snacks and drinks for me and DH.

Things to do/books. Stayed in for 36hrs with DD1 and was so bored.

Also I didn't realize they charged for WiFi. Though, this was before 4G.

Headphones. Wards can be noisy.

Also (kind of related) with DD1 I wish I hadn't been so afraid to speak up when something concerned me or other people on the ward were being funts by being on their phones at 2am.

Hopeful16 · 08/05/2018 20:31

Muslin cloths - these were not on my given hospital list and obviously they're very important for wiping puke, catching puke, and generally everything to do with puke! 😉

Family121 · 08/05/2018 20:31

food.

DarkestBeforeDawn · 08/05/2018 20:31

I wish i had taken in an electric fan! It was absolutely boiling in the wards and they had three fans to go around but they were all in use. This was October too but it was just so hot and stuffy.

userabcname · 08/05/2018 20:38

I had a whole load of stuff I didn't need and not enough of what I did need! I ended up staying a week after birth. I needed a lot more maternity pads (way more than I thought), more underwear and clothes (specifically breastfeeding friendly clothes and 'loungewear' style as I felt uncomfortable on the ward in my nightie plus a huge yet lightweight dressing gown would have been good to firmly wrap round me), food and spare clothes for DH who stayed with me nearly the whole time, change for the vending machines and a soft cushion to sit on in the car on the way home.

Oysterbabe · 08/05/2018 20:46

Tuc biscuits. You get sick of sweet stuff and they're nice and salty to replace what you sweated out.
Juice and lucozade. I drank so much straight after. My mouth was soooo dry from the gas and air.

LexieLulu · 08/05/2018 21:11

More food, I missed meal times due to their not being a ward room available for me (had to stay in my delivery room for hours), and I was absolutely starving.

If your DP can stay with you, I suggest a thin blanket in their bag x

Baubletrouble43 · 08/05/2018 21:38

I didn't pack enough snacks. Dry shampoo would have been good too as I was in three days and couldn't shower till day 3 x

pastabest · 08/05/2018 21:45

It's terrible how many of these are food related.

I know they give you tea and toast immediately after the birth but I was too knackered to eat mine and other than that there doesn't seem to be much give in the system for feeding women who turn up on postnatal wards out of sync with meal times!

DwangelaForever · 08/05/2018 21:46

I feel really lucky now that my hospital had loads of maternity pads to hand! I brought two packs with me but used mainly hospital own when I was in (cause they were thicker and more absorbent).

I think I may have raided them from the induction room I was in as they gave me loads when my waters broke as they just kept coming!

BikeRunSki · 08/05/2018 21:48

Food

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