Packing hospital bag for C-section - a few questions...

[Tinkjon]

Various hospital bag questions...

1. Can I bring in my own drugs and self-medicate, does anybody know? The MWs were hopeless at bringing drugs round last time - you'd ask for them and it would be a good hour or 2 before you got them, if at all...

2. I've read that the baby must have a hat - but surely that's not necessary if I'm having the baby in September?

3. Do they have changing mats in hospital? I certainly don't remember bringing one in for DD1 but then I don't remember there being one there either.

4. Everybody says to pack cotton wool balls & a top & tail bowl. It's not really that bad to use baby wipes on a newborn, is it? (fragrance-free, of course). They're just so much easier to use post C-section than having to get up and get a bowl of water and empty it etc.

Thanks!

1. I'm not sure, you would have to call the hospital but I wouldn't have thought so. They have to monitor what you taking very carefully. You will need strong drugs following a c-section, not the sort you usually find in the bathroom cabinet. I would take arnica though. I healed very quickly and I'm sure it was because I was taking it.

2. Post-natal wards are notoriously hot so it is unlikely you will need a hat.

3. I don't remember there being a changing mat and I didn't take one in. A towel will do.

4. Wipes are not advisable for new borns. You don't need a bowl though, I just used a bottle and used the water I needed from that. Much easier.

Good luck!!

I agree that a hat probably won't be needed in the hospital, but it would be a good idea to take one as part of the baby's going home outfit.

1. I was allowed, but they took it and administered it. It is precaution for in case they give you something that can react to your meds. 2)I was not asked to bring a hat, although d was born in Nov and wore a snowsuit home
2. No changing mats, had to do it on my own bed.
3. i used fragrance free sensitive wipes, especially since meconium is so sticky. It will be cold on the bum but rub until warm, it is only for a few days anyway. When ped came round to give ds his ok, ds had a poo nappy and he changed it for me, using pampers wipes! Ds didn't die!

rub between your hands until warm that is, not on baby bum

1. They almost certainly won't let you keep your own meds except stuff like iron tablets and gaviscon.

2. I've never taken in hats. However, my ds was born at the end of May and had lots of mucus and wasn't feeding that well - this is common with section babies. He had to have a hat on in recovery as the extra warmth helps, and because I didn't have one he had to wear one of the hospital's. I'd much rather have had my own.

3. In the hospital where I was they used disposable incontinence sheets as changing mats, laid in the cot - they also had them on the mum's beds to stop staining from the lochia. A similar product are those Bed Mates sheets that go on childrens' beds in case of bedwetting - think they are made by Pampers. After changing you just bin the lot.

4. I've had three sections and never had a problem with using cotton wool an dwater for changing. IME it is so much easier to get meconium off this way. The hospital where I had the dcs provided cotton wool and bowls but not nappies.

HTH!

Big knockers were too tight for me - I used soft jersey boxer shorts. And peppermint tea is fine if you are not bf but if you are it can be too stimulating for your lo - go for camomile instead which will ease wind for both of you and also relax you and help you both to sleep - max. 3 cups/day.

Big knockers...lol!

Thanks, everyone! I had a C-section last time but have forgotten quite a lot as it was almost 5 years ago. I will never forget the painful wind afterwards, but this time I thought I'd try something like Windeze, as peppermint is supposed to slow down milk production and I certainly had trouble with that last time. Spacepuppy, yikes, how could I have forgotten about meconium and how hard it is to get off?! All I remember is very runny nappies (which is why I was worried about changing nappies on the bed - I think I'll take a travel changing mat). Re. the meds, maybe I'll just have to be more forceful about demanding them this time. Thanks for your thoughts!

ROFL at knockers, trinity!!

I had those too!

What sort of meds were you taking TJ I was allowed to keep my Thyroxine in my toilet bag & was in for a week with DD?

I don't mean meds that I had for a pre-exisisting condition, Jbck, I mean the post-C-section painkillers. They would only give me paracetamol for the first days!