Wheat bag/hot water bottle in hospital bag

[Foxblanket]

Hello!

I'd like to pack a wheat bag in my birth bag for some pain relief early on and wondered if it's normal to be able to use a microwave in the hospital to warm it up.

And also whether I can have a hot water bottle filled up there.

Thank you!

Hot water bottle I think would be easy to get them to fill for you. Microwaves I've known them to be on the ward but not sure if they have them in delivery, would be best to give them a ring and ask.

If we couldn't find a way ourselves to keep them heated, I really wouldnt. Staff are busy as it is tbh.

And until the hospitals are fully open, for infection control patients aren't allowed to use anything other than the bathrooms. Or at least they cannot in a couple of local trusts near me.

Highly unlikely you could use a microwavable bag due to infection control, even before Covid. Certainly don’t use them on my ward anyway

when i was in early labour they gave me a hot water bottle, but they were only allowed to fill it with hot water from the tap so it was just about warm. i wouldn’t have wanted to ask anyone to have to warm wheat bags though, all the staff were always crazy busy. plus i find that those bags always stink!

Could you maybe bring a filled hot water bottle with you and some of those chilly bottles or a thermos with hot boiled water with you and decant into a hot water bottle? Not ideal I know, but maybe it would help?

You used to be able to get heat patches for period pain that warmed themselves when you put them on. Maybe something like that?

Maybe those cura-heat type self-heating patches? You might need to check that they’re pregnancy-safe.

Be warned that labour wards are stiflingly hot so you might find you can’t bear any additional heat.

For pain relief you can also use a tens machine or similar.

There's also the possibility that the water bottle won't be used as you might get to the point of not wanting anything on you. You might not even be laying down when the pain is at its worse.

Is this your only plan for pain relief?

If you can I would suggest a water birth.

I'm not sure about in maternity, but on my ward we are not allowed to heat wheat bags due to infection control, or hot water bottles for health and safety (scalding risk). See if you can get those self heating pads instead.

Most wards have access to a staff microwave but they are usually grubby and there’s no way I’d want to heat a wheat pack in one!

They were not allowed to refill my hot water bottle. I was very upset as it was excellent pain relief. Take it hot with you at least one thermos full of scalding hot water and DP can refill it for you.
I did have a tens machine which I used but the hot water bottle was better

Could you take a usb hotwater bottle?

When I was getting induced in January (so right at the height of second wave) they brought me something like a wheat bag and I think they reheated it too.it was amazing for back ache

I took an electric hot water bottle (I bought it on Amazon). It was so good I used it for the first few hours of labour. It helped so much.

So many amazing suggestions! Thank you so much.