Hospital bag - am I missing anything obvious?!!

[Gemy]

Hello there, I am just getting my hospital bag organised (due on 27th Dec) and this is what I have so far.

Me
1 X Nightdress to give birth in
1 X loungewear tracksuit bottoms for after the birth
1 X matching loungewear top
1 X vest top
3 X massive knickers
10 X maternity/always pads
3 X tena-pants... more (incase I prefer these)
Basic make-up
Make-up removal wipes
Moisteriser
Shampoo
Conditioner
Body wash (I can't remember from last time - will I need an unperfumed etc one incase of stitches etc?)
2 X nursing bras
1 X pair of slippers
MP3 player containing hypnobirthing recording

Baby
2 X sleepsuits
2 X vests
1 X snowsuit
1 X hat
1 X packet babywipes
10 X nappies
1 X jar of sudocreme

Does my list seem horrendously long or seriously lacking?

Do you think - for after the birth - I'd be better taking something that would also be suitable incase of C-section? In this case, what?

I've heard some people take their own pillows and things like personal DVD player/candles with them - anyone done this? Is it a good idea?

A changing mat- one of the fold up ones or an old towel you don't mind binning when it gets poo on it
Pillows and towels (again that you don't mind binning, but NHS ones are lacking)
You might need another top. I sweated a lot after DD was born and got through a lot of tops. Of course, your partner can always bring one in, but then it will be the size 6 low cut see-thru one that goes with nothing and which you haven't worn for 10 years...

Dried fruit -apricots, raisons etc If you are in for a couple of days you will be lucky to see any fruit or palatable vegetables and the last thing you want with stiches is constipation.
Bottles of water
Chocolate
Cereal bars

As you can see there is a theme here! I was in for three days and was permanently starving.

Definitely flip flops - I left the maternity unit with a new baby and verruca

Change for the phone (someone else already said this!), and for the vending machines.

I will be packing STRONG nicotene patches for my DH.

He is a smoker , and it really annoys me when he naffs off during my labour (or just after the birth even), when I need his help or could do with stuff getting out of my bag (midwife is asking for nappies, babygrow etc!) and DH has gone out for a cigarette!!!

I'm not giving him any excuses to leave my side this time!

I will even tell him he can wait a couple of hours before calling all the family and let us enjoy some special time together with our new baby!

PS I always found a mars bar and a tin of coke goes down well after giving birth - esp if your not stopping at the hospital and they don't feed you!

More nighties I bleed loads afterwards and despite wearing maternity towels I managed to soak my nightie and bed quite a few times in first 48hrs, sorry if tmi. I also found the disposal maternity knickers good, if you in a right mess it easy to just rip them of at the side and chuck them. Change for phone, snacks. More baby clothes some baby are sick after every feed. Arina good for pain afterwards. Something for toilet seats a spray or parazone. Deordant, toothbrush, toothpaste. Perhaps some new nice body cream or something nice to give you a bit of a treat. Camera. I know most mums are in and out very quickly these days, but it is worth preparing your self for a longer stay just in case. I had unplanned section with first which should of meant I was in for 5 days but had to stay in for 7 days as ds1 needed light treatment for jaundice. With Ds2 I had a vbac but because it was a bad birth they kept me for 6 days. Good luck

polos - if you have a section the trapped wind can be terrible and polos really helped me.

disposable camera definitely

start taking the arnica tablets as soon as your labour starts - if baby has to have some help on the way out it really helps them heal quickly too.

this is going to sound really really OCD but i packed another smaller bag with extras of eveything that was left in the car so if we ran out it was there.

and lots more pads and knickers!

good luck

o'h and one of those spray bottles you can refill with water as it's always roasting in there.

For those planning to breastfeed - a tube of Lansinoh to put onto nipples constantly - worked for me - they got a bit sore but never cracked or bled.

Gaviscon - I had the most horrendous heartburn after the birth (5 pm) and the hospital couldn't/wouldn't give me anything for it - parents brought in some Rennies for me that evening, but it didn't really go away until DH brought in some Gaviscon liquid the next morning! (I did suffer from heartburn towards the end of my pregnancy so not sure if the after birth experience was related to that or stress related, or lying down and pushing for hours related!)

Something to read - there will be times after the birth when baby is sleeping and you aren't. It is so nice to LIE ON YOUR STOMACH and read a book/magazine! (I was in for 3 nights due to DD's jaundice.) (There was a lady with possible pre-eclampsia in the bed opposite and she was so envious of me lying down on my belly reading Heat . . . and once you are home there aren't too many opportunities for lying down on your belly reading magazines.)

Take a couple of sterilised bottles and some cartons of Aptimil. With all the best will in the world, you may have problems establishing feeding. A poor lady in my ward was reduced to tears, begging the night staff for a bottle and formula to feed her screaming child as she was told that "as they encouraged breast feeding, they did not hold stocks of formula or bottles on the ward and would need to get it from the special care unit".

I took prunes to help with the pooh issue!

Our hospital had wipes in all the loos and asked you to wipe the seat after you had been - I made sure I wiped before AND after I had been as you could never be sure if the one there before you had wiped . . .

Be prepared for the night staff to not be very helpful and the day staff to be lovely.

Good luck

L

Hey Gemy, we are due the same day!

Your list looks much like mine but I have added:

a couple of extra sleepsuits
paper pants (not very sexy but you can just tear them off - no having to pull them down and getting blood everywhere - yuk)
breast pads
nipple cream
camera
coins for phone
snacks and drinks (or money so you can send DH/DP to hospital shop)

Good luck!

not that I've actually packed mine yet...

I would add water, it is thirsty work and maybe some sugary drink

Agree with one of the previous posters, I WISH I had packed a second bag as I stayed in for 10 days with complications (no csection but extremely high bp and infection). Next time i will definitely have a second bag with EXACTLY the same stuff as the first one...it's not going to go to waste as you will use it all when you get home even if you don't need it in the hospital!
Lip-balm was a must for me too
I didn't like the idea of paper knickers but after reading one of the posters above I think I may give them a try. I just bought a few packets of the really cheap full brief panties from Tesco, was something like £3 for 10. Am actually still using the ones that didn't get too messed up - would also recommend you buy a size or two bigger so you don't feel restricted in any way!
Dextros tablets, bit of an energy kick
Will definitely do flip flops next time, the showers were yuck!
Pen and notebook - I kept losing track of feeding/changing etc so was helpful to write everything down, even if it was purely for my sanity. And it's quite funny to look back on my notes every now and then and remember how scared I was (even wrote down the minutes and seconds dd was latched on for!)
I won't wish you good luck, because you'll be absolutely fine, and in the end you'll manage even if you've forgotten things...just keep thinking....it's only for a day or two and then I'll be home!

Biscuits you can share..

I was in a ward of 4 girls, all sections all in for 4 days. When the tea lady came round we all made the effort, got out of our beds and sat at the table and had a cup of tea together. It was nice to have a packet of shortbread, jaffa cakes( M&S to good ones) to share out. Created a nice environment in the ward

Pen and paper ! My baby wasn't feeding very regularly so I started to keep a log of what side and for how long on ratty old back of an envelope - all I could find. I still have the envelope - makes me smile every time I come across it - and he's 9 now!

Instructions for car seat. Took us about 15 mins to be happy that baby was safely in car seat when taking him home-lots of annoyed drivers in overflowing hospital car park wondering why the HELL it was taking us so long to move from our parking space!

An Nooooo to disp knicks - will catch in your stiches, esp if c section- OUCH. Loads of comfy cheap cotton ones - bin them when used - so decadent!

Best of luck with everything

Beckle!! Get a move on, you're due only a few days after me

Few things on here I haven't thought of - thank you oh wise contributors of Hospital Bag knowledge

Gosh, imagine how big that hospital should be if we put in all the suggested things!!

Im due the day before and only just doing it as well

Cant decide what to put in to come home in - any ideas?

This is great! Thanks so much everyone for the brilliant advice. Quite a few things I didn't even think of!

And I am very grateful for the tips I.E small plastic jug , arnica tablets, witch hazel - I would never have thought of these things. (and for the tips re flip-flops in shower - yuk!)

Scaryhairy good point about more tops. And LOL - my DH would definatly turn up with a simular top to your description

This is great! Thanks so much everyone for the brilliant advice. Quite a few things I didn't even think of!

And I am very grateful for the tips I.E small plastic jug , arnica tablets, witch hazel - I would never have thought of these things. (and for the tips re flip-flops in shower - yuk!)

Scaryhairy good point about more tops. And LOL - my DH would definatly turn up with a simular top to your description

Also, forgot to add (despite my last double-post) best of luck to Becklesparkle and Pecka, and anyone else due this month

Good point Pecka - I thought I'd wear the loungewear velour bottoms and top, with vest. But, maybe I'll be happier in my maternity (over bump) jeans for the wobbly-belly situation?

Or what if I have a C-section, will trousers be too uncomfortable? This is definatly a bit of minefield!

MW told me last week that she wasn't a fan of the glucose tablets as the high was too quick and short lived. The one thing she did say though was that any snack you take in should be high sugar - this wasn't the time for no sugar squash and dry crackers. She said the best snack you can take in is Mars Bars! Well, of course I'm only too pleased to take her advice...

I'm going to need a steamer trunk at this rate!

Stretchy trousers are a good idea, much kinder to post baby belly - velour pants sound ideal.
I've got some nice smart stretchy trousers with a high waist thought they would be good in case of em c/s.

really cheap cotton knoickers from primark or similar these were nicer than paper ones and cost the same

wet toilet wipes for you i used nature ones which were very gentle and helped me feel much cleaner down below iyswim
and as everyone else has said pads pads pads and make sure you have a good supply at home my dh was useless buying them with ds1 and came back with pantliners with ds2 I made sure there were plenty in the house

oh and a carrier bag for dh to take your washing home in

sorry knickers

This reminds me, I really need to get this sorted - due at end of the month, and going away this weekend - eep!

Like this thread - I've ages before I need to pack my bag, but think I will remember the plastic jug, a 2nd bag (incase), biscuits, notepad and pen, and a magazine (also just incase I'm kept in).