Hospital bag - c section

[Bubbles021]

Hi everyone,
Just looking for some advice, I am due to have an elective section in a few weeks and am wanting to get my hospital bag ready. I have googled but I would love to hear what other people would recommend taking in 🙂

I'm going in on Friday. Some things in my bag:

Lightweight dressing gown (Asda do a good post-surgery one)

Slippers

Gigantic pants - they need to be able to be pulled up way over your stomach to avoid rubbing your scar.

Big soft towel for the shower + some nice toiletries

Nighties that button down front if you're planning to breastfeed

Loose, comfy clothes to go home in - I've planned for a two-night stay in terms of amount of clothing, although it should just be one.

Some rehydration drinks (I like the flat Lucozade Sport ones) and jelly babies!

Comfy maternity pads - hospital ones can be a bit scratchy and when I was able to change my own, I wanted my nice soft ones

Handheld fan - postnatal wards are hotter than the 9th circle of hell

Face wipes/lip balm etc.

Depending on hospital, you might find it good to have three bags:

1. Immediate post-birth bag. You tend to move around a lot in the hours before and after a section - triage, to theatre, to recovery room, to postnatal ward - so a bag with just immediate things for you and baby is often better than having to carry/find multiple bags for each move. Mine has a nightie, slippers, dressing gown, maternity pads for me and an outfit for baby with a couple of nappies.

2. Your bag, left in car until settled in postnatal ward and then send partner to retrieve it

3. Baby's bag, same as above

@Hugasauras that's really, really useful, thank you so much!
I hope all goes well on Friday 🙂

Peppermint tea, drink lots as soon as you get to your bed.
high waisted knickers and bottoms.
pregnancy pillow to help position yourself comfortably before and after.
easy to put on slippers.
lightweight dressing gown

Same as above.... trousers with a loose waist band.
Make sure you take everything you will need for a shower. I felt miles better after i had showered and washed my hair.
Can i also suggest you take some flip flops to wear in the shower... the shower i used was on a busy ward and if you imagine all the blood and gross stuff showering off a load of ladies who have just given birth you'll be glad of the flip flops ....

This is the dressing gown I got. It's really nice and light.

direct.asda.com/george/women/nightwear-slippers/light-grey-star-print-post-surgery-dressing-gown/GEM904211,default,pd.html

A really long charging cable for your phone, your own pillow, mint tea, straws and/or water bottles with sports caps. In my case a tablet or laptop to watch all 3 Lord of the Ring films during the night to stay awake with refluxy baby who couldn't lie down.

And if the food in the hospital is shit, send your birth partner out for takeaway.

I had a c section 2 weeks ago and spent a very long time planning the contents of my hospital bags! I had one with enough stuff in to last until the following morning, and then a bigger one which we left in the car.

I would definitely recommend huge pants. I’m normally a size 12 and I bought a multipack of ones in a size 14-16 and 18-20 from primark. The 18-20 ones are probably slightly too big (they come up very high!) but the 14-16 ones are great. I bought a nursing nightdress and a lightweight dressing gown specifically to take in with me and for me personally they were a huge waste of money. I bought the nightdress because I normally wear pyjamas and various threads on here/people I spoke to said I would need a nightdress because of the catheter. However I was in a hospital gown overnight and then went and had a shower as soon as the catheter was removed. I did put the nightdress on, but only because I happened to have it with me! I also didn’t feel any need to wear the dressing gown, I just put a cardigan on over my pyjamas if I wanted to feel a bit more covered up. I wouldn’t suggest not to take them, but maybe leave the tags on if they’re not things you’d normally use?

The best thing I took into hospital was a water bottle with a straw. My c section was delayed for hours so I was very thirsty afterwards and hospitals are so hot. You’re kept fairly flat for hours afterwards so it’s very handy being able to drink easily when you’re allowed liquids again!

Thank you all 🥰

After my c section 2 weeks ago I opened my bag for the first time the next morning for a pair of knickers and then not again until I was getting shower to come home. I would say the essentials are a nighty which I put on straight after recovery to get out that gown. A soft bra toothbrush shower gel towel and something to wear home I did take pads but my hospital would of supplied them. Litterly all I used out of it. And take snacks I was eating chocolate at 4am when baby was awake feeding and stuff xx

Long charging cable, high pants and some snacks. Slippers/flip flops for shower and a towel. High waisted leggings and flip flops/sandals for going home so you don’t have to bend down to lace up shoes. I also brought headphones to listen to an audio book when I was feeding.

Definitely a small toiletry type bag with essentials and things to do. i.e. book etc. I had an EMCS so wasn't planning for a CS when I packed my bag, but one thing I found difficult on the ward afterwards was not having everything to hand - especially when I still had the catheter in and couldn't move off the bed. With a small bag of essentials, you can put it on the end of the table tray and is within reach (this is obviously for out of visiting hours when you have no one to help you with non medical things).

Shoes - I took Birkenstocks in and it was January and they were fab to just slip on. You won't easily be able to put shoes on.

For the first 24 hours after my surgery I just used hospital gowns. If taking own - take a couple of pairs of pjs or night dresses.

One tip for baby clothes - I packed sera in ziplock bags (vest, baby gro, hat) so easy for my partner to grab stuff

Going home - have a cushion in the car - I used mine between the scar and seatbelt

Great idea re: the two bags. Will defo consider that this time round!

Can I just ask, where did you get the breast feeding nighties from?

www.happymama.co.uk/2-pack-maternity-labour-delivery-gown.html

I got these. They seem pretty decent and button up the back too in case they need access for anything there!

I had a c section with my first and got a popper front nightie from here which I found very comfortable:

www.happymama.co.uk/maternity-clothes/maternity-nightwear.html

Other than that, pack lots of different snacks, you won't get a lot of sleep in the first couple of days so you will need something to nibble on to get you through the night.

If you can afford them, I highly recommend these knickers

www.johnlewis.com/cantaloop-caesarean-section-briefs-pack-of-2-white-black/p587769

Really helped with my recovery. Recommended to two friends afterwards and they found them great also. They are ridiculously expensive really for two pairs but if they help with your pain and recovery whilst looking after newborn baby then they're worth it!

Absolutely pack some windeze/deflatine. The trapped wind with my first section was worse than any other pain!

Along with clothes etc you need snacks! Sweet & savoury. And chewing gum as you'll be stuck in bed for awhile. I had cold pizza and Doritos- in hindsight that sounds a bit weird, but I wolfed it down!