Hospital bag

[bon]

A friend was asking me what she should pack in her hospital bag. It made me think back to some of the ridiculous things I put in my bag when I was going into hospital with my first. I can't say we ever used that baby's hairbrush set that I proudly purchased. Have given her a list of the obvious, but do you have any suggestions of things that came in really useful/things not to bother with? Thanks for your help.

Sounds grim I know - but I wish I'd taken a pair of cheap flip-flops instead of slippers, so I could wear them into the bathroom/shower/loo and then chuck them out when I left.... the floors at my local hopital were disgusting... (blood etc) Probably why I ended up with a scar infection from my c-section....

If your friend lives fairly near the hospital and will have people coming in each day, I would recommend taking the bare minimum to start with, then if she and baby have to stay a few days, visitors can bring more clothes etc as necessary.
With my first baby I had the most enormous bag ever - looked like I was going away for a month!

I also packed a snowsuit for a June baby, born Midsummers Day

I would definitely take arnica, to help with bruising, and some fruit and snacks and drinks. I was ravenous after DD2 was born, but was only given a piece of toast at about 8.15pm - it was a long time until breakfast! (she was a normal delivery, so it wasn't that I couldn't eat after anaesthetic or anything)By the following morning I was practically knocking people over to get to the breakfast trolley

Hope this helps a bit.

Food. Gave birth at 8.30pm after 20 hours puking in labour with nothing to eat. Hospital suppers were over - nothing to eat till breakfast.

Your own pillow - wonderful to have something homely for labour and afterwards. You can hug it on the journey to hospital and it's great to sit on in the car on the way home!

The softest quilted toilet paper money can buy!

Dark bath towel!

I had a labour bag and a separate "me" bag which we left in the car until DS 2 was born. Made it easier to find things.

I second the dark bath towel!

things I wished I'd bought in:
lots of superabsorbant sanitary towels
breast pads
lip balm for the labour
more than the recommended three changes of clothes for the baby, he went through three
changes of clothes a day for the first while.
baby blanket & cot sheets (the hospital ones were harsh and ds spewed on the sheets)
magazines
Mo2 I second the cheap flipflops as well,
also disposable underwear would be handy instead or cheap underwear that you could throw out.

I would second taking in something to read. After giving birth to ds I asked dp to get me a magazine he came back with a slimming mag. Just what I needed to read!!!

Cheap or old underwear that you could throw away afterwards if necessary. If you must go the disposable underwear route, check it fits and is reasonably comfortable first - I had to send DH home for cotton knickers because the elastic on the disposable ones was like cheesewire, which I hadn't realised until too late.

Agree on the food - and drink (bottles of water or small cartons of orange juice) - as there never seemed to be anyone around when I wanted some, and after DS was born I didn't like to leave him so I could fetch my own.

And the moist toilet paper with aloe vera in it - much nicer than the scratchy stuff they had in our hospital!

I found the Boots disposable knickers roomier than Mothercare...

Ice. It doesn't last for long but it was impossible to get in my hospital and I was desperate for a cold drink rather than lukewarm water. I ended up sending dh to the Macdonalds accross the road at regular intervals.

Check the calling system at the hospital - mine turned out to be phonecards which wasn't much use when they helpfully brought us the portable phone just after ds was born so that we could phone families and we didn't have a card. Must remember this time!!

Would second the reading material. Spare p-js. The softest towels that can be found. Lots of moisturiser (v dry atmosphere).

Pamina - they had to be to fit my huuuuuuge rear end into them.

Harrysmum, if you do forget this time you can usually use a credit card instead.

Some water pump to spray water on my face in between pushes. Don't laugh! I did get very hot.

Energy food, - bananas etc. I did get through loads of Maltesers though, nothing in them but air anyhow!

I took a bottle of antibacterial cleaner in my bag (would suggest sachet of wipes these days). Never went anywhere near a loo or bathroom without clutching it in my hand. Gawd, the bathrooms were gross. Has UCH got any cleaner, I wonder?

I was reading a book today by a Kiwi midwife, Jean Sutton, who suggests that a condom filled with water and frozen, then wrapped in a couple of cotton gauze pads makes a great ice pack for a bruised perinuem/post stiches.

If you take drinks and would like to keep them cool, freeze them beforehand - we used to di this with my daughrer's packed lunch - the frozen drink helped to keep the food cool as well as the drink..

I took in loads of things I never used but since it's almost six years, I can hardly remember what I did take.

What about for the baby? How many sleepsuits, nappies etc should I take in - or do you just wait and see what size he/ she is?

berta - we forgot dd's stuff! so she wore a hospital nightie for the first 24hrs, then a sleepsuit dh brought in - but because she was so long I had to cut off the toes...

Take a pack of nappies, some cotton wool and a couple of vests/sleepsuits. A little hat is nice too, and a shawl/blanket for wrapping them up in (although the hospital will provide those).

Leave the tags on any newborn sized sleepsuits just in case you have a monster - I returned all of DS1s newborn sleepsuits as he was enormous. I think DS2 fitted his one newborn sleepsuit for 2 weeks, max.

Take just a couple of sleepsuits/vests as you can always send your partner off for more if you end up needing to stay in for any reason. Ditto for nappies - one small pack of 1st size should be ample, pack 4 or so in your bag and leave the rest in the car to be fetched later.

First time round I had typically packed an enormous holdall to cover all eventualities. I was hoping for a water birth so had a brand new seive (you're told to take one to fish out any poo..sorry to be so graphic). As a first timer I'd been told I'd probably be in labour for ages so had CD's, magazines, special giving birth nightie, snacks, drinks...In the event I arrived fully dilated and ready to push so no time for birthing pool or soothing CD's. I then had an emergency C section as I was an undiagnosed breech and can honestly not remember how or when the hospital gown was put on. Second time was an elective c section and I was better prepared Things I recommend: camera - though your birthing partener may feel silly, those first snaps are so special. Lipstick!!! Vain I know but having been appalled by the way I looked on all the pics after dd was born I made sure I put a bit of lippy on for the elective (black and white film in the camera as opposed to colour also helps cut out those blood pressure blotches - gosh I am vain). THe drinks and snacks came in very handy as noone thought to tell me taht breakfast was a DIY affair and anyway I could hardly move post op. My husband also brought in a pillow from home as they seemed to be rationed and extra pillows really help when starting b'feeding. My other top tip for ward attire is a sarong and a man's old shirt. Comfy on the saggy waist/c section scar with an easy access top half. My sarong is dark and brightly coloured so didn't show up any blood/leaks (sorry) and the shirts were all old and so I didn't care about milk stains . Make sure the sanitary pads are industrial strength - noone tells you how much you bleed. If you have another child/ren coming in to visit wrap up and pack a few little gifts in advance. I knew i would be in for a few days and having some gifts helped ease the boredom of hospital visits and the pain of separation (for my dd at least!)

PS Still use the seive today - always makes me smile

Loulou - will remember purse this time!! Thanks

Check hospital policy - in my one babies HAVE to wear hospital-provided clothing so that they can be identified as newbies belonging there and they spot-check people leaving with babies dressed in their own clothes (just another security precaution). All we had to bring was a going-home outfit. However, as well as nappies they expected us to provide wipes, nappy bags, baby towel & toiletries etc. Planning to take in own blanket this time for baby so that he has something familiar round/next to him when we first take him home to his own bed.

I never thought to pack a bottle of Famous Grouse... I did pack a 1/2 bottle of champagne for DS1 though. Came right home with us as I was in no fit state to enjoy it!

Food for your birth partner is a good idea. I've never had to take in anything for the baby as it's always been provided. I guess some places are trying to save money?

I'd recommend packing the bag yourself, too. I wasn't pg but got rushed off to hospital with emergency appendicitis and dh had to follow with a bag for me. When the nurse unpacked it, I discovered dh had put in an old floor cloth as my face flannel. Blush!