Essential items for your hospital bag

[memoo]

What are the items that are a must have for your hospital bag?

I'll probably end up with a huge suitcase, half of which I proably don't need. So what are the absolute essentials?

memoo - i loved having music - the midwife didnt really appreciate miss saigon blaring out at her for two hours, but i loved it, and then more soothing music for after the baby was born - eva cassidy was definitely in there.

i had flapjacks for eating afterwards and they were great - filled me up until breakfast the next day.

Buy a pack of those toilet training bed mats.

Awful as it sounds, my hospital were terrible at changing the mats and sheets post birth and I ended up sitting on one with drying blood on it for almost 7 hours.

Take at least £20 in change too, you will need it for he various machines.

Dried fruit -good for snacking and for anti-constipation.

You do not want to get constipation!

oh and your "hands off my breasts" signs for if you do want to bf and there are midwives who want to help by shoving your breasts in the baby's mouth.

my friend swears by baking your own cookies, bringing them with you and feeding them to the midwives so they like you and give you better treatment (although i'm sure they give everyone wonderful treatment anyway)

The only 2 things i remember being really thankfull for while i was in labour are straws for drinking with and a lip balm, Entinox makes your mouth horribly dry.