Tips for Labour bag...what was useful for you?

[daisycat01]

Hi, this is my 3rd pregnancy and am 33 weeks so I am doing my Boots online shop and want to get my labour bag packed up. So far I have the usual things such as socks, flannel, snacks, hairband. Just wanted to see if anyone could give me some tips for useful stuff.
Does anyone know what they call adult baby wipes, I know its TMI but after labour I think these will be a lot softer than toliet paper.
Has anyone used the femme pads, designed for helping with stiches, just wondered if they are any good.
Which is better arnica tablets or arnica cream??

TIA

Portable DVD player with headphones! invaluable for the early breast feeding moments or just to while away some time in labour. Preferably with some Friends or Frasier DVD's, whatever your poison. Mindless and distracting.
Arnica tabs btw def better. Just think about where you'd have to put the cream!
Also I had stitches and found that the best pads were the cheapest and biggest period ones, supermarket own brand for example, as they seem to contain very little plastic and are the least sweaty or sticky.
Adult baby wipes? I would go for old or cheapo flannels tbh.

straws for drinks - and drinks. always v hot in hospital.

arnica tablets better or healing stitches. Dettol wipes and flip flops for communal bathrooms.

Lots of maternity towels. If you have sttches use them to blot (dont wipe with paper) post wee.

I have used the femme pads - they do bring some relief while you have swelling down below.

ok, will get arnica tablets and detol wipes.

I am sure I bought toliet wipes last time...just cant find them now.

A SMALL PLASTIC JUG.

flip flops

I definitely had wet toilet wipes and I swore at by them. I couldn't have wiped without them. Erm, squash to dilute the foul hospital water, Gazillions of pads, mobile with web/email facility.

Bring your own pillow. You often only get one very flat pillow. Make sure it is a colourful one so it doesn't disappear off with the NHS ones!

Why bother with expensive wipes when baby wipes are a fraction of the price?

I'd love to know how everyone manages to fit everything into their hospital bag, my dressing gown and a couple of packets of maternity towels seem to half fill a holdall.

I had a steamer trunk, almost! The toilet wipes are thicker and more gentle on the outer fanjo than baby wipes I would think.

My only must for after is distilled witch hazel which I used on gauze.

Cookie I think its cos we don't all take everything that gets mentioned. I know I don't take half of it and half the gumph I have taken in the past never got used.

A handheld battery powered fan from asda for £1, it was amazing during labour!

A pair of warm socks - my feet were freezing during labour.
Lip balm - my lips got really dry with all the huffing, puffing and sucking on gas and air!

ooh lip balm, good one. Your own bottled water.
Also a friend of mine recently confessed (and she's a nurse so should know better) that she took Carefree panty liners instead of proper big pads in her bag!!!! WTF, the midwife just shook her head apparently and produced a pad with the quote to her DH "Tesco have them, off you pop"

A camera, your phone, maternity pads in large quantities, magazines. I don't remember my labour, had 2 shots of pethadine so I only remember the next day when everyone was fussing and I was totally in love with baby.. aww memories.

Oh and loads of pjs/nighties as there will be leakages.

Hair bobbles and make up, too so you can feel a little fresher afterwards. I looked hideous after giving birth.

Ice in an eskie. Especially great if you want a water birth - I can't handle hot water for long usually, the ice kept my body temp down as well as me hydrated. (I was spitting it out when contractions hit so I could take the g&a by the end, though!)

Nice shower gel/shampoo. I forgot, and the NHS stuff was icky, understandably.

Seconding the small plastic jug. Also Andrex wet loo paper is fine, they sell it alongside the usual stuff in supermarkets.

Thanks for all your messages, havent had the laptop for a few days so have been without access!!
Am off to town tommorow to do some shopping!!

eeeeeeekkkkkk!!!

nice face moisturiser.

lots of bottled water (pref frozen beforehand so its nice and cold).

a personal masseur !