Opinions on best products....

[Spod]

I'm starting to get my hospital bag ready and wondered what you all thought the best products were for breast pads, maternity pads, disposable knickers and nappies for newborns. Thanks.

Don't get the disposable knickers that go under the bump in case you have a csection, they rub against the scar! I just took in loads of pairs of black knicks and washed them thoroughly afterwards.

Take biccys etc as the food in hosp is unspeakable.

Also, I took a fan (I know it's weird) but the hosp was SOOOOOOO hot and it was the only thing that enabled me to sleep. I left it behind for the next poor sod! Beware the hosp may have to get their electricians to pass it as safe.

oooooooooh yes - i am having a section - low pants wouldnt be nice - can you get ones that go over the bump? bet they look nice!!

Spod, Jojomamanbebe do good disposable pants imo. Get them big for comfort! Also I brought a breast feeding cushion in which I used during labour as my hospital were a bit mean with pillows. Bring plenty of change for the phones - my dh took all mine for the parking meter and I had to shuffle to the shop to boy a paper so I could get change to ring him to come and take me home.

The Johnson&Johnson breast pads are the best, especially in the beginning when you leak a lot. They are quite expensive though. After a while I used washable ones (don't remember where I got them from) and used to have to 'double' them up! Mat pads just bought Boot's own brand (they all look the same and are about the same size) Nappies I used Pampers. Lots and lots of snacky chocolates - you'll need the sugar high!
lots of luck and congratulations on the little one!
hana

I dont loike J and J breast pads as they have a huge nipple shape in the fromt that makes you look even more booby. Superdrug were fine.

Always Ultra pads are GGGGGReat.

Take pampers care mats for the car seat if you come out early.
take squash - hosp water is foul

Second coddy's recommendation of Always Ultra Night Time - they don't make you waddle so much even if you need two at a time and stay put.

I tended to use Huggies Newborn and found the Pampers ones with the mesh liner leaked when I tried them on dd. Actually places like Mother and Baby often rate the own brands higher.

Hated breast pads of any description, all seemed to stick, especially if used in conjunction with a nipple cream, but did use J and J although fortunate not to need them that often - profile shows through a tshirt. Doubt you'll need them while in hospital unless you stay there a while.

Didn't use disposable knickers first time round just used old comfy ones that didn't mind if had to throw them away. Second time hospital supplied these as with almost everything else but didn't exactly feel elegant! Wear a long night shirt or pj's /leggings to avoid awkward flashes.

If you are going to b/feed don't forget to measure for bras in the last couple of weeks.

hth

Magazines with really short articles. I had some in my labour bag, so they went home with dp, and it was during the long sleepless night when I really wanted a quick distraction. I got Tesco's pants and maternity pads and they were brilliant. Get them at least one size too big. Take any newborn nappies that fit into your case, cos all babies are different shapes so you can't predict your brand in advance.

Always ultra, definitely. Had a pack of Tescos maternity pads and felt like I had a pillow between my legs; Always ultra nighttime seemed just as absorbant.

We used Tescos premature nappies which seemed fine. Used cloth once we got home so can't really remember - only that Huggies newborn seemed huge (dd was 5 lbs 9).

Sort out your old knickers and treat them like disposables. Actually my old knickers were all the "bikini" sort and they were still over my c-scar. They do the section below your hairline, so even low knickers are going to be high enough aren't they?

I also took a pint glass and a big mug in so I didn't have to keep going back to the water and tea machines!

sounds like i need a huge bag to take into hospital then..... almost a suitcase!!! btw... whats the differnece between a body suit and a sleep suit???? baby clothes should be labelled!!

off the thread but take a camera.we forgot ours but got a piccie the next morning of me with her! Also i'd say some "tiny baby" stuff. My dd was 7lb 2 but she absolutely fell out of all the newborn stuff,(though i had my bag prepared weeks in advance, it had nothing in it on the night!!!!so the first thing my dd wore was a hospital shirt white with the name of the hospital on the front............I nicked it0 J + J pads are great and so smooth!

oooooh yes a camera - good idea... seriously though, did you all lug in really big hospital bags?... seem to need to pack so much stuff... feel like going on holiday!

i kept taking everything out and checking , then on the night i suddenly started bleeding ALOT and rushed into hospital with DP and said"THE BAG!!!!!!" and when it was over there was nothing in it apart from my big knickers!!!

when are you due Spod?

have a csection planned for 17th October... but need to get started on organising things as I still have a masters dissertation to hand in in 4 weeks!! keep writing lists and losing them!

I liked the MAWS disposable breast pads. very absorbent & had a sticky bit on to hold in place.
I found them slightly larger than some others & beacuse I leaked so much (I could drip 7oz on one side while DS was feeding on the other)they were fab.
I got mine from Mothercare, but not sure if they still sell them.

Agree with the J&J breastpads, but also found Asda ones just as good. Maternity pads all felt like I was wearing a nappy(!) but after first few weeks used Tescos nighttime pads.

A bodysuit is the little vest type thing with the poppers at the bottom and a sleep suit is a babygro. HTH

Take two bags. One for the actual delivery that dh/dp can then take home with him. And one for the actual hospital stay (there will be a few things from first bag you'll want to transfer to second.
Take a towel for each bag and try and take dark coloured ones - stains won't show so much.
And soft toilet roll (take the square pack toilet tissue - takes up less room)
And i'll second the change for telephone - take loads !!

I used Boots mat pads (needed two at a time for the first day!), they are huge, but you need them! Get babygros - mine lived in them for the first 4-6 weeks (possibly even longer...) - after all they spend a lot of time in their cot asleep so why keep changing them?! Nappies - Boots own are good. Take something to read and, yes, loads of money for the phone/TV (most places have these sets by the bed - you pay an extortate amount for both the phone and the TV, but the pay phone was ALWAYS out of order!). And second the idea of 'nibbles', breakfast was the only 'reasonable' meal - so stock up!. Disposable knckers - like others I didn't bother, just loads of old knickers that could be binned if necessary.
Good luck!

Oh and do get some white babygros - I think newborns look sooooo beautiful in white. No idea why, I guess it's cos they really are so innocent that white is appropriate.

Incontinence pads - the really big sort that look a bit like disposable nappies - because if you have a heavy lochia then even maternity pads are a bit feeble. For maternity pads, the ones with wings are usefull (not the same as night-time sanitary towels) and make sure the have a cotton-like top layer otherwise they can chaffe sore bits horribly.

Breast pad i cant remeber where i got my breast pads from, but they had waterproof backs, they were the best they were really great, i wouldn't buy any things else after i had them, didn't have to change them every 5mins like the others i had, the waterproof ones i could leave them on half a day before wanting to chage them.
Disposable kickers and maternity pads (they were big big great for night)i got from supperdrug they were the best of the lot i throght.
Nappies i would have them new ones by huggies if i had another, i was looking after my new sister when they came out, i throght they were the best i've seen yet!

all the best

I agree about the white, SamboM. We called ds "The maggott" all in white (in a very affectionate way). When he started to be big enough for different coloured clothes dp got very upset!

Spod, if you're having a c-section you probably won't bleed as much afterwards - they do a bit of hoovering while they're in there! So you can get away with the Always Ultra!

Take a couple of sizes of Babygro - Tesco do "small baby" and "newborn" and "up to 10lbs" and "0-3 months". Its nice to have the one babygro that really fits even if the rest are a bit baggy. I took the "up to 10 lbs" size in and dd was about half that - she just curled up in the middle of the babyro and the arms and legs flapped around empty...

Also if you take your own distinctively designed blanket in, and you let them take your baby to the nursery for a few hours at night while you sleep, then when they come and get you to feed him / her, you'll be able to tell which baby is yours.... (OK, I was very bleary eyed, didn't have my glasses on, it was 3am and she was only 2 days old!).

If anyone brings you chocolates, eat them quick. Hospitals are sooo hot (you can tell we had a sad melted choccie disaster, can't you).

SamboM, I liked white too, but had a lovely Petit-Bateau one in stripes that made him look like a baby burglar, and when he wore his too-big white one we called him Caspar the Friendly Ghost. I had a c-section and ordinary press on towels were absolutely fine. I would definitely bring my own pillow because hospital pillows are absolutely horrible - plastic and crunchy. Also my own duvet if I was allowed! No difference for me in nappies, breastpads etc. I found disposable knickers all too small and they cut in (even super large and I was tubby but certainly no Hattie Jacques) so I would suggest cheap GIANT cotton knickers from somewhere cheap so you can just chuck them out instead of washing them while you are in hospital. Primark? Get your partner to bring you proper food as you will be in for a few days and you just don't want hospital food. A radio with headphones might be good if you are in for a while and you are blessed with a sleepy baby. A couple of magazines you can flick through while breastfeeding. Take nice food, fruit, biscuits etc Get your dh to get you a proper phonecard for the hospital phones so you can chat to friends.

Ditto about the change.... after DS2 was born and I had a 'free' hour or so whilst he was sleeping I decided to call my mum, but as I didn't have any change, took my mobile phone and slowly made my way to the front of the hospital (about 3 storeys down!) Anyway when finished phone call, discovered it was after 9pm and they had locked the main entrance doors and I had to make a rather unceremonious entrance via the A&E department (dressed in a rather fetching dressing gown!) to get back in! All those dreams about being in a public place in my nightie came true....
Everyone here has mentioned the appalling food - I actually loved every meal I had, especially as I didn't have to cook it and wash up afterwards Lots of luck anyway!