Calling all mums - what do I need in my hospital bag?

[midivydale]

Hi all, please can you share your expertise with me re what to pack for the delivery (I will be at Kings)

I have had a look on the internet but it appears that it varied between hospitals what one need to bring. For example some provide nappies, creams, bottles (should breast feeding fail) and clothes for the baby. Does anyone know what Kings provide?

Please share with me what you found essential, what you wish that you had thought of and also what you packed but felt that you didnt need. Any advise most welcome.

Many Thanks in advance

[snowboarder]

I think there has been a massive thread on this before!!

The hospital provides NOTHING!!

So - for you - underwear/wash bag/sanitary pads/yoga pants/bf vests/cardi/slipper type shoes. For baby - nappies/vests/babygrows/blankets. Multiply for both as you think necessary!! Camera/phone/tissues. Pillows are good. Anything you might want to eat and drink.

I had my hospital 'overnight' bag with a bag of further supplies at home for husband to pick up should they be needed (they were - twice!).

[LillyD]

Boiled sweets for energy and lots to drink.

I brought my breastfeeding pillow which was really useful afterwards.

[Ruth_Baldock]

What I didn't pack and should have done: a pillow, face wipes.

What I did pack and definitely needed: deodorant, assorted chargers

What I packed and didn't need: a book. No time for that nonsense!

Kings provide zilch, take everything you'll think you'll need, x2 allowing for leaky nappies etc.

[Bellenden Belle]

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,689590,689792#msg-689792

This might be useful.

[hellosailor]

hospital bag thread

[midivydale]

Thank you! Will read up on other thread, any other tips pls keep them comming!

[ClareC]

Flip flops a must for the shower room.

It's HOT there so cool clothes.

[Annie456]

Energy drinks and a straw - which is especially useful if you use a birthing pool. Also, and this only really applies for inductions, there was a lot of waiting around for blood results etc before I was induced so it was really useful to have the laptop so we could watch a few episodes of 24 to pass the time ;o)

Also take things to keep the hair off your face.

[Saffron]

Husband needs to pack his own back and and not pinch chocs and Neals Yard sprays from yours! xx

[midivydale]

Saffron, I hear you!:)

[jollybaby]

You don't need to take bottles with you, as they do have bottles etc on the ward should you have a breast feeding catastrophe. Women who plan to bottle feed from the start are expected to take their own supplies though- so they don't advertise this.

Ruth - I laughed when I saw that you mentioned a book. I took in a book and then bought about 4 magazines from the hospital shop. Didn't touch any of them!

I also got the sanitary towel:breast pad ratio totally wrong. Take hundreds of sanitary towels and only a few breast pads. You'll most likely be home before your milk comes in.

[mrs f]

Squeezy water bottle to squirt yourself with when you go to the loo after.

Bendy straws

Energy drinks

Sweets

Comfy clothes for after

Everything for the baby

[Fuschia]

Lots of huge baby wipes. Meconium is sticky messy stuff!

3-4 little vests and baby grows per baby even if you expect to be home in 24h. Even expert nappy do-uppers get cuaght out by the explosive qualities of meconium!

Dark coloured towel for yourself, dark pj bottoms and dressing gown. makes you less nervous!

Pack of cheap black loose knickers

[Pickle]

Agree with wipes. With baby #1 I took a supply of cotton wool, which was next to useless when dealing with those first nappies (and trying to then get together the required bowl of water etc. was difficult in the middle of the night). Wipes all the way!

I suppose I should start thinking about packing one of these bags too, although still 12ish weeks to go so plenty of time (I hope!).

[Yak]

At the risk of sounding a bit anally retentive I would also think about having stuff easily to hand for when you come home AS WELL as hospital bag stuff. Depending on how long your labour is, both you and your partner might be really tired by the time you get home - certainly Mr Yak felt that he was being sent on endless trips round the house for various bits and pieces while I was feeding or the baby was sleeping on me. And when your partner goes back to work there's often no-one around to help! So in the end I had various "stations" set up round the house - in sitting room, bedroom, etc - which each had in them

couple of muslins

phone charger

tv remote (if in sitting room, etc)

oatcakes / flapjacks

bottle of water

wet wipes

Then I just plonked me, the baby and my mobile (for all important checking of emails / texts / forum etc) and we were good to go.

Also for the bathroom I suggest stocking up on cooking salt and lavender oil for those all important baths to help you heal and relax.

[hellosailor]

eye mask is good, they don't turn all the lights off on the ward.

And what Saffron says is true - we didn't really pack anything for Mr Hellosailor to eat and I'm not sure raw jelly cubes were really cutting it for him 16 hours in!

A water spray for your face

the best maternity pads I found were the boots ones, and you definitely need actual maternity pads, super sanitary towels won't cut the mustard.

spare batteries if you're taking a TENS machine, don't want those puppies cutting out half way through.

either disposable paper knickers from boots etc or buy a few pairs of cheapo primark big pants.

thin dressing gown cos it's like the Sahara in there but you'll want to cover up when you potter around

lip balm and moisturiser

little baby hat for when you take the baby home

exciting!

[MrsLL2b]

When I was in kings they kept bringing me maternity pads and disposable pants...so many in fact that in 3 days there I didn't use any of my own and brought home loads of the hospital ones which were great. My top tip is to get the Always nightie sanitary towels with wings to put under the maternity pads. Lots of disposable pants, didn't think I'd use them but they were great! Again the kings ones were better than the sainsburys ones I bought.

I took one book and read about 3 pages. Trashy gossip mags were good though. Get someone to bring you in expensive amazing cake once youve had the baby.

A lightweight robe and some big t-shirts are handy if you're being induced so you don't need to keep taking pj bottoms off when being examined.

Comfy socks or cheap slippers from primark which you can throw away.

Also I would make sure you discuss some different scenarios with your birth partner in advance so they know what you want if you're not in a position to speak up for yourself. My labour spanned 3 shift changes, first midwife was amazing, second could not have been more different. I couldn't speak as my contractions were overlapping but my husband, thank god, realised how upset with her I was and went and spoke to whoever was in charge and got her changed. No matter how assertive you are in the real world you can be very vulnerable in labour or just otherwise engaged! So having someone to speak up for you takes a big load off your mind.

[Strawbs]

This on top of the other thread is so helpful.. One thing I'm struggling to find is tena pants - any clue where in ed I find these? Thanks! X

[hellosailor]

Strawbs, they definitely did stock these in the pharmacy that moved from LL to Melbourne Grove at the end very near ED station (day lewis?) so worth trying there if you haven't already checked and I thought I'd seen them in the co-op pharmacy but perhaps I was imagining it if you didn't find them in there?

As others have said in the thread, I also thought I wouldn't use the disposable paper knickers as they would make me feel weird and like an invalid but they were brilliant in the first week or two and then I switched to my supply of cheapo big primark knickers so is good to have both

And yes the kings maternity pads are much better than any you can buy so if they bring you some don't refuse them on the grounds you have packed your own, take them gladly! but the boots ones come a close second!

[midivydale]

Thank you everyone, this is all really helpful. Yak- I truly appreciate any tips that are "anally retentive" as I am afraid that sums up who I am as a person. After all I am starting this thread two days before my 20 week mark....

What can I say? I just like to be organised and prepared - oh and I am so excited of course.

Keep those tips comming - There are many of us that need them. Feel free to add your tips for the first weeks at home as well.

/C x

[jennyh]

When you're off on maternity leave do loads of cooking as you wont really have the energy or the time to eat properly which is so important to keep up your strength and ability to feed for your baby etc. Go to AJ Farmers and buy packs of the tin foil boxes with cardboard lids. You can then mark them up in different sized portions and pop in the freezer, they can then be defrosted and popped straight into the oven in the foil dish.

I found chicken pie filling was good and I just added potato or filo pastry to the top before putting in the oven, or shepherds pie filling and then add some mash to the top. Curry is good, loads of different pasta recipes, lasagne etc. We lived on this food for 3 weeks by which point I felt a little more human and could move onto making very basic stuff!

I really struggled and failed to breastfeed so whichever route you are going down perhaps consider getting some ready made formula milk and a bottle or 2 for emergencies if you have any issues. Kings wouldnt let me leave until I had agreed to formula feed as we hadn't successfully established b'feeding, if that happens you want to have milk to hand so you can go straight home rather than negotiating the shops!

Although as already said - whilst in hospital then will provide the milk and feeding equipment.

get yourself some lactulose - they sell it behind the counter in the chemist on northcross road. Its a fairly yukky liquid that softens your stools (delightful but wholly necessary!) and it works a treat. Really helped my healing process and made the scary toilet times much easier!

Ooh also - when you leave hospital see if they can give you a stash of syringes to take with you, we had ours primarily for feeding but then we've kept them and they are brilliant for giving calpol!

[Lochie]

I echo Jenny's sentiments above. So much emphasis put on what you need for hospital and for whatever reason I felt had nothing prepared for when we got home despite ensuring I had lots of frozen meals in freezer and maternity pads in the cupboard! The list in reality is much longer than that...

Defo echo having something like Senokot at hand. Also ibuprofen and paracetamol to double up on if you have had stiches.

You will probably be fine with breastfeeding but I will never forget flapping around setting up the sterilizer on day 4 having struggled with it. Reading the instructions, taking out of box, working out how it all worked - at 3am with a crying hungry baby - funny now but not funny at the time! It doesn't hurt to plan for every feeding eventuality then whatever the outcome you feel much more confident if you know what you are doing.

Also chilled breast pads in the fridge/cabbage leaves.

And finally put a protector on your matress under your sheet for breast milk leakage so you don't find out the hard way and do it when you get home!

If I think of anymore I will update you at drinks on 3rd Nov!

x

[reneet]

Carry some food, was done at 3am and there was nowhere to get food. Lovely midwife had to look around and could only find toast and yoghurt.

[Yak]

Midivydale (and anyone else), if you PM me your email address I can send you a "top tips - the first weeks" note that some friends & I put together. It's about preparations before the birth & the lovely glamorous things about afterbirth (like constipation!) that no-one ever tells you about.

Second the suggestion about trying out all equipment & knowing how it works before the baby arrives. If you can have someone standing by you shouting "wah wah wah" in your ear as you try to collapse the buggy or fit the car seat, so much the better ;)