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

[Sally81]

Haven't read the thread in depth so sorry if I'm doubling up but I always say take foam ear plugs for the ward. They really saved me. It's noisy and you need some rest. They will be top of my list next time around.

Good luck.

[Lochie]

sorry if this is a bit of a thick question but I did want to know about the earplugs. How does it work if your baby cries and you are wearing ear plugs? I can't really see how it is possible?

[hellosailor]

Lochie I don't think that's a stupid question at all! I've always wondered the same thing! I didn't take ear plugs because for some reason they have never 'worked' on me and I have always been able to hear everything while wearing them (funny shaped ear canals perhaps?!)

but I have heard stories from friends who said that a nurse had to wake them up because their baby was crying!

Having said that, I can't imagine with everything going on on William Gilliat ward that there would be a situation where you would be sleeping so soundly that you wouldn't hear your baby! Unless others have had a good sleep there with ear plugs?

[Sally81]

I know what you're saying - i use ear plugs a lot and for me, my baby's cry always gets through, it's almost like a sixth sense thing...i always hear him. They just dim out some of the major noise on the ward that's all. There is no way that you will sleep so deeply and soundly that you won't hear your baby. You're too tuned into them at that point and it's all your brain can think about. Actually, i say you wouldn't sleep properly but the woman next to me was snoring her head off at every opportunity, which amazed me! Ear plugs might not be for everyone, they just allowed me a tiny bit of, slightly quieter rest - i wasn't having marathon sleeps or anything.

[Lochie]

Thanks - I am due in Feb/March with baby 2. Lack of sleep is my anxiety after very long labour with child 1 and hence lack of sleep. So I had been wondering about ear plugs, or perhaps even asking if the baby can be put in the nursery for a few hours so I don't worry about who will pick him/her up if s/he cries. of course s/he might fly out in a few hours in which case there won't be a problem (!)

[Smiler]

This is bringing it all back.

Eldest daughter screamed all of her first night, and I mean all night, on the postnatal ward, no-one would help, finally someone took her away for a couple of hours and just felt massive relief! :-$ same happened the second night. Problems feeding.

Take more baby clothes than you think will need. Went through about 6 in first 24 hours with littlest daughter who was sick everywhere. And have some spare stuff for both you and the baby somewhere easy to find at home eg or you'll be stuck with whatever inappropriate stuff your partner grabs when sleep-deprived, a friend ended up in the scbu wearing an off-the-shoulder t-shirt of a punk with a big spliff!

Yes yes yak, lots of stuff ready at home, causes strife to be nagging blokes to find stuff whole time! I had lots of cartons of drinks.

On cooking, Cook frozen meals are good, also have many sandwich ingredients in fridge and those part-bake baguettes.

[Mathilda]

At home - probably obvious but DVD boxsets or lots of stuff recorded, keep it fairly light though! Also if you like to read, a Kindle is great because it makes it really easy to read one-handed whilst you are bf.