At how many weeks did you / are you going to pack your bag for the hospital - if this isn't your first time - any unusual items you packed for yourself and bubs that came in handy???
Hi Laurin, I've been looking for previous threads about this, I'm sure I'll find some
One thing is don't worry about packing too much stuff. I found just having what I felt like was good. I didn't plan on having an emergency c/s and being in hospital for so long. So pack for around 4 days. Lightweight baggy clothes are perfect & ones that don't put too much pressure on your belly or vagina are best. I found that I had packed some hipster tracksuit pants which didn't go well after a c/s. They tended to hit just where the staples were. I also packed heaps of big undies that I could throw away afterwards & I wound up leaving 4 pairs in the hospital bin before I left.
One thing I couldn't live without was the shower gel. I brought some yummy shower gel and it felt so good after labour to have a beautiful shower & feel fresh. I also brought frozen meals & popped them in the communal fridge in case I couldn't stand the hospital food.
GRANNY UNDIES!!!! LOL nice big supportive nikkers, maternity pads are huge & you need a good fitting pair of undies to hold em in place comfortably!
Also, I found that having some nappy wipes for you to use handy as well. I found that a moist warm chux cloth type wipe was much more comfortable to use in the first few days after the birth then the hospital toilet paper!
I don't think its worth taking anything to read, if you have time to read you should be using that time to catch up on sleep.
I took heaps of lolllies for energy during labour, but I don't think i actually ate any. But thats just me. But its still worth having at least one packet of your favourite lollies/chocolate on hand (cheaper then the vending machines).
A few changes of PJ bottoms, along with plenty of undies. A few plastic bags for dirty clothes to go home in.
Oh don't forget shampoo & conditioner & body wash! Its not a hotel, there are no mini bottles!
I can't thin kof anything else, but I know this time round for me my bag will be SOOOO much smaller then the first time round!
Ooo yeah, Christy thats right, even if you like the hospital meals, there are no meals for when you get hungry at 9 pm. The hospital I was at dinner was at 5pm. I was always starving again by 8.30pm. My sister brought me in some frozen meals. Thats a must I think!
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excellent thread / sticky / wotevah
did anyone pack "The Birth Plan"?
i can imagine my techy dp packing the laptop, so we can SKYPE interstate and overseas people (instead of phoning) after the birth. Wonder if that is allowed? oh well, i'm sure we'll find out in the antenatal classes!
My hospital has given me a list of things you need to bring.. they supply the baby clothes, you just need some for him to go home in.. so maybe you should ask the hospital what they supply and if they have a similar list?
Ill probably pack when im around 35 weeks.
I've cleared out a drawer at home and started throwing things in it to take to hospital...I want to have my bag finished in the next few weeks. I went into labour at 36w with my daughter and I was running around throwing things into a suitcase at 11pm at night...not a good look and don't want that to happen again! Emma - I wouldn't leave starting it until 37 weeks, I had no warning whatsoever
Agree with the granny undies and would add to make sure you buy black Also take some black shorts/tracky bottoms so if you bleed on them (and you probably will at some point) it isn't obvious.
Yeppers to the extra food as well - my hospital serves dinner at 5.30pm - in summer! By 8pm I was ready for dinner again, I was sooo hungry after giving birth it wasn't funny.
Trashy mags are good for early labour - books are useless because you can't concentrate for long, but mags don't require any brain power LOL.
I've started packing mine, I've got all the necessities in it, like nappies, toiletries, pads etc so if another does happen sooner than I'm ok. I think when I'm about 35 weeks I'll wash all of bubs clothes and then finish packing the bag. We have to take everything into the hospital as they don't provide anything. Good idea about taking a nice bath wash and extra food.
I agree with the extra food thing, I bought a packet of my fav biscuits and I also had Shane bring up my fav mug cos those hospital cups are so small and hardley seem worth making a cup of tea at all.. I also bought a wheat pack cos my hospital didn't have them and a pack of life savers to suck on during labour. I'd suggest ear plugs aswell if your going public or may have to share a room, it seemed everytime my baby was sleeping the baby in the next bed was awake or had visitors which meant no sleep for me....
Another thing that saved my life was some dark coloured/old face washers. For some reason hospiatals insist on having white towels & I rolled up a face washer after the shower & just popped it between my legs to catch the bleeding while I dried off.
Stopped me from having to actually wipe & getting big blood stains on the towels.... when young men came by to pick up the laundry I didn't have to avoid eye contact
I've just finished packing, got 3 bags so far! Mostly clothes for bubs and a change for DH, oh and plenty of snacks, for both of us. I'm sure i have way too much, but I like to be over prepared rather than under! Good idea to check with hospital, some provide clothes and nappies for bubs during your stay, others dont. It's exciting though, not long to go now!
Melody - that's a great idea about the face washers. Will have to remember that for next pregnancy & birth. I just brought 2 clean pads in with me and I would just slip one between my legs and blott myself dry with it while I was getting changed after the shower.
P.S - check with your hospital before hand if you plan on bringing a laptop. I had a laptop with me (in my bag just in case) but had to send it home with DH because although I had wireless internet & I could run it on battery instead of plugging in the wall; I wasn't allowed to use it in the ward as it could interfere with the other machinery.
Last edited by Beckibee; July 19th, 2006 at 04:17 PM.
I often wonder how much it does interfer though. In a hospital I am sure it would but you seen the sign in placed like the post office to turn off your mobile Gee's whats it going to do to teh post office equipment?
You can shower in them, because if you have to share a shower (in a public hospital you probably will) you dont want to be standing where someone was showering and bleeding 1/2 ann hour before you.
lol fiona: they tell you to turn off your phones in post offices and medicare etc so you pay attention to your position in the queue and you dont keep the sales assistants and others waiting.
Hospital Bag
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