I will be bithing at the Royal Womens Hospital in Brisbane. They have given me a list of stuff that I need to take, but then the midwife said I only need about half of that stuff. But also, is there anything else that any of you took with you, or didn't take that you thought you should have?
Thanks
Mascara and eye liner, luckily there was an eyeliner in the bounty bag... i was in for 6 days due to emerg c/s and with loads of visitors i needed to feel a bit human.
I wish I had taken more clothes! I bleed through one pair of pants, peed another and that left me with only one pair!! I didn't expect the days after to be so messy.
I take 2 bags. A labour bag and a small suitcase for my stay.
Labour bag - Change of clothes for you, undies, maternity pads, hair brush, tooth brush and paste, pair of socks, camera, jumper for DH, swimmers/boardies for DH. A set of clothes for bub, a bunny rug and nappy. Lip balm!!!
Stay bag - slippers, heaps of undies, 2 packs of maternity pads, day clothes, light dressing gown, some snacks (they never feed you enough), minimal toiletries, panadol, PJ's x2. Bub - 4 grow suits, a pack of nappies, dummy (if you want), wipes, 3 bunny rugs
I am sure I've missed some thing but this is a start..All the best
Pads BIG thick ones
hot pack
lip balm
hair ties
mobile phone
phone numbers
ipod
paper and pen
socks that are not tight
crocs or thongs or sloose slippers
You only really need you, the baby and your partner.....
No really, anything that you really need the hospital will have, but i suggest that you have everything clean and easy to find at home so you can have someone get "it" for you!
Your own pillow is always nice....
Your baby will come whether you are ready or not! and it will be an amazing experience, the best thing you will ever do!
Comfie clothes - I was sore from a c-sect and DD was born in winter. So it was trackies for me plus they were comfie to rest/sleep in during the day.
Slippers or socks- Feet got cold when getting up for night feeds
Button up shirt or nightie - easier to breast feed in
Toiletries
Hair straightener - I could get away with a few days of not washing my hair.
Maternity pads - went through alot of these. (tip: place in your clean undies before having a shower/getting changed as you tend to bleed heavily the first week and you need to put on straight away/quickly)
Pen & Paper or notebook - good for taking notes when the midwives tell you stuff b/c you can't always remember once they are gone
Camera, phone/phone charger.
Alot of the other stuff the gals have said.
I think it is better to overpack than underpack!
firstly congratulations! not long to go now, how exciting for you!
i had my son at the Royal Womens in melbourne and packed everything they said on the list and i only used about 1/2 the stuff if that.. i'm trying to remember what i really used..
definatley take baby clothes - nothing to tricky to put on and off (definatley not bonds easysuits) the hospital stuff is pretty crappy.
swaddling blankets for wraping the baby.
comfy clothes for you, but not too many (i over packed).
baby wipes - don't bother with cotton wool balls.
nappies
pads - a must! my midwife suggested using two at a time which worked really well.
camera
i did take my own pillow
breastfeeding singlets i found to be really easy to use when first bfing not too fiddly.
i wish i could tell you more, but baby brain
all the best!
I wished we had more wondersuits and singlets for bubs. Depending on how long you will be in for of course. We had 5 as suggested and the DS threw up heaps and we went through 3-4 in one day and I had to send DH home to wash them and bring them back. So maybe go a bit more than you think you need. You will always use them at home.
Trying to think of the non standard things that I brought and appreciated...
- Wet flushable wipes for adults (in the toilet paper section of the supermarket) - BLISS, that cool soothing wet feel. I've torn both times and just dabbed away, so soothing. Bring a couple packs, you'll use them at home too.
- On the same note, Ural, for neutralising your urine, so it doesn't sting (peeing with your hands on the floor, butt up helps too). You might not need it the first few days (because you wee out all the extra fluid in your body, so it's pretty diluted anyway). You might not use that at the hospital, but it's worth mentioning.
- Really nice smelling shower gel, shampoo...even a face wash or face wipes. To be clean after having a baby is such a lovely feeling, you feel a bit more human.
- As others have mentioned, if you usually wear make-up, it's fantastic for feeling human again. Plus it's nice to look back on newborn photos you don't look dead in. It's not the most important thing, but it can help perk you up and make you feel special when you're exhausted and a bit sore.
- Magazines or catalogues. I didn't have the attention span for a book, plus you keep getting interrupted by bub or midwives.
- I agree with the snacks thing too. Bub might not like chocolate through your breastmilk (some don't mind, others do), but I brought dried fruit like mango and pineapple, and lollies like jubes. Pretty sure someone brought me KFC instead of hospital food one day too. Oh I brought some microwavable food too, just in case I missed a meal (which happened a few times as I was sleeping).
- If you bring your mobile phone, bring your charger.
- If you can bring some music, even if you only use one earphone so you can keep an ear out for bub, I think it still might help the lonely hours pass, if you can't sleep at night, or while you're waiting for your partner/visitors to come. I think it can help calm you when you're feeling teary and overwhelmed too, which is good to remember even when you get home, that a bit of music can lighten the intensity of things.
- comfy pyjamas/clothes, but it helps if they look good too, for the same reasons as make-up and shower gel.
I'll pop back if I think of anything, but you can always get your dh or other visitors to grab stuff on their way to hospital when visiting if you think of anything. All the best in these last weeks!
I wish I'd taken more clothes for myself & less for bub. I ended up staying 5 nights & didn't have enough clothes to get me through so my partner had to fetch things for me and it was not easy describing what I wanted & where he might find it. Perhaps you could have a second bag of clothes packed at home so he can easily grab it if your stay is longer than expected. You need light clothes as you will be quite warm. Dark pants are better than light cos you might leak. I did and was in light grey PJ's at the time and hoped no one noticed.
Snacks & lollies for sure.
Something to read. You may not use it but if your bub ends up in special care you will want something to distract yourself with instead of lying there on your own worrying at night.
I had lots in my labour bag but all I used was the lip balm - nothing else. I laboured in my clothes & then in hospital gowns - prior to giving birth I thought there was no way known I'd wear them. Oh and of course the camer.
The coins that were in the labour bag to use in the vending machine for my partner did not get used during labour but I used them for TV rental as you had to pay cash for that.
Soap - gorgeous, luxiourious bodywash (or soap!) and sponge for the shower after the birth. I still can remember the joy of birth when I smell that bodywash, it brings back all the good memories for me.
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What do I really need to take to the hospital?
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