What do you need to pack? Hospital Bags

[littlelara]

I went to target beforehand and got, like, a ten pack of cheap and cheerful undies. Every morning when I had my shower the undies went in the bin along with the overnight pad -awsome. One less thing to worry about and so refreshing.
I also went to lush and got a really lovely chunk of my favourite soap (to this day I think of that time whenever I smell it with such tenderness), went to Petra haircare and got sample sized bottles of lovely shampoo and conditioner, a new toothbrush, those toilet paper wipes...
Pretty much anything you can think of that's going to help you feel nurtured and cared for.
HTH

[Janie]

Oh yeah Lara! I took a bottle of lovely Crabtree and Evelyn body wash. It was soooo lovely to use, and every time I smell that scent I remember that lovely time in hospital .

And toilet paper!!!! Take your own, really soft and thick, it's so much nicer on a sore fanny than the hospital stuff!

[foreva*your*mummy]

WOW littlelara
what a fantastic idea about the undies! I have been watching this thread as i still havent done my bag yet and the ideas people come up with are awsome!. someone in another thread( im sorry cant remember who) said if you have a portable DVD player to take that, Im thinking this is a great idea but am a little worried about saftey and someone going through my things!.
Janie - you mentioned maternity pads if its ok to ask what type do you ladies get and where from?
good luck NaeNae

[Janie]

I MUCH preferred the Kotex brand to the Stayfree, and I've heard a few people say that. You can get them from the supermarket, Kmart etc.

[jakodai]

WOW littlelara
what a fantastic idea about the undies! I have been watching this thread as i still havent done my bag yet and the ideas people come up with are awsome!. someone in another thread( im sorry cant remember who) said if you have a portable DVD player to take that, Im thinking this is a great idea but am a little worried about saftey and someone going through my things!.
Janie - you mentioned maternity pads if its ok to ask what type do you ladies get and where from?
good luck NaeNae

Sorry to hijack, but Krissy - you are due on the same day as me, and I haven't packed my bag yet, either...

I'm going to take my iPhone with some of my favorite TV shows on it - I don't know whether I'll use it or not, but at least it's there if I want to.

[Cassius2]

my essential item was a dressing gown lol! so not sexy! but i had to waddle from the room to scn for feeds for the first 2 days and also they did morning teas down the corridor where you would be given bf classes, physiotherapy classes etc and i just chucked on my dressing gown over my pjs and off i went...i was HOT LOL!!!

i preferred the Kotex too and the libra ones were good after the first week.

we used the hossy nappies while we were there and then switched to the BGs when DD was big enough (she was a wee bit tiny for the pockets we bought at first)...

nipple cream.

hairbrush (forgot mine...again, so so sexy)

comfy footwear (again, for any waddling in public places...i completed my 'ensemble' with the ubiquitous uggs lol)

our hossy provided all for the baby (clothes nappies wipes wraps etc). so that was fairly easy. packed going home clothes but they were too big (ooo) so i recommend packing a range of sizes JIC.

[Janie]

Clare, you are sooo funny!!! Good idea re. the baby clothes sizes.....IMO if it's too big it looks so wrong! And they get cold too. I knew that my baby was going to be small so I'd packed all 0000 stuff, but I was unprepared for a prem, and my mum had to go and buy some 00000 clothes because all the 0000 stuff was way too big. So you just don't know!

[jakodai]

i preferred the Kotex too and the libra ones were good after the first week.

Why were the Libra ones good after the first week? Now I'm worried, because I've bought a few packets of those... lol

packed going home clothes but they were too big (ooo) so i recommend packing a range of sizes JIC.

I am also so worried about this - I have actually gone down a dress-size or two since being pregnant, because I basically had NO appetite at all in my first trimester, and the thought of eating quite literally made me feel ill. Now I have no idea at all what size I'm going to be when I have bubs. Although, given that we're not stopping anywhere on the way home, and I really don't care what I look like, I'm thinking of just going with a T-Shirt and a pair of tightish trackie pants. Very trendy, I know, but at least I know they'll fit!

Off topic... I actually bought a few maternity T-Shirts the other day that I can get away with wearing after I've had the baby, because rather than being those really big flowing ones that are loose ( ;-) ) over your belly, they're just longer than a normal shirt and would look really good with a pair of jeans or something. I was ultra paranoid about maternity clothes because I didn't want to spend a fortune on clothes that I'm not planning on wearing again - I want to have lost weight before we have baby number 2...

ETA: OK, so I went off on my own little tangent RE: clothes sizes... hehe

[Janie]

I think Clare was talking about baby clothes sizes LOL. But as for your stuff, don't forget that you will likely still look anywhere from 4-6 months pg when you leave hospital! And your boobs will be bigger too when your milk comes in So whatever you want to wear, make sure it's adaptable

[Novella]

And toilet paper!!!! Take your own, really soft and thick, it's so much nicer on a sore fanny than the hospital stuff!

Kotex pads were nice and silky and soft. Ater a week I used regular pads.
I had my own room but packes thongs for the shower in case I had to share a shower room with other people.
I didnt pack a beanie and as my girls were early they kept droppping their temp so dd1 ended up with a rolled up singlet on her head to keep her warm for the first day (not a good look!) So a beanie is good.
Mobile phone charger, my phone got a hammering.
Camera
Just remember as long as you have clothes for you and bub, camera and phone your dh can pick up anything else you need at the supermarket
Woolies and Big W also have mini toiletries now so I packed a bag with them early they are great and no last minute running around for tooth brush shampoo etc
good luck

[*TripleJ*]

the libra pads arent nice if u have stiches i used the stayfree ones there soft like cushions lol the libra ones are 2 thin IMO it doesnt matter no one else knows wat u've got on

[Cassius2]

the libra pads arent nice if u have stiches i used the stayfree ones there soft like cushions lol the libra ones are 2 thin IMO it doesnt matter no one else knows wat u've got on

yep! this is what i found. i wanted the lovely thick surfboard type ones as man oh man it was so much nicer to have cushiony softness...i was extra norti and would rip the top open (like at the front of the pad) and stick ice down in the middle during my stay to help with the soreness!

but after the first week things settled down enough and went to the libra ones....

Jakodai: te he! i was talking about the baby clothes you'll prolly find that you are more comfy in maternity clothes for a wee while so i wouldnt think there is a need to rush out for new wardrobe!

[~Hestia~]

I used those flushable toilet wipes for at least the first 10 days. Highly recommend them, the Kleenex ones were the best. They're also great to use after showering - I was too sore to towel dry down there.

[Janie]

Oh yeah, a hairdyer! Apart from the obvious, so you don't have wet hair, it's really nice to dry 'down there' if it's quite sore. Especially if you have stitches. You just use it on a really low, not too hot setting, and it does the job nicely I used it for the first two weeks I think! I did have an episiotomy though.

[Jennifer13]

NaeNae, check with your hospital what they will supply first, before you start packing. We got nappies (disposables), baby clothes, maternity pads, ice packs, disposable undies, and so on, from the hospital and only needed to take a small-ish bag of extras. I also had a TV in my room.

A few things I do remember being glad of were:
1. Normal day clothes, I didn't want to sit around in PJs for more than the first day! Altho slippers were good.
2. My own thinner maternity/night-time pads.
3. My video camera, camera and phone.
4. Going home outfit for DD.
5. Charger/batteries for phone and cameras.
6. 'Granny' type undies (much more comfortable while I had a dressing on my scar - but I was going in for a c/s) that I could happily throw out afterwards.
7. PJs that buttoned down the front for ease of access during the night.

HTH!

[Tash*n*bub]

Hi everyone,

There really are some fantastic ideas in these posts, I have had 3 bubs and never thought of some of this stuff!!

I just love being in hospital after delivering, it is such a happy environment to be in, especially with all the other mums, although I had private rooms!!

One thing I think of is just to remember yourself and your favourite comforts, you may not use them in the end but take them, you never do know!!

Everyone (including yourself) is thinking of new things for bubby and that is great but don't forget to pamper yourself, you are the one that has just done all the hard work and has the hard work for the rest of your life!! So take some new things for yourself as well!! Because I am sure bub will be well catered for by nanna's and pop's and grandparents, aunties and uncles and all of your friends and family!!

Just don't forget to grab your bag on your hurry out the door...oh what an exciting time it is!!

Good luck!!

[Doing my best]

I haven't read all replies yet, but 1 thing I had to send DH to buy after my 1st night was eye drops.. My eyes were so dry that it was hurting!

[~Hestia~]

I also took 3 bags (baby, labour & hospital stay). We knew exactly where everything was & DH took home the labour bag afterwards. I just used the nappy bag for the baby bag.
FWIW I used Libra, Stayfree & Kotex maternity pads & I preferred the Libra ones. However I didn't have any tears or stitches as some girls have mentioned.