What do you need to pack? Hospital Bags

[NaeNae]

I know there have been threads about this but I cannot seem to find them.

What do you need to pack? how many of what? when do you do it? what do you take for bub?

I have been given a MONSTER nappy bag that I will use for my hossy stay when I go in and DH wants me to start packing it now JIC (he is more of a worrier than I am).
I just don't know what is really essential or what is just for comfort. I do plan on being in for as long as I can.

Also for those that have been there and done that that use nappies like BG3.0 did you just use disposables for this time? I don't trust DH to wash the cloth nappies properly his head just won't be thinking logically

Thanks everyone.

Nae x

[Janie]

Are you thinking for yourself, the baby, or both???

I had really long lists for all of us but we were in for 5 days, all three of us, so we did need a little bit of stuff. Did your hossy provide you with lists? They should at least tell you what you're expected to take for your baby.

We are cloth users, and I personally wouldn't bother while in hossy, unless they offer cloth nappies with a laundering service. If they only do sposies, I would just stick with that until I got home (which is what I did). There is plenty of time to get into cloth once you're all home, I would feel that you're better off spending time together in hossy, rather than worrying about washing nappies.

[NaeNae]

Are you thinking for yourself, the baby, or both???

.

Both really, I have a list of things in one of those booklets they give you for your classes but I really wonder how much is necessary and what's not, and really what other people took with them that they loved during labour and then once they had their bubbas with them.

Nae x

[Miss E]

Aaaaah packing the bags, I was so excited when I started putting mine together, it makes it all feel so much realer. Here's a run down of what I can remember I'd put together (my stay was five days).

FOR BUBS ? the hospital told us to pack the clothes and wrap we wanted him in separately so that they could keep it in a warmer so it was nice and toasty when they first dressed him.
6 singlets
6 jumpsuits
4 wraps
4 cloth nappies (to use as spew rags)
2 hats
2 pairs of booties
baby wipes
DH ended up needing to take a few things home and wash them while we were there (especially the spew rags) so I don't think it is possible for you to have too much.

FOR the birth
old nighty to birth in
lip balm
head band and hair ties
massage oil
glucose jelly beans
pretzels
gatorade
pj's
board shorts for DH for the shower
change of clothes for DH
toiletries
camera and extra camera batteries
phone charger

FOR ME for the hospital stay
2 pairs of pj's (black so that if I bled on them I didn't have to worry about visitors etc seeing it)
5 comfy outfits (because I had a CS I didn't end up putting on clothes until the day I left, I just couldn't be bothered)
dressing gown
slippers
toiletries
2 packs of pads
2 packs of breast pads
1 pack of wet wipes for grown ups (incase I had tearing or was tender down there)
notepad (this was great because we used it to keep a record of when we fed and when DS did poos/wees - there is no way I would have remembered without it)

That's all I can remember for now. I personally don't think you can pack too much, I'd much rather have stuff that I didn't use (which I did) than be left wishing I'd brought something.

Happy packing!

[Janie]

Well, if your DH will be coming in and out, then you don't need to go overboard, but if not, and you live awhile from the hossy then pack plenty. How many nights will you be staying?

For the baby I would take one outfit (and a singlet) for each day, plus an extra. If you have room, pack another outfit (and singlet). I loved using nighties on DS at night in the early weeks, it makes nappy changes etc so much easier, particularly in hossy. Maybe 3 wraps or so, depending on how long you're in there? And if you choose a 'first outift' for your baby, pack it in your labour bag, so it's there when you need it. My hossy provided things like wipes, nappies, spew rags etc, so I'm not sure about that stuff.

For yourself, pack plenty of maternity pads, the nice thick ones. Breast pads. Plenty of dark knickers. Whatever you like to wear at night. Whatever you will like to wear during the day. If you're like me, pack thongs for the shower . Slippers. Mobile phone charger. All of the other usual stuff you need when away from home.

Labour bag - lip balm, warm socks, music to listen to, camera etc, spare knickers, a couple of your own mat pads (the hossy ones are often not plastic backed, and if you're waters are leaking it is soooooo annoying!), drinks and snacks like gatorade and juice etc, hairties. If you plan on using water, some shorts for your DH to wear as he will likely get wet.

That's all I can think of/remember for now, will come back if I think of anything else!

[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

[sazzafrazz]

I would definately reccomend the dark undies and I preferred the higher granny waist ones. I wore them while pg and found them fantastic afterwards because I ended up with a C-section. No rubbing undies on my sore tummy. Same goes for clothing for myself: I actually just wore my maternity clothes in hosp and home. My tum was still really big and my boobs were sore, plus my ceasar site was SORE so I wanted high waists all the way!

Our hosp supplies cloth nappies but we used our own sposies. DD was a small 0000 so I didnt use our cloth nappies for the first 5weeks! They also supplied little nighties which we used to start off but then switched to our sleepsuits as they looked so much more comfy.

Things I reccomend: 10 big, dark undies
2packs pads. I used the ENORMOUS hosy ones for the first day Kotex are MUCH thicker than Libra too...
1pack breast pads
Maternity clothes plus extra teeshirts for the spews and milk leakages
PJS!!! I loved my breastfeeding nightie too - no exposing tummy I didnt bother with my dressing gown. I had my own bathroom and preferred to shower and dress every morning. Just made me feel more normal.
basic toiletries. I didnt want too much perfume for the new baby and only wanted her to get used to what I usually wear.
Massive bag to take home gifts. Like the stripy $2 shop ones.
phone charger, camera, batteries, notepad to keep track of gifts/who you have phoned.
dont bother with a book. I was that busy with nurses, visitors, baby...
personal clock/watch. NEED for feeds/tracking bubs nappies etc.
Plenty of spew rags. Nappies and going home home clothes. 4 wraps.
Wheat pack for labour, lip balm, essential oils.

hope that helps some!

[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!