The Hospital Bags!!

[Jas]

Ok so I'm 36w 1day (don't forget the 1day!) preg today so I figure I should get onto it this week! So I thought I would type a list in here for me 2 go off and also to get anything that I have missed or any suggestions of what u guys packed!

Labour Bag

Birth Plan
TENS Machine
Massage oil - done but buy more
CD's
socks
outfit for me to wear
boardies for dh for shower
change of clothes for DH and I to freshen up afterwards
Lipbalm
waterbottles - last minute
food for phil
snacks for me - frozen poppers (loved these with Noah)
Camera/ video camera
1 outfit for bubby and a nappy

Hospital Bag
Maternity Pads
BreastPads
Undies
pj's
clothes
phone charger
toiletries
a few snacks

Baby's Bag
3 outfits (will also have the one in labour bag)
2 blankets
2 muslin wraps (due April 18th so warm and cooler blankets to cater for either kind of possible weather)
socks if needed for the outfits
4 singlets
nappies
wipes
going home outfit

So how am I going?

[Glamourcide]

Wow, looks good to me!! I took barely anything with me to hospital when I had DD!! I was booked in for an induction two days before my due date so I knew when I had to have my bag packed, I literally left it until the night before...
All I took was some pyjamas, HEAPS of underwear, maternity pads, two sets of clothes for me, breast pads and nipple cream, phone charger and toiletries (shampoo & conditioner, body wash, toothpaste and brush); and a few Bonds Wondersuits, singlets, a couple of blankets (beginning of August, so still pretty chilly), and nappies/wipes/powder/lotion etc for DD! And we didn't end up getting to use the baby toiletries for DD, the midwives bathed her once the day we took her home, using hospital baby wash etc, and that was it!

Looks like you're on the right track, I will definitely have to pack some extra goodies for my labour because I had such a horrible dry mouth/throat from the gas and the midwife kept trying to feed me tapwater when I desperately needed iced water!

[blueiris]

soft toiletpaper or flushable wipes as they'll be gentler on sore ladybits than hospital toiletpaper.
Notepad & pens
hairdryer
spare batteries for the camera

[Jas]

thanks ladies! I also realised I didn't put maternity bras on my list lol

[~Debbie~]

i also packed a small amount of liquid clothes detergent, just so i could rinse off any blood stains that might occur.

[Jas]

ooh good idea..never heard that one before! I was very lucky with Noah and even with heavy bleeding never got a single stain on anything but not convinced I'll be so lucky again! Thanks for the tip!

[2CheekyMonkeys]

the royal at brisbane suggest to bring a few regular pillow cases to use over the bassinet mattresses they have while you are there. they also suggest to bring 6 baby outfits.

slippers or other comfy shoes, and a dressing gown/robe?
money.

sounds like you have it pretty much under control. if you need something in particular you can always get your DH to bring it in for you.

[Kailani]

Umm shoes, or at least slippers - sounds obvious but I just thought I'd go home in the shoes I came in, however my labour was so quick and it was such a rush to get out of the house (plus I was in agony and not thinking!) that I went to hospital bare foot and only when leaving hossy did I realise So yeah, I left the hossy and walked through the car park barefoot too

[~Debbie~]

yeah.. shoes.. when i went into have Aiden, my feet where swollen, so, i had to wear my slippers in, and i didnt think to take normal shoes to wear home!

The other thing i did, was with the things i wasnt sure if i would need them or not, left them at home, in the baby's room, but, showed DH where everything was, so, if i did want it, it was just a simple case of him going to grab it.. well.. should of been... but.. men... they always seem to not look properly!

[rufalina]

Nice body wash and shampoo and conditioner. Showering after the birth with my own body wash was beautiful...

[Glamourcide]

soft toiletpaper or flushable wipes as they'll be gentler on sore ladybits than hospital toiletpaper.

OMG yes. Those flushable wipes saved. my. life. after DD was born (didn't have them in hospital but when I got home I bought some just to see if they were any good, and they were amaaaazing).

[tenar]

- The least scented soap you can find. At our hospital classes, one of the things the midwife suggested was not washing much at all at first after the birth because you don't want to wash away the smells that will help the baby bond to you: you smell of milk and I guess hormones and stuff that help the baby figure out that you are mum and you are where the food comes from.

I'm intending to just rinse myself off with water, especially around my breasts/torso, for as long as I can stand it (probably not long), and then switch to very basic unscented soap.

- check whether your hospital has heat/cold packs or whether you have to bring your own. I've got a cold pack in the freezer and a microwaveable heat pack in my bag packed already. Some hospitals won't allow the wheat ones as they get so nasty if you over-microwave them and set them on fire by mistake.

My best friend said to her husband, at 36 weeks, "we'd better pack my bag". The next day, bag still unpacked, they were rushing to the hospital with nothing ready. Baby was fine, just early. Bearing in mind her experience, I've been packed for 2 weeks already, just in case...

[~Debbie~]

dont forgot 'sibling gifts'

[AliBaby]

Hey Jas, So excited for you, you are getting so close to meeting your baby!

On the hospital bags....

When I was in labour and arriving at the hospital, I told DP to forget the bags (leave them in the car) and we would get them later.

I didnt use anything that was in my labour bag. No time to even think about it. Even when my little girl finally arrived, I realised...crap the bags are still in the car, but the midwives just put a little outfit on her and a cloth nappy (which they like to use anyway for the first wee/poo) and wrapped her up.

I then sent DP to get the bags.

I hardly used anything I packed but what I did use was:

- kleenex cottonelle toilet paper (the hossy paper is awful)
- 2 packets of mat pads (I only used one packet as didnt bleed much and was only in hossy for 2 and a half days).
-toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, roll on deod unfragranced
- nappies x20
- wipes
- shampoo & conditioner (I didnt use any soaps as they said to avoid washing your body with soaps).
- pj's x 2 (different pair for each day- made me feel nice not to be in the same clothes)
- pair of trackpants and singlet top to go home in.
- undies (go and buy some of those really big undies in a size bigger then what you are as they are super comfy and wont cut in and fit those big mat pads).
- mat bra's x3
- slippers and thongs (I wore my thongs to the hossy).
- Pillow (not essential but I wanted my own and loved having it there)
- mobile charger, camera, camera charger
- baby clothes (the long wondersuits are best x 5)

HTH.

Cant wait to hear how you go!!!

[Jas]

Thanks Ladies for all your suggestions!

Alibaby, I am so excited to it is really wierd I am excited but it doesn't actually seem real like I'm REALLY pregnant and REALLY going to have another baby! I think seeing some bags packed might help it set in a bit!

Debbie, Thank you! I had actually forgotten the sibling gift! And good idea re" leaving stuff in bubs room! Thats a great idea because with Noah I had way too much stuff and it was annoying trying to get to things but at the time I was worried about needing things and not having them!

Tenar, I remember the antenatal classes we did with Noah our last class we had a little party and one of the couples had had their baby that day (4 weeks early) the husband came to see everyone and said that morning when he left for work he asked his wife about the bags and she hadn't done them and he said he really thought she should pack them that day! So she did then went off to a hosp a point and found out she had pre eclampsia so severe they decided to induce her that day! Her husband told us to all go home and start packing lol!

Gothmum, hadn't thought of the flushable wipes sounds liek a great idea but!

Rufalina, thanks will add it to the list!

Holly, oh no that is sooo funny though re: the shoes!!

Hollo, Slippers have to pack those!

[Jas]

I'm 36w5d preg today and still no closer to hospital bags!

Well, actually I kinda am, off to do some shopping today! I have to buy new undies, brestpads etc newborn nappies too! I only have 1 newborn nappy! (one that was in a bounty bag) so I really need to do something about that!
Last night it set in a bit that I am actually due to have a baby soon! and I will actually be going into labour sometime soon...can't believe this pregnancy is almost over!

[ACJ]

Slippers are a good idea if you dont swell. But why not those slipper thongs you can buy by grosby. I bought a pair from BIG W just before DS was born and glad I did cause they are comfy and didn't cut into my swelling like my slippers did.

[DANNIIM]

One thing no one has mentioned and you will most certainly need one is a beany for bub....find the smallest one possible as most are way to big, maybe one that has been knitted! Bubs lose most of there body temp through there head and you will most likely need one for the first 12-24hrs at least.