- 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...