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

[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'