thread: How much stuff have you packed for hospital?

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    A Pirate Ship
    3,627

    How much stuff have you packed for hospital?

    Far out girls I feel like I have so much stuff ready for the hospital! when I break it down it doesn't seam like too much but when it's all sitting there ready to go it just seams like heaps... I worry that the midwives will think we are moving in permanently I have 4 bags which are all about the size of a carry on luggage bag if I were going on an aeroplane. Because dh will be staying the whole time he has a bag of clothes and so do I, then there is a labour bag with all my goodies in it and there's another bag with other stuff in it like bubs stuff, maternity pads etc..... Oh and then we will also have green bag with some snacks in it. How much stuff has everyone else packed?

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    pakenham, victoria
    3,660

    i pack 1 big bag for me and bub.
    i take pj's, cheap black knickers, 2 packs mat pads, breast pads, 2 maternity bras and a going home outfit for me.
    for bub, four wondersuits, 4 body suits and 4 singlets, a beanie,a going home nappy, disposable or mcn, 1 swaddling wrap and 2 bunny rugs.
    then a small bag with snacks.
    with DD1 i took a labour bag but didnt even look at it when it was go time. you'll be suprised how much u dnt need

  3. #3

    Mar 2008
    Where dreams are now reality
    2,318

    I felt exactly the same way Cherished!!! I had a small suitcase thingy, a labour bag, a green bag and as it turned out my handbag! I had everything but the kitchen sink (including nice soft toilet paper) . It ended up taking 3 trips to the car to come home and I literally live 4 doors from the hospital
    Once you have laboured you can always chuck that bag in the car and continue to weed out what you dont want. Better to have waaaaay to much then get there and wish you had brought this or that......so excited for you hun! Wishing you a magical birth and many amazing momnets gazing at your little treasure

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    pakenham, victoria
    3,660

    ohhhh definetly take ur own super soft toilet paper!! and big squishy towel, hospital ones are soooooo tiny and thin

  5. #5
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Jan 2006
    11,633

    I know! We had so much stuff last time , but it's probably better to be overprepared. Remember your hubby can always run out to get stuff after the birth if need be.

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Dec 2005
    5,951

    I only had one bag. With DD1 I was in hospital for 3 days after birth and there was more than enough stuff in that one bag.

  7. #7
    Registered User
    Add *TripleJ* on Facebook

    Jan 2009
    Diggers Rest VIC
    2,945

    i started with 1 bag and came home with 3 and a ginormous teddy bear so yeah not much help i had all my labour stuff on top of my bag but there wasnt much stuff anyway

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Apr 2010
    1,118

    I had a change of undies, socks, PJs, dressing gown, a onesie, singlet, baby hat, three nappies, a little thing of wipes, toothbrush/paste, comb, shampoo. I was only at the hospital about 16 hours though.

    My dressing gown ended up getting gooped in the birth but I went into the hospital wearing a huge coat that is probably made from at least 5 entire lambs (it was subzero and 11:30pm when we went to hospital) so I went home wearing that and the clean PJs.

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Oct 2007
    ★ nor here nor there ★
    4,134

    ATM I only have a bag packed for me, it is by the front door, it has comfy clothes, PJ's, Mat Pads, a book, toiletries, toilet paper (soft ), little bed sock thingy's that are great for walking the hospital corridors at night, underwear, I need to get some granny pants incase of CS and a few other bits and pieces. It is really to get me by if I need to be admitted or deliver early.

    I also have my breast pump and bits and pieces washed, they will just need to be sterilized before being brought in but DH or another family member will do that for me.

    A bag which has four small presents wrapped for DD, a small colouring in book and crayons, a puzzzle, a packet of lego, and a book, so if I am in for a few days she will get something special each day

    I can't bring myself to pack anything for bubs yet, but I have a few things ready, tags to be removed and washed then can be bought in by DH, but I can't bring myself to wash the clothes yet with the hope that we won't need the small ones.....

  10. #10
    Registered User
    Add Vixstar on Facebook

    Mar 2006
    Penrith/Kingswood/Orchard Hills....
    1,147

    I just sorted out a list for my stay and so far I have packed - 4 maternity bras, heaps of old undies inc hubbys undies that were too small for him but are PERFECT for after a c-section, a dressing gown and winter pj's, slippers, shorts, trackies, 2 towels, shampoo / conditioner, soap, hairbrush, deoderant, breast pads (prolly won't need them though), 3 packets of maternity pads, socks, 3 long sleeve t-shirts.......ummm..........a nice baby blanket for babeee to be wrapped in for when the photgrapher comes around.

    Still to pack, 2 more tracky pants, another 1 or 2 pairs of shorts, camera, diary, portable dvd player and dvds, toothbrush and paste, ugg boots - lol - t-shirts....I think that is it!

    All in one bag!

    DH will bring in clothes for babeee to go home in on our discharge day. I have them laid out on the change table ready for him! lol

    xxxx

  11. #11
    Registered User
    Add NaeNae on Facebook

    Sep 2007
    South Gippsland
    3,753

    I remember I packs 4 bags too .. one labour bag which had oils, burner, music a change of clothes for both of us a few snacks and bubs "first outfit and wrap"and my camera and other stuff. One for my hossy stay which had all my crap in it. One for hubby which had all his stuff and of course baby's bag. In the end we didn't need all of it and at the time we only took the labour bag and DH brought all the other stuff in later. Its better to have too much than not enough but I would suggest only worrying about the "labour" bag the other stuff can come in later.

    Nae x

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Nov 2009
    In Paradise
    2,022

    I took toooo much

    I needed and used

    hair brush
    maternity pads ( although the hopital ones were bigger/better straight after birth
    clean undies x 2
    pjs
    dressing gown
    thongs/ to walk around the hospital in
    loose clothes to go home in

    and a breastfeeding bra/top in one that I wore most the time

    and baby clothes ( singlets onesie and blanket)

    thats all I needed but I only stayed one night, and didnt get to use anything that we had planned in labour because:

    1. there was no cd player available when we got there so my birth cds didnt get used
    2. I was that distracted by the pain, dh sleeping in the chair opposite me despite my noisy labour that I didnt use anything in my labour bag

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    A Pirate Ship
    3,627

    Well I had a bit more of an anxiety attack after posting and dh said that we are paying heaps of money to have bubs at the private hospital so we will take in whatever we want! lol he doesn't mind carrying it in and when we get there we will only have the labour bag and the food bag, he can get me settled into the birth suit and then go back to the car for the other bags and put them in our room

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Apr 2010
    1,118

    Good lord you people pack a lot LOL

    As to labour stuff, I was in the labour ward half an hour with Theo so there wasn't enough time to do ANYTHING. Afterwards the midwife brought bikkies, milo, water, more blankets and I got to sit around snuggling the baby for an hour while they got bored waiting for the placenta

    Which admittedly means I was in the labour ward about 2 hours all up but not in labour per se ... hmmmm

  15. #15
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Jan 2006
    11,633

    he's right Cherished, you take whatever you want.

  16. #16
    Registered User

    Jun 2005
    USA
    3,991

    I packed a bag with my clothes, a million potential labour snacks (lollies,nuts, dried fruit... heaps of stuff in case I wanted something specific), camera, toiletries and somethings for labour (music CDs, little squishy balls, photos).

    Also packed the nappy bag with outfits, nappies and wraps for baby.

    Then on the night I made my H pack 5 pillows which I had been using in labour and he carried them in for me to continue using... it was nice afterwards to sleep with our own pillows too!

  17. #17
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    A Pirate Ship
    3,627

    Thanks marcellus

    Meow yes the pillows are on the list too, they are a given, we have even carted our pillows overseas in the past! last thing I want is a sore neck from a dodgy hospital pillow to add to the sleep deprivation.

    Rumple if only we all had 2 hr labours maybe we would all only need a change of clothes

    Anyway I'm feeling better about it all today, and for those who suggested the really soft loo paper I've finally added that to one of the bags. The hospital loo paper is pretty soft but dh said I may as well take a roll of our really soft stuff too