hosp bag, things you wish you took and didnt take

ok so we r TTC#2 and i was thinkin about things i put in my hosp bag when having DD and what i forgot and things that i didnt even need.

so the things that i didnt need where:
*so many changes of clothes for me
* my big dressing gown
*my pillow
*hand held back massager thing
*heaps of toiletries (someone told me to take some make up so you feel good when people come to visit but i really couldnt be bothered doin it all.)
*wipes and nappies (hosp supplied them all but i was told by friends to take some just incase the hosp only had a certain amount)
* a few outfits for DD ( it is easier to keep them in hosp clothes till they r gonna go home)


And the things i wish i took:
*snacks
* some plasctic/shopping bags to send home gifts as we got them
* more appropriate shirt for tying to breastfeed in.
* cooler pj's
*a book or magazine
*swimmer top ( i forgot to put swimmers in and i felt really naked in the bath so i worse a bra instead but it took ages to dry)
*something for DH to do while waiting ( i was 2 min apart when i got to hosp but then it slowed again and then when i ended up getitn the epi we were both bored sittin waiting for my to dialate more.


So what did you pack for you first that you didnt end up needing or what were the things that you forgot or just didnt think to pack

I was really bummed that I forgot his baby book as I couldn't remember who gave what gifts by the time I got home. Would have been really nice to write something in there when I was in goo goo land.

BLISTEX & Snacks
Must have for the hosp. bag.

I agree that you definitely don't need half the things you *think* you will need: Change of PJ's and minimum toiletries, and anything else DH can bring in or buy.

Hmmm,my favourite things...mostly for post birth stay - was too busy during the labour to need much :lol:
# my own pillow
# flushable wipes
# iPod + speaker dock
# laptop and wireless card
# Poise incontince pads rather than mat pads for the first day or so - sooo big n soft
# Nice "lounging" pyjamas - comfy enough to sleep/rest in but nice enough for visitors

I didn't pack baby wipes - and did actually need them - hossy didn't supply

If I was at a public hossy and/or had to share a bathroom I would definitely have taken thongs - the thought of sharing a bathroom with other post birth women makes me shudder - I know how "messy" my bathroom got - YUCK

Sassy WOOO HOOO FOR TTC #2 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway i wish i had of packed

More Pj's I haemorrhaged after abbie and went through 3 pairs of pants in 5 minutes!!!!!! Sil had to go and buy me some!!

I packed wayyyyy tooo many clothes for the baby!!!!

I don't normally stay in too long in hospital!!!

snacks! the hospital food was average & i was bloody starving! plus i'd had gest diabetes & they kept giving me meals minus anything sweet. i was dying for dessert! :lol:

I wish I'd packed some magazines or a book - DH went home to sleep and I was bored!!

I second the more pj's or comfy pants - I sent mum to go buy me some cheapie jogging pants, as the only pair I had taken I bled onto, same with the pj bottoms too.

I agree with the more pants, i also went through a couple of pairs in the first day because I was bleeding really heavily.

My other wish was that we had thought about packing a bag of things for DD to do when she was visiting as she got very bored very quickly and we hadn't thought to bring anything for her ie. colouring, portable DVD player etc.

Next time I'm going to pack shoes! :lol: I was so rushed leaving the house (was in full-blown labour) that I went bare foot and didn't even notice (well I had other things to concentrate on!) :o I had packed slippers but never wore them while I was there. On the day we left to go home, dp packed all the bags into the car and came back to get ds and I and I realised I never took the slippers out of the bag. So I walked through the hospital and carpark barefoot :redface: That time I certainly did notice.

LOADS of PJ bottoms. I went through too many of those!

I packed travel scrabble and made DH play with me for hours during labour (the dilating bit). That was great. I also packed note-pad and book and wrote my birth story until the book was taken away LOL. I think I got more than 24 hours of the stuff down as it happened.

I'd pack a selection of books too. Especially for labour, and even more especially if I were going to be left alone for hours with DH sent home too.

(I'm now REALLY thinking homebirth... I want to bug DH as much as possible if he's around and watch late-night TV when I can't sleep because of contractions. And also wander around naked. And do washing when I need to.)

My labours really weren't long enough to need anything during labour. I labour in the shower the entire time, so nothing needed there. I would probably say I needed more undies/pants (preferably black). I don't stay in hospital long either, so nothing really needed there. I packed very light with both my girls LOL.

i must of been really lucky wit DD cause i didnt bleed much after. i had pads from the hosp and they showed me to put 2 pads on to make them extra long. and for nearly 24hrs after they got me to put a cloth nappy between my undies and the pads to soak up any excess, so i was glad i got some big baggy grannies undies so i had heaps of room for the nappy lol.

we took a notepad to write stuff down as it happened up DH gave up doing it after i had the epi and i didnt realise.

something for DD to do is a great idea.

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I packed travel scrabble and made DH play with me for hours during labour (the dilating bit). That was great. I also packed note-pad and book and wrote my birth story until the book was taken away LOL. I think I got more than 24 hours of the stuff down as it happened.

(I'm now REALLY thinking homebirth... I want to bug DH as much as possible if he's around and watch late-night TV when I can't sleep because of contractions. And also wander around naked. And do washing when I need to.)

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:rofl: god love ya! I can only imagine my labour being like that. I hope it is

I craved fresh food especially fruit after my really long labour and the hospital food was very average in that respect... had to send people out to bring me in food. I didn't need any of the snacks during labour as I couldn't eat anything at all.

We took a laptop and some DVDs of a British TV show we'd started watching. It was great for late evenings after all the visitors had left, cos there was bugger all on TV (being the middle of Jan and non-ratings season).

I packed way too many clothes for myself. I ended up spening most of time time in the same pair of pajamas cos they were the most comfortable and very easy to bf in.

I wish I had of taken a pen and notepad in with me. I kept wanting to write things down like last feed and nappy change and couldn't. I ended up with a small pencil.

more comfortable pants,
my laptop & wireless internet for DH just incase i got 13hrs again there nothing he could do, i wanted my mum LOL
my own pillow

Didnt need snacks.. my mum always brought me something in when she came to visit and so did my best friend :D

Panadol - I had a tear and it hurt. But the hospital would only give me panadol every 4 hours. I asked for more one time & it had only been an hour so they gave me something stronger. But I would definately take my own next time & maybe some nurofen as well so I can alternate.

lol Indie - our hospital had a chart & pen provided to write that down. One night (when I wanted some panadol) the nurse came in, turned the lights on full and demanded to know why I hadn't filled it out. Umm I'm tired & trying to sleep. I'll fill it in later. She then filled it out for me. Thank god she wasn't on the following night:D

Definately something to read- usually a baby book is the best thing cos thats all your caught up in, and its nice to read things your thinking about anxiously re your baby. i highly recommend Baby Love-by robin barker

And snacks!! i was so hungry post natal. you need alot of food and water in the first few days when your milk is coming, and 3 meals isnt enough in the hospital. Take with you cereal, muesli bars, biscuits, fruit, juices-poppers are good and you can ask them to p=be put in the fridge.

And yes definately agree with everyone else on the comfy pants that dont look like pyjama pants. I remember seeing other women on the ward wearing bright pink pj pants and pick fluffy slippers in the middle of the day and they looked silly!! Sometimes you just need to get out of the hospital for a breath of fresh air and you feel much more normal wearing something acceptable!!!!

Also an mp3 player to tune out and listen to music( if that helps you i know it helps me!!)