Hospital bags! (My Version of the List)

Member Name: Sunflower070707

Product:	My Version of the List
Date:	16/10/08 (64 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Everything you need while in hospital

Disadvantages: Having to pack so far in advance due to my pelvis

Packing your hospital bag is one of those big unknowns - you're packing a labour bag not knowing what kind of labour and delivery you'll have and packing a postnatal bag not knowing how long you'll be in hospital! I did have a little advantage in that, being a midwife, I had a little heads up on what is really useful and what could really have stayed at home!!

Firstly I tried to keep it as concise as possible, I knew that I was going to be in for a week to 10 days after our daughter was born as we were expecting some complications but I also knew that space in hospital is a premium and filling your bed area with lots and lots of bags is never good if we need to get to either the mum or baby in a hurry!

I decided to pack my bags by 20 weeks - early I know but I had a very severe spd which meant by 22 weeks I was bedbound on morphine and was actually admitted to hospital for nearly the last month of my pregnancy as I could no longer get downstairs. Anyone who has severe spd, do think about packing your bag very early - I was grateful I did as it meant I could get round the shops myself from 14 weeks (albeit very slowly, on crutches and just getting a couple of things each visit!) and therefore it was all packed by the time I was no longer able to leave the house!

I packed the bags in to two seperate bags - a small holdall for while in labour and a larger holdall for afterwards, containing both things for me and our daughter. The second bag, the theory was, could be left in the car while I was in labour so that the room on labour ward wasn't cluttered up with enough bags to make it look like we'd moved in! (As it happened, because I was already in hospital, the bag was already in and just transferred to the postnatal ward waiting for us to join it!). As above, I didn't take in many of any one thing, one thing I did do though was leave lots of extras of everything from things for the baby (nappies, muslins, babygros/vests etc) to things for me (more nighties, clothes, undies etc) in the baby's cot so that, if I did need more bringing in, hubby knew exactly where to look! I have seen before too many partners bring in a nightie that was worn pre-pg or thongs when people have asked for more pants (not helpful while wearing maternity pads!!) to realise that if it was somewhere my husband could just pick it up I'd get something that would be useful!!

I took the following things in to hospital

ME

Shampoo/conditioner
Shower gel
Flannels
Deodrant
Sanitary Towels
PJ's
Coming home clothes - mat jeans, mat top, socks, trainers
Knickers
Breast Pads
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Bra
Dressing Gown
Slippers
Hair brush
Bottles of water
Book
Magazine
Cereal bars/snacks (useful for 3am bf hunger!)
Feeding cushion
Thank you card and chocs
Small bin bags for dirty washing
Pen and paper - birth announcement/thank you letters (As I said, I was expecting to be in a long time!)
Lansinoh (wonderful stuff!)
Phone charger
Socks
Nivea
Wrap sling


BABY

Nappies
Cotton Wool
Scratch Mittens
Hat
Babygros x 4
Vests x 4
Blanket
Muslins x 2 (I used loads more, our daughter was born by section and was, therefore, quite mucousy for a few days!)


LABOUR

Night shirt
Socks x 2
Magazine/books
Cereal bars
Frozen drinks
Boiled sweets
Lip balm
Watch with second hand
Bean's first outfit + hat


One little tip - I had put our daughter's first outfit in a little clear bag along with a nappy and a cot toy (a giraffe, but that will be no surprise to the people on here who know me!) which meant that, when we went through to theatre, hubby knew that everything he needed for the baby was in this one bag! Much easier for him to find!

Hope this is helpful for somebody!

Summary: What I took in to hospital with me!