Hospital bag

[cleo82]

Hi ladies, bit trivial but d day is fast approaching and I'm going through my hospital bags, just wondering if I've missed anything obvious? Particularly anything that needs to be washed/sterilised beforehand, or that hubby might struggle to find in shops in middle of night. Don't know if it'll be induction or section yet and hospital is 3 hours away so packing for all eventualities!

Labour bag
Nightie, dressing gown, thick socks, stretchy nursing bra (no idea what size I'll be)
Basic toiletries, towel, wet ones, lip balm
Phone charger
Maternity pads, breast pads, disposable knickers, big cotton knickers incase section
Gluten free snacks, 2 packs glucose tablets, cartons apple juice
To add last minute - hospital notes, phone, insulin pens (& spare vials in frio pouch), blood glucose meter & diary

Post labour bag (will keep in car and get hubby to bring in when move to ward / sort what I need from labour bag and take the rest away)
4 nighties, 1 pair pyjamas
4 tops, 2 leggings, 2 loose trousers
Spare nursing bra, cotton knickers, socks, slippers
Towel, maternity pads, breast pads
Extra toiletries
2 packs glucose
Food bag - GF crackers, cereal, long life rolls, more snacks
Carrier bag for washing

Baby's bag (again, in car till bump arrives)
6 all in ones/baby gros & 6 vests (3 newborn, 3 0-3) all been washed in non-bio
Mits, hat, blanket for going home
Pack newborn nappies, wet ones, muslin squares, sudocrem - shops nearby so can buy extra/ bigger nappies if required

Bottle bag (hoping to BF so hopefully won't need and can stay in car)
Breast pump & 5 bottles (all sterilised)
Tub of stage 1 formula

Thanks in advance!

 

[azure]

I took some flip flops for the shower and for walking around the ward. I found them very useful.

I also took some make up - just a token selection of stuff, but it made me feel better after the birth.

Hair bands, if you have long hair, to keep your hair up/back

Camera? And batteries, if necessary.

Birth plan/preferences

Book/magazines

You sound very organised! Thinking about my bag, I wish I'd taken more maternity pads (I had to stay in longer than I was expecting) and another nightshirt as I found I felt 'stale' in the hospital heat. I also found my blood sugar dropped a lot after delivery and when breastfeeding, so had to buy bottles of Lucozade to keep by my bed.

As for breastfeeding, my hospital was very good at encouraging it and helping me express colostrum for my son. They also had electric breast pumps, bottles and sterilisers for expressed milk.

 

[hels]

Chargers for electronic devices.
I'd expressed and frozen some colostrum to take in.
Music/reading - I had lots of waiting around.

 

[cleo82]

Thanks azure & hels, will add flip flops makeup and something to read. Was going to leave camera for hubby to bring in, but maybe pack in car just incase! forgot about colostrum so will ask at next appointment what their preference is - ie take frozen or express at hospital. Keen to avoid formula if possible. As for birth plan, did you get much say or were you restricted by drips and monitors?

 

[azure]

No, I wasn't too restricted by monitors. I was induced, and early on I was able to walk around the hospital. Once I had the Syntocin drip up, baby needed monitoring, which they did with a scalp monitor. But they arranged for this to have long leads so I was able to move round the delivery suite. In fact, I didn't even notice the wires.

I wanted an active birth and the midwives were excellent at helping me. The diabetes didn't stop me doing anything, nor the monitoring.

I used my pump throughout labour so I didn't have a sliding scale.

 

[hels]

I'd expressed in advance (from 36 weeks) to get a stash of colostrum which I froze at home. I'd seen the infant feeding specialist at the hospital beforehand who had given me syringes and instructions on how to label and store colostrum. On going to the hospital the first thing I did was give them the colostrum so it could be stored in the freezer in NICU.

I'd pack the camera (or do you have a decent one on your phone?) yourself!

I wasn't too restricted as only went on syntocin drip at the end of the labour. My hospital were happy for me to control my own blood sugars if I could keep them under 7 (this was a new policy since my first 2 years ago when I was on sliding scale).