Alezia Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I'm just looking for opinions / answers to my questions as far as what to bring in my hospital bag Thank you in advance! a. What did you find particularly useful to have with you? b. What did you bring but did not use? c. Was there anything you ran to the store for? or was missing? d. Was there something the hospital provided but particularly didn't like? (ex: shampoo etc..) Bonus: How did you find your hospital stay? Was it creepy? (I've never stayed in a hospital before, especially not overnight for more than a day) Link to comment
rocio Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Bring your own pads because the ones they have at the hospital are scary. Also, bring snacks. You're going to be really hungry after being in labor all day and they don't serve meals in the middle of the night. Bring your own pillow if you want to sleep comfortably. Massage oil so your man can rub the pain away. I can't comment on the hospital stay because I had baby at home. I'm sure it won't be creepy though. Link to comment
Angel_baby Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Your own nightgown as you probably don't like your butt hanging out from the hospital gown! Your brush and comb, after the labor and you rest up a bit you will feel like a mess and want to be pretty again I brought a pack of playing cards to pass the time away during the "milder" contractions. Link to comment
ReadyorNot Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I havent given birth yet so I am uncertain as to what all to bring with me as well. I do know that I am bringing my own pads and I am bringing a housecoat/robe so I dont have to worry about walking around in those stupid hospital gowns... I went to the hospital at 29 weeks with really bad pain and I couldnt even believe the gown they gave me.... Im gonna bring my own PJS for afterwards but Im thinking the hospital gown and robe will be good enough. I also plan on bringing my own tolietries. Im really nervous about staying in the hospital overnight.. Last time I stayed in the hospital I was 10 years old. I hope I have my baby in the middle of the night and they send me home that afternoon.. I was never one for staying at other peoples houses nevermind a hospital! Link to comment
Hope75 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 A tight, supportive bra if you are choosing not to nurse (you'll need it for engorgement) or a good nursing bra if you are going to nurse. Link to comment
caro33 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 What did I bring? - clothes for me, particularly several nightgowns/pjs, underwear (big kind, no g-strings) - shampoo, cleanser, moisturiser, deodorant etc, lip balm. Take some makeup if you are up for it and don't want to look washed out/spotty etc when you get visitors. For me, I was too tired to care, but have a think about what makes you feel good. - maternity pads (take a lot, you might be going through these hourly to start with) - pillow - clothes for baby a. What did you find particularly useful to have with you? My own pillow b. What did you bring but did not use? Nappy snib things that we were told to bring. Did not use them as all we had was disposable nappies. c. Was there anything you ran to the store for? or was missing? More baby clothes. They vomit and poop a lot, and you can really get through the little outfits. Maternity pads. d. Was there something the hospital provided but particularly didn't like? (ex: shampoo etc..) The service! We paid a gazillion dollars for private health care, but the room and everything that came after the birth was crap. The delivery suite was awesome but the rest of it was not. I say take everything you could possibly need, because you can't assume anything of the hospital stay and what the hospital would provide. The stay was not creepy but it felt isolating and I was exhausted and overwhelmed. A new baby can be hard! If you have belongings that give you comfort, take them. For me, the thing that surprised me the most was the amount I sweated. I had a lot of fluid to lose but man did I soak through my clothes. The clean changes of clothes on a regular basis were vital. The thing I would advise myself going in again is to (a) Pick a midwife whose advice you like and stick with it. I don't know what your hospital system is like, but here in Australia nurses are underpaid, which means that the hospitals end up having to employ casual staff on higher rates, rather than permanent staff. This means that you get a different midwife with different advice for every shift, which can be hard to deal with. This is particularly worth watching if you're breastfeeding. (b) Don't be afraid of asking the nurses to take the baby to the nursery (if there is one) rather than rooming in with you all the time. Asking this does not make you a bad mother. The sleep it grants you could make a huge difference. © Don't be afraid to ask for a lactation consultant if the hospital has one. This should mean you get better help with breastfeeding, which could make a huge difference also. Link to comment
Alezia Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 Thanks for all the advice guys! I think I packed so much extra stuff for baby I might take some out of the bags. I still need to purchase my nursing night gown or two and the nursing bra or two =) I just can't wait!! 38 weeks in 2 days Link to comment
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