Here are a couple of questions for those of you have had previous births and have had experience packing a bag for the hospital.

What was the most important item that you packed for your stay?

Was there anything that you wished you had packed?



For me besides my phone list I was very glad that I had nursing camis, so I didn't have to worry about unbuttoning my pj's or untying my gown, I could just leave my shirt open and the cami would cover my whole torso.

What I wished that I had brought was something to do, like crochet or a wordsearch, I got stir crazy. Also I wished that I had brought a journal to record answers to questions,how Ben was feeding, phone numbers, thankyous to write instead I ended up with a pile of little scraps of paper.

I WOULD HAVE TO SAY MY PILLOW. THEY NEVER SEEM TO HAVE ENOUGH PILLOWS AT THE HOSPITAL. I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND SPREE CANDY. THIS WAS PERMITTED. ACTUALLY MY BIRTH COACH SUGGESTED THEM. ANY TYPE OF SOUR OR HARD CANDY. AFTER AWHILE YOUR SPREE CANDY & ICE CHIPS MAKE A LOVELY MEAL. I JUST REMEMBER HOW HUNGRY I WAS AT THE END OF LABOR WITH MY SON. I ALSO RECOMMEND A GREAT PAIR OF SLIP ONS. I HAVE A PAIR OF PALI HAWAII SANDALS - PERFECT FOR THE SHOWER & ALSO TO WALK AROUND IN !

SO PILLOW & SPREE & GOOD SLIP ON SANDALS

jolly rancher suckers are great...I dipped them in my ice chipps and licked the ice off of them so it was flavored! ....and a snickers for a reward afterward! Heehee! :lol:
A robe too! I didn't have one last time and froze! Plus, it makes walking around in that hospital gown less "airy" in the back! :)

Sweats, robe, slippers, soap and shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste,makeup and hairbrush are a must. You will want to feel clean and look presentable when you have visitors. LOL! With my daughter i didn't. I felt so awful due to having had an emergency c-section. My hair wasn't combed or anything and i looked awful in the pictures. :lol: So i vowed this time that it wasn't going to happen again. :lol:

Ok, what I brought that I was so glad I had was my own comfy jammies. I hated feeling exposed in that johnny thing..of course, I wore that for delievery..I am talking after the mess was cleaned up and I had showered..I put on some comfy capri's and a pretty top!
What I didn't bring and I wish I had...A FAN! The hospital is always so hot! I had to open the window in the middle of winter!!

I was also extremely glad I had brought my pillow. Friends of mine who had had babies in the past called the hospital pillows, 'Crunchy Pillows' because they were plastic like and not very fluffy.
Also another thing I was really glad I had brought was my own slippers & PJ's, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, underwear, shampoo, soap, etc.

Extra food!!!! I found I was quite hungry when I was on bed rest but the hospital I actually ended up having the twins at had almost enough food, but bring snacks!!!

A dressing gown & slippers, a book, money to put the TV on - DH and I also played a few boardgames together, drink machine change. I might ask DH to buy me a gameboy with one of those brain game things for it and some mario games!!!

I cannot stand laying in bed doing nothing - well there is bathing, bum changes for bub and feeds.... but you know? that's not every minute of the day.

Those nursing cami's sound like a wicked idea!!! I remember with twins when we were trying desperately to get the B/F happening there were a few times I forgot to button up my nightdress and walked through the ward :oops: :oops: - thankgoodness we were all women there and the midwifies kindly told me I had neglected myself in that area ROTF. Oh that's also why I recommend a dressing gown, double protection against this sort of thing.

I had two long cover all gowns that the hospital allowed me to change into...They were long sleeve and long and soft...comfy and warm and no need for a robe to go over..they also had enough "pull" so when I was united with my baby I was able to nurse..

Also my entire body dried out with my emergency c-sec...my sister brought me lotion and I was so glad that she did!

Well the only thing I wish I took was Citravescent sachets (urinary tract alkalinizers) because it stung every time I had to go toilet and the nurse at the hospital recommended them. But they didn't have any there. :(

I can't think of anything else.......

Moisturiser and make up I totally agree with that and perfume, gives you that little lift.

If you have a baby book, don't forget to take it so you can have them put your little ones footprints in there for you :) You may want to give that responsibilty to a family member. With my 1st ds I had an emergency c-section, so I totally forgot about the baby book even being with me and since I was in recovery missed all that part. Anyway my dear MIL remembered and I was so happy!
A phone card for long distance calls!
I had these socks that were called pyjamas for your feet, I think they were chenille. They were so comfy and kept my feet warm!
A pair of slippers
comfy clothes for going home

NZMummy - wow you got those warnings too about letting the bubs sleep through feed? THe paediatrician warned me to, she said if I let them go too long they could deteriorate healthwise fast and we'd all be back in hospital. So it makes me wonder why people preach on exclusive demand and don't include this kind of information :shock:

My midwives were in every 3 hrs on the dot to help me, without fail, they were my alarm clocks.

I forgot to mention before, your own set of baby nail clippers! When my bubs were born I found their nails were long and I was so worried about them scratching themselves - the hospital would only give me scratch mits which fell off - because they do not "hand out" nail clippers.

Oh also if you've been told you're having a small baby be sure to have a larger outfit just in case along with your small and vice versa....I had a preemie outfit and a 3mo outfit.....guess what? she wasn't 5lbs like they thought so that 3mo outfit came in handy for going home in :lol:

Good advice!!
We bought a special outfit (one for a boy and a girl, since we did not find out what we were having). We bought it newborn size, you know..how big can they be right?? WELL! My son was born 11lbs, 2 oz! I had to have my friend pick up a 3 month outfit for us to bring our ds home!! Who would have thought?!

I must have had a pretty relaxed midwife in hospital LOL She never came in during the night or told me to wake baby for feeds.
Actually I was told by so many people not to wake the baby ... if she was hungry she'd wake up.

And the midwife even told me to go about my normal chores while she was sleeping eg vacuuming because she'd get used to the noise. We never had a problem with her sleeping with loud noises. I can vacuum in her room and flush the toilet and she sleeps right through it.

For second and subsequent births, it can help your older child/children to have something special for them when they come it. We had a "present from the baby" for our son, and he still (age 7) talks about it - it was a Mr Potato Head (he was 2 at the time). Maybe a couple of special books, or stickers, or colouring in. Makes them feel special, and gives them something to do when Daddy brings them in to visit :lol:

Yeah we are doing that for Abby too. We are going to get her another train to add to her Thomas train set. :D She only has Thomas so we want to get more and then she can have heaps of trains running all at once :D
Of course that means buying extra track LOL
I know this is going to be expensive... :shock: But we will only get her a little at a time... so she will get a bit more track and one train when Sophie is born. Then another train and more track at Christmas time. Then another train and more track for her Bday.
So by May next year she will have 4 trains. :D

And my mum is giving her a doll with four outfits when Sophie is born too.

WOW Meg and Renee what a fantastic idea! (little pressie for the other kids).

DH and I have been meaning to buy the kids a swing set but haven't bothered yet due to it being winter... perhaps he can arrange that before the twins come home from my Mum's. Even if he doesn't get around to the swing set, I may get him to simply buy them a small toy.

My robe, some much needed make-up, smaller diapers for Samera-the ones they gave me for her were HUGH!!!

Do they hand out nappies in hospitals in the US?

We have to take our own :wink:

I am not sure but I am thinking the hospital I am going to may give out nappies in the hospital, they supply top up formula if you need it (Nan) and things like that though.

Yeah I have to supply nappies too. So I will be packing a 28 pack of Newborn size into Sophies bag.
They don't really supply much at all... just Panadol, sanitary pads and........... I think that's about it.

The hospital I am going to does supply diapers.