Hospital Bag

[Tubbychook]

Hi Everyone

Just seeking a little advice re my hospital bag. Ive packed everything into a small suitcase and was just wondering if i should pack my labour gear in a seperate bag like a back pack or something like that and if i did that would i take both my hospital bag and the labour bag into the delivery suite with me? The midwife said that you usually have a shower before you go to the ward if this is so then i would need some pjs as well as my toiletries in the labour bag as well im guessing. If that the case then im thinking that maybe only the suit case will do then as i also have a seperate bag for baby as we have to take all the stuff for baby as well so imve packed that into the nappy bag. Also with the babys stuff would it be ok for DH to leave that in the car until ive been moved to the ward as im guessing that i wont need it till then I just dont want to arrive there looking like im going for a 2 week holiday. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Shannon

[SuperWoman]

:) Hi Tubbychook, I ended up taking a normal travel size suitcase. I thought maybe it was too much but i ended up needing everything i packed so lucky i did. Remember that u might change clothes twice a day so you feel clean and refreshed especially when visitors come! I had a seperate bag 4 bubs 2. We ended taking all our bags in with us when i arrived at the hospital in labour, the nurses told me too. I had a shower 1hr after i gave birth and it was good to have everything there. Do what is easier 4 u, thats my advice! xoxoxo:p

[TLCC]

Hi Tubbychook,

I agree, take what you think you will need. For labour it might be best to have a bag just for that but you can always just pack some things inside your suitcase but have them in a seperate soft bag so hubby or yourself can get them quickly without any hassle. It depends what you are taking for labour I guess.

I had a shower about 3 hours after delivery and must admit having my own things would have been nice (i only took my labour bag in but had a change of clothes etc in that).

Bubs won't need anything for a while so you can leave that in the car (in case you feel like a pack horse on arrival at the hospital)

Cheers,

[dannii]

i had 2 bags, but 1 was for hospital stay and the other was for bub.
i left the one for bub in the car as i didnt think ii would need it straight away, as our hospital supply pretty much everything.
but if you have a hospital bag and labour bag, i would take them both up if it were me.
good luck with it :)

[Baby Girl]

I would have a labour bag and a hospital bag - make sure you packsoap/body wash, a sponge or cloth, pads and something comfy to put on for when you have a shower and they move you from delivery to maternity. Then you can get your other (big) bag brought straight into the maternity ward.

I had a labour bag and a hospital stay bag with DD1 and everything went smoothly, DP brought my stay bag into the maternity ward after we had settled in. I only had the one bag with DD2 - we ended up leaving it in the car. After DD2 was born and the midwife asked if I would like to have a shower and get cleaned up, I kept telling DP to go and get my bag out of the car (I had been before she asked me repeatedly to go for a shower) and she kept telling him to stay with me and don't worry about the car - in the end she was getting antsy that I wouldn't go for a shower and I ended up yelling at her that if she would let DP out of the room to go and get my things I would go and have a shower and that I would like nothing more to get out of her delivery room and spend some quiet time with my new offspring!! She let DP go and get my bag and nearly died when she saw it was a suitcase :eek: (not a big one - at least I didn't think so).

It was definitely better having a separate bag for labour as it also gave me something to send things home for washing or things I didn't need to keep in the hospital with me and it also meant DP had a bag handy (because we know they can't find things without asking us first) to bring clothes for bub (we didn't know what we were having so didn't know what colour), the hospital supplied everything for bub except clothes to go home in - of course!!

[PinkBinkie]

I too had two bags. My labour bag was a backpack, included was:

massage oil
mobile and ph numbers
snack bars for partner
change of clothes (maternity bra and undies incl)
pad (the size of a surfboard:D )
camera
soap
hairbrush
deodarant

Bub's clothes were in my other bag with my things. We took both bags to the labour ward.

[andrewsmum]

I'd recommend that you take all your bags!!

I didn't even bring any bags into the labour ward!:D

[Niki]

i took a suitcase and a bag 4 bubs....and it did look like i was goin on a 2wk holiday but it turned out i needed everything...ur beta to take more then take less

[Tubbychook]

Thanks for all of the adivce. I have decided to take a backpack with my labour gear and my pjs and soap and brush and stuff for after birth and my hospital bag and a bag for bubs the other 2 will stay in the car till im on the ward then DH can go and get them. Ive made sure that they are all packed and the suit case and bubs bag are in the car already and the labour bag is by the front door so that we can grab it on the way out (only cause it has the camera in it) . Im all ready now i just have to wait for bubs to be only 2 weeks to go.

Shannon and Squirt

[Baby Girl]

Good luck Shannon. You sound super organised - I didn't pack any bags until I had my first contraction :eek: My best friend has bought extra toiletries and clothes etc and she packed her bag once she hit 25 weeks :D

[Merlion]

i had a labour bag and a normal bag. I landed up taking both of them to the labour ward as my dad gave me a lift and my mum grabed everything out of the car for some reason. I had an emerg c-section so i didn't use anything in my labour bag except my phone book with numbers in it. I didn't have a shower till the next day.