Hospital bag- sustenance edition

KonaCoffeeBean

Ladies, every hospital bag list I've seen includes "snacks." Mine also includes "snacks," but as a FTM/procrastinator/avoider I've no idea what to purchase or make in advance. My hospital has mini-fridges in every room, and I think I remember microwaves in the waiting rooms. The hospital is also pretty old school about eating during labor, but I'm more worried about popping out a baby at midnight and having to wait eight hours before I can order something from the cafeteria. Husband will also need food; he get's so bitchy when hungry. Who's got suggestions?

karaelaine1991

DH is on a healthy food kick, I'm still in full on "indulge in my cravings" mode, so the snacks we picked out are definitely different....

DH: nature valley oats n honey granola bars, twizzlers
Me: lifesavers mints (hoping I can sneak one in between the ice chips), gummy bears, assorted Hershey's chocolate. Hoping I can add to this before labor.

Also sparkling grape juice since I don't have the balls to bring alcohol into the hospital

mlindzz

Between the two of us, we packed a few powerades, Special K chocolate protein shakes, a few juice boxes, granola bars, fruit snacks and I try to keep a few small containers ready to go with some fresh fruit.

But we already ate through half the fruit snacks, so I might need to make another trip to the store. This time I'll likely buy a few sweets as well. While I was in triage earlier this week, I was craving brownies lol

Edit: water retention in fingers make for more typos.

Serenamarr

If I feel like eating during labor I'm going to freaking eat. Nothing crazy of course but my body will tell me when I shouldn't be snacking anymore- I won't want to. That said I'm bringing peanuts, brown rice cakes, grapes, watermelon, honey, and lollipops.

esampson1983

We found that the most useful thing to have was protein bars. And I also packed Snickers for DH as a special treat since it is his favorite snack. My MIL and SIL brought meals to us because hospital food was bad!

LaurenAnn0405

Well now I feel bad because my snacks are all unhealthy-Pringles, chips, chocolate, and trail mix. This is the kind of stuff I would snack on pre-pregnancy too so I can't blame preggo eating habits either X_X

KaLikeAWind

I have some popsicles (my hospital actually gave me a list of suggested snacks to bring and that was on there) to grab from the freezer (or send DH back home for them), some Fiber One Streusel snacks (seemed tastier than a 'bar'), some organic fruit lollipops (my hospital said the hard candy must have sticks, I guess they are afraid you will choke), a bag of pistachios (something to keep my hands busy AND eat. Bonus). There are also vending machines with chips and candy bars in the ER one floor down. And - small town - if I end up wanting something I can send DH to the 24 hour grocery and he would be back in 20 minutes.

My hospital is also on the 'nothing except clear foods and liquids during active labor' train, but they do provide an assortment of juices if I want juice.

These are all for me. Hubs doesn't eat very much. If he decides he needs to eat (or I force him to take a snack break) he would probably prefer some cheese slices with meat snacks (think pepperoni slices or beef sticks or similar) so I may send him to the store for that stuff once I arrive at the hospital and am settled in. If I don't have time to send him out for a few, then its not going to matter much about his hunger, is it? Lol...

klkonwi

@mellymar the key word is "active" labor. You should be able to snack before that.

KaLikeAWind

klkonwi said:

@mellymar the key word is "active" labor. You should be able to snack before that.

Exactly. I think by that point I'll be too distracted to snack, lol

karaelaine1991

klkonwi said:

@mellymar the key word is "active" labor. You should be able to snack before that.

To clarify - "active labor" is when the contractions are a minute long, 5 minutes apart, for an hour? Or is it defined by a different standard?

klkonwi

Active labor- Making crazy cervical change (dilating), pain. Very regular painful contractions... Etc.

ElRuby

Don't forget Tums! I know this is something the hospital may have but the nurses have to order them and it could take a while!

ksimo6

We made sandwiches and brought granola bars and trail mix. We also may have ordered pizza to the room...

virginiaunicorn11

I've read that honey sticks are good, quick energy boosters. I'll be packing almonds, cashews, chocolate granola bars, maybe apples. Fruit snacks sound like a good idea. My challenge will be keeping DH away from all this...

Man, this is one area where as a FTM, I feel like I have no F'ing clue. Most other pregnancy and baby things don't trouble me, but I have a feeling I'm gonna look back on what I brought and didn't bring to the hospital, and really shake my head. I started to pack a bag last night, then threw a mini tantrum and said I'd do it later. My hospital said, "Just bring a smile." And the other lists I see go too far in the other direction (dorm fridge and LED candles, wtf).

Womp womp. Sorry to spazz.

glenwood82

I wound up having a c-section and spending more time than planned in the hospital. I was especially thankful to have packed some snacks that had protein and were easy. I wasn't always hungry when hospital meals came and I was able to nurse and eat a granola bar/ trail mix.

dancegurl1118

@ElRuby fantastic call on the Tums! It literally takes an hour for pharmacy to send us Tums and it's so obnoxious because patients don't understand that I'm not keeping it from them.

fishback23

We have sweet and salty granola bars, almonds, cheez its, cookies, ghiradelli squares and 13 dollars worth of quarters in case we're feeling the need to hit the vending machine. LORD we sound super fat..... haha.

HayesRN13

Yes.. Bring your tums! And don't tell your nurses you have them! Lol because then we have to to lots of work getting pharmacy and the doc to ok them, putting them on your med list.. Writing it in your mar, getting an order to "keep at your bedside ".. Such a pain

aliciaspinnet

I have coeliacs, so bringing snacks is definitely important for me - I don't want to give birth in the middle of the night then find that they have no gluten free food available until the morning. I have rice crackers, cereal bars, fruit pouches, custard snack pots - fairly light stuff that should be easy on the stomach. And potato chips in case I'm really hungry. And chewing gum, which I'm sure everyone around me will appreciate!

Sammy K

I guess the upside to having a history of precipitous labor is that I know it won't take long so I'm not worried about food. We'll probably have some Kind bars and a couple drinks in the bag just in case. I'm taking a minimalist approach to my bag this time, but this ain't my first rodeo. I definitely over packed for DS.

JESSICAFALLAH

My doula suggested yogurt, bananas and coconut water- stuff with electrolytes and sugar to keep you going but nothing too hard to digest. I have a fridge full of yogurt and coconut water waiting for go time. 

Westypet

My doc said I wouldn't want any food because I'll likely be throwing up-- any recs?
The thought of only liquids makes my hangry pregnant self want to smash things!

dancegurl1118

Early in labor you may feel like you don't want to eat but try and have little light snacks here and there..if for whatever reason your hospital is crazy like mine and you can't eat, if you get there at 3cm and are admitted you may be in for a very long road ahead. For that reason it's best that you've at least had something in your belly to keep your energy up, even if eating is the last thing you want to do.

So often I hear women going nuts about being so hungry and the basic fact is you need energy more than anything else at this time and if you hadn't eaten in the 6-8 hours BEFORE you got to the hospital it is going to make labor seem so much worse.

Another reason my ass is staying home as long as physically possible pending no complications...I'm the Kween of Hangry

NotISaidtheCat

I've got oatmeal bars packed so far but it looks like I'll have to add honey sticks, cashews, and rice cakes to the mix. I was already planning on grabbing coconut water on the way

JessHeppell

awe man someone should have asked the dietician about this. (if i butchered the spelling on that im sorry)

this is a good topic though. i have yet to pack a hospital bag still.. oops, but for food, i may just have DH stop at the walmart in the town where the hospital is to grab some croissants, sweet and salty granola bars, maybe some dark chocolate, maybe some fruit like blueberries or strawberries and like 6 arizonas. and maybe an orange julius on the way. ;;)

queequeg09256

So i was super diligent and bought snacks for me and hubby to put in the hospital bag. I've totally raided it already and ate them.. but I did have some of those kind bars, the pop chocolate rice treats, chocolate, cheese its, and bold chex mis for the dh, gatorade, and otter pops, still got the otter pops because our hospital also doesn't let you eat (jerks). Then I bought some muddy buddies never had them, so I put some more stuff in there. I also got 20 bucks in 1s to make sure I have venting money. I'm planning on making a little lunch bag with tasty fridge items and bringing that as well. Unless I'm induced I'm staying at home until the last possible second. The beds are super terrible at the hospital and all the rooms have these crappy blinds that let light in. So I'm anticipating no sleep once I'm there, no comfy anything. Good call on the tums I have some in my purse (as dh says it's a requirement). But I'll sneak a pack in the diaper bag too did pack gum too and I packed a giant costco bag of candy to give the nurses so they either 1 let me go home ASAP or 2 let me walk around and not lay in that terrible bed for so long or 3 give me the super good drugs. Maybe even all three it's pretty good candy

henrytviii

I think the big thing here is too remember to EAT these snacks when its still possible to do so. Once you get into the thick if things you definitely won't want to eat but you'll need the energy. With both deliveries the excitement/apprehension of early labor made it tough for me to eat or I just didn't make it a priority. Extra snacks for after delivery are great too. I thought about restaurants within walking distance of the hospital and knew I'd send DH out. We had amazing pizza with our 2 hour old little one. Almost made up for the turkey sandwich the nurses and DH ordered for me while 9cm dilated. WTF, stop talking about nasty cold cuts and pay attention to me, I don't care if the cafeteria is closing, I am pushing a melon out my Virginia.

queequeg09256

Pizza sounds so good. I might have to make hubby go get that lol.

kherman14

I also have been told that my hospital does not offer baby wipes, just towels.

Westypet

kherman14 said:

I also have been told that my hospital does not offer baby wipes, just towels.

Wut? No wipes?

HayesRN13

Westy-some hospitals give dry towel wipes.. You just wet them with water they work just the same

Westypet

Lol, thanks! I was very confused, there. Felt like it was deserving of a "Wut? You want me to wipe my baby with a towel?"

Frogger5

amark11 said:

I've read that honey sticks are good, quick energy boosters. I'll be packing almonds, cashews, chocolate granola bars, maybe apples. Fruit snacks sound like a good idea. My challenge will be keeping DH away from all this...

Man, this is one area where as a FTM, I feel like I have no F'ing clue. Most other pregnancy and baby things don't trouble me, but I have a feeling I'm gonna look back on what I brought and didn't bring to the hospital, and really shake my head. I started to pack a bag last night, then threw a mini tantrum and said I'd do it later. My hospital said, "Just bring a smile." And the other lists I see go too far in the other direction (dorm fridge and LED candles, wtf).

Womp womp. Sorry to spazz.

Bring a dorm fridge? Really? That seems excessive. Really absurdly excessive! I can't imagine a situation in which that would make sense. WTF indeed.

amabarne

We brought a bunch of healthy snacks but the only thing I ate was a couple of nutrigrain bars in the middle of the night. The nurses always brought a package of crackers to eat with my pain meds and I never wanted anything during the day because my hospital had great food!

JessHeppell

kherman14 said:

I also have been told that my hospital does not offer baby wipes, just towels.

from what my sister told me the hospital i will hopefully make it to doesnt give wipes either, because the baby's new poop is so thick you would just go through a bunch, so you get "face"cloths instead. aint nobody gonna be using it on their face after that.