Help me pack my bags!

JoelsGirl07 · August 2009

Ok, so I've decided there will be 3 bags for this trip to the hospital.....one for DH, one for labor, and one for post-partum/baby. Does anyone have the lists they used for these? I know this has been asked a gazillion times.....here's what I have on my current lists:

DH:a few changes of clothes, snacks, cash, bathing suit (in case he gets in the shower or near the shower with me), flip flops, lap top and charger, camera and charger, video camera, cell phone charger

Labor: tennis balls & sock, cherry pit bag (it's like a rice sock, but I've had it forever), birth ball and pump (ball not in bag, but on list anyway since it's inflated), socks, flip flops, fan, 2 pillows, extra pillow cases (I sweat easy), sports bra, rolling pin, lotion, lollipops, crystal light (plain water makes me gag on an empty stomach), toothbrush and toothpaste (in case i vomit), phone list, cell phone charger, baby book (for foot prints), birth plan signs

Postpartum/Baby : going home outfit for baby, nursing pillow, comfortable going home outfit for me, underwear, nursing bras, toiletries, a couple extra lounge outfits in case I end up staying for a while....DH sucks at packing for me if I should ever have to send him home for something....

TIA!

Mrs. atlgatorgirl · August 2009

I wouldn't bother w/ the baby book. Nside put the foot prints on sticky paper when Ella was born. I just stuck them right in the baby book. One less thing to haul.

I can't help w/ the labor stuff, obviously, but can help w/ the rest.

Your list is pretty good. I would also make sure that DH has something to sleep in and he may want to bring his own pillow. As you well know, hospital pillows suck!

You may want to bring a robe if you plan to stay in the hospital gown while there. That way, you won't have to worry about getting up while you have visitors. I lalso brought some slippers so I didn't have to walk on the floors bare foot when I was in the postpartum room. Those floors are freakin' cold!

We also brought some DVD's w/ us. The rooms have DVD players in them, so we watched a few movies when we were bored. Of course, I was also there for 6 1/2 days.

Finally, no one told us that they have a photographer come take pics of the baby for you, so we didn't have a cute blanket or outfit for Ella to wear. We just had the outfit we packed to take her home in. If you care about the pics, pack a really cute outfit to take him home in.

JoelsGirl07 · August 2009

I'm not going to do pics there. They are WAY too pricey. I hate wearing a robe...I'd probably be one of those people who just wears two gowns. I did forget to add our music CDs to the labor list.....

MLvK · August 2009

WHOAH! To me it seems like you have WAY TOO MUCH stuff going.

This was my inventory. I checked it all back in when we left and when we got home. Also, when my husband DID leave, I had him bringing stuff home slowly. I packed way too much stuff. I only packed two outfits for her because I was terrified the U/S was wrong and I'd be bringing my boy home in a pink outfit. So I packed yellow in case. (I put NO next to anything I never touched while there.)

1	bag toiletries
1	baby binder (documents, etc) - NO
3	Belly Bars - NO
5	birth plan copies - NO
1	black nightgown
2	boxers for Nico
1	camera
1	going home outfit, mom
1	hairbrush
1	hat, yellow - NO
1	knitted pink blanket
1	laptop
3	newborn diapers - NO, what a waste!
1	nursing tank top
1	onesie, white with pink trim
1	onesie, yellow dots - NO
1	package maxi pads- YES!
1	pair baby socks, white & pink
1	pair baby socks, yellow - NO
1	pair mittens, pink
1	pair mittens, yellow - NO
1	pajamas for Nico - NO
1	protective underpad - NO
2	spoons for snacks
1	Staatsburgershaft Antrag aufAusstellung - NO. This was for my daughters Austrian citizenship. I thought I'd do it at the H, but I did it a year later.
1	telephone list
2	toothbrushes
1	T-shirt for Nico
6	white cotton socks
4	white underwear

Your husband probably will have a chance to leave the hospital. He can rotate his clothes then. I packed just sweats and a T for my hubs and he was fine. He actually never even put them on. I did pack some labor snacks for him so he didnt have to leave the room.Doesn't the hospital have a birth ball you can sit on? You can do footprints in the baby book when you get home.

It seems like you have a lot of massage-y things. (tennis balls, cherry pits, rolling pin). It seems like you could have one thing to achieve that and lighten your load.

Look at it this way, you are going to move around a lot. Labor room, if you have a C then you go to the OR, you go to recovery, then you go to the post-partum room. The more stuff you bring, the more stuff you can lose track of and never see again.

ebearwife · August 2009

Yeah, It took us about a half hour to pack the car when we left for P's induction. god forbid we would have had to do it fast. Next time, I am bringing an outfit for the baby, an outfit and undergarments for me, my personal breast pump, a camera, and basic toiletries. At the hospital I wore their gowns, used their sheets and pillows and feminine products. Of course I am planning to just do another C with out all the labor drama next time so I want to keep it as simple as possible. I guess I will let DH use his judgment as to what to bring for himself.

dbryson · August 2009

I think you have way too much stuff. Keep it simple. And you are going to get blood on stuff ...so do you really want to bring your pillows or clothes? Also, if you double and tripple up on the pillows they are not too bad. I built a nest in my bed.

I fit everything for us in one travel on suit case. After doing this twice, this is what I would bring again:

- Camera with charger

- Outfit to come home in

- Outfit for baby to come home in

- Flip flops or comfy shoes to walk the halls in

- Toothbrush/paste (although they have them there as well as shampoo and body wash but I wanted my own)

- Makeup

- Change of clothes/PJs for Dad plus a sweat shirt. He will get cold. You will be hot. But remember, he can come home to shower, shave, etc.

- Snacks for Dad

- Socks

- Lap top if you have it

- DVDs although they have cable and you are going to want to sleep as much as possible

- Hat for baby ...my children have big heads and the hospital ones never fit

rara855 · August 2009

Hmm. This is a lot of stuff.

I would say leave the pump at home. Just use the one they have. It's one more thing to take and you will have enough.

Rolling pin, tennis balls and sock, birthing ball and pump. I assume reading this list your goal is to have a natural childbirth and no medicine. I think this is awesome. but, the "gadgets" take up a lot of room, and room seems to disappear fast in L&D and something you will be glad you have.

Underware (trust me the mesh ones will be your best friend), I brought some but, never used them.

Lounge outfits : DH can run home or you mom or someone can bring them if you need them. This is just extra stuff. Maybe have a "just in case bag" packed at home for him to grab if need be?

I will say of the things I thought I would need. I maybe used 20 percent. Labor is such a tricky thing and everyone's is so different. Just take what you can't imagine living with out. HTH

UGAbride · August 2009

That's a lot of stuff! First of all, I let my hubby pack his own bag, he knew enough to be totally in charge of all the electronics (laptop, camera, video camera, phones and chargers) and what he needs for a couple days away from home is a no-brainer - clothes and toiletries.

And I agree with bringing the clothes you think you might want, it sucks to have to ask DH to find something for you at home (I wouldn't know where to tell him to look necessarily, and my mind would be on other things)....plus, for us, there was no "running home" because the hospital is an hour away.

For me personally, I did wear the hosptial mesh panties while I was there...the ice diaper won't fit in your regular ones anyway I was in nursing tanks, robe, and yoga pants after I showered, it was more comfortable for me than the hospital gown. Your "labor" bag sounds like a lot, but if you are planning to go all natural, then I say throw the kitchen sink in there, whatever it takes - good luck

Mrs.Guz · August 2009

I took underwear and clothes to wear in the hospital, but never used them other than what I wore home. I just wore the mesh panties they provide and the hospital gown. I took a robe and slippers for when I had company and wanted to get out of the bed. I used the hospitals pillows, which were comfortable enough. I packed very little and still lost stuff in the move from the L&D room to the recovery room. I would leave the stuff you have packed in case you have to stay extra days at home. Put them somewhere where your DH can easily find them so he can come back for them if need be. You may not need your pump. My milk didn't come in for a couple days after having the baby. If you do need it, you can use the one at the hospital. I had DH pack his own stuff. And I think he only packed enough for one night and just went home to rest and shower and all. Remember, anything you take with you, you'll have to take back home once you leave the hospital. And not only will you have the baby, but all of the forms and packets, anything you take from the carts (diapers, etc), and any gifts people bring you. So, you want to keep things as simple as possible.

JoelsGirl07 · August 2009

The pump I was referring to was for the ball, not for breastfeeding. LOL. I would use theirs if I need one. I like the idea of having all the extra stuff packed in a bag at home for DH. Then he can take the labor stuff home and bring back what we might actually need without having to look for it (he seriously can't find things when I am standing there pointing at them). DH will definitely be able to go home for stuff since we only live about 4 miles from the hospital...I think the only thing I may make him pack is deoderant and a toothbrush so that at least he wont stink if we are in L&D for a while.

And yes...my "plan" is to go all natural....if you have never tried the rolling pin, you are totally missing out....best back massage EVER! Also, I am addicted to my birth ball, and god forbid there isn't one available (not to mention other people's goo has been all over them...I don't care how much you wash it...it only cost me $10, so if I lose it, who cares?)

Daisy22 · August 2009

Here's what I brought and used:

~3 nursing tanks - I wore one each day even during labor. I have huge boobs and there was no way I was going without something. They even let me keep it on during my c-section and just pulled it up. And it was very easy to breastfeed with it.

~yoga pants and tank top - this is what I wore down to the women's store and going home. the rest of the time I was in hospital gowns since I had a c-section.

~granola bars for dh, tylenol for dh (which he used)

~2 pillows - I can't live iwthout my pillows and I hated the hospital pillows the 2 times I was there for PTL

~nursing pads and nipple cream - I started using nipple cream immediately after birth which one of my friends reocmmended. I have never had cracked or even sore nipples b/c of this.

~going home outfit and blanket for ds

~camera, chargers, laptop, iphones

Things I wished I had: my bobby pillow!!! Those pillows did not help me at the hospital and it was so much easier to feed once I got home with my bobby.

Things I didn't need:

~underwear - I used the mesh panties and even wore them at home for several days

~baby book - northside will put feet print on sticky things so you just stick them straight in his book

~breast pump - if you need one the hospital will let you use theirs and you get to take home everything they give you for it (shields, bottles, tubing, etc). This was awesome to me b/c I ended up with doubles and triple of things for my breast pump at home

Mrs. atlgatorgirl · August 2009

I also think that once you condense your packing list down that you should leave anything you won't need in the labor room in the car. DH didn't get our suitcase out of the car until after we got into a postpartum room. That way, there was a lot less stuff to move, which will be important b/c they will have DH roll the bassinet to your room. Doubtful that you'll be in a frame of mind to think about picking up everything you brought with you.

blacbuttafly · August 2009

Are you serious?!!? I hope you have enough room in your car for baby when you are coming home.

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