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3rd Trimester
thebigmare
member
Hospital "bag": actual bag or suitcase?
thebigmare
member
I know, I know, our hospital bag should already be packed, but I have an excel spreadsheet detailing what needs to be pack and when it can be packed. That counts, right?
Anyways, it's on the to-do list for tomorrow. I've heard it's a good idea to have two bags: a labor bag and a post-partum/baby bag. But I'm thinking it might be easier just to put everything into one medium-sized suitcase. My DH is worried about bringing a suitcase to the hospital. What are you all doing?
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Re: Hospital "bag": actual bag or suitcase?
I think it would be easier to put it in a small "carry-on" sized rolling suitcase. Especially if you can fit everything in.
You will be in a wheel chair, DH will be carrying the LO in a car-seat to the car, the last thing you want is trying to figure out who's going to be carrying all the bags.
Plus, if you move rooms, its a pain to have to pick up multiple bags and carry them around.
I plan on using a small rolling suitcase for all our things.
We have one small carry on size suitcase. This has everything for me and DH. Then we are taking the diaper bag with the outfit and blankets for the baby. That will likely stay in the car until the day we are discharged.
I should have added that we'd only have one bag with us at a time. The post partum bag would stay in the car until needed. And my parents will be there, so they can easily take the suitcase and/or DH can make two trips to the car, one with suitcase, one with me and bebe.
This made me laugh. My thoughts exactly. But, since you did ask for help, I am taking a suitcase, and my husband has a duffel bag (full of grungy crappy clothes, but that's a different issue.) I have seperated things into ziplocks-- one for "During Labor" (chapstick, hairband, clips, etc.) and one titled "Post Labor" which has a hairbrush, face wipes, mouth wash, etc. That way I can bark at my husband where to find things easily.
I'm interested in hearing more about this Excel spreadsheet for packing.
Thank you, THANK YOU for saying this!!!
Seriously bigmare? You're posting about eating and drinking a lot and not knowing how to pack a bag. How can you have NOTHING better to do?!
This, but I haven't thought much about packing it yet.
BFP #1 9/7/10, EDD 5/14/11, Violet born 5/27/11.
BFP #2 4/9/12, EDD 12/16/12, M/C Rory 4/24/12.
BFP #3 10/6/12, EDD 6/16/12., Matilda born 6/17/13.
all i would say (having learned the first time around) is: people bring you gifts in the hospital, AND the hospital gives you LOTS of free supplies for both you and baby. I'd use a bag w/ extra space leftover for these things.
also: bring your own shampoo/conditioner/body wash and possibly even towel. the first shower post-labor is pretty glorious... and the towel and shower things they provide are anything BUT glorious.
gl.
I donb't see why having a suitcase is more difficult than a bag- bring whichever you have that is the right size and can be organized best with your items.
I'm a bit of an overpacker wehn i don't know what to expect. My doctor insists I will be there 24-48 hours but last time I was there for 5 days and had to go with nothing (wasn't prepared at 37 wks). I have a large rolling duffle that is mostly filled with the flameless candles, tennis ball, slippers, shower shoes, sheets (I get a rash from the hospital soap) etc. A decent sized suitcase that is only half way filled with clothing, toiletries, baby blanket, you get the idea. I'm really unsure about how we will make it in there toting all that and a birth ball since I know DH will not allow me to carry so much as a sweater- he is very protective of me in the 3rd trimester. He tried to ground me from going further than the mail box last week. Probably becasue he hasn't put the crib together yet and needs me to not go into labor : )
I donb't see why having a suitcase is more difficult than a bag- bring whichever you have that is the right size and can be organized best with your items.
I'm a bit of an overpacker wehn i don't know what to expect. My doctor insists I will be there 24-48 hours but last time I was there for 5 days and had to go with nothing (wasn't prepared at 37 wks). I have a large rolling duffle that is mostly filled with the flameless candles, tennis ball, slippers, shower shoes, sheets (I get a rash from the hospital soap) etc. A decent sized suitcase that is only half way filled with clothing, toiletries, baby blanket, you get the idea. I'm really unsure about how we will make it in there toting all that and a birth ball since I know DH will not allow me to carry so much as a sweater- he is very protective of me in the 3rd trimester. He tried to ground me from going further than the mail box last week. Probably becasue he hasn't put the crib together yet and needs me to not go into labor : )
I donb't see why having a suitcase is more difficult than a bag- bring whichever you have that is the right size and can be organized best with your items.
I'm a bit of an overpacker wehn i don't know what to expect. My doctor insists I will be there 24-48 hours but last time I was there for 5 days and had to go with nothing (wasn't prepared at 37 wks). I have a large rolling duffle that is mostly filled with the flameless candles, tennis ball, slippers, shower shoes, sheets (I get a rash from the hospital soap) etc. A decent sized suitcase that is only half way filled with clothing, toiletries, baby blanket, you get the idea. I'm really unsure about how we will make it in there toting all that and a birth ball since I know DH will not allow me to carry so much as a sweater- he is very protective of me in the 3rd trimester. He tried to ground me from going further than the mail box last week. Probably becasue he hasn't put the crib together yet and needs me to not go into labor : )
I donb't see why having a suitcase is more difficult than a bag- bring whichever you have that is the right size and can be organized best with your items.
I'm a bit of an overpacker wehn i don't know what to expect. My doctor insists I will be there 24-48 hours but last time I was there for 5 days and had to go with nothing (wasn't prepared at 37 wks). I have a large rolling duffle that is mostly filled with the flameless candles, tennis ball, slippers, shower shoes, sheets (I get a rash from the hospital soap) etc. A decent sized suitcase that is only half way filled with clothing, toiletries, baby blanket, you get the idea. I'm really unsure about how we will make it in there toting all that and a birth ball since I know DH will not allow me to carry so much as a sweater- he is very protective of me in the 3rd trimester. He tried to ground me from going further than the mail box last week. Probably becasue he hasn't put the crib together yet and needs me to not go into labor : )
I'm pretty sure you're overthinking this. Use a bag/suitcase that fits everything you want to bring with some more room for the stuff you'll take home in addition to what you're bringing or pack another small, flat bag in the bigger bag to take that stuff home in.
Personally, I used a small, carry-on sized rolling suitcase the last time and it's the same bag that I'm using this time. Much easier to roll my crap from the parking garage through city streets to the hospital in labor than to have it over one's shoulder.
May 2011 Siggy Challenge
:-D
This. This. This.
This. 1000x this.
This.
I barely used anything out of my hospital bag the last time I was pregnant.
breastfeeding, cloth diapering, farming mama.
We went in for a false alarm; definitely make it two bags, even if one is half-empty due to size constraints.
You will probably have to move from triage, to labor room, (possibly to OR), then to recovery room, and you won't want to do it with a big bag.
Also, I can say that in the triage room I couldn't access my stuff most of the time anyway; either DH had to help me, or I was being monitored and had to keep still.