Thinking about hospital bag...

lindseylovestj · February 2013

So I know its still really early but I'm a planner and sort of OCD. :
I was reading a list of things to pack that I found off Google and it said to pack nightgowns for after the baby is born instead of pj pants if you don't want to keep taking your pants off for the doctors to check up on you down there. I guess I didn't know anything about this, I just assumed once you were cleared to get a shower that they were done with anything down there. Have I mentioned I'm also clueless? :
My question is should I bring nightgowns instead of pjs/lounge type pants for afterwards? I know I could just wear the hospital gowns, I will during labor/birth but would prefer my own things after I get cleaned up, I think.
Thanks! I know its a small detail but like I said...slightly OCD. :

sarnic123 · February 2013

I'm also a FTM so no first hand experience yet but I have heard the same thing. I am only bringing yoga pants to leave the hospital in. I am packing 1 night gown but will probably just end up wearing the hospital gowns and throwing on my robe when I need to get up.

DanandVan · February 2013

If you are more comfortable in your own things, then I would bring a couple nightgowns. I prefer to just wear the hospital gowns, as they are easy to nurse in, and I don't want to ruin any of my own nightgowns. (I hate to say this, but childbirth is VERY messy. Every time I moved for the first couple days, blood gushed out. Sorry if TMI, but you should be prepared!)

sstaton1 · February 2013

After labor and showering I still plan to wear their gown for awhile. I usually never wear pads, so I figure with all of the bleeding, I'll probably just ruin my own clothes. After I get used to it and calm down a little, and the checks are fewer and farther in between, I will wear pajama pants.

skoogirl · February 2013

They have to check down there to make sure you aren't bleeding excessively. Also, I had 4th degree tears, so they had to keep checking my stitches. Plus, the nurses kept changing my ice packs.

I was on a pitocin drip for 24 hours so, I had an IV in one arm, plus with two full time lactation consultants and me trying to get DS to latch for 2 straight days, I was pretty much naked the entire time. I didn't even think to take a shower until at least 24 later as gross as that sounds.

callieandaiden · February 2013

Bring your own gown!! The hospital gowns suck and they are so thin I swear they are see through! It does not have to be expensive find a cheap one you are comfortable in. I truly was not comfortable after my sons birth until I got cleaned up and put on some clothes! I dont really remember getting checked down there so much afterwards but I didnt want to put any pants on until the next day! I purchased my gown for mabey $10 and it has a splice top so I can easily breastfeed and I already had a very thin cotton black robe im going to be wearing with it just in case we get some unexpected visitors! I def. think you should shop around and find what is most comfortable for you!

callieandaiden · February 2013

Oh and dont get white!

darker colors will be your best friend after the birth!

happylady5 · February 2013

FTM and OCD here too.

No experience, but I've just gotta say....I got my hospital list and bag together several weeks ago and it has helped me feel less hectic as we countdown to D Day. Just sayin'....if you wanna go ahead and pack your bag - do it.

Oh and I've packed options for post delivery since I've heard the same thing. I've got PJs, but I've also just got my robe and nursing tops to wear if I want that instead. I just have no idea how things will go and what I'll prefer, so I'm going prepared with both.

JenniD2 · February 2013

I plan on wearing the hospital gown. If I want to get up and walk around the Maternity Ward, I will have a robe to go over the hospital gown. As a FTM, I figure that childbirth is a pretty messy business, and I would much rather use the hospital gown than ruin one of my gowns.

Happy2BPregnant · February 2013

I just want to say thanks for this post! Very helpful for a FTM. I plan on packing a nursing gown my mom got me but I think I will also just wear their gowns because of all the checking and bleeding. I don't want to ruin my clothes.

keg · February 2013

It might be because I had a c-section, but I don't remember much checking "down there". I wore pants and nursing tanks most of my time in the hospital. I'm not a fan of nightgowns and really don't own any, so I'll likely bring pants/tanks again this time around. If it's an issue, I'll just wear the hospital gowns.

kellyrn9956 · February 2013

I worked as a nurse in L&D/Mother Baby/Nursery for awhile. I will say that probably 80% or more of patients brought along their own pj's and gowns for the hospital stay. And close to 100% of them never even took them out of the bag. FTM's are often shocked at the amount of blood and fluid coming out of them, and the amount of sweating that they do. Most women found it easier to just wear the hospital gown.

I also think that hospital stays are so short nowadays that by the time you can even think about getting showered and dressed in anything other than a gown, it's time to go home. I'd bring a nice comfy outfit to go home in, but I wouldn't bother with packing a bunch of gowns.

And PLEASE don't buy one of those fancy schmancy hospital gowns that they market to pregnant women. They are cheaply made, rough, scratchy, have poor access for breastfeeding...oh, and the nurses will giggle behind your back at the silly ribbon tied around your waist

BabyMayinMarch · February 2013

I have one pair of pjs packed in my hospital bag. I am not bringing my own robe, as I am too cheap to go buy something that I will only wear for a day in the hospital and then throw out.

AtlJuneBride · February 2013

Yeah, when I had DD I brought my own gown and never wore it. I wore the hospital gown, it was just easier. You will be checked a lot, so I agree that pants are impractical. I bought a cheap robe to wear when I wanted to cover up. I still have it but it's NMS so I'll probably throw it away after this birth. It's just nice to have things that you don't care about because there is a good chance they will get ruined.

TMWarren85 · February 2013

I went to Walmart and bought a cheap PJ set for walking the halls during labor (top/shorts) and never wore it because I never got to walk the halls...

I am packing some of the nursing sets I have, nursing tanks with some type of cardigan, and then I have some comfy pants. With DD I was checked quite frequently afterwards (tear/hemorrhoids yippee!) so even if I had bottoms on she had me lay on my side and pull them down to my knees so it wasn't that inconvenient. I had DD at about 5:30pm, and I put on my own clothes the next morning and didn't have much bleeding (gushing at least) after that. I used the giant pads the hospital supplied though. But the first 12-18 hours- oh yeah, never even thought of taking the gown off (sorry if it's TMI, but I called the nurse thinking I had to pee and she wanted to see how much it was, and it was all blood.... a lot of stuff comes out of you...)

Kari Merks · February 2013

We took to the hospital:
Me: thin robe, nursing tanks, yoga/sweat pants, toiletries, camera, phone, laptop and chargers, camera cord to upload pics, going home outfit, Boppy
My husband: 2 changes of clothes, toiletries, entertainment (crossword puzzles, sudoku, etc.), snacks, comfy pillow
Baby: going home outfit, car seat, blanket

Hospital provided (unlimited amounts) ? check with yours to see what they provide and once you?re there ask for extras to take home for the first few days:
Me: Slipper socks, mesh undies, diaper-sized pads (gross, but so useful), tucks pads, hospital gowns (don?t ruin your own), peri bottle, large water cup (take it home!)
Baby: t-shirts, diapers, wipes, bulb syringes (ask for a couple to take home), hats

First week at home: we spent the first week sleeping on the couch since I could only go up and down the stairs twice a day (so they said):
Me: Comfy pillow, nursing tanks, yoga/sweat pants (I lived in these and a tank), robe, disposable nursing pads, lanolin, unscented lotion (you wash your hands a lot, so much that mine started cracking)
Baby: newborn diapers (we used these for about a month), wipes, desitin, cloth diapers (we use them as burp cloths), receiving blankets to swaddle, white onesies (both of my girls lived in these when we?re home), hats, pack-n-play and swing (both girls slept in this during the day for their naps ? we kept it in the living room)
For both me and my husband: lots and lots of DVDs, snacks, easy to make food

5dogs · February 2013

If you tear/have stitches/horrible hemroids/etc they'll continue to check you.

I am personally bringing an old black jersey nightgown to put on as soon as I deliver. If it gets destroyed, no loss. I am large busted and my boobs kept peeking out of the hospital gowns which made for some super fun situations with visitors right after DD was born.

BelhurstBride · February 2013

I took a nursing tank, yoga pants and cardigan to wear. Never took them out of the back. I was all set with wearing the hospital's gown and leaving that mess behind for them to deal with.

In fact, despite being minimalistic in packing I still didn't use at least 50% of what I brought along.

dalzien · February 2013

DanandVan:
If you are more comfortable in your own things, then I would bring a couple nightgowns. I prefer to just wear the hospital gowns, as they are easy to nurse in, and I don't want to ruin any of my own nightgowns. (I hate to say this, but childbirth is VERY messy. Every time I moved for the first couple days, blood gushed out. Sorry if TMI, but you should be prepared!)

This. I just asked my cousin, who just had her baby, about this and she told me that the bleeding after is VERY HEAVY and messy. She had her husband go to value village/the salvation army to get some really cheap pants, and she bought extra pairs of the mesh underwear at the hospital gift shop. She said she used them for almost 3 weeks.

knitsandgiggles · February 2013

I packed all sorts of comfy pants and night gowns...and I ended up just wearing the hospital gown (many hospital gowns)

Honestly, there was so much leaking going on, so much needing to change pads/ice packs/compresses, and nurses coming in to press hard on my abdomen to see what/how much was coming out (the entire hospital stay) that I just didn't care about my clothes. As a FTM, I'll admit that I had no real idea of what "ruining your clothes" entailed, but I'm glad I didn't wear any of my own clothes.

The only clothes items I ended up using were my nursing tops, socks, slippers, and robe.

mkanderson85 · February 2013

Bring gowns not pants. Also, you'll want to wear your own clothes, not that hospital gown.

SkyBee · February 2013

DanandVan:
If you are more comfortable in your own things, then I would bring a couple nightgowns. I prefer to just wear the hospital gowns, as they are easy to nurse in, and I don't want to ruin any of my own nightgowns. (I hate to say this, but childbirth is VERY messy. Every time I moved for the first couple days, blood gushed out. Sorry if TMI, but you should be prepared!)

This exactly

meheron80 · February 2013

Wear the hospital gown. My view was I didnt have a period for nine months. It all came out over 5 to 7 days after labor.

mom2b22013 · February 2013

I over packed with DS and thought I under packed for DD and still didn't use half of what I packed. It's a short messy stay. You don't need much.

candreco · February 2013

They need to keep checking you to make sure the post partum bleeding is under control, and maybe to check stitches. From what I've heard, if you end up w/ a c/s, you may not want pants with the incision that soon.

With DD, she was born late afternoon, I wore a hospital gown that night and into the next day. Showered the next afternoon and put on an old nightgown and robe for the afternoon/night. Put on a nursing tank and yoga pants the next morning, and went home in that with a hoodie when we were discharged that afternoon.

Kovak · February 2013

It has been great reading everyone's experiences and options on this. I did get a cheap nursing gown and robe that I'll be packing in my bag. Since they really don't take up much room, I figure if I use it, great and if I don't that's fine too.

Any opinions on what you would ABSOLUTELY pack in your bag?

mamaperk · February 2013

keg:
It might be because I had a c-section, but I don't remember much checking "down there". I wore pants and nursing tanks most of my time in the hospital. I'm not a fan of nightgowns and really don't own any, so I'll likely bring pants/tanks again this time around. If it's an issue, I'll just wear the hospital gowns.

I had a c-section with my first son also and I don't remember getting checked down there either. I wore my pj pants the whole time. I do remember them checking my c-section stitches though, and that's no biggie. I'm having another c-section with this pregnancy and I'm just planning on wearing my pj pants again. Like you, I don't like nightgowns either.

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