I am packing my bag this week!

[winecheery]

I tried to bump the thread from back in May when everyone contributed to the "what to pack" thread that urbancowgirl started, but I got an error msg saying I couldn't because it was older than 28 days??

swizz Cheesecake as mods maybe you can?

Or else this bunch can start a new thread if that's better.  I just remember bookmarking the thread so I could revisit it when the time came.  The time is now!

Posting and running; if anyone has any reminders for me or suggestions of what we all need, me, DH and baby, leave them here!  FYI I am expecting a short stay, but I will pack a bit extra in case.  I'd rather have it all than not.  So I don't mind overpacking for this particular trip. 

I've started with: 

babywine-
coming home outfit for baby (might pack two options)
a blankie or A&A swaddler for baby girl
car seat (obviously)

me-
a nursing maxi dress for me to wear home
a few pairs of my granny panties
nipple cream
a few nursing pads
nursing bra
socks/slippers that can get tossed if ruined
a couple of soft tanks and yoga pants (for after delivery)
a black sleep dress with good boob access (for after delivery)
toiletries

DH-
underwear
a couple of shirts
toiletries

[trafficgirl]

No suggestions, just wanted to say how exciting!

[Velar Fricative]

Good timing, I was planning to pack my bag this weekend.

[BaliHai]

Exciting! I'm going to bookmark this for later; sorry for no suggestions.

[mssue]

Thanks for posting, winecheery! I've been putting this off for awhile and I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with the same timeline to yet pack their bag.

[thejackpot]

Snacks, I loved my gummies last time.
Socks
Health insurance info/card

[cincodemayo]

woo hoo! I did this on Sunday. i have Gatorade in addition and am thinking about getting a robe.

I love looking at my baby's bag though. I can't wait to see a person in the little outfits we packed!

[winecheery]

Aug 13, 2013 14:30:30 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

i was coming in here to tell you not to forget flip flops for hospital showering (blech!) but i see swizz already has you covered!

Did you use the shower while you were in labor at all?  Just to stand there?  At my L&D tour they said some people do, and I didn't know if I should bring a towel too?? Orrrr is this a dumb idea?

And thanks guys, swizz nice checklist! We are close to the hospital too, but for the sake of having it when I want it, I am going to pack ALL THE THINGS!!! haha

cincodemayo I LOVE seeing her little outfits in my suitcase  (heart)  I feel you.

[winecheery]

Aug 13, 2013 15:25:40 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

Aug 13, 2013 15:21:06 GMT -5 winecheery said:

Did you use the shower while you were in labor at all?  Just to stand there?  At my L&D tour they said some people do, and I didn't know if I should bring a towel too?? Orrrr is this a dumb idea?

And thanks guys, swizz nice checklist! We are close to the hospital too, but for the sake of having it when I want it, I am going to pack ALL THE THINGS!!! haha

cincodemayo I LOVE seeing her little outfits in my suitcase  (heart)  I feel you.

oh, i'm a FTM so i have no idea what i'll actually use. i AM planning to labor in the tub in my room, so i think i'll bring one of my own towels. from what i've read, hospital towels are small and scratchy. i can see how standing in the shower would be comforting as well. i don't know if i'd want to get my hair wet, though. ooo! a shower cap!

I don't know why I thought you were on baby number two.  Please forgive!!!  

And I'm feeling like one of my own towels sounds better too.

[winecheery]

I am getting excited guys.

[thejackpot]

Aug 13, 2013 15:21:06 GMT -5 winecheery said:

Aug 13, 2013 14:30:30 GMT -5 sameoldash said:

i was coming in here to tell you not to forget flip flops for hospital showering (blech!) but i see swizz already has you covered!

Did you use the shower while you were in labor at all?  Just to stand there?  At my L&D tour they said some people do, and I didn't know if I should bring a towel too?? Orrrr is this a dumb idea?

And thanks guys, swizz nice checklist! We are close to the hospital too, but for the sake of having it when I want it, I am going to pack ALL THE THINGS!!! haha

cincodemayo I LOVE seeing her little outfits in my suitcase  (heart)  I feel you.

I took a shower. I felt up t it and felt so much better afterwards.

[winecheery]

Oh I am bringing my boppy too, forgot to add that

[irish]

Disposable panties! You can just chuck em with the pads instead of just changing pads. There may be times when you'd rather do this... Trust me!

If you go for a robe, make sure it is a lightweight one. Hospitals are warm places, esp if newborns are around. Mine is short and cotton.

I bought most of my supplies this week. Just the disposable panties to get and that's cos they didn't have my size. Just have to pull a few more things from storage bags and then pack.

[osulori]

winecheery, a couple of thoughts about your list-if you're running out of room in your bag, don't worry about the nipple cream and breast pads unless you've got very specific, super sensitive skin or something...the hospital will probably give you some cream packets and a crapload of breast pads if you ask.  Between what they gave me and what I had at home, I have more breast pads than I know what to do with  J ended up not needing a lot of what he packed, because we live 20 mins from the hospital and I ended up sending him home both nights we were there after AJ was born (because damnit, ONE of us needed to get some sleep and with vitals and such it wasn't gonna be me).  We did pack things to entertain us, namely my Kindle Fire and his old Gameboy Advance and those did come in handy considering I spent a full day in labor before Aj was born.  The Kindle came in handy over the following two days too, because it and the hospital wifi were more cooperative than my phone and hospital wifi were for FB purposes.  This may make me sound ridiculously vain, but having my hair dryer, flat iron, and a bit of makeup there helped me feel a LOT more like myself (in addition to taking showers and using my own shampoo and conditioner)...I didn't think i'd need the flat iron but ended up having J bring it

For AJ-holy shit did I overpack!  Too many outfits and too many blankets-we ended up perfectly happy with the hospital receiving blanket (still have one in fact), and I think the only things we used out of his bag were a pictures outfit and a coming home outfit (though I'd packed multiple outfits because I wasn't sure what we'd want to put him in)


In my bag, I had:

Pajama shorts
Ratty yoga pants to wear around the hospital
Nicer yoga pants to wear home
a handful of nursing tanks 
nursing bras
bathrobe (ended up being unnecessary b/c the hospital gives you a brand new one to take home)
toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, razor, deoderant, lotion, some makeup, face wash, lip balm, shaving cream)
hair dryer (as I mentioned, J brought my flat iron later)
Kindle Fire
phone/kindle charger

J packed:
a couple of clean shirts
clean shorts
Gameboy Advance
a few toiletries (but forgot shaving cream and deoderant, part of what compelled him to go home for a bit after AJ and I were good and comfy in our postpartum room)

For AJ, I packed:
a couple of blankets (did not need)
Like five outfits between NB and 0-3 size stuff b/c I wasn't sure how big he'd be.  (needed all of two NB outfits, one for pics and one to go home in)
baby book (I ended up having time to write in it, which was nice)
diapers and wipes (totally unnecessary)
baby nail clippers (also unnecessary, his nails werent that long)
diaper rash cream (again, totally unnecessary.  And reminds me that I forgot to get butt paste at BRU earlier, damnit)
Pacifiers (didn't need)
And probably a couple other misc things that I'm forgetting that we totally didnt need.

In case you can't tell by AJ's list, I am a chronic overpacker.  However, I did end up using everything I brought with me.  The nurse also sent me home with BAGS of hospital stuff-mesh underwear, big pads, ice pads, dermoplast, tucks pads, squirty bottle for my vag, big packs of diapers, extra pacifiers, the baby bathrobes that my hosp puts babies in, an extra hat, and lots of other things that I'm forgetting.  Being sweet as pie to the nurses helps  (mind you, I had great nurses so thus no need to make any enemies but if I'd had any issues it wouldve been a different story)

ETA: the hospital gave me my very own giant water bottle with straw and I had more snacks than I knew what to do with.  Your H or SO or whoever is staying with you while youre in labor may want to pack snacks for themself though-while J had time to go get himself some food (because my labor progressed suuuuper slow) if things had happened more quickly he would've been screwed since he didn't pack anything for himself.

[rupertpenny]

I went to triage on Sunday for high blood pressure and ended up having to stay 24 hours for monitoring. Anyway, I don't know about labor, but in my hospital experience I found my iphone, kindle, ipad, and laptop were all necessary. That way H and I were both always entertained. Having my own snacks was also key. I am particular about food and get anxious if I think there wont be anything I like available, so it was good to KNOW I had something I wanted to eat.

The towels sucked, but not enough for me to care about bringing my own, ditto for the pillows. I am glad I brought my body pillow, but the normal pillows were fine. I am not picky about this stuff though. I also didn't end up using the robe I had packed because they just gave me a second gown to wear backwards.

My hospital also has a rule that H's have to wear a bathing suit in the tub/shower. Apparently it has been a problem in the past 

[winecheery]

osulori THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

I did not intend to pack as much for babywine as you did for AJ, but I def don't find fault with you bringing a hair dryer/straightener. Mine is already in the suitcase actually! I have a set for travel. I will bring makeup too and I do not care what anyone says. I will care (at some point) how I look.

I don't remember them saying if I get a robe at the L&D tour...so I may get one for myself, but lol about the shower because our nurses said the same thing on the tour! They're like "there's a reason we work L&D people. We don't want to see your man's junk." haha

I had intended to bring something to occupy us for sure, my iPod our cells, and I didn't think about a kindle but I could load up my kindle with a few new books and save them for the hospital. They also have a dvd/tv set up in every room, so I might bring a movie.

Snacks were def on my list I just didn't list them in my OP, but the hospital also lets you bring in whatever food you want while your there. As in there's an in-n-out burger across the street lol

Everything I pack will go into one roller bag, and DH will more than likely go home after delivery to get some real sleep unless I need him, but since labor can be a while, we thought we'd give him some stuff just in case.

rupertpenny thanks for the input as well. Sorry about your triage stay though...yikes

[winecheery]

OH! And osulori about the vag squirty bottle, idk if the hospital provides those either. Should I go get one for myself in case??

[osulori]

Aug 13, 2013 19:04:17 GMT -5 winecheery said:

OH! And osulori about the vag squirty bottle, idk if the hospital provides those either. Should I go get one for myself in case??

I think they're pretty standard in postpartum care-anyone that I've talked to that has had a baby said their hospital provided one.  Have you done a tour of the L&D floor where you're delivering yet?  If not I would ask them.  re: robes-I had no idea the hospital provided one so it was just a bonus.  I ended up using the one I brought with me in the hospital because it was shorter in length and the fabric was more lightweight.

[winecheery]

Aug 13, 2013 19:07:13 GMT -5 osulori said:

Aug 13, 2013 19:04:17 GMT -5 winecheery said:

OH! And osulori about the vag squirty bottle, idk if the hospital provides those either. Should I go get one for myself in case??

I think they're pretty standard in postpartum care-anyone that I've talked to that has had a baby said their hospital provided one.  Have you done a tour of the L&D floor where you're delivering yet?  If not I would ask them.  re: robes-I had no idea the hospital provided one so it was just a bonus.  I ended up using the one I brought with me in the hospital because it was shorter in length and the fabric was more lightweight.

Yes but I don't recall them mentioning that they'll send us home with a goody bag of supplies you know?  Even though I think they do.  She said our hospital gowns were designer...obviously the important things stick out to me lol

[rex]

They won't send you home with a goody bag per say, but at least at my hospital they said to take everything we could from the room because we technically are paying for it.

[osulori]

Aug 13, 2013 19:08:56 GMT -5 winecheery said:

Aug 13, 2013 19:07:13 GMT -5 osulori said:

I think they're pretty standard in postpartum care-anyone that I've talked to that has had a baby said their hospital provided one.  Have you done a tour of the L&D floor where you're delivering yet?  If not I would ask them.  re: robes-I had no idea the hospital provided one so it was just a bonus.  I ended up using the one I brought with me in the hospital because it was shorter in length and the fabric was more lightweight.

Yes but I don't recall them mentioning that they'll send us home with a goody bag of supplies you know?  Even though I think they do.  She said our hospital gowns were designer...obviously the important things stick out to me lol

Ditto rex...it's not something they advertise.  I was told to leave room in my bag for the medical/baby supplies etc and then ask for more like you had run out.  I did that the day we were discharged, and my nurse came back with bags loaded with stuff  A lot of that stuff (especially the baby stuff) gets thrown out if its not used, so grab what you can!

[winecheery]

Aug 13, 2013 19:29:58 GMT -5 osulori said:

Aug 13, 2013 19:08:56 GMT -5 winecheery said:

Yes but I don't recall them mentioning that they'll send us home with a goody bag of supplies you know?  Even though I think they do.  She said our hospital gowns were designer...obviously the important things stick out to me lol

Ditto rex...it's not something they advertise.  I was told to leave room in my bag for the medical/baby supplies etc and then ask for more like you had run out.  I did that the day we were discharged, and my nurse came back with bags loaded with stuff  A lot of that stuff (especially the baby stuff) gets thrown out if its not used, so grab what you can!

Ok cool I will try to save a little room! 

[irish]

BTW, reading all your replies I'm a little jealous of your hospitals (but only a little - my bills are way smaller).

Our hospitals provide us with a baby hat, sheet and blanket for the crib (not to be taken home!), a pillow for ourselves, and formula if not bf. and some maternity pads, but only for emergency.

That's it! So, we've to bring everything else in - diapers, cotton wool (wipes are frowned upon!), robes, breast pads, squirty bottles........

And partners are only allowed in between 9am and 9pm. Unless you are in labour of course...

[littlemisschatty]

Now that I have given birth, I will tell you what was necessary for me:

for you:
toiletries and makeup so you can freshen up
a nice towel - the hospital one was no bigger than a hand towel.
cell/ipad/camera/chargers - i spent alot of time using these to take and share pics and stay in touch with everyone
pajamas that are decent but you dont care about - i tossed mine before i left
room in your bag - take everything that isnt nailed down!!!!! mesh undies, pads, baby diapers, etc

not necessary:
flip flops and slippers - my feet were SO swollen after delivery that they literally didnt fit. i wore the nasty brown non skid socks that the nurse gave me

undies - wear the mesh ones. trust me. i felt so dirty and its so nice to just toss them

[rex]

Related Q: what kind of bag are you all using?

Right now I have the stuff I've packed so far in a suitcase to fit the boppy but that feels kind of silly. Are you all using duffles?

[Cricket0619]

How exciting!

[urbancowgirl]

I'm trying to think of what I packed but DIDN'T use. Keep in mind that I had a crappy recovery, though, and didn't move around much for the first couple of days.

I could have lived without:
Shave gel for my legs. HA! What was I thinking? I did shave my armpits once, so bring a razor.
Makeup. Another big ha! I put on BB cream when we left the hospital and that was it. I did use moisturizer, though. I also used those pre-moistened facial cleansing cloths.
Socks. I wore the non-skid hospital ones or flip flops instead.
An outfit to wear in the hospital (yoga pants & top). I wore a hospital gown the entire time. Easier access for breastfeeding and for the nurses to check my incision.
Granny panties. I wore the mesh ones for about a week.

I wish I had packed snacks! I was ravenous between meals.

Bring nipple cream! I definitely used it and the hospital did not provide any.

I'll update if I think of anything else.

[winecheery]

Aug 14, 2013 7:00:43 GMT -5 rex said:

Related Q: what kind of bag are you all using?

Right now I have the stuff I've packed so far in a suitcase to fit the boppy but that feels kind of silly. Are you all using duffles?

A carry-on sized roller.  I figured no one will want to carry a duffel bag; wheels are easier to me.  I wanted to bring a duffel, as I feel ridiculous, but I think I'll be glad I went with wheels.

Boppy stays in its travel case, separate.

[ashleyp728]

Thanks for posting this! I think you're due the day before me (if I remember correctly from a previous thread, I'm due Sept 9) so this got me motivated to start packing my own bag. Feels good to have it even partially started!

excuse typos, I'm on the app!

[irish]

I brought a carry on wheelie bag and the changing bag from our travel system. Changing bag was for labour, the wheelie for after. It was adequate.

I did see a few women being admitted for their c sections with ginormous samsonite type bags... And thought to myself that was a bit OTT...