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As the time draws nearer for my son to arrive and I prepare to go to the hospital I can’t help but wonder what should you really take? Sure the hospital provides you with a list but I want to know what real offbeat mamas say worked for them or what they wish they had when they were in the hospital.
My hospital birth bag was a bit unique in that, thanks to a stubbornly breech baby, I had to abandon my plans for an unmedicated birth at a birth center, and go to the hospital for a scheduled c-section. I knew when I was going (2pm on November 25, 2009), I knew exactly what was happening (surgery), and I knew how long I’d be in the hospital (2 nights).
That situation in mind, here’s what I brought:
- 2 comfy nightgowns with easy boob access
- My much beloved sleepy blinders eye mask and ear plugs
- My favorite slippers
- My favorite bathrobe
- My favorite pillow
- Granny panties (I wanted enormous loose underwear with a waistband that would sit well above the incision)
- A copy of On The Day Your Were Born to read to Tavi
- Electronics: Video camera, DSLR camer, laptop, and all chargers
- Water bottle
- Granola bars
- Toiletry bag with stuff like my favorite face lotion
- Onesies, booties, and receiving blankets
- The baby’s lambskin
- Departure outfit for baby
- Departure outfit for me (loose dress and warm boots)
I’d love to hear from other Offbeat Mamas: what were you most grateful to have in your birth bag? What do you wish you’d packed?
Side note: LOVE that Cherie Priest”s Boneshaker is in the photo!
Me too! I just finished reading it 😀
I LITERALLY just returned from downstairs (I work at a library) with it under my arm!!!
My midwife said women always bring too few pairs of underwear. I lost all sense of modesty and climbed stairs at the birthing home buck neekid so I only needed a lone clean pair to go home in.
Take HUNDREDS of pairs of knickers (panties)! You really can’t have enough with you. I went through loads of them, mostly because I didn’t experience the sudden ‘flush’ of my waters breaking that movies would have you believe in and instead had a steady trickle of fluid over 2 days.
I also took loads of face towels to soak in cold water that my husband used on my face, back and chest during labour to help relax and cool me.
for my second, I kept it very simple, couple pairs of panties, a couple of nightgowns, some footie socks to keep my feet warm, going home outfits for me and baby. My travel tolietries (toothbrush, deoderant, hairbrush etc). I have long hair, so I had few ponytail holders too. I also had a runner (my sister) on call in case I forgot anything. So when I forgot to grab my normal medications for my allergies, she could run to the house and get them.
A month ago I wrote a post about this very topic! I was supposed to give birth at a birthing center with midwives but had a forced induction at a nearby hospital and was stuck there for almost a week. I made a list of what kept me as sane and comfortable there as humanly possible:
http://www.emerson-elaine.com/2010/09/looking-back-hospital-bag.html
Wow, I can’t believe someone berated you in the comments for not having a homebirth! WTF?!
We had a planned on a home birth but were recommended by our midwives to be induced after our baby was over two weeks late and still not dropping. There was some negotiation with the hospital about when they could induce me so we did not know we were going to the hospital (still hoping baby would come at home!) until the day of. So I threw together our birth bag quickly.
My number one favorite thing I brought was my ipod loaded with a pre-made “labor song list” and our portable ipod speaker station. I would sing through the contractions until they got too intense and then relax to the music in between. When I was pushing (for three hours) the OB would periodically tell my husband to turn it up. By the time my son arrived we were blaring the tunes!
The thing I forgot: my hair brush, not a big deal but when I realized the next day I was a little sad. Back into the bun wild hair!
I packed my bag in the five minutes between my water breaking, and heading to the hospital. I packed my new pajamas, , my slippers, toiletries, and a going home outfit. For Alice I only had her going home outfit, hat, blanket, etc. I never wore my pj’s there and only wore my slippers while walking around on the cold floors.
I wore the hospital provided gowns and things during my stay because I had a terrible spinal headache most of the time and didn’t care what I was wearing/doing as long as I didn’t have to sit up.
I ended up helicoptered to hospital for an emergency c-section due to a 5 week early breech baby! I was most glad that I had downloaded Season 2 of True Blood to my laptop the day before my waters broke. Gave me something to do between visiting bubs in NICU.
I was also glad to get big knickers, oversized tracksuit pants, comfy slippers and breastfeeding tanks. My milk was all over the show for about 2 weeks before my boobs decided to settle on one size so tanks are way better than bras for the first while.
I totally agree about the tanks-skip the nursing bra until you know what size you are (2-3 weeks after the babe’s born). It ends up way cheaper. I liked the nursing tanks better than a bra anyway.
Even now I prefer nursing tanks over bras. Less midrif show when nursing in public, you know?
I packed many of the same things and also included my body pillow, bachs rescue remedy, some eco friendly newborn disposables ( rather than the bleach and gel sposies the hospital gives you) and my nature care disposable organic cotton maxi pads because I didnt want the hospital provided bick sized maxis that have that icky gel in them as well. I brought clary sage and jasmine essential oils and a “labor spray” that my oil person made for me to bring on labor.
The one thing I was so grateful for was lip balm. Between the gas and air and me biting my lips it was a godsend.
Yes! Lip balm was essential during my 29-hour labor!
Also, if you’re having a hospital birth, there’s really only a need for 1-2 pairs of granny panties for when you’re going home as the hospital gives you “gauze knickers” (as my Kiwi friend calls them) to hold your mammoth sized pads in place– they’re disposable so you don’t have to worry about ruining anything you’ve bought– and you will leak EVERYTHING after you have a vaginal birth…
i brought my boppy for my 2nd one so it was more comfortable for me to hold him since i had a c-section as well. i also brought goodies for my nurses and for my room to make visitors more comfortable also i wanted my nurses to know how much they rocked!
i was also very aware that there was a good chance my 2nd one was going to be a NICU baby so i made sure i was prepared with stuff to keep people occupied in my room while taking trips to and from the NICU
otherwise i think ariel was right on the nose for what you need for your hospital birth
i did not have a bag packed at all (in denial) so i ended up going with only the clothes on my back! of the things i continually wished for though; water bottle and lip balm.
with my first son’s birth i was in the same boat, i was lucky i even had my cell phone charger in my bag
I love the fact that this was posted today!!! I asked all the girls that I work with today what I need to pack! This came at such a good time!
The one thing that kept my sanity was my hair wrap. I have a lot of hair and cannot stand it in my face when I am trying to do anything. So for labor and caring for my babies, I used it. Thank goodness for it!
Shampoo/Conditioner! When I was finally allowed to take a shower after my c-section, the hair soap they gave me was awful — I would have loved to have my own sweet-smelling shampoo.
In addition to most of the things on Ariel’s list, I had a little portable speaker set to go with an ipod, so I could have Bach in our room (so comforting for early nursing), and a good book (for after the baby was was born, that is!).
I hadn’t packed yet because my son came a bit early, so as a lesson to you to be more prepared than I, here’s what I packed while in labour: going home outfit for the baby (useless. ended up fitting him when he was 2 months old), nightgown (never wore it because I had to wear the hospital gown due to excessive tubes attached to me after the crazy birth), ipod dock (forgot the ipod), massage oil (actually useful!), change of clothes and a bunch of pairs of socks (like, twenty pairs of socks… I swear I was insane with contractions). That’s it. Toothbrush? Somebody bought me one the next morning. Hairbrush? I still have the one my mum gave me from her purse. What a disaster I am.
Know what? I still came home with a healthy babe 🙂
This is a random tip for the birth partners: I delivered in August and it was steaming hot and so my husband was in a short-sleeved t-shirt, and I got so hot during pushing that the nurses turned the AC waaaaaay down, and my husband about froze to death (which he only told me afterwards; no complaints!). So, now, our advise to all birth partners is to dress in layers.
I really wish i had brought my usual body wash and a body puff thing and soft towels from home. Cuz the hospital towels suck! I’m not sure how you’d work it, but if I have another, I am absolutely taking a bath mat. That little rug that goes on the floor in front of the shower. Cuz the hospitals dont have them and I nearly wiped out both times I bathed. The laptop was maybe the best thing we brought, because the hospital had wifi, which meant netflix! so thats how we spent the very litle down time we had.
The suckiest thing Ive ever had to take with me to the hospital was a restraining order with current photos of those restrained. : (
But it was really good I had, because security enforced it!
If you have a restraining order, remember to bring a copy and those photos!!!!
Most of the time-killer stuff we took this time was kind of wasted wight and space, because there was SO little downtime. There were nurses in and out lots of very short naps. Visitors. Feedings. I couldnt imagine doing crosswords, ya know?
THE MOST important thing I brought with me…. was a sense of humor. ( i know you know what I’m talking about )
I wish I had brought nicer clothes. I had a 2 day stay in hospital, which I would have been happy to potter about in joggers, but my husbands family came for a visit (all 10 of them! All taking photos!). I think I would have felt a bit more human if I had prettier clothes to but on for visitors and maybe a bit of make up!
The other thing I couldn’t live without in the hospital after the baby was born was snacks. Healthy, filling snacks. I ate mini sandwiches by the handfull! Labour was exhusting and the hospital food was pretty terrible, so having my own food on hand was amazing.
My lip balm was well-used during labour, and I was soooo glad that I remembered to pack a toiletry bag, because the shower after labour was like heaven. I wish we had remembered to pack a cell phone charger, and I also forgot to pack a bra!
I didn’t pack much in my bag and ended up not using much of what I did pack. I had read to pack clothes and snacks for my partner. I made sure he had everything I thought he would need including a bathing suit so he could hang out in the shower with me. I was really glad we brought our computer. We got to update facebook and watched a couple movies while we snuggled between the bombardment of visitors we got. I really craved a birthing ball or seat: something to squat on and be able to move, not the hospital bed!
Our hospital advised to take cotton wool in for cleaning babies bum but I managed to ‘sneak’ in some wet wipes too. These were a god send when I went to the loo as I had stitches and loo paper caused a lot of pain.
cds! music helped me a lot during labour, and afterwards – we had to stay five days at the hospital – an audiobook on my mp3 player was a lifesaver.
also the hubby brought his speedo to get in the tub with me.
for the baby we had a blanket, in which he was wrapped pactically all the time. we had taken it to our bed for a couple of days before the birth, so that it smelled like us 🙂
oh- and a roll of the softest toilet paper availiable!
I can’t stress enough that granola bars and some of your favorite snacks are essential. I couldn’t eat a bite of the hospital food and I forgot my bars which meant I didn’t eat the first day I was there!
Also I love that Boneshaker was in your bag! Such an awesome book! I just finished Dreadnought!
Our hospital didn’t have wifi for patients, only for employees so I couldn’t use my laptop while I was in the hospital. I wish I had brought flip flops/shower shoes…3 weeks after I got home I had athletes foot. Ewww.