First Time Parents - Labor & Delivery Room Items

[binkblum]

As a first time mom, due mid August, my DH and I started to pack our hospital bag last night.

We heard that it is a good idea to pack 2 bags - one for the Labor & Delivery Room and another bag for the hospital room.

Any suggestions for the L&D bag? So far, socks, ipod & speakers, cameras & chapstick. Anything that we are leaving out?

Any ideas for the hospital room bag?

 

[disprincessatheart]

That's what we did too with the two bags. Here's what else you might want to add.

Cell phone and camera chargers , hard candy, lotion (so dh can give you a good foot rub), baby wipes (incase like me you're stuck in the bed for 24 hours), hair brush and rubber bands, toothbrush and toothpaste.

 

[GatorMama]

My doula gave me a list of things her clients most often appreciated in the L&D room. SNACKS! Even if you can't eat them, your husband can and will need it. My water broke at 8 am... we were at the hospital around 10:30 after both eating decent meals before getting there. DH packed two turkey sandwiches and ate one in the afternoon and then had my family bring him dinner around 7 PM (I think?) and he was starving again by the time DS was born at 3 AM. The food court didn't open again for several hours, but we were distracted by the beautiful boy we got to snuggle until DH went home to sleep around 10AM when my family came to the hospital for a bit.

 

[christygobar]

I was so happy to have my own pillow (make sure you use a colored pillow cover - because the hospital pillows are white and you don't want to be confused!) and my own comfy clothes to sleep and lounge in. During the day, I wore a camisole and shorts around my room and at night I had this super comfy knit cotton nursing gown. It was way better than being in the hospital gown. believe it or not, I was happy to have just a tiny bit of makeup too. It made me feel a little more put together. Remember all of your toiletries too.

I did not, however, use a boppy or the magazines/books that I thought I would need. Nor did I really use the laptop except to send out the "she's here!" email

Edited: For L&D - we brought the exercise ball, but I was NOT comfortable sitting on it that low to the ground. Also brought some hidden, forbidden snacks and Gatorade - but my induced labor was so quick I didn't feel like I needed to break into anything except a few sips of Gatorade. I was so uncomfortable anyways that food was not on the top of my mind (fluids were though).

Congratulations! My DD was born on Aug 19th LAST year in the 100+ degree heat of summer, so I know how you feel right about now

 

[reginaastralis]

I agree with snacks as well. My dd was born after the cafeteria closed, and after 24 hours of not eating, I can tell you exactly how amazing the turkey sandwich was from the "dad's" fridge. However, it was not enough, and we begged friends to bring in "real" food.

 

[Jakesmom504]

YES make sure you bring snacks!! I'm not sure if anyone else mentioned this but I had those facial cleanser wipes that you don't need water for. My water broke at 8am, DS came by way of emergency C at 8:38pm. I didn't get to hold him til after midnight, and didn't get out of bed til after 8am the next morning so those wipes were fantastic!

 

[aprilgail2]

I brought----myself---- thats it....didn't even have a hospital bag with clothes packed when my water broke so that was it....me. I had just eaten a late lunch- got to the hospital at 330pm and had my daughter at 6:01pm. Did not really feel like eating or anything until the next afternoon- mostly slept from birth until the next afternoon.

 

[KrysiaG]

First thing that ALWAYS goes into my L&D bag is:

TUMS!

They won't let you have them once in labor (or at least they wouldn't let me have anything) and my heartburn was always TERRIBLE during pregnancies. I was begging people during my first delivery to please go to the store (in the middle of the night) to buy Tums. They gave me MoM, but it did not help. Anyway, #1 item for me: TUMS.

Other list:

Tums
Chapstick
Camera, extra batteries
Maternity underwear - those mesh/disposie ones get uncomfortable
Phone # list
Socks - always cold in hospitals
Pillow - if you want your own
Nightgown
Baby outfit or 2
Blankets
Nursing bra
SMS nursing system (I always brought this because my milk never came in until day 5 after c-sections and it helped to supplement with formula while baby was nursing and they didn't know it)
Suckers
Snacks
If you are delivering naturally, meditational stuff (focal points, candles for pleasant scents)
iPod if you think you need music for focusing
Outfit for husband (sweatpants, something warm in case it is cold for overnight)
car seat
birth announcement envelopes to address, if you want
magazines


I am sure there is more, but this is what I remembered....

 

[aprilgail2]

First thing that ALWAYS goes into my L&D bag is:

TUMS!

They won't let you have them once in labor (or at least they wouldn't let me have anything) and my heartburn was always TERRIBLE during pregnancies. I was begging people during my first delivery to please go to the store (in the middle of the night) to buy Tums. They gave me MoM, but it did not help. Anyway, #1 item for me: TUMS.

Other list:

Tums
Chapstick
Camera, extra batteries
Maternity underwear - those mesh/disposie ones get uncomfortable
Phone # list
Socks - always cold in hospitals
Pillow - if you want your own
Nightgown
Baby outfit or 2
Blankets
Nursing bra
SMS nursing system (I always brought this because my milk never came in until day 5 after c-sections and it helped to supplement with formula while baby was nursing and they didn't know it)
Suckers
Snacks
If you are delivering naturally, meditational stuff (focal points, candles for pleasant scents)
iPod if you think you need music for focusing
Outfit for husband (sweatpants, something warm in case it is cold for overnight)
car seat
birth announcement envelopes to address, if you want
magazines


I am sure there is more, but this is what I remembered....

Holy cow you take a lot of stuff! Car seat?? Why would you take that to the hospital?? The person that picked me up brought the car seat.
I didn't even have an outfit that would fit my daughter to take her home in, my friend ran out and bought a preemie outfit for me to take her home in and then the day I got home I ran out to the mall and did some shopping for a few more.
As far as I was concerned I was only there for a few days, was not packing pillows etc. All I asked someone to pick up for me was a nightgown,slippers and underwear. Didn't need a bra until I was going home.

 

[MyDizneyBoyz]

A second nightgown or change of comfy clothes for you! The night after my son was born (each time), I had a case of the night sweats like you wouldn't believe and woke up drenched and shivering. The nurse said it was a combination of the hormone changes (all that fluid from those bloated, swollen ankles has to come out sometime ) and the excess fluids from the IV and that it's quite common.

I was caught unprepared the first time and had to change into a hospital gown (not so bad but I would have preferred my own comfy nursing nightgown) but the next time I brought extra nightgowns and was very happy I did.

This might be TMI, but it's not uncommon to develop hemmorrhoids (sp?) during a natural delivery from all the pushing and pressure so I'd suggest having Tucks pads for your hospital room and for at home afterwards. They provide some cool relief as well as gentle cleaning. The hospital gave us a few and that was one of the things I had DH run out for to have at home.

Good luck! My middle DS turns 5 in 11 days and I remember how much "fun" it was to be hugely pregnant in the summertime...

 

[CdnCarrie]

Shouldn't this be on the family or community board? Don't see it being budget related at all.

 

[monorailsilver]

Hmmm...it seems so long ago-my youngest is 5.

I never packed a bag until either my water broke (twice) or I went into labor. I kept putting in on the back burner.

I didn't do 2 bags though. Between contractions/water gushing out I went thru my head what my morning routine is.

-toothbrush, paste, tweezers, shampoo, conditioner, soap, contacts/case, glasses/case, saline solution, comb, gel, razor.

-I didn't bring clothes since my dh went home at night & brought me what I needed the next day. My jammies consisted of my comfy clothes-t-shirt & shorts. Plus slippers. I think I brought socks & obviously underwear & a bra or two. Plus nursing pads/cups.

-nailclippers just in case that baby came out with long daggers.

-dh brought the going home outfit & car seat on the day we left. No need to have that extra clutter in the room.

-a magazine for me (crossword type books) because I like those vs reading a book.

-my dh had a snack or two or he went to the cafe to get a sandwich or out on the street (Yale has good vendors on the street).

-pillows from home. The hospital ones are so flat & not comfy.

-camera, batteries if needed, video camera & make sure the memory cards are there.

-a clip for your hair if you have long hair because you might not get into a shower before you have company-doctors, nurses, family.

I brought as little as I could. When I had my 2nd & then 3rd, we brought a bag of diapers for the older child to the hospital with wipes this way my dh didn't have to bring them each time. And snacks for them although my mother brought them a bunch of stuff.



Good luck!!!

 

[bear_mom]

I really didn't bring much at all.

I was fine in the hostpial gown and the stylin' mesh underware.

There was a fridge on the OB unit with lots of snack so dh and I had food when we were hungry at off times.

They provided tucks, chapstick, those wonderful ice packs and pads (they had come really nice, bigger ones).

I did bring a book, but I don't thnk I spent a lot of time reading - I was either busy taking care of dd, sleeping or visiting.

I was allowed to shower within an hour of dds being born and used the hospital stuff, it wasn't too bad and I also used the stuff provided by the hospital for dds.

Emily

 

[Golf4food]

Separate rooms still? Ours (four weeks ago) was all in the same room - the only reason you leave the room is for a Cesarian, otherwise everything happens in the one room. Really nice that way. They had a fridge with snacks and drinks and coffee and ice all available for the new mommies and daddies, so even though we brought our own snacks we hardly used any of them. That and all of the family and friends from church constantly visiting brought us food anyway, so we were rarely hungry!

Most important for me was clothes and blankets - it was freezing cold in there and I would have froze to death without warm clothes and a blanket. I wore jeans and a jacket or long sleeves all 2.5 days we were there and was still chilly at times. And it was 90+ degrees outside.

Check with your hospital and see what they suggest - they may supply you with more than you think so your needs might be smaller than you expect. (Which was the case for us.)

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I haven't had a baby, but I work in the hospital and often have to visit the baby floor and our hospital only has 1 room, where you do it all, except for C-sections. They look like small hotel and each woman can control the heat/air in their own room.

 

[Karenj2]

Shouldn't this be on the family or community board? Don't see it being budget related at all.

You posted JUST to complain?? Does it bother you that much?

To the OP, I'd SAVE YOUR MONEY and just pack the basics - when I went to the hospital with DD, I had just the clothes that I was wearing, plus clothes to change into when I was leaving, and a few outfits for DD (We weren't sure what would fit.) I did sneak in some honey sticks to help give me energy, but honestly, I did most of my laboring at home on purpose so that I wouldn't have to spend much time in the hospital...

As a PP said, the hospital provided all the tucks/pads/undies I needed while I was there.

 

[momto2inKC]

Granted its been 12 years since I had my youngest, but I don't remember taking all that much. The hospital provided so much it just wasn't necessary. I did take a change of clothes for coming home, toiletries, camera, baby book (for footprints) and a baby name book (with our 2nd we didn't find out if she was a girl/boy and still hadn't settled on names). That was it. If there was anything else I needed someone would just bring it when they came to visit.

 

[Crystal824]

I would bring extra camera batteries (just in case) and snacks for the dad. I also brought my own pillows, which were nice but one did get ruined.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

I brought a camera, leggings, a shirt & a night gown. Then another bag with going home clothes for mom & baby.

 

[baby1038]

A hot mama gown!! (www.hotmamagowns.com) I had one of these for my second and I can't wait to have a 3rd to get another one. It was so nice to be able to breastfeed my son and not expose myself with a regular gown.

PS: I do not work for hot mama gowns. I just love them!!