The Overpacked Hospital Bags: What I Didn't Use

So I am a self confessed over packer, When I went into hospital I didn't need a pre-labour bag as such, because I went straight in to be induced. So My pre-labour bag was scrapped. I used a lot of the stuff in my bags, but I did indeed over pack. We stayed in for a day and a half after the birth. Here's what I took and whether it actually left the bag during my stay.

Labour Bag

Bag Hack: Once you have everything together get your birth partner to pack it all in the bag, they are invariably the person who will need to be able to find things in the bag and the inevitable "I can't find it, you must have not packed it" can be avoided if they packed it!

• Hand Held Maternity Notes no matter what you need these, don't forget them!

• Toiletries: I took my hairbrush and bands, toothbrush x2 and toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, deodorant, Moisturiser, Cleanser, hand cream to deal with sanitiser dryness, lip balm, face wipes, flannel, stretch mark cream. and Make up - only the very 'basics' so that I can feel human: Foundation, BB 5in1 eyeshadow, Colour Boost Pallet (all Bare Minerals as every other brand breaks my face, and that really is the basics...) I used pretty much none of this. Obviously I used the toothbrush and toothpaste and the flannel but I somehow forgot to pack hairbands [no I didn't, my husband couldn't find them amongst the unnecessary toiletries until after I'd been sick in my hair] and the make up never saw the light of day.

• Dark towels x 1 or 2 - Dark because things can get a bit 'horror film' and darker towels won't stain, I used a burgundy colour last time, and we have some blacks ones about. The hospital supplied never ending towels so I used theirs.

• Nighty x 2: both nice dark nursing nighties, one to labour in another in case I need a catheter and can't wear pj's. I used both nighties and both pairs of PJ's that I ended up packing in the other bag, I mostly lives in sleepwear in the end, and the hospital was hot.

• Slippers: because hospital floors are cold and hospitally but I don't want anything that takes up too much space in the bag. The hospital ctually insisted on footwear so theses were useful as I'd come in in boots...

• Disposable knickers x 3 - I was a heavy bleeder last time, my poor undies fell victim and there's something infinitely and instantly freshening about being able to chuck the whole lot away! I did use these but my bleeding was nothing compared to last time, and I ended up switching into dark granny pants.

• Disposable maternity pads x 10 - I caned through these and more, the hospital didn't supply any pads, except incontinence pads which proved to be very useful!

• Nursing bras x2 I didn't actually use these in the end, my milk didn't come in till I'd left so I didn't leak and it was just another layer to faff with.

• Disposable breast pads - I didn't need these, they never left the bag.

• Lansinoh or similar: this stuff was fabulous last timeand I used it from the start this time, applying it regularly and enthusiastically.

• Going home clothes - I packed a nursing top and leggings to go home in, they were nice and comfy.

• My iPad full of books and solo games. Whilst this wasn't a necessityit was a godsend. I wasn't allowed to charge my phone on the ward so I pretty much turned it off and used the iPad and hospital wifi instead. Smallworld2 got me through most of labour as it gave me something to focus on, so if I was foolish enough to go through labour again I'd definitely bring it!!

Food and Drink, in my experience sometimes the labour ward gets skipped, and even when it doesn't the options are limited, I could have yoghurt for breakfast on the antenatal and postnatal wards, but not on the labour ward for example.

• Snacks - I ate most of my snacks, lots of sweet sugary stuff to keep me going, I think I ended up with one chocolate bar left across both bags, and there was quite a feastin my bags...

• Glucose Tablets - these did not leave the bag....

• Drinks cartons with bendy straws -The straws were really useful, the fruit juices were a bit cloying so I ended up with lots of strawless cartons.

• Mints - several lists have suggested them, I didn't even open the bag....

• Squeezy squash pod - they gave me a never ending supply of water on the ward last time but no squash, so someone brought me in a big squash bottle which isn't particularly practical. This is obviously not a necessity, but it takes up very little space. This was quite useful, but I actually drank water for the most part in the end.

If you haven't already looked at pain relief options I strongly advise you do, I'm going to try and avoid relying on anything more potent than Gas and Air because I'm not sure how effective most of the stronger stuff will be with me. I have a number of tricks up my sleeve for hopefully keeping calm and in control, and thus less scared and thus hopefully reducing the pain of the whole experience, I'll update you all after the birth on how useful it all proved to be!

• Tens Machine I meant to pack this, but it never left the house...

• Natal Hypnotherapy Book : We'll be preparing from 28 weeks, this will be indexed for the useful pages in case DH has a mind blank, tracks from my Natal Hypnotherapy CD's will be loaded onto my phone as it's been indicated there won't be a cd player available but I will bring the CD's too. I'll be using the breathing exericises and triggers throughout the first stage of labour. I didn't use the book in labour, and I didn't get round to much use of the Cd's but the exercises I'd been learning through pregnancy were very useful.

• Homeopathic remedies box By Helios: you have to go through customer services to order it which is a bit of a faff, but it comes in a cute little yellow box, there are 18 remedies each in a little glass tube with about 30 tablets in, I've got an extra tube of arnica ready at home as I expect to get through tonnes of it after the birth whilst everything's bruised and swollen (yes ladies, this birth malarky is truly glamorous!) The booklet that comes with it gives you the option to flick through by symptom and by remedy depending on which you find easiest, It's been handed over to my husband to do some reading and familiarise himself with what everything does as I'm hoping he will take charge of the remedies. My husband didn't read up on this, I ended up self administering, I used a few of the bottles but it didn't see that much use in the end.

• Nelson's Rescue Remedy: this will go into the water jug for all to enjoy, a bit of calm never hurt. I did use this, and I feel it really helped.

• Massage oil: I didn't pack an oil in the end, I forgot but lots of lower back massage really helped.

Baby's Bag (packed into my new Pink Lining Bramley Tote changing bag)

• vests x 3 prem, x2 newborn Bel ended up in the prem clothes in the end, she seemed to be much less messy than Boo though, not sure if this is just because the buggies we had Boo in were awful...

• body suits x 3 prem, x2 newborn

• pink hat - It got blood on it, but the midwives kept pulling hats out of nowhere so she went through loads anyway.

• Blanket -The hospital supplied blankets, but it was nice to have our own once she was all dried off.

• Muslins x 3 we only used 2 of them in the end, but they were useful for covering up when feeding as Bel pretty much clamped on and stayed there the whole time she and I were in the hospital.

• Newborn nappies - I packed 1st size with someone on standby to grab size 0 if they were needed but the size 1 were fine. we got through a whole pack in the end.

• mouse comforter toy (almost definitely unnecessary but there's space for it) This will be a cute way of getting an idea of how much Bel is growing if we remember to periodically put it in pictures! we have hospital pictures taken with mousey and it's nice to have somethingto compare her growth to in pictures.

• Water Wipes. I heard that some NICU wards were experimenting with using these instead of cotton wool and water, it strikes me as being much more convenient, especially when out and about, so I've got a single pack. The standard cotton wool balls (and a bowl) are in the post labour stay bag though. I love love loved the water wipes, and was pretty sad when they ran out, they're so bloody expensive though I didn't buy any more.

Sam's Bag

• A change of clothes for him in case labour is long (or at least top and underwear)

• Laminated birth plan (this will be burned into his memory come D-Day)

• Loose change - you can never have enough change!

• Phone & charger - the hospital were fairly unfazed about us using phones in the delivery suite so I'm not anticipating him having to make a track for a payphone...

• Snacks and drinks that don't fit in my bag!

• Painkillers and energy drinks for him - there will be no complaining about his aches and pains!

• something to read (or books on iPad….) labour for normal folk takes a while, expect to be sitting round!

Post Labour Stay bag

• Maternity pads x 10 I changed every time I peed and I peed a lot (with Bel on the boob!) so I used pretty much all the pads in the end.

• Disposable knickers x 3 As mentioned earlier, new fresh (if papery) panties are great... but granny panties were better after the first few hours

• Breast feeding tops x 2 : have to admit, I mostly lived in pj's

• Prune juice - to ease the first poo situation, I'm letting you know now ladies, it's not an experience you will enjoy! I opened one bottle, i think taking two was perhaps a bit mad...

• trousers - packed leggings, turned out to be useful under my nightie.

• pj’s I loved in these as mentioned above.

• Blissful Tincture - from the natural birthing company, I used this at home but not on the ward

• Arnica 30c I used this a lot... and then some more.

• Nursing and nettle teas These didn't leave the bag, but I used them a lot once home

• Snacks yes yes and yes. They rationed my food less this time but was still starving.

• Nursing Cushion I didn't take this and didn't feel I missed it

Baby (have stacks ready and labeled in size order to go in above bag )

• 6 x vests we didn't really need this many for Bel but it was good to know they were there.

• 6 x sleepsuits

• 3 x giant muslins (as I said, I love the giant ones and they can be used for so many things)

• more nappies!