Hospital Bags?

I'm going to get my bag ready and was just reading the thread on what to bring to hospital with you. I didn't want to post this there as it's a sticky. Anyway, am I right in that you bring a separate bag in with you to the actual delivery room? If so, what exactly do you put in it? More trivial questions: when do you normally change out of the nightdress you gave birth in? Do you get to have a bath/wash straight after? Thanks girls. I keep thinking of silly things and I know I'd feel better if I knew the answer to them...

With six weeks to go I am starting to get organised. From family and friends I have being reccommened to bring a small bag for labour and then a bigger bag for the hospital. How quickly you get changed and get a shower depends on how your feeling and if you had an epidural etc. I think that is why they recommend more than one night gown for labour, in case your not up to changing for a while and least you have something clean to wear.

what i did was: had been brought in for induction and just had all stuff in my main bag as thought i would just take out what i needed at the top of the bag i had my labout stuff, told midwife to take out what i needed she said as little as possible and took clean night dress for after, clean knicks, pad, babygro, hat, nappy for baby she said anything else is not needed and some mums-to-be arrive in with 2 suitcases!! in my case i just put on clean night dress after the birth - would have loved shower but they said no as i was fairly light-headed after all the gas and it was 10pm so they said leave it till morning

Thanks for the replies. So as little as poss. in the labour room then? [quote:1wibkbmd]clean night dress for after, clean knicks, pad, babygro, hat, nappy for baby [/quote:1wibkbmd]

yes, midwife said they prefer when the labour stuff is perhaps just in paper/plastic bag at the top of your case/bag so they can just pop it out, especially if you present at admissions and are almost ready to head straight up! good luck though in your case should have said 2 babygros/2 nappies/ 2 hats

[quote:38igy0i2]though in your case should have said 2 babygros/2 nappies/ 2 hats [/quote:38igy0i2] Yeah, I'll need a slightly bigger paper bag I think!

Ye i think as little as possible in the labour bag is best, my friend was disspappointed when they made her take half of her contents out !! She said just to have labour bag ready on top of your bag ( in plastic bag) with spare nightdress, knicks, pads, babygro, vest, nappy

Thanks Wannabe.

I had a shower after both times before going down to the ward, I don't remember what I'd brought with me or if I washed my hair as was on a high....... Once you've a towel and change of nightdress, clean underwear, etc with you for after the labour you don't need much else as far as I remember.... Saying that my friend had a pretty big bag packed for the labour ward - I must ask her if she used everything from it but I doubt it...

My labour bag is one of those smaller suitcases on wheels, you know the ones that would fit overhead on a airoplane? Do you think thats too big?