This thread is brilliant! Thanks to everyone for all the advice!

Hi Mummys,

Made this up from different lists and just thought id add it here

Heres everything for hospital and when we come home

Labour Bag: (make sure it’s not too big)
1. Hospital file and notes
2. Birth plan if you have one
3. 2 Loose Nightdress
4. Socks
Dressing Gown
5. Slippers
6. For baby: vest, babygro, nappy, hat, cardigan

Comforts
7. Camera
8. Tens Machine
9. Hair bobbins
10. Brush
Toothpaste & Toothbrush
11. Deodorant
Evian Face Spray
12. Face wipes
13. Moisturiser
14. Tissues
Lip Balm
15. Magazines & Music.
16. Notebook & Pen

Food
1. Water
2. Fruit
3. Energy bars

For your Partner:
Change of top & deodorant
Change for parking meter & vending machine


For Hospital Stay:
For you:
1. 4 light front opening nightie or PJs (opinions differ (nighties more comfy if having a Caesarean)
2. Slippers
3. Dressing gown
4. Disposable pants
5. Big knickers
6. 2 packets of maternity sanitary pads (Bastos Vieges seem the most recommended)
7. Nursing bras
8. Breast pads

Bath/ Toiletries
1. 2 Bath towels
2. 2 hand towels
3. Flip flops
4. Body wash
5. Shampoo/ Conditioner
6. Toothbrush/ Toothpaste
7. Cleanser/ Toner
8. Moisturiser
9. Cotton wool
10. Deodorant
11. Lip balm
12. Tissues
13. Make-up
14. Hair bobbin
15. Hairbrush
Hairdryer (good for drying stitches too)

16. Lansinoh cream
17. Arnica (homeopathic healing super for stitches/piles/internal healing)
18. Tea tree oil
19. Witch hazel (great to use on sanitary towels for soothing stitches)
20. Ear plugs
21. Bran/ fruit/ linseeds etc. to minimise constipation

Accessories
1. Money for phone card, newspaper etc….
Magazine/ Book
2. Mobile phone and charger
3. Note book and pen

Baby Bag:
Clothes
1. Babygros/Sleepsuits (9-12)
2. Vests (9-12)
3. 1 Cardigan
4. Scratch mitts & Socks & Hat
5. Cellular blanket

Toiletries
1. Nappies (a pack of 28 – plenty but have a spare pack at home!)
Nappy bags
2. Cotton Wool packs (not hosp rolls)
3. Barrier cream (Silcock’s base)
4. 2 soft towels for bathing
5. Baby sponge
6. Baby wash
7. Blanket & Muslin squares
Soothers

Going Home:
For you
1. Loose Jeans/Trousers (unfortunately Maternity)
2. Top
3. Shoes & Socks
For baby
1. Cellular blanket
2. Car seat
3. Going home outfit
4. Snow suit (If its cold)


When you are home
Sleeping:
1. Cot – can be used from birth
2. Cot Mattress
3. Crib/ Moses Basket
4. Crib/ Moses Basket Mattress
5. Travel Cot - for during the day and visiting people. Have not got this yet as he uses the carrycot all the time but he will be soon grown out of it so will have to get it. My friend used a travel cot for all his day sleeps instead of carrycot from birth.
6. Monitor - I use one that has the portable parent side, so when baby is having a sleep I can move around the house and have the unit clipped onto me
7. Grobags - can use from 7lb
8. Safababy Sleeper
9. Thermometre (Gro Egg)

Blankets/Sheets:
For moses basket: 2 fitted sheets
For pram: 2 fitted sheets (turned out they were the same size as the moses basket ones). Some people use pillow cases.
For cot : 2 or 3 fitted sheets.
For travel cot: 2 normal sheets - sheets are actually far too big for it!
1-2 cellular blankets
Fleece blankets are great for the pram and the car seat.
Cot sheets are also useful to put under baby's head in moses basket/cot/pram


Feeding:
1. Muslin Cloths
2. Steriliser
3. Powder Formula
4. Bottles. We have 6 of the 4 oz and 6 of the 9oz bottles
5. Bottle Brush
6. Teat brush
7. Electric Bottle warmer/Bottle insulator
8. Breast Pads – whether you BF or not you need these
9. Breast Pump – if you breastfeed (BF)
10. Bags for freezing milk if you express
11. Nursing Bras (get measured at 38 weeks)
12. Nursing Pillow - handy
13. Feeding Chair – essential if you breast feed
14. High chair for when they are a little older

Changing:
1. Changing Unit –one that has a bath and lots of storage is handy
2. Changing mat
3. cot top changer for upstairs on top of you chest of drawers for night-time if you don’t have a changing unit.
4. Nappies
5. Nappy changing cream – they all recommend Vaseline and that you shouldn’t use it much - only about once per day
6. Cotton Wool – best way to keep from getting nappy rash is simply use cotton wool and water for changing – wipes are drying, but handy if you are out and about
7. Bowl for water
8. Changing Bag with changing mat inside – most of them have this
9. Talcum Powder alternative – I use a cornflower based one which has no talc as talc is not recommended for babies
10. Nappy Bags – handy when away from home for disposal of the bad ones in particular
11. Towel for under baby on changing unit

Changing bag to include:
Nappies
Cotton Wool
Nappy Sacs
Wipes
Talc/ Oil
Sudo-Cream
Changing mat

Bathtime:
1. Baby Bath
2. Top and Tail Bowl
3. Baby Body Wash – public health nurse recommended Silcock’s Base for washing baby after a month or two, but to just use plain water for first while
4. Baby Shampoo – not essential
5. Face sponge – not used on bottom
6. Baby soft-bristled hair brush
7. Towels – one for him/her to lie on while you dry them and one to dry them with
8. Face Cloths - for putting on baby’s chest in bath – makes them feel warmer and calm
9. Bath thermometer

Play: - nothing essential here but chair and floor gym are handy
1. Floor gym
2. Mobiles
3. Rattlers and other baby toys
4. Baby chair - this is mine and it's great:
5. Teddy
6. Playmat
7. Bouncer

Getting Around:
1. Travel system/Buggy
2. Car Seat
3. Sun shade for car window
4. sling or baby carrier

Baby Kit:
1. Thermometer
2. Bulb syringe for suctioning mucous
3. Eye Dropper/Medicine Spoon
4. Gripe Water/Infacol - apparently GW is no longer available in ROI. Get in UK/NI.
5. Dummy
6. Calpol – from 2 months
7. Bonjella
8. Saline Nose Drops
9. Baby Vaporub / Karvol (both only suitable after 3 months)
10. Nail Scissors

Clothes:
1. Baby Gros/Sleepsuits, 0-3 months and newbirn. 8-10 of these. Newborn ones are best in the early days unless baby is big. The sizes of them vary hugely from shop to shop. During the day my boy wears a short sleeve vest with babygro and also at night in the early days. Now he wears just a long sleeve vest under his grobag at night.
2. Scratch mittens – 1/2. If baby will tolerate them.
3. Vests – 6/8. H&M do wraparound vests which are much handier than the ones that go on over the head
4. Bibs – Cotton backed ones for small babies – M&S ones are nice, Dunnes ones go baubled after one wash. You won’t need these for maybe 2/3 months if you use muslins for feeding. Plastic-backed ones are better when weaning.
5. Snow Suit – 1
6. Cardigans/Jackets – 1/2. I hardly ever used these and never used a cardi as house is warm. Mainly used snowsuit for outdoors, though jacket is handier if weather is not too cold.
7. Socks – you won’t need socks if baby is wearing babygro. Only needed for when baby wears outfits
8. Hat –1/2 - most jackets/snowsuits have hoods anyway.
9. Blankets – cellular. It is nice to swaddle baby in the first few weeks as they can get frightened by their arms flailing around - they don’t recognize them as their own arms! After that we used the Grobags (baby sleeping bags) cos they are so safe – no danger of wriggling under blankets.
10. Don’t bother buying (m)any outfits as you will get loads – dungarees are way better than trousers/jeans for babies as they have no waistband to dig in to their tummies

Things you will need for yourself:
1. Arnica tablets - start taking during labour or after birth depending on your midwife – helps with the internal healing
2. Tea tree oil. If you have stitches &/piles after labour, the best thing you can do for yourself is have a bath with tea tree oil twice a day. It is so cleansing and soothing even if you have no stitches/piles.
3. Lavender oil for bath. Nice combined with tea tree.
4. Special cushion to sit on if you have stitches, like a rubber inflatable ring or your feeding cushion.
5. Heavy duty sanitary pads – you will need lots of these but don’t stock up in advance until you see if you have stitches because if you do, please get the cotton Dr. Whites, as the plastic ones like Always irritate them.
6. Breast pads – whether or not you BF you will need these
7. Lansinoh cream – for cracked nipples if you BF
8. You will sweat buckets after giving birth so bring a good deodorant!
9. Big bottle of witch hazel. Lash it on the pads every time you change one.

Before you go into hospital:
1. Know how to use your car seat & pram/buggy properly.
2. Have some non-maternity loose/comfy clothes ready for when you get home.
3. Cot/crib made up.
4. Make a few curries, lasagnas, and freeze. You would want to be ultra-organised to have this done in advance…
5. Have a coming home bag packed for partner to bring in with an outfit for you and baby.
6. You might find your feet swell up after you give birth even if you had no swelling in pregnancy, so bring loose fitting slippers and shoes for going home.

Thanks everyone. Great lists.

I have the last list done up on excel if anyone wants a copy, just pm me your email address.

marian i've pm'd you... would really appreciate that excel list. thanks in advance!

marian, got your excel spreadsheet. thanks a million - its fantastic x

Brillant thread, thanks girls. Have learned a lot. Marianf I have pm'd you if thats ok.

Yes - very handy thread indeed!
Marianf, I've also PM'd you for a copy of your excel sheet. Thanks in advance!

great thread, really didn't realise there's so much to get have scan next week & please god if all goes ok will start buying every week...

are the arnica tablets widely available never heard of them before?

i'v heard arnica mentioned a lot where can i get it? and what exactly is it?.. x

Arnica is a natural product that comes in cream or pill form, it prevents bruises appearing and helps to fade them faster. I got the pills for after DD was born but was unable to open them , so did without them.
I use the cream for bumps and bruises at home on all of us and find it brilliant.
You can get it in most chemists.

What about Witch Hazel?

Where does one get this from? I assume Chemists as well, or would it be more in a Health Store?

Also, I read somewhere that Witch Hazel isn't supposed to be applied to broken skin - if this is true, then doesn't that mean you shouldn't put it near your nether-regions after birth (stitches and all)? Can anyone please confirm this? Or perhaps inform me of a way of applying it, without actually applying it to broken skin? *apologies if my questions sound a bit thick!*

Thanks!

BTW Marianf, I haven't received the excel spreadsheet yet... can you please forward to me?
** Otherwise if anyone else can forward me a copy, please do!!! **

olshue wrote:BTW Marianf, I haven't received the excel spreadsheet yet... can you please forward to me?
** Otherwise if anyone else can forward me a copy, please do!!! **

I sent it ages ago. I will try again.
I think with witch-hazel, you apply to your pad and not directly to your skin.

Edited to say:
Maybe I didn't send it because I was awaiting your email address. Will you pm me your address again.

thanks Rocket Queen
really want to try this cos iv heard its good but didnt know if it was available locally or if i'd have to order it.. x

Hi marianf,

I've sent you another PM just now - hopefully this one will make it to your inbox!
Thanks again.

Girls, I cant figure out how to Pm on this new bloody upgrade would anyone who has the excel spreadsheet mind forwarding it to me? My email is [email protected] Thanks!