*just incase* hospital bag?

[Ju_bubbs]

I'm planning on packing up a hospital bag.. just incase I either go into labour before 37 wks, or have to transfer hospital for whatever reason during labour to save OH needing to run round grabbing me things!

I dont know whether or not I should put anything extra in? With my other 3 I was back home by the time they were 2-3 hours old, so only took a set of baby clthes a t-shirt for labour and a pair of jeans to wear home! If baby hapened to be born at say between 35-37 weeks, would I have to stay in even if baby was healthy etc?

 

[pinkie77]

I was advised to pack a regular hospital bag 'just in case' by my m/w - ie whatever you'd normally pack if you wasn't planning a homebirth. And I don't know if it helps but my friend's baby was born at 36 weeks earlier this year but allowed home the same day as she was fine, just a bit on the small side! So I'd assume that unless baby is having trouble breathing or feeding then you wouldn't have to stay in just cos baby was early - all hospitals are different though!

And I've just noticed your (scan) due date is the day before mine, race ya!!!

 

[Ju_bubbs]

Ah yes.. I noticed that yesterday! The race is on!

 

[Jenniflower]

For some reason I have this thing with not wanting to pack a bag. I don't know why really, I suppose something to do with all that positive energy I'm trying to put into believing I'll have a perfectly fine homebirth that I think packing a bag will put an ounce of doubt in me. Silly, I know.

 

[Ju_bubbs]

I'd really prefer not to for the exact same reasons! But, coz I know I'm due sooner than my scan says (I only had sex once that month and it was 2 weeks before my scan says I conceived!) I'm convinced that I'm going to go into labour before 37 weeks

Tho at 37wks I'll actually be 38 at the very least, or even as far as 39, and my last 3 children have been a week earlier than the last each time! So if this LO is born a week earlier than my last.. she'll arrive at 37wks, and as far as the hospital are concerned I wont be 37 wks yet!

Oooh what a complicated kerfuffle!

Also a bit annoyed that I'm also expected to have a fast labour again (last one was 20 mins from first contraction to baby born) So even if sperm did live for 2 weeks, making my scan dates right, I'm sure it would be much safer to have my baby at home with a midwife present than it would be to have the baby in the car on the way to hospital, since the hospital is anywhere up to an hour away depending on time of day!

Anyway, sorry I got carried away ranting
I've got a simple hospital bag packed just incase and a more extravagant one incase of a stay that I'll leave at home and OH can go and get if needed!

 

[kiwimama]

It's definately sensible to pack a hospital bag as if you were going to birth in hospital. Pop it in a cupboard so you don't have to see it sitting by the front door to unnerve you, but have it ready. Otherwise, if you need to be transferred, OH will need to pack it, and they (at least mine) tend to buckle under pressure, he'll be running around like a headless chicken!

 

[summer rain]

I'm packing mine because the MWs in this area are completely incompetent so while I'd love a homebirth I am not sure I trust them not to cock up somewhere (my mw never remembers who I am and keeps asking me if I've had my baby already! Then she never ever remembers I am booked in for a homebirth). I don't hope to be moved by then either because the housing assoc are really messing us about re: the home swap. I did have to suddenly pack my bag with my eldest though as I went into labour at 37 weeks; we'd only been out and bought all the maternity/labour/baby stuff the day before, it wasn't so bad as I am speedy gonzalez at packing x