Packing a hospital bag even for homebirth?

[flubdub]

Im hoping to have a homebirth with this baby. My other babies were all born in hosp. Do i still need to pack a hospital bag incase I need to be transferred? And do I pack it with everything I would put in a usual hospital bag? Or just the bare essentials? I dont really want to be buying bits and pieces for it when I (hopefully) wont need it x

 

[pinkmonki]

I packed a birthing box so I'd have everything to hand during my births. First time I picked out of it when the time came.. Second time I was blue-lighted to hospital at 9cms so I was very glad of my box that my oh could just grab.

Trust me, you'll be grateful that everything is in one place when the time comes. No one wants to go searching for lip balm at 7cms.. Or worse, send their oh to look!

 

[MindUtopia]

I'm going to basically pack two bags. One will be a 'just in case' bag with a few basics I might need the first day in hospital if I was to need to go in, like a comfy change of clothes, body wash, tooth paste, maternity/breast pads, etc. And then just store that away somewhere where I won't have to look at it or think about needing it, but my husband and doula will know where it is in case someone needs to grab it for me. I'm not going overboard though, I figure if I need anything more than those basics, someone could bring them in to me the next day.

Then I'll pack sort of a box or basket of the things I want with me for my home birth, like my robe, snacks, aromatherapy oils, towels, the container to put my placenta in (I'm encapsulating it) etc. and things for baby, like nappies, one set of clothes, a towel, some blankets, etc.

If I need to go to hospital, all anyone will have to do is take this stuff and dump it in my 'just in case' bag and head out the door. I'll know I have everything organised in case I do need it, but I won't have a hospital bag sitting and staring at me while I'm trying to birth. I basically want to pack it and then put it out of my mind so I can focus on my home birth.

 

[chattyB]

I've packed two bags - one labour and one hospital bag (change of clothes for me and baby, toiletries, nappies etc). The labour bag will be used regardless of where I labour and the other put away somewhere discreet but accessible in case we need to transfer.

 

[ljo1984]

I had an incase of transfer box and I was taken in quite quickly due to mec in waters so was grateful to have it there on stand by, oh would have forgotten loads if I'd of left it to him lol.

 

[bubbles]

I packed a bag with essentials for one night, pjs (2 pairs incase of leakage), knickers, maternity pads and 2 lots of clothing for baby. It didn't get done until we thought things were moving, it was more for DHs convenience of just grabbing a bag rather than rooting through drawers (and possibly finding his Xmas present)

 

[NaturalMomma]

I don't pack bags just in case. I've had a hospital birth once, and I didn't use anything in my bags. I don't think we even took them out of the car. If we do transfer then I will just have DH come back to get some things after baby and I are settled in. Likely I won't need/want anything anyways.

 

[bassdesire]

We had a bag just in case with bare essentials.

 

[pimento1979]

I packed a bag the first time and so glad I did as I did transfer to hospital at 7cm!

I've packed a bag this time too just in case- just with bare essentials.

 

[fionar]

I didn't, because it felt to me like setting myself up for failure. That's just my opinion, a lot of the other suggestions (like MindUtopia's of packing it but putting it out of sight out of mind) sound good, though, if it's something you feel would put you at ease.

 

[Impet Limpet]

I have multiple bags packed.

One is a "OMG get me home bag", as we are spending lots of our time out and about at the mo (I'm at a wedding an hours drive away this weekend for example) So if my waters break or contractions start when I'm an hour or two drive away from home, I have a bag in the car with a towel, my maternity notes, clean underwear and trousers, maternity pads, TENS machine, paracetamol, bottle of water and a couple of snacks basically enough to get me home in comfort. It lives in the boot of the car.

Then I have a birthing/postnatal bag for me and a bag for baby. The intention is everything we will need for the first 24hours will be there, regardless of whether I have a home birth or a hospital birth. They both live upstairs in the nursery.

 

[summer rain]

I didn't when I had my home birth. To be honest even with my hospital births I packed my bags at the last minute, didn't forget anything important and didn't end up using much of what I brought anyway so I figured if I did have to transfer I could throw a few things in a bag just the same. Xx

 

[special_kala]

I didnt pack a hospital bag because i didnt want the idea that i was going into hospital in my head.

I had one of those cuddly toy carriers full of the stuff i needed (with vecro at the top so you can hang them off things with 5/6 mesh compartments, you get them in ikea). I had to transfer so my husband just grabbed the bits out of that and shovd it in a bag

 

[gryphongrl]

I didn't pack anything, and wished I had... when I rushed to the hospital after planning a home birth but going into labor 7 weeks early, all I had was a water bottle in my hand. There wasn't any music in the hospital room... no snacks, no toothbrush. I at least next time will have a cheap toothbrush and some electrolyte drink and try to grab my iPod on the way out the door!