Pregnancy and Baby Advice Thread: From Conception to Birth, and Beyond!

[Susiew2001]

Hi Susie, I was thinking of trying Bella on 1 hungry milk bottle a day (last evening feed) would this mean she wouldn't be satisfied with her normal milk? Also I have been giving Bella water for constipation, how many ounces would you advise in a day? x

Hi hun, not quite sure what you mean about her not being satisfied...do you mean the rest of the time? If so, I wouldn't worry, you can always just see how you go and alternate as someone else suggested above.
Also re constipation in general we suggest about 1oz of boiled water a day, usually around lunchtime ish and in between feeds but do it when suits you really.
Xx

 

[Susiew2001]

Hi girls hoping for some hospital bag help ..
This is what I have packed so far.. what else do I need ?

For me
2 x nightshirts for labour
2 x comfy pairs of pjs for after baby is born
Bag of toiletries
Dressing gown and slippers
Maternity pads and breast pads
Outfit for coming home

For baby
4 x vests
4 x sleepsuits
2 x cardigans
Hats and scratch mits
2 x blankets
Muslins
Changing bag ( fully stocked !)
Sterile bottles and formula just in case ( hoping to bf)

All sounds about right. Agree with the others about loads of pants and pjs, and lip balm. I would also suggest isotonic drinks (like lucozade but aldi do some that are loads cheaper) as well...some hosps provide it but mine didn't but if you're thirsty but need energy it's great. My Hosp let you have that and water if you were nil by mouth but the Hosp shop didn't have any when I had run out!
Also would advise packing an extras bag as Sarah suggested, I was in a week and Benn kept bringing the wrong stuff.
Ummm, what else.....ah yes, I took my own pillow as I sleep much better with it. Xx

 

[Dougal1983]

Spooky! I logged on here ready to ask about hospital bag and my questions have been answered thanks girls

Also how soon did you get yours ready?
I'm 31 weeks and going to do it within next 2 weeks, should be fine?
And changing bag- best place to buy?
Also does anyone use a Grobag (or equivalent) for their bubba?
Been considering getting one but I don't know anyone who's used them to know if they're any good!

 

[shenzi]

I packed mine at 31 weeks but only because I'd been in hospital the week before and trying to get hubby to bring me the right things was a nightmare!

We have been bought about 4 grobags but I've never come across anyone that's used them either

 

[missy1978]

Spooky! I logged on here ready to ask about hospital bag and my questions have been answered thanks girls Also how soon did you get yours ready? I'm 31 weeks and going to do it within next 2 weeks, should be fine? And changing bag- best place to buy? Also does anyone use a Grobag (or equivalent) for their bubba? Been considering getting one but I don't know anyone who's used them to know if they're any good!

I did mine at about 30 weeks ish from memory? That's plenty early enough

Changing bag - I used my freebie changing bag from Boots up until a few weeks ago but my mum bought me a Pink Lining bag as an early Mother's Day present so I'm using that now and it's fab! Loads of room, loads of pockets and it looks pretty too.

Grobags - we have two ready for Seth but he's too small for them yet, he can get his head through the hole so it's not safe to use until he's grown a bit more. Plus I don't think they'd fit in a Moses, they're quite big! We'll be using them once he's in a cot though. We did buy a Groswaddle for use before he fit into a Grobag but we've hardly used it - he didn't like being swaddled as a newborn and now he's ok with it the blanket is too short! It's the only thing we've bought that has been a proper waste of money tbh :/

 

[Dubchick81]

Really goes to show how different everyone's labour/delivery etc is... I used 1 pack of maternity pads in about 3 days... 2 pairs of pants during my "stay".. my labour nightie and 1 change of PJ's and I went home in the clothes I went in in...
I brought 3 vests, 3 sleepsuits, a hat, mittens, socks, and 8 bibs for baby... Used 2 vests n 2 sleepsuits...
I used about 12 nappies...
BUT... My waters broke at home and I went straight to delivery when I got in n baby was here 6 hours later.. And I went home the next day... So very different to most... I would advise to bring plenty of drinks as they weren't great at filling up my water jug... And bring some snacks but saying that.. They seem ed to be going round all day with meals... but during the night I was starving...

Kerry you can buy premade formula bottles that are only 70ml (hospital size) which come with teats so no need for bottles.. These would be handiest I would say as in the first day r 2 baby will only take about 30ml - ish

 

[Dubchick81]

Dougal I have a couple of gro-bags and have used them from the get go.. The ones in Penny's are smaller than Mama's n Papa's or the GroBag ones so I used that initially... All of mine (I have 4) are 0-3 but like with sleepsuits, sizes vary depending where you buy them...
I also bought GroSuits are Éabha's arms were cold.. They're basically just a babygro/sleepsuit with padding in the arms of them so she's snug as a bug... (they're made my GroBag too) xx

 

[pjallen1982]

Oliver uses gro bags now although there were from mothercare. He didn't to start with because his head could fit through. My boy does have a big head though otherwise he probably wouldn't use it til bit older!!

 

[Nellylou]

Hi hun, not quite sure what you mean about her not being satisfied...do you mean the rest of the time? If so, I wouldn't worry, you can always just see how you go and alternate as someone else suggested above.
Also re constipation in general we suggest about 1oz of boiled water a day, usually around lunchtime ish and in between feeds but do it when suits you really.
Xx

Thank you yeh I just meant the rest of the time when she's not having hungry baby.

Oooops, the other day she had 4oz of water, it's good to know what she should be having going forward xx

 

[Susiew2001]

Thank you yeh I just meant the rest of the time when she's not having hungry baby.

Oooops, the other day she had 4oz of water, it's good to know what she should be having going forward xx

Don't worry about it! It won't have done him any harm. Xx

 

[Susiew2001]

I packed mine at 31 weeks but only because I'd been in hospital the week before and trying to get hubby to bring me the right things was a nightmare!

We have been bought about 4 grobags but I've never come across anyone that's used them either

We've never had the official 'grobags' but have used the sleeping bags from sainsburys and asda. They are great for when they are in their cots. That said it's just been winter obviously so maybe for summer babies they wouldn't be useful? We also waited til she was about 3 months so her head wouldn't go through the hole. She generally has a vest, a baby gro and a 2.5tog sleeping bag on. Some of them from sainsburys and asda are really nice and are cheaper than the official gro-bags.
Don't know what we are going to do when she's older-she is such a fidget bum she will never keep a quilt on!

 

[sarah_lou1981]

We've never had the official 'grobags' but have used the sleeping bags from sainsburys and asda. They are great for when they are in their cots. That said it's just been winter obviously so maybe for summer babies they wouldn't be useful? We also waited til she was about 3 months so her head wouldn't go through the hole. She generally has a vest, a baby gro and a 2.5tog sleeping bag on. Some of them from sainsburys and asda are really nice and are cheaper than the official gro-bags. Don't know what we are going to do when she's older-she is such a fidget bum she will never keep a quilt on!

Cole sleeps in a vest and sleep suit and that's it. He won't have anything on him. I've put cellular blankets, fleecy blankets and knitted blankets on (not all at once, obviously) but he just kicks them off. I bought a sleeping bag but he hates being restricted with anything. He's never liked swaddling or anything, he just wants to throw his arms around. When it's cold I tuck his cellular blanket under his mattress so he can't kick it off but have to leave his arms out otherwise he won't sleep. He's always plenty warm enough though so I don't worry about it too much. I'm exactly the same. Even in the middle of winter I sleep in nothing and always have my arms and legs out from under the duvet.

 

[Danni86]

Cole sleeps in a vest and sleep suit and that's it. He won't have anything on him. I've put cellular blankets, fleecy blankets and knitted blankets on (not all at once, obviously) but he just kicks them off. I bought a sleeping bag but he hates being restricted with anything. He's never liked swaddling or anything, he just wants to throw his arms around. When it's cold I tuck his cellular blanket under his mattress so he can't kick it off but have to leave his arms out otherwise he won't sleep. He's always plenty warm enough though so I don't worry about it too much. I'm exactly the same. Even in the middle of winter I sleep in nothing and always have my arms and legs out from under the duvet.

Thomas is the same! We call him windmill arms lol he has a tantrum if he's restricted and especially if I try to swaddle him and restrict his arms!
For first couple of weeks though he didn't mind being swaddled!

 

[missy1978]

Seth's not keen on having his arms wrapped up but oddly enough if he gets upset wrapping him up with his arms in actually calms him down! He won't sleep like that though. This is why I'm hoping the Grobag will work, his arms will be free but he can't kick the blanket off... Just waiting for him to be big enough to wear it. We don't have official Grobags, it's an Ikea version. They seem to have a lot of them in TK Maxx on the cheap though so I need to go and look sometime. xxx

 

[sarah_lou1981]

Thomas is the same! We call him windmill arms lol he has a tantrum if he's restricted and especially if I try to swaddle him and restrict his arms! For first couple of weeks though he didn't mind being swaddled!

The midwives swaddled him in hospital so I did for the first few days at home but then he decided he hated it so hasn't been swaddled since he was a week old. We call Cole's arms his motorbike arms and he's got a motorbike leg too! When he gets going he looks like he's trying to kick start a bike with the way his leg goes!!

 

[sarah_lou1981]

Seth's not keen on having his arms wrapped up but oddly enough if he gets upset wrapping him up with his arms in actually calms him down! He won't sleep like that though. This is why I'm hoping the Grobag will work, his arms will be free but he can't kick the blanket off... Just waiting for him to be big enough to wear it. We don't have official Grobags, it's an Ikea version. They seem to have a lot of them in TK Maxx on the cheap though so I need to go and look sometime. xxx

I got a TK Maxx one for a tenner but have never used it. I hate having blankets on so he's probably just like me. And he's never cold in the night. He hates having the car seat cover over him too, he kicks like mad until he loosens the Velcro!!xxx

 

[missy1978]

The midwives swaddled him in hospital so I did for the first few days at home but then he decided he hated it so hasn't been swaddled since he was a week old. We call Cole's arms his motorbike arms and he's got a motorbike leg too! When he gets going he looks like he's trying to kick start a bike with the way his leg goes!!

He this must be a standard baby thing then, Seth has one restless leg! Makes me laugh so much when he's kicking away with one leg lol

 

[Dougal1983]

Thanks girls that's good to know.
I've seen Tesco have their own version too but I think I'm prob just going to get one for winter when baby will be in cot and about 6 months old x

 

[Sammielouise071]

Thank you so much everyone , this is super helpful . Did any of you take your own towel for showering or do the hospital provide these ? Another question .. Did any of you feel different on the days leading up to your labour or would you say there were any signs or changes that happened that made you aware you were close ? Probably a bit of a silly question but just curious as to whether I am going to feel different or whether it will just happen unexpectedly if you get what I mean?!

 

[PrincessPeach]

Thank you so much everyone , this is super helpful . Did any of you take your own towel for showering or do the hospital provide these ? Another question .. Did any of you feel different on the days leading up to your labour or would you say there were any signs or changes that happened that made you aware you were close ? Probably a bit of a silly question but just curious as to whether I am going to feel different or whether it will just happen unexpectedly if you get what I mean?!

I took my own towel for showers etc but my hospital provided towels anyway x not sure if all hospitals do, so may be worth taking a towel just in case x

Unfortunately I can't help with the "feelings" leading up to it x even being 12 days overdue I had NO niggles what so ever, and then I was induced so any feelings after that were from the hormones etc x hopefully some of the others who went into labour naturally can help xx