dream v reality: my hospital bag

Being the type of person who packs weeks in advance to go on holiday, writing lists and checking items off with palpable smuggery, I was sure this would work in my favour when packing my hospital bag. I read numerous articles and revised my list over and over. I was so sure I'd nailed it.

Baby Silas arrived three weeks early and I'd only just finished packing my bag a couple of days before. Bags, actually. I'd packed two small suitcases - one for during the birth and one for afterwards. It made sense at the time but in reality I kept forgetting which case I'd packed things in and ended up rummaging through both cases until I found what I was looking for (which was never in the first case I opened).

Things I Should Have Packed:

big knickers

I didn't want to spend money on ugly underwear but the underwear I packed were cut to rest under my bump which was the area where I'd had my c-section. Ow. Lucky for me that last Christmas my mother received a pack of unflattering Marks & Spencer over-the-tummy pants from a relative that does not like her. I was so grateful when she brought me those ugly but oh-so-comfy pants.

smock or tent-like dress that covered me from the neck to the ankles but allowed access to my boobies

Okay, I was never actually going to find this dream article of clothing but I longed for it as I stared at my far too painful maternity clothes, my swollen legs and ankles and ended up wearing a pair of my Dad's pyjama bottoms hiked up to my armpits. 

more than one breast-feeding top

Also, the nursing top I had ( which I really liked) was the exact same colour as the doctors' scrubs so I was scared someone would ask me to perform an operation and I'd be too embarrassed to say no.

earplugs and eye-mask

The labour ward was the noisiest and brightest place ever. Babies cried, lullabies were sung, people talked loudly on their phones, prayed, argued and laughed. Get a room! No, in fact let us all sleep in this strange communal area mere feet from one other.

Stuff I Really Did Not Need:

snacks

You should have seen my face when my midwife said I couldn't eat during labour. I had a section of one suitcase (but which one?) dedicated to energy bars. Later, I couldn't care what I ate - I was in so much pain that food was just fuel to joylessly shove into my mouth.

socks

I wore my cutest dachshund socks to the hospital but had to wear the most evil support stockings after the birth - for ten days! 

entertainment

I packed my kindle, kindle fire, magazines and a crossword book as I'd obviously confused giving birth with going on holiday. All I ended up using was my phone to google medical terms and every aspect of being a parent that I did not understand and also send baby photos to my friends.

Overall, I packed too much, should have had just one suitcase and made better clothing choices. It was difficult packing when I did not know what kind of birth I would be having. Would I be overdue and induced? Would labour start naturally so I could use the birthing centre? I didn't prepare for a cesarean and did not expect a 9 day stay in hospital and that's exactly what happened.