When did/will you?

[flippinchica]

Pack your hospital bag, install carseat bases?
I'm 34 weeks now and wondering when I should do these things.  I don't want to take up seats in the cars before it is necessary but also don't want to be scrambling at the last minute.

[Deleted]

I will probably start the bag once I hit 7 months. Just because I can add to it as I remember things that I will need. I have a horrible memory so packing will take some time!

Depending on my pregnancy, once I hit 8 months I think I'll strap the car seat in.

[tngrl3]

We will probably just stick the car seat base and infant seat in the car when we go to the hospital. We have the Chicco KeyFit and using the latch system the bases takes about 60 seconds to install. We've used it before so I know how to make it work in my vehicle.
I will probably have a bag packed around 34 weeks but I'm not too worried about it because we live 5 minutes from the hospital.

[flippinchica]

Jul 2, 2015 11:20:33 GMT -5 @usernamesarehard said:

I have to be honest, I don't understand packing the hospital bag way in advance and I feel like I'm missing something. Granted, I don't pack for trips until right before we leave either, but that's because most of the things I pack (other than clothes) are things I use every day, so I just pack them right after I use them (toiletries, phone charger, etc). I feel like the hospital bag would be similar, right? Am I missing something here or am I just a SS?

Yeah, I am feeling a bit this way too.  Every time I think about the things to bring most of them are thing I don't want to pack away yet but it seems like this is a thing people do so that is why I ask about it.
The good thing is that we live really close to the hospital so I can always send H home for anything I need.

[bunnyfungo]

I never packed a hospital bag. Even after my water broke it wasn't difficult to pack a bag. It's not like you need to leave for the hospital immediately. Packing will probably help keep you calm during early labor anyway.

[Sparkly]

I "packed" my bag between 37 and 38 weeks. We installed car seat base around then too. MH was actually traveling for work until I was 35.5 weeks and literally only home 2 days in third trimester before that point. So basically nothing was done except maybe some washing of clothes.

I unpacked and repacked multiple times, and really ended up actually packing what I took in the hour or so before we went to the hospital (i.e. while in labor). So yeah, you'll be fine.

[BeachBum678]

DD2 is an RCS, so I probably won't do either of these things until the night before. Honestly, I didn't even use half of what I packed last time.

[Deleted]

Jul 2, 2015 12:13:43 GMT -5 somesay said:

DH put the car seat base in at 37 weeks, but didn't put the car seat in until we went to the hospital. I packed my hospital bag the night before my induction. I never thought to have a bag packed and in my car before then. We live 5 minutes from the hospital so I feel pretty safe about putting things in a bag when it is go time. This time around I know not to bring about 80% of the crap that I brought last time.

I live about 40 minutes from my hospital so I will probably pack way ahead of time. If I lived close I probably wouldn't pack early either.

[tarheelmom]

I never packed a bag for myself ahead of time, but I did make a list of what to pack (toothbrush, chargers, etc.) so I wouldn't forget in the excitement of going to the hospital. I did pack a few things for baby since they weren't in everyday use. Honestly, you don't need much and we were out of the hospital as soon as they let us (<36hrs after birth).

DH installed the car seat before we went to the in-laws for Thanksgiving (around 35w) just in case I went into labor while we were farther from home and needed to go directly to the hospital.

[ugotstarbucked]

I'm planning on staying in denial until the first week of August. I have a vague idea of what I want to pack for myself and the baby. I'm not packing for DH - he can pack his own bag with what he wants and the snacks he plans to have available.

[jumpingpuddles]

With my first I had a bag mostly packed a few weeks or month early, had the car seat installed and inspected about 2 months early.
With my second I realized about a month before my due date that I should probably find the infant seat and wash the cover, and I packed a bag the night before I had to be induced 10 days overdue.

[Lollipop]

I didn't pack until H was on his way home to get me, when I was in labour. And we didn't install the car seat until the day after we came home from the hospital. My mom drove us home, because H was in the process if buying a new car. So after his brought that home we installed it in there.

[keen]

Our hospital provides much of the things we will need (diapers, baby clothes, blankets, food and toiletries for me) so our list is relatively short. A robe and lounging clothes for me post delivery, electronics/chargers, car seat and a going home sleeper for DD2.

The only reason I think I will pack early is because I plan on working until I pop. If I have to go straight to the hospital from work, I will need someone to grab the bag for me, and I'd rather not rely on them to pack what I want/need. The hospital we chose is further from home this time and I don't want to send anyone driving around for me. If it wasn't for the electronics, I'd just store the bag in my car!

[ldubhawksfan]

Jul 2, 2015 11:20:33 GMT -5 @usernamesarehard said:

I have to be honest, I don't understand packing the hospital bag way in advance and I feel like I'm missing something. Granted, I don't pack for trips until right before we leave either, but that's because most of the things I pack (other than clothes) are things I use every day, so I just pack them right after I use them (toiletries, phone charger, etc). I feel like the hospital bag would be similar, right? Am I missing something here or am I just a SS?

I think this is how I will be. I only pack for trips last minute. But I do think I'll come up with list of what to pack probably in theist few weeks. I tend to do this with trips too so I don't forget certain things like chargers, razors, etc.

[anonymouseliza]

Jul 2, 2015 10:17:54 GMT -5 flippinchica said:

Pack your hospital bag, install carseat bases?
I'm 34 weeks now and wondering when I should do these things.  I don't want to take up seats in the cars before it is necessary but also don't want to be scrambling at the last minute.

Before my cerclage comes out around 36w. If I have any signs of pre-term labor or pre-e, sooner.  But for me, the cerclage removal could trigger labor, because they are messing with the cervix. It's unlikely, but it does happen (I did have contractions for several hours after removal last time, which just died off - fortunately, since she was breech at the time). So we'll be ready.

If something happened before then, odds are it would be a medical emergency, so I wouldn't need stuff for labor and delivery, etc. A bag can be packed and brought later, car seats can be purchases/installed later if needed, so I wouldn't stress too much.

[crystaleyes138]

Jul 2, 2015 12:56:39 GMT -5 tarheelmom said:

I never packed a bag for myself ahead of time, but I did make a list of what to pack (toothbrush, chargers, etc.) so I wouldn't forget in the excitement of going to the hospital. I did pack a few things for baby since they weren't in everyday use. Honestly, you don't need much and we were out of the hospital as soon as they let us (<36hrs after birth).

DH installed the car seat before we went to the in-laws for Thanksgiving (around 35w) just in case I went into labor while we were farther from home and needed to go directly to the hospital.

I might "lightly" pack after my 36W dating u/s, but I think making a list of what I need is probably going to help me the most. We'll probably install the car seat around that time too.

[threetaboos]

Last time I packed after I got a call that I needed to be induced. We just brought the car seat with and DH installed it the day we were leaving.

I won't pack until the night before my RCS. I probably will work on a list a couple weeks before hand though.

[obie1680]

With DS I had car seat base installed around 37 weeks, bag packed partially around the same time. This time will wait till right before to install car seat both H & I know how to do it so no worries there. I live 5 minutes away from the hospital so I will throw a few thing together when I get close to my due date, and if I forget H can go home and grab it for me.

[chuggingwater]

I'm really failing at this TTM thing. I've never packed a hospital bag before heading out the door. Carseats were installed the night before, and day of. Whoooops.

[suzyq0525]

I will make sure I have everything I need a couple weeks before my induction, but won't pack until the night before.

[brettanomyces]

I'm more likely to make a list ahead of time than to pack. Won't most of the things I'll pack be things I use all the time?

We don't own a car, so any car seat we buy will be for when getting rides with people. So we'll have to get something that's a quick and easy install. Hopefully that exists.

[cnf2013]

I live an hour from where I'll be delivering, so I'll need some inkling of what I want in advance. I am also someone who packs nonessentials like the night before and essentials on my way out the door. I am horrible at packing ahead of time. My thought was to make a list of everything I want and need and just put it right inside my small suitcase so when I am ready to pack I know exactly what I want and need.

[ruemorgan]

I wanted to labor at home as much as possible before going to the hospital, so i packed my bag when my water broke. Then i didnt use anything from my bag except a toothbrush and hairbrush because the hospital provided everything. Oh and an outfit to go home in.

But def pack your SO a bag! And lots of snacks.

Eta when i was pregnant my plan was to install the carseat base at 37 weeks. I went into labor at 37 weeks...so i guess that still happened according to plan

[anonymouseliza]

Oh, for me, I went straight from my doc office to the hospital for induction, and I am glad I had everything ready, because it would have complicated things a lot for us to have drive all the way home and then back for the induction. Same for the unexpected overnight in the hospital the weekend before. It was convenient to have my stuff.

[ladygray]

Somewhere around 37 weeks I do both. And then I slap a list of "day of" stuff on top of the bag (chargers, pillow, etc.)

My first labor went from chill to "I can't stand upright or complete a sentence" really quickly. I can't imagine if I'd had to pack an entire bag at that point. That would have been miserable.

[Squishy622]

I made a packing list one night at 3 am when I was up finding things to worry about, but that's as far as I've gotten. I'm kind of proud of myself for not having the bases installed already or my bag fully packed and in the car yet. This pregnancy has been good for me, I'm learning to unclench and let go of things I can't control (or that don't need to be controlled).

[onyx]

Last time I packed before my 39 week appointment, which was good because I was sent for an emergency induction so my in-laws had to bring it to the hospital for us. We didn't put the car seat in until we left. We checked when we bought it to make sure it fits right but they're so easy to put in that it's not a big deal, especially if you have a base. This time we will be packing sooner because the hospital I have to deliver at is 1 1/2 hours away. We will also put the seat in when we leave for the hospital.

[feffy]

I had on/off labor (more than an hour of contractions 5 mins apart) for days before the actual birth. I (over) packed around that time, but used virtually nothing besides my phone charger and toothbrush my entire stay. Hospital is an hour away and I started pushing 3 hours after check-in. I really did not need many comfort items. LOL at the pack of cards in my labor bag.

[Sparkly]

Jul 3, 2015 14:21:58 GMT -5 feffy said:

I had on/off labor (more than an hour of contractions 5 mins apart) for days before the actual birth. I (over) packed around that time, but used virtually nothing besides my phone charger and toothbrush my entire stay. Hospital is an hour away and I started pushing 3 hours after check-in. I really did not need many comfort items. LOL at the pack of cards in my labor bag.

Right? My bag sat, almost exclusively untouched, in the cabinet in our room for the entire stay. I pulled it out to shower, change, and change DD before we left. It was crazy how little I actually needed.

[risscaboobs]

Jul 2, 2015 13:13:48 GMT -5 @nochill said:

Jul 2, 2015 11:29:17 GMT -5 bunnyfungo said:

I never packed a hospital bag. Even after my water broke it wasn't difficult to pack a bag. It's not like you need to leave for the hospital immediately. Packing will probably help keep you calm during early labor anyway.

We are compromising (I'm anal retentive and MH is whatev) and I wrote a check list that is on fridge. That way when it's time, I will not panic and forget to pack something.

This is my plan as well. It makes me feel calmer to be prepared; so I'll be making a list of what to pack well in advance and have it ready when the time comes.