As I packed my Klinikkoffer, or my suitcase for the hospital, I realized that all this stuff is just not going to fit in a airline carry-on sized suitcase. So what do I need to do – use a bigger bag or bring less stuff?
Current contents as of 22 June: Update (1 Nov 2007) – what I actually used:
Cotton nightshirt for birth - never used, I gave birth in the t-shirt I was wearing when I came in
lip gloss balm – sorry, mistyped that! - never used
4 2 pairs of thick socks*- never used
bathrobe
2 1 nightgowns - never used, I slept in my clothes (which were a t-shirt and pajama bottoms)
2 breastfeeding bras
1 pair dark colored shorts that fit now - never used
2 pair of dark colored pajama bottoms that fit at 6 months (and still do now actually)
6 2 pairs underwear – just in case I want them - never used, I used the nice mesh panties the hospital provided
2 shirts
1 pair sweatpants
wash cloth and towel
cotton dress for the ride home - never used, I came home in a t-shirt and sweats
travel-size toiletries
notebook and pen
mp3 player - never used, I was too enthralled with the baby
camera
phone numbers and calling card
Snacks – so far I have a box of Corny bars, will look for other goodies on next shopping trip - never used, we completely forgot we had them along
2 onesies (size 50 and size 56) – for ride home, they said he could be really big, hence the two sizes - unless your baby is huge, size 50 will be fine
baby cap and socks – for ride home
2 burp cloths - never used, babies don’t burp up a lot in the first few weeks
Mutterpass
Passport
Heiratsurkunde
Familienstammbuch
8 maxi pads
3 newborn diapers
2 pairs breast pads
Okay, some of these things, like my Mutterpass and passport, are in my purse, not the suitcase. I also figure that I will be wearing comfortable shoes on my feet, so there will be no need to pack an extra pair.
*I’ll need to remember to stick my slippers in the bag before I go, since I wear them around the house. Hopefully I won’t forget, but the socks are there just in case I do.
Have I forgotten anything?
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Thoughts: pack some disposable nursing pads; in the beginning you’re going to, well, leak quite often, so 2 pairs isn’t enough.
Maxi pads are provided by the hospital, but if you prefer your own then by all means pack those. 8 will last you like maybe 4 hours. I may be exagerrating, but not by much, of course it depends on how long you’re in the hospital. Which depends on how the birth goes. Which you can’t predict in advance.
Diapers are also provided by the hospital, so really you don’t need any.
Baby clothes are provided for the time you’re there; you really only need one outfit for the ride home. The hospitals around here won’t let you bring your own baby clothes because they might not be as disinfected as they’d like. Never mind that once you’re at home you’ll be putting them on your baby; as long as it’s their responsibility they want to decide what the baby wears (again, could be different at your hospital).
That’s all off the top of my head. Will comment again if I think of more
P.S. most ladies I shared rooms with when I was in the hospital had regular, full-sized suitcases, so don’t feel bad about having a big bag.
Lip gloss?!?! I’m assuming you mean lip balm or chap stick, and not that you want to look like a beauty queen between contractions
And you could always pack an Aldi-Tüte with the baby stuff and place it in the baby car seat. When Rainer comes to pick you guys up he can bring it with him.
One more thing: pack something for Rainer to eat. If the birth goes on for hours, as in into the nighttime, he might get hungry, and the cafeteria will be *closed* and he will have to survive on beef broth and hot cocoa from the hot beverages machine because he won’t want to leave the hospital in case the baby decides it’s time to be born. Oops, that was my husband who had to do that!
(My kids were born at 4:03 and 3:15 a.m. respectively.)
My hospital provided sanitary items (and the size of those pads will make your head spin but they are just what is required)along with very attractive(!) mesh underwear that were awesome. Also, breast pads and diapers. So all the disposable stuff.
I was really glad to have 2 or 3 sets of maternity pajama pants in a dark color. My baby ended up in the KinderKlinik so I spent a lot of time walking back and forth around the hospital, and it was nice to wear something that felt less nightgown-ish. Dark color was a must for the same reason I needed those gigantic sanitary pads.
I second the snack suggestion for Dad. Also, I was absolutely starving about an hour after the birth – I would make sure you have something yummy (I ate chocolate chip cookies and an orange) on hand to help you refuel. Hospital food was OK but it can take a while to get to you if it doesn’t happen to be mealtime.
Good luck!
I completely forgot about the one-size-fits-all disposable mesh underwear!!!
And I hadn’t realized that you hadn’t listed “regular” clothes for yourself; by all means pack some sweatpants or something that fit around months 4 or 5 – to pack pre-pregnancy pants would be optimistic at best.
I’d bring some shorts for the labor prior to water breaking (unless you are still at home for that). I managed to pack in one duffle bag…and a small one at that, but my midwife told me that I’d be home within a day or two, and I had a second bag prepared for my husband to bring in case things did not go well. I managed to be home within 12 hours of the boy’s birth, so it worked out well for me.
Personally, I think four pairs of socks are too many, and if you want more, R. can bring them after a day or two. No need for breast pads. Your milk does not come in for a couple of days usually. Six pairs of underwear are a lot! I too enjoyed the mesh one size fits all. They are comfortable!
Oh yes, definitely go for the mesh underpants the hospital provides to save you ruining your nice panties. Also maybe include a pair of comfortable mule-type slippers to walk around in. Socks can be difficult to get on and off if you’re having any aches and pains after delivery.
It’s good to know that some things are universal… I gave birth in america, but I, too, had mesh panties and pads the size rhode island!!
I love that you included lip gloss – that’s so cute:+)
Christina isn’t commenting – could she be at the hospital using the contents of the Klinikkoffer?
Nope! Still here! I didn’t have time for the computer yesterday. Rainer volunteered me to make mango salad for an office Grillparty, so I was either doing laundry, resting or chopping fruits and veggies all day, and then spent the evening at the party. I have been feeling odd since last night though and just had a really strong contraction. (I usually get them more in the evenings and mornings are contraction free, so that’s got me a little nervous – but no repeats so far!)
Anyways, thanks for all the great advice. If you think of any more, keep it coming! I will update the post now with the new and improved Klinikkoffer contents.
I didn’t know about the mesh panties! I had just combined a couple lists I found on German and American pregnancy sites to come up with this one. Thank goodness though, the consensus was that one should bring 8 pairs of underwear and I only have 10 that currently fit so I was wondering how I’d manage to get by with using only 4 so that I could have 6 in my bag!
I’ll be tossing the maxi pads, diapers and nursing pads back in the drawer. Whatever I don’t really need to bring I’m not gonna bring.
Well, I don’t think I have much to add to your list in terms of mesh underwear and such things, but I hope you have fun anyhow!
@Matt: LOL! Thanks though!
I honestly am not much help. We brought a Jansport backpack with all our stuff. Camera, music, I planned to just wear out what I wore in (elastic waist stuff). An extra pair of socks and baby’s outfit. The hospital provided baby’s clothes and diapers while there and of course great mesh panties for mom!
I ended up having surgery and staying for five days so dh just shuffled stuff back and forth. I really have no idea how much we had there.
@andrea: Huh, I didn’t get a notification for your comment. Good thing I just randomly clicked on the comments for this post! Wow, everyone is raving about these great mesh panties. I figure if I need to stay longer, Rainer will be shuffling back and forth as well.