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The best tips for what to pack for the hospital come from personal experience, and that is how I am going to address this title.

When I was pregnant with my daughter I think I searched almost every internet site, read every book and asked every question possible about what to pack. I even considered buying one of the pre-made up packs that you can buy. By about week 14 the bags were sat by the cot. Yes, I said bags. Plural. I thought I was prepared. But, I went into labour at 32 weeks, 8 weeks earlier than expected, and I was far from ready! Fortunately, my bags were. Or so I thought. I got to the hospital and there were items I needed that I hadn't thought of and items that I had that didn't need or want. This time round, I'm now 18 weeks pregnant, I have written a list of things to buy, but haven't actually packed a single thing yet. My list includes:

FOR ME...

*Birth plan & hospital notes these will be essential for the doctors and midwives to see how your pregnancy has progressed and whether you have any specific requirements as to how you want your labour to go.

*Underwear - pack enough for a few days, if you have a cesarean you will probably be in for a week or so, and you will need big pants so that they don't irritate your stitches. Make sure they are nice and comfortable too; you don't want to be sat in bed trying to feed your newborn whilst pulling a thong out from your cheeks! Don't forget feeding-bras too, your breasts will be sore and heavy when the milk starts to come in. Pack a few different sizes - I went from a regular 34DD (UK size) right up to a giant 38G and only had up to a 36E with me.

*Nightie/PJs - you will be spending a lot of time in bed so make sure they are comfortable. It is also a good idea to make sure that they are of the feeding-top variety, which makes breast feeding a lot easier.

*Dressing gown & slippers - most hospitals have policies of no bare feet. My daughter was in the special care unit for 6 weeks after she was born and they had strict hygiene rules in place that meant I had to wear shoes or slippers, even when I was in a wheelchair. Hospitals are generally warm places, especially the maternity ward, but they can get cold so make sure you take something warm to wear when you are walking around.

*Book - my labour was an excruciating 5 days long before they decided I wasn't going to dilate and did a cesarean. Even after that, newborn babies sleep for a long time and it can get very boring. I not only completed

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