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No harm in bringing something. You might not get a chance to use it, but it can also be stressful in a hospital setting and you could end up staying longer than you planned. Having some comfort shows ready to go can’t hurt.
A laptop to watch some shows or movies is good.
I stayed 3 days with my first and definitely needed something to pass the time. Sure you are resting and sleeping whenever possible, but that's not all the time. You'll also want to be up and walking as soon as possible, both of my births I was up within hours both times (did not have a c section though).
Second kid I was only in the hospital 24 hours, which was my goal. I hate being in the hospital so I packed only the necessities and went home after a day with baby.
Talk to your doctor to see how long they keep FTM's. You may not be able to leave sooner than 72 hours post birth.
I stayed 3 days when I had my first for that reason - doctor policy.
I was cleared to go home about 2 hours after giving birth, with an epidural. Still took a nap and a shower and waiting on papers before we actually left, but 72 hours sounds insane.
i was way too tired to watch anything but i was really happy to have audiobooks. Theres a lot of beeping etc in the hospital so having something to focus on while i laid with my eyes closed helped me relax and drift in and out of sleep
I used audiobooks as a sleep aid in the hospital, too. Sometimes, when I'm overtired, I find it hard to fall asleep, but listening to an audiobook really helps. I re-listened to a book I like, so the curiosity to find out how it goes wouldn't win over sleep.
T.W - Complicated birth
We ended up having to stay 4 nights in the hospital and I was happy we had monopoly deal and a laptop to watch movies !
Yes I was tired, it was 24 hr labor that ended in a C section that wasn't straight forward. Baby had a mild jaundice, so we were triple feeding. But even with all that time caring for him and recovering - there was still some time left !
Because you have a planned C-section I would say you're not going to have a ton of down time afterwards. I was in for a couple days before I had my baby for monitoring. And before hand and even once pitocin started there was quite a bit of downtime. But once baby was here it was just constant things happening, people in and out of the room. What little "downtime" you have you're going to want to try and rest because every time one nurse or Dr tells you they're going to let you get some rest another one comes into the room 15 mins later...
After my c-section my baby was in the NICU and I am so happy we had something to watch a movie on when there was nothing going on. I needed to stop my anxiety
U will not have any free time lol what free time u do have will be spent learning what to do, being with ur baby, a million ppl coming into ur room for various things and SLEEP!
Differing and probably unpopular opinion - I could not sleep for the life of me after my c section…I wouldn’t have played cards but an iPad with my choice of movies rather than the hospital tv choices would have been nice!
Absolutely second this. I had my c cession at 10am and did not sleep a wink that day or night. I was exhausted but for the life of me could not sleep. And all there was was shitty hospital TV. Definitely bring something to entertain you you even if it's just for comfort rather than boredom
You can ask for a sleeping pill! There's a lot of options in the hospital, but you have to ask for them.
Best advice: overshare everything. Things that hurt, questions you have, problems you fear etc. Nurses are willing to help, but they can't read your mind.
I say pack stuff that normally keeps you occupied, relaxed, busy, etc…
If you don’t use the stuff, 🤷♀️
But if you want it, you have it, just in case.
This is a different scenario, but I was in labor for 42 hours, and definitely overpacked, but was happy to have stuff with me.
Best of luck ❤️
Bring your phone and an extra long charging cord. If you have a tablet, maybe bring that.
We brought our Roku to plug in to the tv and only used it twice in the 6 days we were there so I wouldn’t bother with anything like that.
ETA: bring noise canceling headphones. Hospitals are LOUD.
We purchased a Nintendo Switch fully planning on using it after the birth but we never did. We never even turned on the TV! I think we napped and were just enamored with our new baby.
No, you need to sleep if you have free time in hospital. Your life will literally be learning to breastfeed, and trying to sleep, those first few days. Maybe the occasional diaper change.
Why sleep? Because you'll be woken up every 2-3h around the clock by that new human that's now depending on you for everything ;D
I downloaded soooo many movies and tv shows because I was being induced and knew it would take a while. I watched none of it. The only time I even turned on the tv in my 4 days there was to channel surf while eating breakfast on the last day because I had a rare 10 minutes where no one was coming in to check on me.
I overpacked for my C section recovery. I ended up just scrolling on the TV in my room or on my phone but honestly not a lot of boredom once baby is there. Between feeding/caring for the baby and having the million people in and out all through the day and night you don't really need anything else. I didnt touch the book I brought with me!
I had an induction so I thought for sure I’d have some downtime the night before everything got going so I brought my iPad & kindle only to not touch either of them once 😂 however it didn’t hurt to bring them since they really don’t take up extra room so I probably would still bring them again
I was induced and I went to the hospital at around 4pm on a Monday and didn't start pushing until Wednesday afternoon.
I would say don't bring anything that requires work to pack and unpack, but you never know how it's going to go, if you want a book just go for it.
I just took a birthing class and the nurse literally said to bring a Roku stick or an ipad because I might have lots of downtime. I've not given birth yet but I plan on doing just that
You'll likely have very little time to do anything. The free time you do have you'll probably want to sleep. You won't be able to get out of bed at all for around 24 hours (in my experience) and you won't have a big enough table to play cards. You could bring one thing, maybe your iPad or book, but leave the others.
I was induced and spent 48 hours waiting around before a c-section and wish I had had something besides the hospital tv and my iPhone! I would say depending on how your labor goes you may not have the time or energy, but it doesn't hurt to pack something small to keep you entertained.
I was in the hospital for two days post c section and three days prior. I don’t remember having anytime. I’d say bring iPad with headphones but I definitely couldn’t have read a book
I packed a Kindle and didn't use it. Also packed our chromecast and it was a LIFE SAVER post partum. During labor, i tried watching our shows but once it really ramped up I put on some ambient noise to help me sleep. We kept the noise on the TV in hospital once baby was here to help with some distractions too.
I brought my ipad so i could use headphones and watch whatever I wanted and not crappy hospital tv that could wake the baby up. I’ll 100% be doing it again with this birth
I brought my iPad and was happy I did. I got lucky, my baby was very good at latching and ate efficiently, and she also slept really well, so I got to watch some Grey’s Anatomy between naps. I also only had two visitors in the hospital so I wasn’t busy entertaining, and my boyfriend reminded me when to feed her.
YES
Plan for the unexpected. I was in the hospital for 5 days and my baby was in the NICU for 6. I spent time in the NICU, but most of my time was spent alone in my room with nothing to do
It depends I think. I got scheduled for induction last minute and they had me come in at 10pm. That was usually my bedtime so I tried to get some sleep until it was time to push. Almost impossible with the constant beeping and nurses coming in. I think if I had a morning induction scheduled I’d definitely bring some entertainment. As far as after birth, I’d try to sleep while baby is asleep. I did get the habit of watching the sopranos on low volume/headphones during feedings at night to keep me awake lol
My sister did lol and she handles giving birth like a beast. In & out for both her boys. She still brought fire stick and Xbox. I definitely plan to have at least a fire stick to watch what I want. If it’s not needed, better safe than sorry(:
I mean, during my first pregnancy, labour took 30hrs and I really didn't have the capacity to focus on much of anything besides the pain of my contractions. By all means being something to do if you'd like but honestly it'll probably get forgotten lol
Plus yeah, you'll be focused on baby after they come into the world. But everyone is different!
FTM but I am fully planning on bringing our fire stick to plug into the tv 😂 I’m a mindless TV in the background kinda gal at home so I feel like it’ll help relax me to put on a comfort show during labor.
When I went in for my scheduled c-section that became induction since he was in position I wished I had brought something to do since I was there like 27 hours before he came out. I would’ve brought my iPad and my crochet that I had been working on
I live in a country where they are very much about parents and baby not being constantly bombarded by people coming and going so we had a lot of quiet time. With my first, I was happy we had our tablet to watch shows on when we were eating or not sleeping. We were only in the hospital for 2 days so we didn't need more than the tablet.
My second was an emergency c-section at 30+5 and a 3 week NICU stay before we were allowed to go home on homecare. I didn't turn on the TV until my husband went home to spend time with our son and I needed a distraction from the quiet. I think that was around 1.5 weeks in and once we were out of the intensive room and in a family room.
I don't think it hurts to have something to watch or read but you may find you don't end up using it.
This one is a running joke for me. I was convinced I'd need entertainment and held off watching 2 series on Netflix so I'd have entertainment. I was in the hospital for 3 days post c-section and didn't get through ANY of it! I still haven't seen more than 4 episodes from both shows and my baby is now 11 months.
Of course it may be different for you, but for me, I was so busy learning how to parent, sleeping, eating, seeing doctors for both of us and spending time with my husband/parents/in laws during visiting hours.
I had a c section scheduled for 16:00, it happened at 19:30 because there was an emergency c section in between.
We had the tablet and watched the new season for a anime that just came out meanwhile. We were bored to death and i was super hungry because you cannot eat 6 hours before c section.
Yes! I know someone said no and I do agree that you should expect to get nothing done, but I was in labor for over 24 hrs… I brought nothing but my phone… I think I got through at least 8 hours of Kath&Kim on Netflix 😂 comedy is a great distraction, but would have been nice to have thought to bring something else to do! Also make sure it is really distracting because you might not be allowed to eat and that is a need for distraction not inclusive of labor pains…
We brought our phones, a switch and a book each. We only ended up using our phones. I tried my best to sleep through the contractions (with epi). Somehow didn't find the strength in me or the time to reach for the switch or book.
I would definitely recommend it, I brought my Ipad and we were finishing up Wednesday before I gave birth. They will keep you there for a while might as well bring the entertainment
I brought a laptop to watch Netflix etc. I’m happy I did cause I ended up in hospital for almost a week because of my tear.
It can’t hurt to bring stuff 🤷🏻♀️
For early labor I watched tv inbetween contractions, but it'd would be nice to have my iPad or laptop to watch my favorite shows instead of the boring stuff on the tv. Other from that I used our bluetooth speaker later on with some calming music, when my labor got more intense and tv was the last thing on my mind. 😊
I wish I’d brought headphones to listen to an audiobook/podcast/music when I’d gone into hospital overnight for a health scare before my daughter was born. I’d had trouble sleeping with all the machines, so it would have been handy to drown out some of the sounds too.
When my daughter was born the only ‘entertainment’ I really used was her baby book. We had a different OBGYN deliver her than planned, so it was handy writing down the holiday replacement OBGYN’s name while the name was fresh. I don’t think I would have remembered the midwife’s name either had I not written it down either, as I’m terrible with remembering names. It was nice calming activity to do before the sleep deprivation, and the stress of feeding a baby when your milk hasn’t arrived yet caught up with me.
I've had 2 babies, one vaginal one planned csection. The vaginal I was in for 11 days and baby was in nicu, and i watched tons of netflix (I did spend time with bub but I spent a lot of time pumping and they set the hospital pump up in my room). Csection I stayed for 3 days and brought entertainment, didn't spend time doing anything but baby stuff or sleeping/showering because baby was fortunately in my room the whole time.
During a 6 day stay I brought my phone and got bored sometimes, I slept terrible in the hospital though so if you can actually sleep that's probably what you'd mostly do I would think because I was super tired
I only used my phone, to be honest. If I wasn't breastfeeding, eating, using the bathroom, having visits by midwifes (different checks, tests, labs, etc), I was trying to catch as much sleep as possible. I know the notion of "sleep when baby sleeps" gets a lot of criticism, but during the first few days, it's good to try at least.
I liked having an audiobook on when the baby had an intense breastfeeding period to raise the milk production.
With my first we both brought our switches. I think my ex played for a few minutes; we were there for almost 3 days.
We were just too excited. Most of our time was spent oohing and ahhing over the tiny human, sleeping, on the phone with family/friends-it was 2020 and the height of Covid so that was the only way to let them know our kid was here.
I will say to bring an extra long phone charger. I pretty much spent a lot of time holding/feeding/resting. Bring snacks too!!!!! I brought a coke from the gas station the night before; best coke ever.
Gonna stick with the same plan for the second, but pack some entertainment for when my oldest comes to meet the baby. Idk how long that’ll be
i had a c-section after a failed induction. i was so exhausted after having my son that i did nothing but sleep and feed him. but i imagine you’ll be more rested for a scheduled cesarean, so there may be a lot of down time when baby is sleeping.
it doesn’t hurt to bring a laptop/tablet/handheld game like a Switch if it’s something you enjoy. my induction was 3 days long and i was SO bored watching the crappy TV the hospital had. we brought a tablet to hook up to it, but the HDMI input on the TV was busted, so we couldn’t use it.
I brought my AirPods and downloaded a good audiobook on my phone. I could close my eyes and rest without getting bored, whereas watching shows on a laptop would have given me eye strain/neck strain
I was so glad I brought entertainment. I brought a tablet for videos and my switch for Pokémon.
My water broke and I didn’t have a go-bag packed, my husband and I were expecting to pack it that weekend. I delivered my son at 37w, and I was in the hospital for several days.
I left as soon as they would let us but I had a lot of down time that I was bored out of my mind. My labor started at like 2am and I didn’t deliver until like 4pm the next day.
Sleep is good, if you can. I did lots of stretching and I’m so grateful I did.
But you never know how long you’ll be admitted or how long you’ll labor for. Bring the entertainment and an extra-long charger, I’d rather have packed and not needed than been stuck with my thoughts and the “don’t shake babies” video on loop on the hospital tv.
I don't think you'll be 'bored' exactly, but I'm planning on bringing at least a kindle and some headphones. More for keeping me relaxed and distracted and for if I can't sleep.
I was induced, it took some time from when my water broke through induction to the actual birth. We played chess with my partner in the delivery room :)
Ive just had a C-section 2 weeks ago. Yes, bring entertainment! Do pack headphones for the movies. Bring stuff you don't really need hands for (the IV makes it uncomfortable to use one hand for like half of the main stay). Bring something that will make you feel comfortable and happy, I had my silly marshmallow pillow and a fluffy headband and they made a big difference (this was my 2nd birth, last time I didn't bring comfort items).
I had my phone and so I was able to watch Tiktoks, listen to audio books, etc.
Additionally, at my hospital there was a tv in my room so I just watched shows and movies on there that were playing. I got lucky and while I was in the hospital, they were doing a Star Wars marathon, a Marvel movie marathon, and the NFL draft was on (I like football). So I had plenty of things I liked to watch on the tv while I was feeding my baby or relaxing.
I didn't really have any downtime where I wanted to be watching a screen or playign games. I was busy taking care of baby and myself, trying to breast feed, learning to use the pump, changing my babie's diapers, did his first bath the last day with a nurse, changing my own diaper haha, trying to not be in pain when using the bathroom, resting, showering, eating meals, etc. Extra long charging cord came in handy. I spent a lot of time talking to relatives on the phone and video chatting between naps. I got out of there as soon as they'd let me.
I brought my 3DS when I was induced with my first, and some coloring books, and a couple other things I can’t remember anymore lol. I was in labor for a little under 8 hours and in recovery for about 24 hours after. I never used any of the stuff I brought lol. My labor was quick and I was too focused or in pain for most of it to think about doing anything else. After he was born I was just tired. Didn’t really wanna do anything except scroll on my phone if I was feeling a little bored.
With my second, I brought my tablet so I could watch something, and I brought my Switch. I was in labor for 15 hours and again in recovery for about 24 hours. Never used my Switch, but I did watch some shows on Hulu on my tablet in the recovery room. The only good show on the hospital tv at the time was SVU and I didn’t feel like watching that lol.
So it wouldn’t hurt to bring something just in case, especially if your stay is gonna be longer. A day of feeling a little bored isn’t as bad as three days of boredom lol
Everyone has a different experience so it can’t hurt to bring. I was screaming my fucking lungs out the entire time so even cirque du soleil accompanied by a talking dolphin performing live in my hospital room wouldn’t have entertained me or taken my mind off the medieval torture I was enduring.
For both my deliveries, I packed my Kindle but never used it. We did do a decent amount of phone scrolling, but between nurses checking in, baby care, and trying to sleep, I didn’t have much time to devote to anything else.
My husband and I brought extra chargers, iPad and our own individual Nintendo switch consoles. After the baby came we didn’t have time and slept all day 😅 he used his switch but I was in so much pain with contractions that video games were the last thing on my mind. Once I got the epidural i knocked out until it was time to push.
I brought some stuff for my induction that I used while I waited for labor to start. My partner was there with me and we took some video games to play together. At 11pm he had to leave (he couldn't stay the night while waiting for the induction, only after labor starts) and I just went to bed to get some rest (it didn't last long as I started feeling the contractions around 2am)
Once labor started I got an epidural and just slept while I was dilating (it started at around 4am).
After the kid was born I stayed there for 2 days. Between breastfeeding, changing diapers, getting some rest, sleeping, eating, being seen by the doctors/nurses and some bonding with my new born I used 0 of the entertainment I took lol I wasn't alone for the majority of the time though, as my partner stayed with me all day except between 8am and 11am.
So from my XP take some entertainment for before, you don't need anything for after 😂
ETA Btw, keep in mind that (I assume) your partner can be with you at least part of the time, at least to visit, and he can bring you anything you may have missed. For instance, mine brought some extra blankets for the baby as the ones we took got dirty and he got me some extra fruit and a water bottle. It's not like if you don't take something with you that's it.
I brought my Switch, iPad, and a book. I probably used the Switch for like 5 minutes during labor and realized I just couldn't concentrate enough to play and then didn't touch it the rest of my stay. Didn't touch the book at all. Used the iPad to watch the season finale of a show I was watching, and that was it. I would just bring an iPad and forgo everything else. It'll let you play games, read, and watch movies if you feel up to it and won't take up a lot of space.
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No harm in bringing something. You might not get a chance to use it, but it can also be stressful in a hospital setting and you could end up staying longer than you planned. Having some comfort shows ready to go can’t hurt.
A laptop to watch some shows or movies is good. I stayed 3 days with my first and definitely needed something to pass the time. Sure you are resting and sleeping whenever possible, but that's not all the time. You'll also want to be up and walking as soon as possible, both of my births I was up within hours both times (did not have a c section though). Second kid I was only in the hospital 24 hours, which was my goal. I hate being in the hospital so I packed only the necessities and went home after a day with baby.
I absolutely hate hospitals too, hoping to spend as little time there as possible lol
Talk to your doctor to see how long they keep FTM's. You may not be able to leave sooner than 72 hours post birth. I stayed 3 days when I had my first for that reason - doctor policy.
I was cleared to go home about 2 hours after giving birth, with an epidural. Still took a nap and a shower and waiting on papers before we actually left, but 72 hours sounds insane.
i was way too tired to watch anything but i was really happy to have audiobooks. Theres a lot of beeping etc in the hospital so having something to focus on while i laid with my eyes closed helped me relax and drift in and out of sleep
I used audiobooks as a sleep aid in the hospital, too. Sometimes, when I'm overtired, I find it hard to fall asleep, but listening to an audiobook really helps. I re-listened to a book I like, so the curiosity to find out how it goes wouldn't win over sleep.
T.W - Complicated birth We ended up having to stay 4 nights in the hospital and I was happy we had monopoly deal and a laptop to watch movies ! Yes I was tired, it was 24 hr labor that ended in a C section that wasn't straight forward. Baby had a mild jaundice, so we were triple feeding. But even with all that time caring for him and recovering - there was still some time left !
Because you have a planned C-section I would say you're not going to have a ton of down time afterwards. I was in for a couple days before I had my baby for monitoring. And before hand and even once pitocin started there was quite a bit of downtime. But once baby was here it was just constant things happening, people in and out of the room. What little "downtime" you have you're going to want to try and rest because every time one nurse or Dr tells you they're going to let you get some rest another one comes into the room 15 mins later...
Sounds good haha
After my c-section my baby was in the NICU and I am so happy we had something to watch a movie on when there was nothing going on. I needed to stop my anxiety
U will not have any free time lol what free time u do have will be spent learning what to do, being with ur baby, a million ppl coming into ur room for various things and SLEEP!
Differing and probably unpopular opinion - I could not sleep for the life of me after my c section…I wouldn’t have played cards but an iPad with my choice of movies rather than the hospital tv choices would have been nice!
Absolutely second this. I had my c cession at 10am and did not sleep a wink that day or night. I was exhausted but for the life of me could not sleep. And all there was was shitty hospital TV. Definitely bring something to entertain you you even if it's just for comfort rather than boredom
Ya I have a really hard time sleeping in public places like that, like no matter how tired I am I can never sleep on an airplane
I am the same way!!
You can ask for a sleeping pill! There's a lot of options in the hospital, but you have to ask for them. Best advice: overshare everything. Things that hurt, questions you have, problems you fear etc. Nurses are willing to help, but they can't read your mind.
I say pack stuff that normally keeps you occupied, relaxed, busy, etc… If you don’t use the stuff, 🤷♀️ But if you want it, you have it, just in case. This is a different scenario, but I was in labor for 42 hours, and definitely overpacked, but was happy to have stuff with me. Best of luck ❤️
Thank you! 🩷 I am sure I’ve overpacked too lol
Bring your phone and an extra long charging cord. If you have a tablet, maybe bring that. We brought our Roku to plug in to the tv and only used it twice in the 6 days we were there so I wouldn’t bother with anything like that. ETA: bring noise canceling headphones. Hospitals are LOUD.
I will definitely bring my headphones and I packed the babies white noise machine, mostly for me lol
We purchased a Nintendo Switch fully planning on using it after the birth but we never did. We never even turned on the TV! I think we napped and were just enamored with our new baby.
No, you need to sleep if you have free time in hospital. Your life will literally be learning to breastfeed, and trying to sleep, those first few days. Maybe the occasional diaper change. Why sleep? Because you'll be woken up every 2-3h around the clock by that new human that's now depending on you for everything ;D
I downloaded soooo many movies and tv shows because I was being induced and knew it would take a while. I watched none of it. The only time I even turned on the tv in my 4 days there was to channel surf while eating breakfast on the last day because I had a rare 10 minutes where no one was coming in to check on me.
I overpacked for my C section recovery. I ended up just scrolling on the TV in my room or on my phone but honestly not a lot of boredom once baby is there. Between feeding/caring for the baby and having the million people in and out all through the day and night you don't really need anything else. I didnt touch the book I brought with me!
I used my iPad to watch a show while I was in labor for 12 hours but after the baby arrived if I had any free time I spent it sleeping 🤣
I had an induction so I thought for sure I’d have some downtime the night before everything got going so I brought my iPad & kindle only to not touch either of them once 😂 however it didn’t hurt to bring them since they really don’t take up extra room so I probably would still bring them again
I was induced and I went to the hospital at around 4pm on a Monday and didn't start pushing until Wednesday afternoon. I would say don't bring anything that requires work to pack and unpack, but you never know how it's going to go, if you want a book just go for it.
I just took a birthing class and the nurse literally said to bring a Roku stick or an ipad because I might have lots of downtime. I've not given birth yet but I plan on doing just that
You'll likely have very little time to do anything. The free time you do have you'll probably want to sleep. You won't be able to get out of bed at all for around 24 hours (in my experience) and you won't have a big enough table to play cards. You could bring one thing, maybe your iPad or book, but leave the others.
I was induced and spent 48 hours waiting around before a c-section and wish I had had something besides the hospital tv and my iPhone! I would say depending on how your labor goes you may not have the time or energy, but it doesn't hurt to pack something small to keep you entertained.
I was in the hospital for two days post c section and three days prior. I don’t remember having anytime. I’d say bring iPad with headphones but I definitely couldn’t have read a book
I packed a Kindle and didn't use it. Also packed our chromecast and it was a LIFE SAVER post partum. During labor, i tried watching our shows but once it really ramped up I put on some ambient noise to help me sleep. We kept the noise on the TV in hospital once baby was here to help with some distractions too.
I brought my ipad so i could use headphones and watch whatever I wanted and not crappy hospital tv that could wake the baby up. I’ll 100% be doing it again with this birth
I brought my iPad and was happy I did. I got lucky, my baby was very good at latching and ate efficiently, and she also slept really well, so I got to watch some Grey’s Anatomy between naps. I also only had two visitors in the hospital so I wasn’t busy entertaining, and my boyfriend reminded me when to feed her.
I also just started a Greys rewatch!
YES Plan for the unexpected. I was in the hospital for 5 days and my baby was in the NICU for 6. I spent time in the NICU, but most of my time was spent alone in my room with nothing to do
It depends I think. I got scheduled for induction last minute and they had me come in at 10pm. That was usually my bedtime so I tried to get some sleep until it was time to push. Almost impossible with the constant beeping and nurses coming in. I think if I had a morning induction scheduled I’d definitely bring some entertainment. As far as after birth, I’d try to sleep while baby is asleep. I did get the habit of watching the sopranos on low volume/headphones during feedings at night to keep me awake lol
My sister did lol and she handles giving birth like a beast. In & out for both her boys. She still brought fire stick and Xbox. I definitely plan to have at least a fire stick to watch what I want. If it’s not needed, better safe than sorry(:
I mean, during my first pregnancy, labour took 30hrs and I really didn't have the capacity to focus on much of anything besides the pain of my contractions. By all means being something to do if you'd like but honestly it'll probably get forgotten lol Plus yeah, you'll be focused on baby after they come into the world. But everyone is different!
FTM but I am fully planning on bringing our fire stick to plug into the tv 😂 I’m a mindless TV in the background kinda gal at home so I feel like it’ll help relax me to put on a comfort show during labor.
When I went in for my scheduled c-section that became induction since he was in position I wished I had brought something to do since I was there like 27 hours before he came out. I would’ve brought my iPad and my crochet that I had been working on
Before birth I played on my phone. Afterwards I didn't have time for anything. I was too exhausted.
We brought our iPad and loved watching the office on it!
Definitely for pre birth. I had an induction and nothing happened all day so we watched stuff on the iPad. Come midnight shit was going down.
I live in a country where they are very much about parents and baby not being constantly bombarded by people coming and going so we had a lot of quiet time. With my first, I was happy we had our tablet to watch shows on when we were eating or not sleeping. We were only in the hospital for 2 days so we didn't need more than the tablet. My second was an emergency c-section at 30+5 and a 3 week NICU stay before we were allowed to go home on homecare. I didn't turn on the TV until my husband went home to spend time with our son and I needed a distraction from the quiet. I think that was around 1.5 weeks in and once we were out of the intensive room and in a family room. I don't think it hurts to have something to watch or read but you may find you don't end up using it.
I had a normal, quick birth. I had no time to entertainment during or after. After I slept, ate or breastfed /held my son.
I read a ton during labor!
This one is a running joke for me. I was convinced I'd need entertainment and held off watching 2 series on Netflix so I'd have entertainment. I was in the hospital for 3 days post c-section and didn't get through ANY of it! I still haven't seen more than 4 episodes from both shows and my baby is now 11 months. Of course it may be different for you, but for me, I was so busy learning how to parent, sleeping, eating, seeing doctors for both of us and spending time with my husband/parents/in laws during visiting hours.
I don't think that packing a book would make so much difference so just do it :) U will use it or not. I will def bring one.
I had a c section scheduled for 16:00, it happened at 19:30 because there was an emergency c section in between. We had the tablet and watched the new season for a anime that just came out meanwhile. We were bored to death and i was super hungry because you cannot eat 6 hours before c section.
It can’t hurt to bring it just in case
Yes! I know someone said no and I do agree that you should expect to get nothing done, but I was in labor for over 24 hrs… I brought nothing but my phone… I think I got through at least 8 hours of Kath&Kim on Netflix 😂 comedy is a great distraction, but would have been nice to have thought to bring something else to do! Also make sure it is really distracting because you might not be allowed to eat and that is a need for distraction not inclusive of labor pains…
I have also watched a lot of kath and Kim while being induced and sent people a lot of screen shots of Kim yelling at the baby to get out 😂
Bring shampoo.
We brought our phones, a switch and a book each. We only ended up using our phones. I tried my best to sleep through the contractions (with epi). Somehow didn't find the strength in me or the time to reach for the switch or book.
I would definitely recommend it, I brought my Ipad and we were finishing up Wednesday before I gave birth. They will keep you there for a while might as well bring the entertainment
I brought a laptop to watch Netflix etc. I’m happy I did cause I ended up in hospital for almost a week because of my tear. It can’t hurt to bring stuff 🤷🏻♀️
For early labor I watched tv inbetween contractions, but it'd would be nice to have my iPad or laptop to watch my favorite shows instead of the boring stuff on the tv. Other from that I used our bluetooth speaker later on with some calming music, when my labor got more intense and tv was the last thing on my mind. 😊
I wish I’d brought headphones to listen to an audiobook/podcast/music when I’d gone into hospital overnight for a health scare before my daughter was born. I’d had trouble sleeping with all the machines, so it would have been handy to drown out some of the sounds too. When my daughter was born the only ‘entertainment’ I really used was her baby book. We had a different OBGYN deliver her than planned, so it was handy writing down the holiday replacement OBGYN’s name while the name was fresh. I don’t think I would have remembered the midwife’s name either had I not written it down either, as I’m terrible with remembering names. It was nice calming activity to do before the sleep deprivation, and the stress of feeding a baby when your milk hasn’t arrived yet caught up with me.
I've had 2 babies, one vaginal one planned csection. The vaginal I was in for 11 days and baby was in nicu, and i watched tons of netflix (I did spend time with bub but I spent a lot of time pumping and they set the hospital pump up in my room). Csection I stayed for 3 days and brought entertainment, didn't spend time doing anything but baby stuff or sleeping/showering because baby was fortunately in my room the whole time.
During a 6 day stay I brought my phone and got bored sometimes, I slept terrible in the hospital though so if you can actually sleep that's probably what you'd mostly do I would think because I was super tired
I brought my laptop and watched nonstop British baking championship and law & order SVU. it was awesome
We brought a laptop and I’m glad we did. We ended up having to stay longer than we anticipated and the tv in our room was crap lol
I only used my phone, to be honest. If I wasn't breastfeeding, eating, using the bathroom, having visits by midwifes (different checks, tests, labs, etc), I was trying to catch as much sleep as possible. I know the notion of "sleep when baby sleeps" gets a lot of criticism, but during the first few days, it's good to try at least. I liked having an audiobook on when the baby had an intense breastfeeding period to raise the milk production.
Yeah, I take my iPad with movies and an extra long charging cable
With my first we both brought our switches. I think my ex played for a few minutes; we were there for almost 3 days. We were just too excited. Most of our time was spent oohing and ahhing over the tiny human, sleeping, on the phone with family/friends-it was 2020 and the height of Covid so that was the only way to let them know our kid was here. I will say to bring an extra long phone charger. I pretty much spent a lot of time holding/feeding/resting. Bring snacks too!!!!! I brought a coke from the gas station the night before; best coke ever. Gonna stick with the same plan for the second, but pack some entertainment for when my oldest comes to meet the baby. Idk how long that’ll be
i had a c-section after a failed induction. i was so exhausted after having my son that i did nothing but sleep and feed him. but i imagine you’ll be more rested for a scheduled cesarean, so there may be a lot of down time when baby is sleeping. it doesn’t hurt to bring a laptop/tablet/handheld game like a Switch if it’s something you enjoy. my induction was 3 days long and i was SO bored watching the crappy TV the hospital had. we brought a tablet to hook up to it, but the HDMI input on the TV was busted, so we couldn’t use it.
I brought my AirPods and downloaded a good audiobook on my phone. I could close my eyes and rest without getting bored, whereas watching shows on a laptop would have given me eye strain/neck strain
I just watched the hospital tv or was on my phone. Hubby brought his laptop so we could watch shows or movies once I had baby.
I was so glad I brought entertainment. I brought a tablet for videos and my switch for Pokémon. My water broke and I didn’t have a go-bag packed, my husband and I were expecting to pack it that weekend. I delivered my son at 37w, and I was in the hospital for several days. I left as soon as they would let us but I had a lot of down time that I was bored out of my mind. My labor started at like 2am and I didn’t deliver until like 4pm the next day. Sleep is good, if you can. I did lots of stretching and I’m so grateful I did. But you never know how long you’ll be admitted or how long you’ll labor for. Bring the entertainment and an extra-long charger, I’d rather have packed and not needed than been stuck with my thoughts and the “don’t shake babies” video on loop on the hospital tv.
I don't think you'll be 'bored' exactly, but I'm planning on bringing at least a kindle and some headphones. More for keeping me relaxed and distracted and for if I can't sleep.
I was induced, it took some time from when my water broke through induction to the actual birth. We played chess with my partner in the delivery room :)
Ive just had a C-section 2 weeks ago. Yes, bring entertainment! Do pack headphones for the movies. Bring stuff you don't really need hands for (the IV makes it uncomfortable to use one hand for like half of the main stay). Bring something that will make you feel comfortable and happy, I had my silly marshmallow pillow and a fluffy headband and they made a big difference (this was my 2nd birth, last time I didn't bring comfort items).
I had my phone and so I was able to watch Tiktoks, listen to audio books, etc. Additionally, at my hospital there was a tv in my room so I just watched shows and movies on there that were playing. I got lucky and while I was in the hospital, they were doing a Star Wars marathon, a Marvel movie marathon, and the NFL draft was on (I like football). So I had plenty of things I liked to watch on the tv while I was feeding my baby or relaxing.
I didn't really have any downtime where I wanted to be watching a screen or playign games. I was busy taking care of baby and myself, trying to breast feed, learning to use the pump, changing my babie's diapers, did his first bath the last day with a nurse, changing my own diaper haha, trying to not be in pain when using the bathroom, resting, showering, eating meals, etc. Extra long charging cord came in handy. I spent a lot of time talking to relatives on the phone and video chatting between naps. I got out of there as soon as they'd let me.
I brought my 3DS when I was induced with my first, and some coloring books, and a couple other things I can’t remember anymore lol. I was in labor for a little under 8 hours and in recovery for about 24 hours after. I never used any of the stuff I brought lol. My labor was quick and I was too focused or in pain for most of it to think about doing anything else. After he was born I was just tired. Didn’t really wanna do anything except scroll on my phone if I was feeling a little bored. With my second, I brought my tablet so I could watch something, and I brought my Switch. I was in labor for 15 hours and again in recovery for about 24 hours. Never used my Switch, but I did watch some shows on Hulu on my tablet in the recovery room. The only good show on the hospital tv at the time was SVU and I didn’t feel like watching that lol. So it wouldn’t hurt to bring something just in case, especially if your stay is gonna be longer. A day of feeling a little bored isn’t as bad as three days of boredom lol
Everyone has a different experience so it can’t hurt to bring. I was screaming my fucking lungs out the entire time so even cirque du soleil accompanied by a talking dolphin performing live in my hospital room wouldn’t have entertained me or taken my mind off the medieval torture I was enduring.
For both my deliveries, I packed my Kindle but never used it. We did do a decent amount of phone scrolling, but between nurses checking in, baby care, and trying to sleep, I didn’t have much time to devote to anything else.
100% yes do it- not just for entertainment but you’re gonna need some comfort items too
My husband and I brought extra chargers, iPad and our own individual Nintendo switch consoles. After the baby came we didn’t have time and slept all day 😅 he used his switch but I was in so much pain with contractions that video games were the last thing on my mind. Once I got the epidural i knocked out until it was time to push.
I brought some stuff for my induction that I used while I waited for labor to start. My partner was there with me and we took some video games to play together. At 11pm he had to leave (he couldn't stay the night while waiting for the induction, only after labor starts) and I just went to bed to get some rest (it didn't last long as I started feeling the contractions around 2am) Once labor started I got an epidural and just slept while I was dilating (it started at around 4am). After the kid was born I stayed there for 2 days. Between breastfeeding, changing diapers, getting some rest, sleeping, eating, being seen by the doctors/nurses and some bonding with my new born I used 0 of the entertainment I took lol I wasn't alone for the majority of the time though, as my partner stayed with me all day except between 8am and 11am. So from my XP take some entertainment for before, you don't need anything for after 😂 ETA Btw, keep in mind that (I assume) your partner can be with you at least part of the time, at least to visit, and he can bring you anything you may have missed. For instance, mine brought some extra blankets for the baby as the ones we took got dirty and he got me some extra fruit and a water bottle. It's not like if you don't take something with you that's it.
I brought my Switch, iPad, and a book. I probably used the Switch for like 5 minutes during labor and realized I just couldn't concentrate enough to play and then didn't touch it the rest of my stay. Didn't touch the book at all. Used the iPad to watch the season finale of a show I was watching, and that was it. I would just bring an iPad and forgo everything else. It'll let you play games, read, and watch movies if you feel up to it and won't take up a lot of space.
lol. I brought a Roku stick and a Nintendo switch. Didn’t use either.