It's worth sorting out what you are likely to need during the labour. Remember, labour can last many hours and you may well get hungry and thirsty, as well as tired. You may need:

•   To wear layers of clothes that can be removed (it can be very hot in the labour suite)
•   Something to freshen yourself up with (such as a toothbrush and toothpaste)
•   Snacks and something to drink, although you might also want to visit the hospital cafe or vending machine to give yourself a break
•   Tapes and cassette player, or CD and CD player, to play the music that will help you and your partner through the labour
•   A camera to record the birth
•   Something to read or do: Scrabble, with double points for appropriate words like ‘contraction’, may be useful if nothing much is happening!
•   Plenty of change for the phone boxes - most hospitals don’t allow the use of mobile phones
•   A list of important phone numbers in priority order