Daunting isn't it? Trying to make sure you've thought of everything you need to put in your hospital bag. Here's what worked for me...
There seems to be a joyful flurry of bumps and babies at the moment and I’ve found myself being asked by a number of people what I had in my hospital bag. This is something I remember extensively Goggling in the later stages of pregnancy so I thought I’d share the list of what I took. Take what you think sounds useful to you and ignore the rest – which, come to think of it, is a useful thing to remember when faced with other people’s opinions and advice…of which there seems to be a lot from the minute you become pregnant!
Anyway…hospital bag: stuff for me - split into ‘things needed for labour’ and ‘things needed once baby has arrived’...
Things I found useful for pre-birth & labour:
A dark coloured nighty – I went for a comfortable, stretchy cotton number (I’ve got quite sensitive skin so cotton is always a win for me) and it also had buttons down the front as I was hoping to try breastfeeding and this meant I didn’t have to take layers off
Dressing gown
Slip-on slippers that you can get on your feet without having to bend down and use your hands
Bed socks (hello permanently cold feet!) as well as normal socks
Phone and tablet + charger
Lip balm – a) I can’t seem to go half an hour without needing it, b) if you used gas and air while you’re in labour then it can dry out your lips
Magazine/book in case you’ve got time (my husband chose a word puzzles type book that was so bloomin hard let’s just say it wasn’t the calming distraction I was hoping for! Choose wisely.)
TENS machine
Snacks and drinks - I personally didn't feel like eating while I was in labour but I did make my way through several bottles of raspberry Lucozade!
Water bottle
A straw to put in bottles or cups so that I didn’t have to sit quite so upright to drink
What I needed straight after our baby was born:
Giant cotton granny pants, the biggest, comfiest you can find. Dark coloured and comfort is key!
Nursing bra – I went for soft, pull-on style for comfort and ease of use
Sanitary towels – again, big and comfy (there’s a theme here!)
An old, dark-coloured towel
Wash bag with shower gel, toothbrush, deodorant, hair ties…all the usual wash bag-y bits
More snacks!
And drinks. Water + whatever else you fancy (within reason!)
Comfy clothes to come home in. I went for soft joggers, a strappy vest top and a button-down soft shirt (comfy round the tummy and possible to breastfeed in)
Things for the babe:
For me, packing baby's stuff in a separate bag made it is easier to find what I was looking for quicker and easier for your partner to find too. For our baby we packed:
Newborn sleepsuits, washed
Newborn vests, washed
We didn’t bring a hat but a knitted hospital hat was put on our baby’s head so maybe stick a hat in your bag!
Muslins
Nappies – size 1 fit our 9.5 lb baby! (we started with Pampers but found Aldi own-brand to be just as good.)
Nappy cream -sudocrem
Wipes - water wipes
Nappy bags
Blanket, washed
Formula + bottle (in case breastfeeding just wasn’t happening for me)
Car seat. Definitely don’t forget the car seat
For our second baby we had the Snuggleband feeding armband from day one, ready for comfortable feeding whether I was going to breastfeed or bottle feed. (He ended up being a home birth but I still had a hospital bag packed...a blog for another day maybe!)
For our first baby I had my bags packed and ready for 37 weeks so when she arrived 15 days after her due date I had already done at least one ‘double check’ of what I’d packed! In hindsight I wish I’d written a list and left it in with my packed bags to save me rummaging through everything.
Prioritise comfort for you and your baby!
More than anything, make sure you have all that you need to make labour and the first few hours, days and weeks with your baby as comfortable as possible. A Snuggleband provides comfort for you and your baby whilst breast or bottle feeding and provides comfort and support whether you're at home or out and about.
Happy packing!
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