Once you get it out what do you do with the baby? In particular...

[mameulah]

...what do you pack for the baby in hospital?

This may seem really obvious but I just don't know. Last year we suffered a missed miscarriage so, despite being 35 +4, I don't think I have my head round the fact that all going well we will soon have a baby to look after. To me this really is all about being pregnant. But what do you need to pack for the baby?

nappies, a packet of vests, a packet of babygros, a hat, a cardigan, socks, a blanket. Milk and bottle if you need it.

Sorry to hear about the miscarriage.

There is a mn page somewhere about hospital bag.

Vests (do up between the legs with poppers), sleepsuits (all in one things), nappies, cute little hat.

Put first outfit in a ziplock bag so its all there ready when mw says its time.

Know that vests have such wide necks so if they poo everywhere you can pull it down rather than over their heads - did not know this til the other day!

car seat!

Good luck for the birth - I'm 34+6 with DC2 and feel totally unprepared at the moment (despite having a lot from DD), so know where you're coming from!!

You will need;
*1 pack of newborn size 1 nappies (although don't buy LOADS of this size as baby might not be that small...)

*cotton wool for cleaning (although huggies do new 'cotton wool wipes' in their newborn starter pack from Asda that look like a good alternative)

*1 short-sleeved vest (with poppers between legs & a wide envelope neck to go over baby's head easily)

*1 sleepsuit/babygro (with poppers up the front - do NOT get one with only neck/bottom poppers, these are a nightmare, however cute the suit is!!)

*1 hat

*1 cardigan (just in case its chilly)

*possibly scratch mitts (but if you've got a nice sleeps with cuffs that fold over their hands, you won't need these)

*if you're not breastfeeding, formula etc.

*car seat

*blanket to take baby home in (and possibly use in their crib in hospital)

I think they're the essentials. All else you can wait and see - Amazon is pretty good for baby stuff & do next day delivery if you need something urgently!!

All the best :)

Thank you everyone for your support and help. I am really lucky because my Mum and Dad have got a lot of this under control but I think there are a couple things that we still need to get. I really appreciate you all taking the time to help me. Thanks!

Disposable changing mats. Not very eco friendly but incredibly useful as you will be changing the baby either on top of the hospital bed or in the cot, so if there are any accidents you will need to find staff to get clean sheets etc. You can reuse until they get exploded upon too
A little tupperware /food carton with a lid to put water in for the cotton wool.
Zinc & castor oil cream from Boots. You'll get lots of people who will tell you it is not necessary to use anything but a little bit rubbed in will help avoid nappy rash if you do have to resort to wipes to get the meconium off. I used the little pot of Sudocrem that came in a Bounty bag of crap and it was useless.

Oh - leave nail clippers at home. MN is full of people including me who balked at the idea of chewing off their babies nails and then clipped the top off one of their tiny little fingers.

Lots of "1"'s here in terms of quantities. No guarantee you will be leaving quickly and babies like to puke. I'd pack a minimum of three vests and babygros [def one clear set in plastic for your DH to fish out without rummaging for hours], and have a few more in a second bag at home ready to go in case of a longer stay.
Oh - the baby will definitely need spare change for the vending machine.

Don't assume newborn babygro's etc will fit - my ds couldn't stretch out properly because he was too big