do I need a changing mat in the hospital?

[MrsCLH]

Trivial question but just sorting my hospital bag. Using changing bag for baby stuff and it has a matching mat in it. Would give me a lot more room if I could take it out and leave at home. Can I do without it in the hospital?

You won't need it in hospital. All changing is done in the fish tank cot, if any tar poo gets on the sheets, you can get clean ones. :)

In our hospital you weren't allowed to change baby in the cot, but each private room had it's own little changing station with a changing mat, sink etc and there were two at the end of each ward (only four beds to a ward).

I did mine on my bed on top if some muslins, but have put a travel mat in this time.

If it's just a thin fold up jobby, no harm in chucking it in - each hosp is different but ours had a nearby room with changing mats set out - you had to put blue roll on the mat first though.

was given these (or similar) in hospital

In the hospital where I had DC2 and DC3, you changed the baby on top of your bed so yes the change mat from the changebag was needed.