Query about stuff to take to hospital

[Noodella18]

Ok, so I'm a bit confused about a couple of things.

1. I want to breastfeed, but I know some women find it hard to begin with and it might be necessary to top up with formula until things get established. Should I be taking formula, bottles, sterliser etc, or does the hospital provide that if necessary?

2. Ditto nipple shields - apparently they can help at the beginning, do I take them with me? Do I need to take a steriliser to sort them out between feeds?

3. Baby clothes - obviously I will be taking a few babygrows etc in various sizes, but on One Born Every Minute you see the MWs stick a hat and things on the baby as soon as they pop out and the clothes get blood and gubbins all over them. At what point does the baby get cleaned up? !It sounds silly, but do I need to be taking some extra baby clothes that I don't mind getting trashed?! Also, how about bedding, do I take a baby sleeping bag with me or will they provide sheets and blanket? (I have to stay at least 24 hours after the birth because of meds that I'm on, so will definitely be spending a night there.)

Sorry if these sound silly! Any advice gratefully received.

You don’t need to take formula, they will provide this if needed. I wouldn’t worry about nipple shields at first either as you may not need them (I never did). Bedding for the baby is provided.

As for clothes, I hate to break it to you but they will all get trashed! Babies vomit and nappies leak, generally it all washes out quite easily though and they grow out of the newborn clothes pretty quickly anyway. I would suggest just taking a couple of packs of vests and sleepsuits plus a hat and cardigan for the journey home. It’s worth taking a couple of plastic bags as well to put the dirty stuff in, then it’s easy to sling it in the washing machine when you get home.

I needed some forumla at the beginning as my milk didn’t come in and the hospital provided everything I needed. I wouldn’t automatically try nipple shields, I have been using them for 6 weeks and they do make a bit of a stick for your back. Try to establish without.

I would just take about 4-6 vests and sleepsuits plus a couple of hats in different sizes. None of my baby clothes were messed up... as soon as he was born he was wrapped in a towel and he remained like that for a few hours with a hat and nappy.

I would take a couple of comfy baby blankets as the towels at the hospital aren’t very cosy.

I'd recommend taking in the little bottles of aptimal with the sterilised teats already attached. My hospital only gave out a little formula for breastfeeding mothers only. The baby was still hungry so we were able to top up ourselves without having to wait on a midwife. They were great to have at home to top up the baby as well whilst my supply established itself.

www.boots.com/aptamil-1-first-milk-starter-pack-ready-to-feed-6x70ml-10175040

I had to use a breastpump and they provided a bucket of that sterilising solution for me but I agree those starter packs of formula are a lot easier for a quick top up

My hospital provided formula for women who were trying to breastfeed but struggling- they only need a tiny amount at first anyway.

I'd take a few outfits! Ideally baby isn't wiped/cleaned for a couple of hours so you can snuggle them and they can get all the goodness from the gunk (there's science behind it!) but then they'll get gently wiped and dressed.

Good luck!

Not all hospitals will provide formula. My friends who've given birth at the hospital I will have told me they had to send out husbands to get some.

The reason not all hospitals will provide formula is that it's against all sensible advice re establishing breastfeeding. The problem is when the hospitals don't also have good support for said breastfeeding...

Nipple shields just need to be washed in hot soapy water. The Mandela ones are good but make sure you get the right size for your nipples.

Don’t take formula if you want to breastfeed.

Nipple shields don’t require sterilising. You only need to sterilise things that have formula on them, not breastmilk.

I’d take a 2-3 receiving blankets and 4 vests and sleepsuits. They’ll all get trashed so don’t get too attached to a specific one. They like you to have a hat on the baby for the first 48hrs.

Thanks so much everyone! That helps a lot :)

Great thread @Noodella18 I've been wondering some of this.

Is a hat season dependant? Baby due in June so not sure if I need one??

They put a hat on straight away, baby is likely to want to be all wrapped up and cosy after leaving the womb. My baby was born in May and it was warm but still got a hat on. I didn't take formula last time as I intended on breastfeeding. My ward was really busy and breastfeeding did not work but I didn't realise that until after we got home. I'm planning to buy one of those silicone pumps and a couple of empty bottles and also the pre made small aptamil bottles - they were super handy when we were out and about in an emergency for my baby. I would take nipple shields just in case, they don't take up much space.

Blankets, vests, sleepsuits. The ones that fasten down the front, not over the head and with in built scratch mitten cuffs. Nappies, waterwipes (they don't like you using wipes but cotton wool is a faff, the waterwipes are good for newborns).

I'm going to have to look back at my notes and have a think for my baby.

I had the same questions when I had my DD. She never wore a hat as it was so hot on the ward and she was born in the summer (she also had a full head of hair!). I think they like you to bring in your own blankets but I didn't have anything on me at all as my DH had left my bag in the car so they lent us one. I did skin to skin for a good hour or so to help establish breastfeeding anyway which gave him time to nip to the car.

I wondered whether I should take little pre-made formula with me despite planning to breastfeed but I didn't in the end. I never used breast shields but i'd definitely advise packing/buying some lanolin cream as your nipples could get quite sore at first (they don't for everyone though).

When I was struggling to breastfeed my daughter in the first week or two, they let me go in and use their hospital pump and I syringed some milk in to her mouth. She had tongue tie though and once that was fixed it got a lot easier.

Good luck and congratulations on your pregnancy : )