Delivery Bag - Definitive List

[Saoirse7]

Sorry this question gets asked all the time but I can't find a thread with a definitive answer. I have my hospital bag bag packed and I think I have the fairly extensive list covered.

What I am unsure of is what to pack in the 'post delivery' bag for me and baby. I am going to have a small separate bag that my husband can access quickly to take to the delivery and will contain what baby and I will need in recovery.

I'm just wary to ensure I have all I need due to the new regulations that you aren't able to leave the ward after you enter. Baby is due May time so unsure if climate will affect type of post birth clothes for it.

I'm thinking
For me:
PJs
Bra
Pants
Dressing Gown
Slippers
Maternity Pads

Baby:
Nappy size 1
Vest or sleep suit (which do I need and also long or short?)
Hat

Thanks in Advance

For baby you need short sleeve vest AND sleep suit. Obviously if it's a boiling day you don't put them in the sleep suit.

Flip flops for the shower. Disposable ones will suffice.

Not necessarily your main delivery bag, but I would hugely advise a FURTHER bag left at home/car/wherever for a longer stay.

My delivery bag/babies bag had enough for us for 3 days... I ended up staying in 7 nights due to EMCS and poor DH had to go home in a sleep deprived state looking for things.

For baby, a couple of short sleeved vest with a long sleeved sleep suit over the top and a blanket will be more than sufficient, plus a little hat. That really is all they need.

Snacks for you/husband.

Headphones in case you want to watch anything on your phone

Phone charger with a LONG lead as otherwise it won't reach behind the bed

Clothes for you that don't come around your waist, just in case of c section

The main priority is having stuff for you... the hospital have supplies of everything baby could possibly need if you forget.

Not to scaremonger but I would pack one bag for the labour, and one for a longer hospital stay just in case. You can keep the second one in the car, if you dont end up using it, no harm done.

They get you to dress the baby soon after it is born to keep it warm, you will need a long sleeved babygrow, vest and hat (I know it seems OTT in May but they had me do this in the heatwave in July last year!).

Unless you're predicted to have a whopper, take some things along in size 'tiny baby', my daughter was just over 6lb and newborn absolutely swamped her. If I remember correctly tiny baby fitted until she was about 8lb.

Make sure your pants are dark coloured big pants and a size or two bigger that you don't mind throwing in the bin. Even if you don't go up sizes you don't want anything that will rub you on possible C-section scars and you want to be able to bin them if you have leaks.

Absolutely second snacks - they kept forgetting to feed me!

Make sure you have some sugary drinks with a sports cap, Lucozade was my saviour afterwards as I had completely underestimated how much you sweat and I've just given birth in cold Feb! Plus they wanted to measure my first after birth wee in a time limit of a few hours so I needed hydration quick 🙈

I packed a few of everything as I wasn't sure what I'd need or how long I'd be staying:
Me
PJ's
Cosy socks and slippers
Vaseline for lips
Hair bobble, clips and brush
A cooling spray I had left over from holiday
Massive dark pants
Lots of maternity pads
A couple of changes of comfy dark clothes in case of leakage/longer stay
Shower gel / toothpaste
Plastic carrier bag to put ruined or dirty clothes in
Maternity bras (but found I didn't wear any until I had to go onto a ward for the day)
Sliders for shower

Baby
Packet of wipes (I was advised cotton wool is not the thing for first poos)
A few size 1 nappies
A couple of long sleeved sleepsuits and a few short sleeved vests to wear under
A hat (did get given one when he was first born but it was too small so we switched)
A warm blanket
Car seat (kept in the car until we needed it)

Thanks girls, I have a fair bit of what you have mentioned included. The biggest thing is that when you come in during active labour you can't return out for anything under current guidelines so I just have to ve prepared.

So essentially, I have my labour bag and my hospital stay bag ready.

It's the small bag of stuff I need post delivery/pre-recovery - if that makes any sense at all 🙈

Also due this week. Also been told no-one is allowed back in once they have left hospital ie Dh, so can't leave bag in car.

However, here they supply all nappies, clothing etc for baby. Plus towels, toiletries etc for Mother. So I have just been told to bring comfy clothes for me, going home outfit for baby and any snacks.

My bag basically contains snacks...

Cheap but massive black knickers are a must. I always got mine from Primark but obviously that’s closed so not sure what I’ll do this time around. Get those in at least one size up from your usual size. You need them to go high up incase you have a c-section and also just to keep the maternity pads in.

Boots maternity pads are best

Black pyjamas- definitely take a dark colour!

Dressing gown is a maybe for me, I’ve never really liked them

Slippers or flip flops /Birkenstock’s- whichever are more ‘you’

Snacks and drinks- NHS really don’t offer much!

A spare pillow- NHS only offer one really scratchy one

Nursing pillow- godsend

Toiletry bag filled with toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, face wipes, deodorant, lip balm and perhaps make up if that’s important to you.

Nursing bra, breast pads and nipple cream

Going home outfit

They do provide towels but not toiletries in either of the hospitals I have given birth in.

My midwife told me that whilst I won’t be able to leave the ward or anyone come in, they are allowing people to drop things off at reception if a longer stay is required. Might be worth asking the policy on this. She then advised leaving a secondary bag at home that’s pre-packed for a longer stay so someone can just pick it up and bring it to the hospital. Otherwise people were coming in packing for a week!

I gave birth the day before lockdown was announced and we found the following really worked (although it was inadvertently done!).

I had a me bag with maternity pads, PJ's, clothes (leggings, top, bra, big pants), toiletry bag, towel, iPad, chargers.

Then we had a baby bag: a few outfits (sleep suits and short sleeve vests) separated into large food bags so dad could pull them out easily, baby jacket, blanket, nappies, wipes.

And then we accidentally ended up taking a 'dad' bag, which had snacks and drinks.

Once I'd given birth and got all the necessary bits out of the way, I got changed into my PJs

Oops posted too soon!

Once I'd given birth I got changed into my PJs and cleared my bag of anything I didn't think I needed on the ward, moved some snacks and drinks into my bag and then dad took the 'dad' bag home with anything we didn't need.

It meant I didn't have things I'd used purely for delivery clogging up space and I felt more organised. :)

Thanks everyone, some great tips!