Hospital bags - Do I have everything?

[erised24]

I have 1 large bag for myself, a smaller backpack for baby and a suitcase for towels, toiletries and other random bits.

Things I have:

• 2 packs of 14 maternity pads
• a pack of disposable underwear
• huge underwear and 3 nursing bras
• long nightie to give birth in
• a few changes of clothes including shorts, vests etc and going home clothes
• sliders and flip flops
• robe/long cardigan
• hand sanitiser
• breast pads
• towels, toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, hair ties, deodorant, couple of flannels
• peri bottle
• phone charger
• earphones
• snacks

For baby:

• 4 vests
• 4 baby grows
• cellular blanket
• muslins
• one swaddle blanket
• hat
• first start milk just incase
• 10+ nappies
• pack of wipes

Not included bits for my husband in the list.

Extra drinks and snacks!

After my recent experience on the post natal ward I now advise other mums to take an eye mask. I found it very difficult to sleep with all the lights going on in the next bay/cubical so even when my baby I slept I’d didnt. Other than that it looks good!

I would also include ear plugs, just incase you end up with an induction and have multiple nights stay in hospital pre baby - this happened to me and I regretted not having them. Also nipple cream.

I'd also try and get it in less bags, in case you have to move to different rooms/wards - you don't want too much to lug about. I just had a travel suitcase.

I'd also take 2 hats. First one gets gooey.

Also second reducing your luggage if you can. It'll make things easier for when you move rooms/get discharged.

Yes to reducing luggage.

Also looooooads of snacks. I’m in for an induction now and I did not bring enough snacks.

Yes to eye mask

Puzzles or magazines or some other such distraction (can you tell I’m bored as well as hungry??!)

I'd take extra outfits & nappies for the baby - depending on how long you're in for you could easily get through 3-4 vests & baby grows per day.

I agree more baby clothes it only takes a few sick or poo explosions....Maybe a cardi or something to keep baby warm for when you leave hospital?

Oh and cotton wool for nappy changes wipes aren't great to use at first they usually give you a small bowl for warm water to use for cleaning them when changing.

Contents look great but as pps said can you get it into one suitcase? I brought a similar amount of stuff but it was all in one hand luggage size case. DH had his own backpack with stuff for himself.

Thanks everyone, will add the extra bit.

There's no way all of it will fit into one bag unfortunately...

Great list. Following x

They will have loads of hand sanitizer so you could take that out. I'd definitely add in eye mask, ear plugs and lip balm.

Nipple cream. I ended up buying one in desperation, for a ridiculous price, from a vending machine at the hospital in the middle of the night.

If you dont want to reduce what you take, split it so you have one bag for labour and first few hrs after birth, then 1 bag for 1 or 2 nights. DP can then take 1st bag home with the dirty clothes and towels etc so you have less to juggle in hospital. Honestly 3 bags is too much.

More baby clothes, more nappies. They get through them shockingly quickly

Similar to PP for my first I had a "labour bag" and a "ward bag" which seemed to work well - so you aren't having to ask people to rummage around both bags. I put everything I'd need for labour and babies first outfit /nappy etc in one smaller bag.
Second bag was a travel case which had one side with all babies things and one side with all my things.
I had a small tote bag with some snacks/charger too so that I could just fold that into case when snacks were done.
My wee one ended up jaundiced & we were in hosp from Saturday- Thursday so I needed to get OH to bring more stuff in which was a bit of a nightmare trying to describe where all my stuff was at home etc so I would recommend having a drawer/box of extra stuff at home that someone can access easily for anything additional you may need.
Also I put all of babies outfits into the large plastic Ikea bags - vest, sleepsuit, hat, nappy, socks - so I could just grab a bag and it had a full outfit in it and I didn't need to search around.
I'm 33 weeks today so going to pack mine for no. 2 in the next few weeks - you have a great list to remind me of everything I need!!

A big mug, their cups are regularly only a mouthful!

Great list indeed! These are always so helpful as a fellow FTM.

Been getting my bag ready too and just thought - do we need to take a travel changing mat?

x

I made up some full sugar squash in advance and kept them in the freezer. Grabbed them on my way to hospital and by that night I was so so grateful to my previous self! It was so hot, and I was so thirsty that their tiny lukewarm jugs of water just didn't cut it

@MamaBearThius I did exactly the same but with ribena (premade bottles) after reading the tip on here and it was absolute heaven!

Keep some money also, good for snacks. First pregnacy was a marathon and when everything is shut you never know when a vending machine might come in handy and the parking machine only accepts cash!

No need for a changing mat I don't think.

Lipbalm
Phone charger

For me magazines and books were a boredom saver, I was induced but had to stay in a couple of days because baby couldn't hold his own temperature and after guests had left and baby was sleeping I was bored out of my mind so got exDP to being in books, magazines and puzzle books. They don't go to waste either as I passed them along to other women on the ward once I left x