Hospital bags what to pack?

[Youngmom21]

Just a very quick question of what to pack in your hospital bags? By this i mean one for baby and one for me. This is my second baby but due to the trumatic pregnancy situation and the post natal depression i have forgot about these moments. Im 36week so have ended up doing this a bit late 😅. Im due on the 8th of jan so very much a cold winter baby. My first baby was a summer baby so this is also why im struggling so much and the fact its been three years. I dont want to over pack but still would like to be prepared for at least a possible 2 nights stay incase. Any help and suggestions is very much appreciated.

I have so far packed:
A water bottle with a straw type thing
Snacks..obvs!
Lip balm
A flannel for my head
A nightie for giving birth in (with buttons for easy access to skin to skin)
Clean pjs for after.
Flip flops for shower
Track suit for going home
Maternity pads
Disposable underwear
Big black cotton underwear
Some post birth recovery bits like witch Hazel foam.
A charger with a long cord
Toiletries like toothbrush and toothpaste
Makeup

For baby:
Blanket
Swaddle
New born onsie but also a 0-3 in case they are bigger.
Some vests
Nappies
An outfit to come home in
Water wipes (or cotton wool)
Hat
Muslins
A mini white noise machine

Debating:
My own towel
Dressing gown.

I think this it so far! I am a first timer so not sure if this is overkill or if I am missing anything key :)

All of the above plus a hand held fan which saved my life I had the spritz for bitz which was great to put on the maternity pad. I also took 4 baby outfits (vest and sleepsuit). I would go for long sleeve vests in this weather. I packed a sleepsuit, vest, nappy and hat in a plastic wallet so that my partner just had to find one wallet and not faff looking for everything separately. I took 2 nighties to birth in and one for after - taking 2 came in handy as one got soaked!

@Jazz234 looks like you have everything covered. I took a going home outfit but left in my pjs because I couldn't be bothered to get changed

Hey! Good luck,

I agree all of the above but just incase your in longer and need more supplies like sanitary products/nappies etc... make sure someone knows where your things are at home and maybe get a few pairs of knickers/pj's/leggings out of the wardrobe just incase you have a bit of leaking after birth and someone needs to grab extra for you (saves them rooting through your draws and not knowing what to bring)

I'd also pack a couple of bags for life or a wet bag big enough for clothes incase they get soiled/wet saves you having to risk mixing up your laundry - the midwifes might have these but I asked for some and they were biodegradable upon moisture so not ideal.

Personally I wouldn't bother bringing a towel as they usually supply these and if you've got bleeding you won't want to reuse it anyway.
Deffo bring a dressing gown and fuzzy socks as it can get quite cold in hospital and the floors always freezing.

Best of luck xx 😃

My hospital was boiling! I laboured just in a bra top, water bottle is a must! Long phone charger, snacks.
outfits for baby, comfy clothes for after for you, I took a mini shampoo and conditioner to wash my sweaty hair after! Loads of pads.
large bath towel as hospital ones are tiny! Flip floors as my feet were massive after, trainers didn’t fit 😂

It looks good,

I think for previous 2DC I packed
3 nighties (incase I leaked or got vommed on)
Slippers
Comfies for going home (so joggers and a tshirt)
Brush
Flip flops
3 Flannels (so I could chuck one after I washed after birth)
Nipple cream/spritz bits ect
Pack of pads and disposable knickers
6 high waisted black knickers (again leaking)
I got travel sized shampoo, gel, toothpaste, new tooth brush ect and small face creams.
My own bottle and snacks

I did have essential oils and a diffuser too.

At least 6 vests and sleepsuits
3 Muslin cloths
Swaddle
Cotton wool for bum
Bum cream
Hat and mittens
Cardigan for home
Hand full of Nappies

I took trainers that just about fit lol but I had flip flops incase and I packed a towel but the midwife told me not to waste it (to be honest it was easier to not hang onto a wet towel) and a dressing gown, but it was too warm to wear.

One thing I will say is I had clean nighties, knickers, extra baby vests, suits and nappies in a carrier bag in the boot so if OH was stuck what to bring I had spares already packed to do a swap with dirty stuff.

I was so unprepared with my first but thankfully this made me so much more organised with my second. The things I would definitely recommend are,

Few pairs of pjs/nighties incase you're in for a few days
Plenty of black cotton underwear. I'd also suggest sizing up for comfort
Sanitary towels
Paracetamol and ibroprofen
Snacks
Water bottle
Phone charger
Dressing gown and slippers

Good luck and I hope everything goes perfect

These suggestions are so useful. Thanks so much and to OP for starting thread!

I second everything in this thread, but I would also pack some isotonic drinks (like lucosade sport) and I wish I had packed a bit of food other than snacks, as the food was quite bad in the hospital (how can you make chips inedible 😂) and I couldn’t eat it even though I was starving.

Sorry if this is a bit TMI, but I also wish I’d brought a small plastic jug with me. A bit of tepid water to pour on your bits when you have a wee stops it stinging if you’re sore.
On that note I would also pack a little bit of loo roll or some tissues to use in they only have the thin stuff.

Lanosin do a post birth wash bottle on amazon for £9.99. I didn't know this was a thing until I saw it on Instagram today 😅

I didn’t realise it was a thing either until a few days post birth out of desperation after several firey wees. I tell everyone now 😂

Second time here - all of the above are great ideas.
Also - leave a note out somehow so you don’t forget your colostrum on the day/night if you’ve harvested it.

I’ve also got in mine the ready to feed milk packs with the teats on. I went into hospital with nothing last time as wanted to BF. It didn’t work out and hospital would only provide us with 1 to show them he’d had something before discharge, wouldn’t allow us anymore to get us through the night, discharged us at 11.30pm so we had to rush to a 24 hour supermarket to get more at midnight with a newborn, in February 🙈

Thank you everyone for your help and support its definetly made it much easier 😊

I'm due that same day! 😅good luck x

Sliders rather than flip flops, so much easier if you have to wear DVT socks!

Mine has:

• loads of pants
• loads of maternity pads
• 3 x pairs pjs
• water bottle
• mini diluting juice
• snacks
• hairbands
• nipple cream
• isotonic drinks
• Colostrum Syringes
• nipple shields
• earphones
• nursing pillow
• pack of mints
• Dressing Gown - lightweight
• tooth brush / paste
• lip balm
• phone charger (long cable)
• shower gel
• Dry shampoo
• moisturiser
• hairbrush
• deoderant
• face wipes
• cosy socks
• leggings & comfy top for going home in

Babies has:

• hooded cardigan
• Formula Starter Pack
• Nappy Bags
• nappies
• wipes
• cotton pads
• cellular blanket
• 4 x sleepsuits (mix of sizes)
• 4 x vests
• scratch mittens
• 2 x muslin cloths
• outfit for going home
• bobbl

I found the wards much cooler than i thought. I dint pack a warm cardy/hoodie or warm socks 😞 everything else was just like if i was going away for two nights. Plus pads n extra pants can never take too many pants so many leakages!!

Usual mat clothes for after. I packed a birthing nightie but ended up being pretty much naked clothes just itrriatated me.
vaseline dry lips and water bottle good ideas too!

Bring a plug board extender, my experience of hospitals is that there will be one plug socket some distance from your bed.