Hospital bag

[OnMyJourney]

Hi!

So I'm 30 weeks and looking at packing my hospital bag. So far this is what I've come up with...

Me

• Disposable Underwear
• Maternity Pads
• Breast Pads
• toiletries (shower stuff, teeth stuff, hair stuff)
• Water Bottle
• Extra long phone charger
• Pyjamas
• Leggings and Baggy top (Going home)
• Night dress (to give birth in)
• Large black pants
• Maternity Bras
• Socks
• Flip Flops
• Paracetamol

Baby

• Going home outfit
• Spare baby grows newborn and 0-3
• Spare outfit Newborn
• x3 spare vests newborn
• socks and mittens
• x2 hats
• x2 muslin cloths
• packet of nappies
• packet of wipes
• nappy sacks
• nappy cream
• pack of pre made formula bottles
• dummy
• Blanket

Have I packed enough or too much? Is there anything I'm missing? How much formula did everyone go through? I'm so lost on what I need to pack 😅 any advice is appreciated! X

@OnMyJourney don't worry about not having enough formula the Hosptial supplies SMA or cow gates

More muslins!
Another nightdress and change of clothes in case your in longer than you think

Yeah like 10 times as many muslins

@bb192 ah my hospital doesn't supply it apparently, they've told me to bring my own so I've got some of those little pre-made bottles I just don't know if 6 bottles will be enough

@Peppermint81 @JanglyBeads thank you for your suggestions, I thought 2 muslins probably wasn't enough! I'll have to pack some more clothes too, I'm crossing my fingers I don't have to stay in the hospital too long 😅

@OnMyJourney oh really the Hosptial I had my little boy in did so I assumed they all did sorry. I'm sure if you get another box of 6 you will use them even when home. We used the pre made formula bottles for the first week or so as it's all a world wind and the pre made bottles made things a little easier during the craziness! Xx

I had a planned c section but it was my first time and I wished I’d taken a dress to come home in rather than leggings and a top because it was so difficult to get in. Maybe shove one in just in case?

Don’t over pack, you can always get people to bring you extra things in, you don’t want to be battling through loads of extra stuff you don’t need.

lip balm as it’s hot and gas and air will dry your lips out.

Snack and drinks, isotonic drinks are good as it’s really important to stay hydrated, things like flapjacks are good too. Your uterus is a muscle and needs energy to work efficiently.

Dont bother with outfits for baby, just stick to babygrows, so much easier.

Spare T-shirt for your partner, they can get sweaty and uncomfortable too if you’re in there for a while.

Plastic bag for dirty clothes.

Hair ties
small fan
a LOT of snacks
chargers
another nightie and change of clothes in case you stay in
headphones
ear plugs
eye mask

Don’t bother with outfits for the baby, but take more baby grows.

Also, DO NOT take a pack of one kind of nappies -
nappies are like jeans, you need to try different ones on to find the best fit. So get small packs of first size nappies from a few different brands and take a few of each with you.

Nothing that other people haven’t suggested (definite yes to lip balm and hair tie though) but my biggest recommendation is to get a small ziplock bag and put in it a nappy, a vest, babygrow, hat and scratch mittens-if the babygrow doesn’t have inbuilt ones in it- and put it on the top of your bag. That way you’re partner can just grab the one bag with all of the things you’ll need to get your baby dressed when they’re first born, rather than pulling everything out.

If you’re taking more than one bag I’d recommend that rather than packing one for you and one for the baby, you pack one for stuff you’ll need in labour/ in the hour of so after you’ve given birth and one for stuff you’ll want a bit later on like your going home clothes. That way you can leave one in the boot and have less stuff to move from the delivery suite/MLU to the ward. If you have to stay in I’d take your own pillows too.

Ibuprofen to go with that parcetamol!

Stool softender

Flat lucozade sport

Are you planning a vaginal birth? If so, take a peri bottle. You can fill it with water and spray the water onto your stitches (if you need any!) when you wee so that the urine doesn't sting. Such a life saver. I also took "spritz for bits" which I sprayed onto maternity pads. It's cooling and I found it helpful. Also second a PPs suggestion for a fan. I was literally dripping with sweat when my contractions ramped up and I really wasn't expecting it!

Hospitals often do not supply milk now. Came as a bit of a surprise to me (daughter in law just had baby). I would not worry about it too much, people can get you more, and I am sure that hospital would help would if you were in a fix, but because they are a bit random at feeding at first, you end up wasting loads of half bottles. Also it is very warm in there, fine if you love drinking ambient temp water, but if you like other things to drink, take them, and snacks you like as I don't think the food has improved overly. Snacks also for birthing partner as it can be quite a long job - and they probably won't want to leave you, also if you go in at the weird time of the night, then everything is closed.

Sorry meant to add, ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones for at least one of you who is not directly needing to listen for baby. It can be like Piccadilly Circus with people coming and going during the night, other people's noises, babies crying, staff movements, etc.

Lucozade! I’m due to be induced tomorrow with baby number 3 and I’m convinced I cannot labour without lol Don’t gulp it but wee sips help energy levels before pushing. As for pre made formula, I went through about 6 in the first night so I would say take 2 packs and if you are getting to the last couple of feeds then ask a visitor to bring some more in for you.

Have to say hospitals where we are no longer supply formula you have to take your own bottles in. Recent family members took in the boxes of ready made from Asda as didi for one of mine. I would have had more baby vests etc in they can end up grubby quickly but it depends how long you think you may be in for. I went in planned for a day and ended up in for 4

A dressing gown. My room was a single room off to one side and was bloody freezing during the night. Fluffy socks too.

A towel for when you get out of the shower as you won’t have your own toilet and shower. A pair of sliders or flip flops too due to this.

Snacks! I took a few packs of biscuits and a big bag of crisps as I was hungry and I missed lunch a few times when I was visiting baby in neonatal.

Sweetener if you take it for coffee or tea.

My own pillow, life saver. Ear plugs as when I was on a ward a few days before birth the couple next to me were really inconsiderate ( watching loud TikTok videos at 11pm). Headphones so I could watch my own phone without affecting anyone.

Antiperspirant, I felt so grimy just laying in bed for hours.

Food!!

I took a sleep mask.

If you're planning on breastfeeding, I'd take button down pj tops. H&M do nursing vests that unclip, and have some built in support to hold breast pads in place which I found comfy for sleeping in.

Lip balm! Honestly that was the best thing I packed. My lips got quite sore from the gas and air and all the panting that I really appreciated having it.

And take plenty of snacks. The hospital food is awful and if you end up having to stay in you'll appreciate having some food on hand (I had a one night stay and was starving in the middle of the night!)

Good luck - having a baby is the most magical thing in the world x