Packing hospital bag

[Chelseaaaaa]

Need help!!!!

I am starting to pack my hospital bag for baby, I am a first time mum. Is there anything else I need for her.
I've got
Milk
Nappies
Wipes
Dummies
Muslim clothes
Bibs 2
Comforter
I am packing 2 new born baby grows and 0-3 baby grows and the same with vests! Also spare just in case
Need to sterilise bottles but won't do that until last minute

I'd take out the comforter (baby will likely want to be held lots!).
I’d also take out the 0-3 clothes. They come up quite large on newborns. Both of mine were about a month old before they fitted 0-3 and both were nearly 8lbs at birth.

Add more sleep suits.

A dressing gown tie in case you have an emergency c section. You can tie it to the bed rail and use it to pull yourself up.

Nappy sacks for the first sticky poos.

An extra pack of nappies.

Hopefully, you’ll be out the next day but in case you aren’t and that often happens, make sure your other half knows where all the spares are at home so they can round bits up between visits. Baby will go through nappies and clothes very quickly.

I was going to say the same as PP - take out the comforter (a newborn will have no interest in this) and the 0-3 month sleep-suits/vests - I would replace these with 0-1 month (have a look at the weight guide on the label, it’s unlikely you'll need bigger than this).
Also add a hat as others have mentioned. Water wipes (or the aldi alternative!) are absolutely fine for a newborn and don't leave fluff stuck all over baby's bum like cotton wool does!
Make sure the blanket is a cellular blanket as it helps prevent the baby from overheating and is breathable if they happen to pull it over their face.
Like someone else also said earlier, baths aren't recommended until after the cord falls off, the vernix they are covered in after birth is very good for their skin as well and should be left to absorb.

Heres my list:

• Toiletries - Water wipes, Cotton wool, Cotton buds, hair brush, Nail scissors/file, Barrier cream (Aveeno/Metanium)
• Towel
• Nappies - 2 sizes 0 & 1 + nappy bags
• Dummies + Milton portable steriliser
• Ready made bottles
• Changing mat
• Instax camera
• Newborn - 4 baby grows zip with mittens + 4 vests + hat
• 0-1m - 4 baby grows zip with mittens + 4 vests + hat
• 4 Bibs
• 4 Muslins
• Cardigan
• 2 Cellular Blankets
• Swaddle
• Car seat
• Spare milk, nappies, baby grows and vests in car

Personally not bothered about a going home outfit I think a baby grow and cardigan is fine!

sorry to jump on this thread and ask but is the general advice to use cotton wool and water for first few weeks etc but can u just use any water? like bottled water for drinking or does this have to be warm sterile water? is bottled water sterile I feel stupid lol

Oh okay, my midwife told me to pack 0-3? I'll put a couple more of new born sleep suits in then, my blanket is got holes in so it's not very thick so won't get hot x

Thank you x

I've always used baby wipes. I usually leave them on the radiator to warm through when they are first born.

There's really no need for nappy bags. It's just adding a layer of plastic to the environment that will take hundreds of years to break down...

Just put nappies in the yellow bag bins which should be in your bay/room

To be honest I’d take wipes to get the bulk of the meconium off as you’ll be there all day with cotton wool balls and then water and cotton wool for the final skin clean, but make sure have a bit of tissue/flannel to dry with else baby risks being left with wet skin and getting sore. Also would use wipes for when out and about/not near a tap

They don't even need a yellow bag (infection risk waste), domestic bin is fine. Same as you would use at home

Newborn size can end up being too small if you have a big baby so take outfit that can fit up to 10lb, better to have an outfit that slightly too big then too small so would say at least a couple of the bigger outfits and if don’t use them at hospital baby will grow into them :)

My suggestion is to pack a bag with 12 hours worth of stuff. Then at home have everything else ready for esy access. Just one spot. Most hospitals do quick discharge after birth and if you take in loads of stuff you have to take it home.

After DD was born we stayed in quite a few extra days but I had one shelf of newborn new mum stuff ready to go. I also cleared my wardrobe of anything that didn't fit so extra clothes were easy to grab.

It did take til baby number three to realise I should leave most stuff at home.

Are you planning on formula feeding from birth? Check with the hospital but If you are going to try to breastfeed, there's no need to bring the formula as the hospital can provide it if needed.

We got stuck on a horrible postnatal ward for 4 days largely because there weren't enough staff available to process the discharge lol (couple across from us had been in a week) and ran out of everything, so if I was attempting number 2 I would have an extra bag of baby clothes etc at home that someone could pick up easily.

@FriendlyNeighbourhoodAccountant

Thinking about the bottles with the teats you sent me would this confuse the baby when I am home and feeding it from a mam bottle?

My first thing is noise cancelling headphones in case I have to stay in the ward afterwards.

No I wouldn't worry, they'll be fairly similar and it's not like you've used either long term and then switched. :)

Some amazing ideas on here! One thing I would suggest, if you have space, is a soft hairbrush for baby. I know it sounds really daft, but both of mine were born with full heads of hair and using a soft brush was the best way to gently comb all of the dried in stuff out of their hair!

Swaddle, if you plan on using them. My baby screamed bloody murder the first two nights until I got her in a swaddle, when she settled finally.

Ewan the dream sheep if you have one.

I've got the Ewan sheep for home but do you mean take it in hospital? Xx

I'm also taking 0-3 months clothes as I'm expecting a large baby. At my 32 week growth scan he was estimated at 4lbs 9oz. My Dad was 10lbs at birth so assuming baby takes after him or has inherited some latent tall gene from somewhere (I'm 5"3).

Most newborn clothes go up to 7lbs 7oz. I was 7lb 15.5 oz at birth so wouldn't have fitted in them!

I used the bottles with the teats in hospital and then used mam bottles at home- no issue, just made sure to buy the same brand formula and ready made bottles.

Id say to take a few more muslins/ bibs. My baby had a lot of spit up as a newborn and I ended up going through my bibs and muslins by the first night and used a towel over night.
If possible I’d also suggest packing a back up bag with anything extra and leave it in your car. I’d pack stuff for you and baby, that way if you’re kept in longer then you’ve already got things left in the car.

i would take more newborn clothes than up to 10lbs unless you’re expecting a bigger baby.
I would leave the comforter and Ewan the sheep as the baby will just want held by you.

We were told no bathing at all (except the bum area) until the cord fell off.

I chronically overpacked the hospital bag for my first - by the time I had changes of clothes for me, nappies, various baby clothes in diff sizes, all the stuff, the bag was huge and heavy. And we had to keep lugging it around cos you are labouring in one place, then you get moved somewhere else, then it was off to the birthing pool, then that didn’t work so back to another room, then somewhere else after baby was born. I dunno, can’t remember exactly, but I def felt stupid having so much stuff.

So my tip is to have a fairly minimal on hand bag, and a larger one in the boot of the car, which DH can zip back to to get stuff as needed.

Of course if you are an efficient packer this likely won’t be a problem at all for you! I’m dreadful and always take too much stuff.

I suppose it also depends on how long you are in hospital for !