started my hospital bag list today - what do i actually need for hospital & baby??

[TiredButTryin5x]

right so i know it’s early (i’m 13+3 today) but i started writing a hospital bag list this morning cos my head’s been buzzing n i can’t sleep. feel like if i start now i won’t panic later.

only thing is… i’ve done this 4 times n still have no clue what i actually need 😅 with ds4 i packed way too much, but i’ve also been the idiot that forgot nappies before 🙃

i don’t have much stuff left from my others so i’ll be buying most things from scratch again. what do you really NEED for baby + for you in hospital?? and what’s not worth bothering with??

also… did anyone pack a “partner” bag even if they weren’t sure the dad would show? i don’t want to get my hopes up but don’t want to be caught out either if he suddenly decides to come.

i’m planning on just one night max if all goes ok. maybe two. any advice v welcome x

My suggestions to start you off:

For you:
PJs/nightie
Change of clothes & underwear
Maternity pads (lots of them)
Toiletries
Water bottle
A few snacks (I massively overdid the snacks as in the end I didn't want to eat at all while I was in labour - but it was useful having something for afterwards as my baby was born at 4.30am, well before the hospital served breakfast and before the on-site M&S was open!)
Something to read or an iPad with something to watch while baby is sleeping

I also had a TENS machine, and found a handheld fan useful while in labour. My husband popped home to get me an extra pillow once we knew I'd be staying in overnight, which definitely helped with my sleep - so you might want to think about taking a pillow too, if it's likely to help you sleep better.

For baby:
2/3 sleepsuits and bodysuits
Cellular blanket
Couple of muslins
Hat/cardigan for when you leave hospital
Nappies
Wipes
Any colostrum you've expressed (if you're planning to breastfeed) or a starter pack of formula (if you're not)

It also depends how far the hospital is from home and whether someone can bring you more things if you end up staying in hospital a bit longer than expected.

this is SO helpful thank you x

i never even thought of a water bottle 😅 or snacks for after – that’s a good shout cos i always forget how hungry you get once baby’s actually out. ds4 was born middle of the night too n i was sat there starving with just a lukewarm tea n dry toast 😂

i’m not sure about a tens machine but i’ll look into it. n good tip on the fan – i get really hot n flustered when i’m stressed so that might actually help loads.

i’ve written down everything you said – feels good to start ticking things off. not got much yet but this makes it feel more real in a good way, not just scary n overwhelming.

thank you again xx

You're welcome! 😊

I also took a spray bottle with me, thinking that if I needed to cool down while I was in labour my husband could fill it with cold water and spray my face. Didn't use it for that at all, but ended up using it instead to spray my fanny afterwards while peeing to help stop my stitches from stinging. 😂

omg that proper made me laugh 😂 but also… genius!! i never even thought of that but now i’m 100% adding spray bottle to my list 😭

after i had ds4 i dreaded going for a wee more than labour itself 😩 stitches sting like mad n the toilets were grim so anything to help with that is a big yes from me

thank you for being honest – no one tells you this stuff in the baby books do they lol xx

If I had to do it all again and could only take three things it would be a handheld fan (which DH holds in my face), TENS machine, and water bottle that has a straw to sip from.

Genuinely, the spray bottle made peeing bearable afterwards - when I got home I kept it on top of the toilet and topped up with water at all times so I never got caught without it until my stitches were healed. I even had another one in the changing bag for when I went out in the couple of weeks after giving birth!

Flip flops/sliders!!

Lip balm

Long phone charger

I just had a few bits for my partner and will do the same with my second. A clean t shirt, boxers, flannel, toothbrush and deodorant just incase he needed to freshen up in the event of a long labour. It was unnecessary as I gave birth within an hour of getting to the hospital. I only gave him a side pocket of the bag though.

Remember to put your maternity pads somewhere accessible. My waters went before I went into labour and the pads were buried with the post birth stuff and the only thing I could find was a woefully inadequate panty liner! Maternity triage took pity on me and gave me a couple of pads when I went to bed checked so I could get home.

that’s actually so helpful thank you x

i never used a tens before but loads of people keep saying it helped them so i’m defo looking into renting one now. fan + straw bottle are both on my list already thanks to posters on here – love that they’re your top 3 too, must be for a reason!

honestly feel a bit more prepared already, like i might actually be able to do this again 💛 xx

Spritz for bitz its amazing too i'm getting that again!