Hospital Bag Checklist for Birth
If you are reading this, then that means you already started thinking about preparing your hospital bag for when your little one arrives, and you probably have no idea where to start. We have written this blog on getting ready for the birth that provides you with a ready-made maternity hospital bag checklist that will help you get organised and be super prepared.
During my first pregnancy, I had no idea where to start, or knew when to pack and what to bring. Every google search gave me different options and different opinions which only confused matters, so I just packed loads of things, many of which were totally unnecessary and I didn’t even use. I had basically spent a lot of money for nothing, so in writing this blog I hope to make things easier for you and avoid making the same mistakes I made.
When to Start Packing Your Hospital Bag
The advice that is given here in the Uk is to prepare your bag at least 3 weeks prior to your due date. I personally would recommend doing it before that…why? I joined many pregnancy forums during my first pregnancy and through reading these I see many babies born between 29 and 34 weeks for many different reasons. As a result, during this pregnancy, I wanted to be super prepared and packed my hospital bag at 30 weeks. This has given me the peace of mind knowing if baby decides to come early for any reason my bag is there ready to go.
What Do I Use to Pack Everything in?
Here at Mamiina we have some beautiful hospital organiser bags made from cotton with drawstrings. They are clearly labelled making it easier for your partner, birthing partner or midwife to find things if you are not able to get out of bed. Of course you will want something to put everything in such as a small suitcase, or if you’re looking for something a bit more fancy why not check out our baby changing bags?
Our maternity hospital bags are divided into:
Accessories
You can use this little bag to put your makeup, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb/hairbrush, small shampoo and conditioner, dummies (if you plan to use them), dummy clips, breast pads etc…
First outfit
You know that you dreamt of that perfect first outfit your baby is going to use. You probably spent ages choosing it like I did, imagining how cute he/she will look in it. This bag will keep it clean and ready for your baby to use, and remember they are labelled making it easy for you, your partner or the midwife to easily find.
Spare clothes
Baby will need a few outfits in the hospital in case they get dirty and depending on how many days you will be in the hospital.
Swaddles and blankets
This bag is our biggest one because it can fit any size blanket or swaddle inside to keep your little one warm.
Going home outfit
Another important first outfit for your baby, the day he/she can finally go home!
If you are on a budget, remember you can also use ziplock bags to store all yours and baby’s items. These can easily be labelled with a permanent marker.
What to pack for mummy
- Birth plan and hospital notes
- Nightie for labour. Choose a dark colour because it can get messy! We don’t advise spending any more than necessary on one because there is a chance you will have to throw it away. Make sure your maternity nightie has a lot of space around your chest for when baby comes out. You will want to do skin to skin straight away! Consider a nightie with buttons as a better option if you chose to breastfeed. The hospital I was in was boiling hot despite it being February, so luckily mine had short sleeves. Its also worth remember that during labour, you will sweat a lot, so a lighter nightie is probably more advisable.
- Dressing gown
- Slippers/flipflops. Ones that are super easy to slip on just in case you have a c-section. Even if you don’t, the less bending over you have to do after giving birth the better.
- Hair bands.
- Lip balm. If you are using gas and air for the pain your lips will become super dry.
- Nursing bras. Bring a few of these as when your milk comes in they can get very wet. You might want to choose a bigger size because your breasts will be a lot bigger after the milk arrives and you want to be as comfortable as possible.
- Breast pads to avoid getting wet bras.
- 2-3 packs of sanitary or maternity pads.
- Knickers. bring quite a few because there is a good chance you will get stains. Disposable ones are also available and a good option here!
- Wash bag. For all your toiletries, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, hairbands, deodorant, and soap(choose one without perfumes that can irritate or burn when you shower as you may have a few stitches down below).
- Magazines, books, tablet, or anything to keep you busy. Labour can be long especially, if you are being induced.
- Fan or water spray to keep you cool.
- Tens machine for your pre-labour if you decided to use it.
- Healthy snacks.
- A pillow (maybe even your favourite breastfeeding pillow). Hospital pillows aren’t very comfortable!
- Any medicine you are taking.
- Phone charger.
- Towel.
- Change for a vending machine just in case.
- Bottle with straw.
- Comfortable clothes such as a lounge set. You’ll want something easy and confortable to wear in hospital and for the journey home.
- Make up. You might not care at all about it, but maybe just a tiny bit of blush will make you feel better 😉
What to pack for baby
- Bodysuits and vests.
- Muslins, swaddles, blankets.
- Hats, boots, mittens.
- Lots of nappies.
- Wipes.
- Baby towel.
- Formula if you chose not to breastfeed. I decided to breastfeed but I brought some formula anyway just in case.
There you go, all of the essentials for giving birth and post-birth are all here. You can use the above maternity hospital bag checklist to make sure you and your partner are both prepared for the next stage of your journey.
Just a reminder, when you get home the last thing on your mind will be cooking and cleaning. It might be a good idea to be prepared in advance for that as well. Make frozen meals for your family a few weeks prior to giving birth, this way at least for the first week it will make your life so much easier. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help from family and friends. Ask someone to come watch baby while you sleep, or ask family members to help with cooking and cleaning if you need it. Trust me, you will be very tired and any help at all will be amazing.
Good luck on your new amazing life.
