One of my besties due date is in 2 weeks! Whilst running her through the essentials I packed for the hospital I thought I would share it here for anyone else that might find it useful!
I packed this line up for both of my births. First birth I was in for 7 days and used pretty much everything. Second birth I was only in the hospital for a few hours so used hardly anything! Every birth is so different but at least with the below it covers all bases and you should have everything you need.
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Packing for the hospital I broke it down into 3 bags.
- A Labour bag to include everything I would need pre babies arrival
- A Recovery bag with everything I would want post birth
- A baby bag with all of his things in it
I was induced for my first birth and going into hospital alone for the night so breaking it down into 3 bags meant I only needed to bring the Labour bag with me and the other 2 bags my husband could bring once he joined me. I can imagine this would be ideal for any birth though as you aren’t having to rummage through everything mid labour. Post baby your partner can take your labour bag home leaving you with just the essentials in your recovery bag.
Here’s what I packed in each!
LABOUR BAG
- Large Black T Shirt
- Bikini Top (If going to be in the water)
- Slippers /flip flops
- Phone Charger with XL Cable
- Airpods (Downloaded the Freya App to listen to and time contractions)
- Large Water Bottle with straw
- Scrunchies
- Eye Mask (to help zone out as most inductions can happen on labour ward)
- Lip Balm
- Large Pregnancy Pillow (I carried it in and felt a little bit extra but it was the best thing ever and as I ended up being there a week so it was well used).
RECOVERY BAG
- 2 x Clean Pyjamas. Think of the style if planning on breastfeeding and opt for a dark colour
- Maternity pads and nappy pants – I used the pants the first couple of days then moved onto pads.
- comfy black knickers
- Nursing Bras – I went for Bravado designs which I love and find super comfortable
- Breast pads – I love the reusable ones I find them the most comfortable and can throw them in the babies white wash washing and they come up brand new. I used them so much throughout breast feeding at the beginning.
- Haakka Breast Pump – In case you are still in the hospital when your milk comes in its a saviour to avoid engorgement.
- Nipple Balm
- Travel home outfit – I got a comfy black tracksuit a size bigger than usual so nice and slouchy.
- Slippers
- Toiletries bag – toothbrush, toothpaste, mini cleanse/tone/moisturise (I also took micellar water and cotton wool to refresh my skin from the bed without water).
BABY BAG
- Nappies x 6 and water wipes (I kept a pack of nappies in the car so during visits my husband could top me up if needed and I didn’t have to take lots in my bag).
- Hand Sanitizer
- 2 baby vests and sleep suits – Newborn and 0-3 option (first time round I needed more but this is something my husband could bring in as and when once baby is here and also you know their exact size by then).
- Muslin – Large and Small
- Cardigan
- Blanket
- Baby hat for travelling home
- I took a little pre made milk for back up in case baby struggled to latch
As my first baby was a lockdown baby most of my purchases I got on Amazon I will link my storefront here so you can shop. CLICK HERE TO SHOP MY BABY ESSENTIALS
Have I missed something that you had and found useful in your hospital bags? Let me know below!