There are literally hundreds of lists available online and in books and magazines telling you what to pack for you and your new baby for your hospital stay. And yet, I found that no 2 lists had the same information, so all of them were missing something! It drove me mad & so I did what I do & started combining them all into one fully comprehensive list.
Don’t get me wrong, I am very aware that I probably won’t even need half of what I pack, but it gives me a little bit of control over what is to come & I am very much a fan of being over-prepared rather than underprepared. I also know that most hospitals, particularly the private ones, provide you with many of the items on my list; but I am very particular about products & my own things and being mostly terrified of hospitals, the more of my own things I have around me the better I will manage.
I have had to revise the list slightly once again since finding out I will be having a c-section as it means an additional night in the hospital, but I have left in the items you might need for a natural labour too so you can adapt the list to suit your needs. I broke it down into things to pack for me, admin & tech items, things to pack for Charly, a few things for Brett & the last minute list.
For Mommy
- Nightie/T-Shirt for labour
- 3 pairs of button down pjs (for breastfeeding once baby is here)
- 2 Dressing gowns (dark colours are best for reasons best not thought about too hard)
- Button Down Day Tops (IF you choose not to live in PJs which is also totally acceptable!)
- Black stretchy soft pants
- Going home outfit (Maternity clothes: sadly you will not instantly fit into pre-preggy clothes)
- Comfy Panties (that you are happy to throw away)
- Maternity Panties (apparently multiples of these are the best option all round)
- Maternity Pads (random note: these don’t stick to your underwear which horrifies me)
- Nursing Bras (make sure at least one is very comfy so you can sleep in it)
- Breast Pads
- Nipple Cream (preferably one that doesn’t need to be wiped off before baby drinks)
- Non-slip socks (even in Summer, your body prioritises bloodflow in labour)
- Slippers
- Hairbands
- Lipbalm (Heavy breathing, dry hospital air, fear, nerves: all dry your lips out!)
- 2 x dark facecloths
- Toothbrush & Toothpaste
- Shampoo & Conditioner
- Soap
- Toner
- Moisturiser
- Deodorant
- Makeup (If you are so inclined, I feel better when I look better so I might try)
- Brush
- Vitamins & Iron Tablets (continuing with your preggy vitamins after birth is recommended)
- Any meds you need (prescriptions you are already taking)
- A favourite pillow
Admin & Tech
- Birth plan (this is very much an overseas thing, that I adopted immediately)
- Certified copies of IDs & Marriage Certificate (Some hospitals will allow you to register baby’s birth there)
- Medical Aid Card & IDs (If you are pre-admitted, submitting a copy will expedite things)
- Discovery newborn form (Completed as soon as baby is born so she is covered ASAP)
- Book (Fiction & WTE: I don’t sleep without Brett, so survival is based on baby, books & iPad)
- Notepad & Baby Book
- 2 X Black Pens
- Headphones (Apparently the ones available at the hospital are rubbish & expensive)
- iPad (Add shows)
- Double Adapter for 2 prong plug
- Phones & Chargers
- Camera & Charger
- Cash (Change for vending machines)
For Baby
- 6 Long Sleeved light babygrows
- 6 Short Sleeved vests
- 2 Bibs
- 2 Hats
- 2 Socks
- Mittens (in case she scratches herself)
- 3 Receiving Blankets
- 1 warm blanket (for going home)
- 3 Burp Cloths
- 40 Nappies
- Weeping wound powder (or surgical spirits for belly button)
- Cotton balls
- Vaseline
- Aqueous cream
- Sudo cream
- Elizabeth Anne shampoo (one of my favourite smells & much gentler than other products)
- Unscented, alcohol free wetwipes
- Baby hairbrush
- Baby towel
- 2 Dummies (I am taking 2 different brands to see which she prefers if we decide to use them)
- Dummy Steriliser (It is small & uses microwave to sterilise, so just in case)
- Plastic bags for clothing (Loved this idea: each outfit in a small bag, easy to find things & so hubby can take home dirty clothing)
For Daddy (Sadly my hospital doesn’t have rooming in for daddies, but I will push my luck wherever possible to keep him there as long as possible… oh, & he isn’t allowed to leave me from first thing in the morning til after 9 at night. That said, I thought he needed his own list, albeit a short one)
- Clean T-shirt
- Deodorant
- Medications
- Book
- Cash (Change)
Last Minute List (Anything that can’t really be packed or done before the last day)
- Car seat
- Chargers
- Snacks
- Waters
- Juice boxes
My bags have been the bane of my existence for the past few months. I freely own that it is because of fear, somehow delaying the inevitable; well no more. The day is flying at me now, having gone from 24 days to 14 days or less in one afternoon and the OCD in me can’t let myself be caught unprepared. So, there it is – my bags are packed and ready to go, even if I’m not quite there yet.
2 replies on “My Bags Are Packed & Ready To Go…”
[…] you all know by now, I am a lady of lists and I used those lists to stay relatively sane in the run up to having my baby girl. I was recently […]
[…] So below I will revise the lists to what I actually needed having had a c-section; though I can’t speak for those who are having a natural delivery. There are items on the original list just for natural; if you are lucky enough to be able to go that way, it may also mean you are not recovering from major surgery & your meds are lighter, so you are feeling more up for things. For example, if you have a natural delivery you will be more mobile & probably more likely to want to be in your own clothes at the hospital, whereas I was butt naked in a sheet til day 2! So if you’re having natural labour, work from the original post. […]