What’s in my hospital bag? Mum & Baby

Time is running out and we’re getting closer and closer to our due date. I figured at nearly 33 weeks pregnant, it was about time I packed my hospital bag especially considering I was in hospital for a week with threatened preterm labour last time. It’s best to be prepared. In terms of my birth this time around, I am hoping (keep your fingers crossed for me) for a water birth at the birthing centre. I didn’t manage to get it last time as everything happened so quickly, we only just made it to the hospital on time and I’m a bit worried about making it on time again after hearing that alot of second babies come faster.. I wonder if she will? Alyssias labour happened in the grand total of 2 hours and 10 minutes (we live 30 mins away from the hospital mind) so I might need to make a little box up full of essentials if it were to happen at home – just to be on the safe side. My plan is to go completely natural again, the same as I did last time avoiding all medicated pain relief where possible. A tens machine helped me with my back labour last time but I’m hoping for a water birth this time around though I do plan to use the tens machine in the early stages of labour if I need it.

I’ve been banging on about hypnobirthing for a while now and I really want to put some of the techniques I’ve learnt into practice. If you didn’t already know (I’m sure you do, I never stop talking about it) I’ve been doing the digital hypnobirthing course run by The Positive Birth Company (in which I would definetely recommend) at first I was a bit sceptical and thought it sounded a little mad but now that I’ve done the course I feel like I’ve learnt so many new things in regards to labour and also some great breathing techniques to help me through the hardest parts. I have suffered with anxiety for years and have already put the breathing techniques into practice whilst in anxious situations which has really helped.

In regards to packing hospital bags, last time I packed one bag each which sounds minimal but we actually ended up taking so much more and it was really inconvenient having the bags packed to the brim and practically overflowing. So this time I have bigger and better quality bags and I am so excited to finally use them. For me I’ll be using the Skiphop backpack and for baby girl we will be using the babymel changing bag, both in which are great quality and fit lots in.

So what do we actually need to pack?

Despite having done it all before, I still had a complete mind blank when it came to packing my hospital bag. The Essential One have a great information page on their website with a checklist that you can tick off. I used this as a guideline and found it really helpful. I have two items of nightwear from this company and can’t fault them whatsoever. The quality is absolutely amazing and I’m really looking forward to wearing them and feeling comfortable after birth. Baby girl’s going home outfit is also from The Essential One, all in which I have linked below.

What’s in my hospital bag?

For Me

As I said above, I’ll be using the Skiphop Greenwich Backpack for my hospital bag this time around, as I said in my recent review – it is huge and has lots of extra pockets which is ideal. It’s also much easier for the partners to carry as it’s a back pack.

• My maternity notes
• Nursing Bra x2 – for ultimate comfort.
• Nursing Nightie – a comfy nightie for labour if I don’t get to go in the pool.
• Nursing PJ’s – fresh pj’s for after birth suitable for feeding.
• Hair bands
• Black Briefs – Big & Baggy in case of a c-section.
• Maternity Pads
• Breast Pads
• Tens Machine
• Wash Bag & Make up
• Lucozade Drinks
• Pot Noodles
• Headphones – in case I want to listen to any hypnobirthing music.
• Phone Charger
• Slippers or cheap flip-flops
• Comfy Tees & Leggings
• Vest Tops – easy for breastfeeding
• Lansinoh Lanolin Nipple Cream
• Lipbalm – in case of dry lips.
• Snacks – cereal bars / sweets for energy.

What’s in baby’s hospital bag?

And a little #mumhack..

Whilst preparing to pack my hospital bags I came across a little mumhack that I thought you’d all appreciate. When it comes to packing the baby clothes, get yourself some ziplock bags (you can get them from asda, I used ‘small’ but would reccomend maybe grabbing a pack of mediums) put a sleepsuit, body suit and a hat in each and label them ‘first outfit’ or with the sizes on the front if you’re planning on taking different sized sleepsuits. This makes life SO much easier, not only for you but for your birth partner too if you’re not up to getting them dressed. The last thing you want to be doing is trying to explain to your partner which outfits go with which hat etc especially after you’ve just given birth. It might be a good idea to also add a nappy into each bag to make life that little bit simpler.

For Baby

I’ll be using the Babymel Cara Bloom changing bag for our baby girl. This will be my first time using it so I am super excited to try it out, I’ll be writing a full review on it at some point too.

• Nappies
• Waterwipes
• Nappy Bags
• Sudocrem (you probably won’t need it but it’s always good to have in your bag)
• 5x Sleepsuits
• 5x Vests
• Muslin Cloths
• Cotton Wool
• Blanket
• Hat
• Comforter
• Dummy
• Going Home Outfit
• Premade Formula – Just Incase
• Cardigan

What else do we need?

Extras

• Carseat
• Pregnancy Pillow for comfort

Is there anything I have forgotten? What was your number one ‘must have’ when you had your baby?