What to pack in your hospital bag
Packing the hospital bag is a simple way to feel prepared and ready for the arrival of your new baby. Here are some ideas for you to pack in your hospital bag ready for your stay at the hospital.
- A small pillow: Use this for support when nursing or you can use it as a headrest when resting after giving birth
- Breast pump (if you have decided to breastfeed) You may want to consider getting one that is battery operated so that you can pump milk when away from home, like if you needed to stay another night in the hospital because your baby was born prematurely or has health issues.
- Breast pads: These serve as a protection against leaking breasts after breastfeeding or pumping. They need to be thick and absorbent. You will need these whether or not you have decided to breastfeed or not
- Take a few photos of your family, friends, pets and home life before giving birth. This way you can take some time to think about what makes you happy when you are in labour.
- Comfortable clothes to wear in the hospital as well as clothes for after the birth too – it’s not known what size or shape you will be afterwards!
- You should also pack some slippers that are easy to walk around in – and socks too if it gets cold!
- Spray bottle for cooling water
- Plenty of underwear
- Books – labour can be very drawn out and you may have long periods without anything much happening
- Make sure that your pre-labour checklist is up-to-date and all your birth plan info is in the bag
- Vests and sleep suits for the baby. Resist the urge to take a beautiful flouncy dress for photographs – plenty of time for that when you get home!
- Nappies and cotton wool
- Some hospitals require you to take your own already prepared baby milk if relevant, so do make sure you check with your hospital
Feed me!
Birth can be a very long process and it’s nice to have snacks available to continue to fuel your body. Snacks are not only healthy, but they also provide energy when you need it most. A pregnant woman needs to have a lot of energy in order to keep up with the changes her body and lifestyle are undergoing. This is why it’s important for her to eat healthy snacks during birth that are rich in nutrients and provide the energy she needs.
Some ideas for snacks that you might want to have around during this time are oranges, carrots, apples, whole grain crackers, pretzels or rice cakes. Some naughtier snacks include: dried fruit, nuts, granola bars, instant porridge packets, milk chocolate buttons, protein bars, jerky sticks and trail mix. Remember to check out other great websites to learn more about birth and its peculiarities. I learnt some really interesting information about Group Strep B infections here
You can also start to learn about bedtime routines – start early and you will be much happier for it!