When I was pregnant, I loved watching those “what’s in my hospital bag” videos on Youtube, so I thought I’d share what I ended up packing. I used a medium sized suitcase, which was the perfect size to squeeze everything in!
What’s In My Hospital Bag
For the New Mum:
- ROBE. Having a robe to slip on during the day helped me to feel more “put together” and to cover up when I needed to leave the room.
- PJ SET. While I brought other clothes along, I mainly wore 2 dark singlet and short PJ sets. The dark colours were great as I didn’t have to worry about any stains or my nipples showing too much, as I ended up not wearing any bras for easy access and comfort.
- HIGH-WAISTED BOYLEG UNDIES. I specifically bought a week’s worth of dark boylegs so I didn’t have to worry about stains or laundry. The high waist helped to keep my soft lower belly in place and the boyleg design helped to keep my large pads in place. These were 2 sizes up from my normal size.
- SLIPPERS. These were great to slip on and walk around in the room and hospital.
- HAIR CLIP. Great to have my long hair out of the way and also meant that I didn’t have to wash my hair as often.
- BASIC TOILETRIES. Shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, moisturising cream, shaver and deodorant was all that I needed. I brought some makeup but didn’t end up using it at all.
- LIPGLOSS. I was surprised at how dry my lips got, so I was glad that I brought some lipgloss!
- MATERNITY PADS. Bring more than you think you need!
- THAYERS ALCOHOL-FREE WITCH HAZEL WITH ALOE VERA TONER. Drizzled on my maternity pads, this was great for my stitches.
- LANSINOH NIPPLE CREAM AND MULTI MAM COMPRESSES. The nipple cream was thick whereas the compresses were a thin gel, so I alternated between using the two depending on how much time I had before Miss K’s next feed. Each compress can be cut in half and applied on both nipples. Both are great and I continued using these until my nipples were adjusted to breastfeeding.
- WATER BOTTLE. Breastfeeding is thirsty work and it’s important to stay hydrated. Having a full water bottle by my bedside at all times was an absolute must.
- SNACKS. During the day, I had 3 generous meals and 2 snacks, however by the late evening and early morning I was often ravenous. Simple snacks such as muesli bars, chocolate, and lactation balls, kept me going until breakfast time.
- PHONE AND CHARGER. My phone doubled up as a camera and an alarm clock, as I had to wake Miss K to feed every 2-3 hours. Although I brought a powerbank, I didn’t end up using it since the power point was near my bed.
For the Baby:
- DISPOSABLE NAPPIES. Since we weren’t sure how big Miss K was going to be, I brought along 2 small packets of nappies in different brands to try out. These turned out to be too big for her and my husband ended up buying some BabyLove Premmie Nappies!
- NAPPY RASH CREAM. I brought along 2 sample sizes that I received in a goody bag – Bepanthen and Sudocrem. We ended up buying a full sized version of Bepanthen and we still use it today.
- BONDS COZYSUITS AND WONDERSUITS. I’d read wonderful reviews about these onesies and brought along a few. They were way too big of course, and my husband had to return with a few premmie sized ones!
- BONDS SINGLETSUITS. It didn’t occur to me that Miss K would need anything under her onesies, so I’m glad that I brought some along! My husband ended up buying some premmie sized ones as well and the extra layers helped to keep her warm.
- BEANIES. We struggled to keep Miss K warm since she was a small baby, so the beanies helped to keep her nice and warm!
- SWADDLES. I packed 2 swaddles, but only ended up using 1 as Miss K was often bundled up in thick hospital blankets.
- The only thing that I wish we’d brought along but didn’t were NAIL SCISSORS. Miss K was swaddled for most of the time but it would’ve been nice to give her nails a trim as they grew so fast during that short time.
For the New Dad:
- CAMERA. The fancy camera was mainly used during the delivery and moments after the birth. I’m so glad that we have high quality pictures to look back on.
- PHONE AND CHARGER. After the birth, we mainly used the cameras on our phones since it was just easier. My husband was also in charge of keeping both of our families updated during this time.
- LAPTOP. During the times that Miss K and I napped, the laptop helped my husband to pass the time.
- SNACKS. You can never have enough snacks!
Marie xo