Hospital Bag for Baby & Me... what do I need?

loveabargain13

Hi, don’t know if you can help? 

I’ve got a list of items I need to take into Hospital for the arrival of my baby. For me it says breast pads, maternity pads, for baby nappies, baby grows but how actually many do I actually need to take? 

Any advice would be great! 

Savvy_Sue

Assuming you have someone at home to bring further supplies in, then don't go overboard.

The actual answer is "it depends". How many nights will you (probably) stay? How often will baby need a clean nappy, how often will milk / poo / wee escape and soak the babygro? And the answer to that is "who knows?"

loveabargain13

Savvy_Sue said:

Assuming you have someone at home to bring further supplies in, then don't go overboard.

The actual answer is "it depends". How many nights will you (probably) stay? How often will baby need a clean nappy, how often will milk / poo / wee escape and soak the babygro? And the answer to that is "who knows?"

No, so I’ve got to pack for I guess all eventualities.... I would have just liked an idea. Seeing I don’t have any 😂

Savvy_Sue

Talk to your midwife. I'd suggest packing a bag not a suitcase as there is rarely much space.

gettingtheresometime

Tbh if you have a straight forward birth and you & baby are well I'd be surprised if you were in hospital 48hrs.

jackomdj

My first baby I was kept in for a few days, OH had to rummage around for extra clothes/pj’s for me plus extra for baby.... baby 2 I packed a spare hospital bag which stayed in the car in case it was needed (which it was).  Baby 2 my waters broke and I was changing my pad every 30 mins for 17hours, as it was getting drenched.  I also got through several changes of bottoms as they got wet!  When baby 2 did arrive she was struggling to poo and was doing lots of tiny bits (so I was changing her constantly). In the middle of the night when I was down to one nappy I said to myself I wish I had bought some nappy liners which I could have just changed the liner.

personally I think it is better to take too much, plus have a spare bag in the car than not to have enough with you.
that said most people are in and out quickly.

mellyc

Don’t take what books etc tell you! I’ve perfected it after 5 children! Shampoo, hairbrush, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste. Take a mild shower gel/bubble bath to soak in after you’ll appreciate it trust me. 

Buy ‘granny’ style BLACK knickers (m&s are good) ones u won’t mind throwing away if they get bloody,
2 packs minimum of extra thick sanitary towels which are in supermarkets and cheap
 approx 3 or 4 vests and all in one grows for baby. I learned to take a selection of both newborn and 0-3 months sizes after my 3rd was huge (9lb4!) so didn’t fit newborn and then my next was 8lb8 but just fit newborn and my 5th was a few oz less. The long babies tend to need big clothes too. Doesn’t all depend on weight lol

At least 10 nappies size 0 and wipes. I took a few size 1 too just in case. 

2 night dresses/something similar- one for labour and one for after. Primark I got cheap large night tops/dresses like £3/£4 each! Actually I wish I took 3 on 5th labour cos I ended up bleeding through to my after labour one and hubby had to go home to get me something to wear. 
Food and drink is essential. Snacks like crisps choc sandwiches sausage rolls etc cos prices can add up in hospitals 
Enough money for parking 
PHONE CHARGER 
OVERALL DONT STRESS ABOUT THIS TOO MUCH AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THE BASICS FOR YOU DURING AND AFTER LABOUR AND BABY HAS CLOTHES AND NAPPIES YOURE SET. 
HOSPITALS ALWAYS HAVE BITS IF NEEDED. I ran out of sanitary towels and they gave me some. I ran out of nappies and they had them too. My partner was starving at one point but shop was closed and no cash for the machines so they gave him endless tea coffee biscuits crisps etc 

As mum you’ll have 3 meals a day plus tea etc. I didn’t want a couple of my lunch or dinners cos I was sleeping to save energy for the birth or experiencing contractions regularly so I ordered the food and he ate it. Tell your partner to take a pillow or 2 those hospital chairs are ridiculously uncomfortable. After I had my 3rd my partner got in bed next to me. Bit of a squeeze but I couldn’t let him spend another night on a chair. We got the best sleep we’d had in ages! 

OH REMEMBER MUSLINS! Good for bottle or breast feeding. Take formula if choose but they have that and little sterile bottles too. Anything you forget they will have. Above all if you’re comfortable and baby is warm then you’ve done it right 

EssexMumKate

It's hard because a straight forward birth and you could get to go home same day/ next day so you would be fine with 3 or 4 changes of clothes for baby, a starter pack of nappies etc. If you have to stay in for longer then you'll obviously need more. I had a hospital bag for me up to and including birth, one for after birth eg stay the night and another for a longer stay which my partner could grab if needed.  I found my hospital were quite short of things and I bled a fair bit after my second child so I would definitely recommend a couple of packs of cheap maternity pads because having to ask the midwives for more of those was really miserable. 
You might feel weird taking several bags in, and fingers crossed you wont use half of the stuff, but it's so much nicer to have what you need so overpack rather than under pack. Breast pads you are unlike to need more than a pair or two because most people don't leak until the milk comes in on day 3 or 4. 

loveabargain13

thank you so much ladies!

FTB19

My daughter is 4 months old and we were in hospital for 2 nights.
I took a large dark coloured shirt nightie, also comfy clothes to go home in and a pack of big black pants 😂 take maternity pads, flip flops if you want for the shower as the floor isn’t the best! Your charger. Some snacks and Lucozade or similar.
For baby nappies, wipes,  about 6 babygros and vests, hat, a nice outfit for  going home if you want, muslins, a blanket. 

KimBaumgart

One tip, don't bring the deodorant. My sister made a mistake and put it on. The baby did not want to breastfeed because she didn't like the smell of it.