What to pack in your hospital bag

What you pack in your hospital bag may be a bit of a personal subject but someone reached out to me recently and asked so I thought I would put it all together in a post for her. If you find yourself wondering what to pack in your hospital bag, feel free to have a read through this post. I tend to go just a little bit overboard when packing for the hospital because I would hate to be unprepared. You never know whether your little one is going to be easier to change in a certain type of outfit or whether the hospital will be colder than it should be.

This list comes based on a few lists I was given when I was pregnant with number 1 and number 2 and my own personal experience.

This is my fail safe guide. Good luck and try not panic!

To my beautiful friend whose baby is arriving soon, we love you and miss you and wish we could be there to help. This is the beginning of a beautiful chapter, a chapter where the protagonist is strong and brave and kind. Most of all the protagonist is deeply loved by their mom and dad. xx

What to pack in your hospital bag

These are all based on my experience of having babies in South Africa and by c-section. If you think there needs to be something added based on your experience, please be sure to add it to the comments below for other moms-to-be who are reading this!

What to pack in your hospital bag for baby:

dummies / pacifiers / soothers. Even if you’re not certain you would like your baby to use one, pack it in your hospital bag just in case your baby is ready and willing to take them and you have decided that you would like your baby to be introduced to dummies.
dummy chain / pacifier clip – to keep the dummies attached to your child so you aren’t forever dropping them on the floor
1 pack of wipes of your choice
bum cream for when you change the nappy (if you’re not sure of the purpose of bum cream check out the the dummy / pacifier / soother post which deals with feeding predominately )
hat for leaving the hospital
receiver blankets to wrap the baby in (check out the post detailing the different types of blankets if necessary)
1 cellular blanket
cotton wool for cleaning your newborns face
cotton earbuds for cleaning the umbilical cord
surgical spirits for cleaning the umbilical cord
travel size fragrance and soap free cream for cleaning baby
travel size fragrance and soap free shampoo for washing baby’s hair
burp cloths for spit ups after feeding or spilt milk
long sleeve and long leg onesies / jumpsuits (3 if you are staying 4 days in hospital) if you’re a little bit lost as to what I am talking about I am not surprised, I confuse myself, check out the post on how to buy baby clothes
short sleeve onesies (3 if you are staying 4 days in hospital) to wear under long sleeve, long leg onesies
long sleeve tops
long leg bottoms
1 or 2 little jerseys
take home outfit
socks for each day

What to pack in your hospital bag for you:

So often you leave yourself as an afterthought but it is important to cater for yourself. You need to be as comfortable as possible so that you can focus on what now needs your attention.

Pjs / nightie
Maternity bras
Underwear
Maternity pads
Comfortable clothes
Slippers
Toiletries (toothbrush, brush, shampoo, body wash, conditioner). I always treat myself to one of those little kits from Body Shop that has all the miniatures so I just chuck that in my bag and know it has everything I need.
Books or a kindle. For when its the middle of the night and you’re trying to stay awake to feed.
Snacks. You know why!
Waters or cooldrinks to improve your milk supply
Nipple cream for that initial soreness that comes with breastfeeding (my go to is Lanolin)
Linen savers which you will put on the bed after you’ve first had the baby. Some hospitals may provide these.
Feeding bras (one for every day you are in hospital)
Breast pads (either disposable or fabric)(I went with the pigeon disposables which I found to be great).
Black pen for completing official documents
Phone
Phone Charger
Any Chronic medication which you are on at the time.
Notebook to make notes on any additional information and to take note of when you are feeding and for how long. You will be asked this a million times by doctors and nurses.
Watch or clock or phone to check what times you are meant to be feeding

Some other things you may need

In addition to the above, I have some additional crazy things that I do when I go to hospital for the baby’s birth

If you are intending on breastfeeding your baby and you don’t want anyone to feed your baby formula, make a sign and stick it onto the front of your baby’s bassinet. I’m not joking. In South Africa I did this because the nurses wouldn’t wake me up to feed they would rather feed the baby formula which I did not want happening.
If you have a birth plan, make sure you have it somewhere on hand. I didn’t have one.
I used a Maternity Tummy Band after both children. The idea is that it is meant to help you have your muscles and stomach contract but I used it as it helped me with the pain after my c-section.
Find some nice PJs or a cardigan or something for when people take photos of you holding the baby and you think you look awful.
If this is baby number 2 think about making a gift box for your first child for them to open and play with when baby arrives. I did think with my second and it made a world of difference. It kept my first child entertained and already quite thankful for his sister.

♦