Pregnant Mums- Don’t go to Hospital Without These!

Have you been hearing all the stories about women delivering early and now you’re starting to get a bit freaked out about not having packed your hospital bag yet? Well, let me ease your stress and help you out with a checklist of what to take with you!

Most likely, the hospital you are planning to deliver at will give you a list of what you will need to bring, but here are my suggestions (after my experience of having c-sections with both my babies):

·       PJ’s x 2 (if you’re breastfeeding make sure they are breastfeeding friendly)

·       Underwear (high waisted, like granny panties!) I had a c-section so they needed to be high to make sure they didn’t rub against my stitches and the bandage. I bought some Bonds full brief Comfytails a couple of sizes bigger than my regular size.

·       Clothes. Due to Covid restrictions I hadn’t been to the shops to buy any maternity clothes. During my hospital stay I basically lived in my trackies (high waisted) and packed 3 loose fitting t-shirts. I also had another pair of high waisted leggings with me.

·       Nursing bras x 2-3 (don’t forget breast pads!). Read up on that here.

·       Toiletries

·       Maternity pads. The hospital actually provided these but you may want to pack them in case or to have extras.

·       Headphones. I used these most the first night when I couldn’t sleep and put on some music/podcasts.

·       Thongs for the shower and shoes that you can slip on to avoid bending over.

·       Lip balm- my lips got soooo dry!

·       Phone charger

·       Snacks. I was prepared and bought a few snacks if I got hungry at night (muesli bars, chips (Pringles so they didn’t get squashed), chocolate and a couple of bananas). The hospital actually served plenty of food as well as morning and afternoon tea so didn’t really need them (hubby did though!). The only thing I did have was the fruit as there wasn’t any given.

Also, after a caesar you aren’t allowed to eat for at least 6 hours. My son was born at 5.30pm and I had been fasting since 9.00am so I was starving! At about midnight they finally gave me the ok to eat and bought me soup and some sandwiches- they never tasted so good! I was very tempted to dip into the snack stash if they said no!

I hope this list of what to pack in your hospital bag is a big help to all of you who are about to meet your little loves.

Make sure you have a read of my top 4 recommendations on what to pack for birth so that you’re super prepared.

I’ve also put together a list of what to pack for baby before you go to hospital. Check it out below.

Happy packing!