Hospital Bag Essentials 📝

Mammas to Mammas…

Some mums who’ve recently birthed share their top tips for packing your hospital bag

Bag up the baby outfits in zip lock bags so you're not digging for vests, babygrow, nappy, bib etc.... Have all together.

After my c section my feet were super swollen, so bring a pair of slippers and another pair of something bigger 🤣

Besides that: headphones, eye mask, comfy clothes, a fan if its in the summer 🌻

FridaBaby Mom Disposable Postpartum Underwear (Without pad)

Lots of green pads, snacks and a water bottle

A handheld fan…… this fan, breathing and the shower were a saviour during contractions. Also found the Freya app brilliant for tracking contractions. I bought the fan, nightlight, packing cubes and the feeding notepad for ulluv would recommend all of these. The notepad was also brilliant for tracking feeding when your brain isn’t functioning properly 🤪snacks also essential!!

Someone also recommended, after I'd had mine, to bring in the baby Pouches of prunes for having post birth to help with the first 💩

A big water bottle with a straw, frida mom cooling pads & disposable underwear

A long lead for charging your phone. At the Coombe the sockets were a good but above the bed, this was definitely helpful

Pack everything in clear bags with labels so it’s easy for your partner/nurse to get. Snacks/energy drinks for labour & also for night time feeds-jelly’s etc for energy. zip up baby grows-makes nighttime changes easier especially if you’ve had a section so you don’t have to bend over as much. Fan. Ear phones. Notepad & pen. Nightdress with buttons on the front. If you’ve had section ask your husband/partner to leave everything close to you before he leaves at night (phone, bell, bottle, nappies, drink, snacks etc). If you have section ask for peppermint tablet on day 2/3 to help with wind/bloating (they don’t always offer).

Everybody journey and situation is so different 🫣 i know i was very lucky. I had no pain relief so they told me i could be discharged sooner. My advice is Don't over think the bags - leave things at home that your other half can easily grab if and when they're needed. I definitely over thought it all! I packed, unpacked, packed them again for about a month before 😂 all I used was a nightdress, lipbalm and my water bottle, then baby clothes nappy wipes and going home clothes.

Definitely don't forget going home clothes.

I was induced so rocked up with leggings and a maternity top which was not suitable for breastfeeding (if you're doing that) and had to strip off while waiting for the paediatric consultant sign off 🙈.

Also if anyone is considering breastfeeding it's well worth collecting colostrum if you can from 37 weeks.

I got a kit from the coombe and had some frozen which saved us as he lost almost 10% of his body weight and shoving the defrosted stuff into him prevented us from being kept in.

Also if you are breastfeeding ask for the lactation consultants as soon as you can they're fantastic help.

Yes they will invite you antenatally to a class which can be very helpful🙏🏻

Also just re the colostrum harvesting I did it too and found it v helpful. I was admitted at the time and the midwife helped me.

I was in Holles street, I had a section so was in for five nights and I struggled to get to see the lactation consultant they only had one covering the whole hospital. I found some midwives were amazing in and so knowledgeable but others not so much. I had lined up a consultant for when I got home, I got in contact with her when I started to realise I needed help she saw me the day after I got home and it was the best money I ever spent!

Also one for the hospital bag… the winner flow device. Absolutely amazing for helping you go to the loo after! Didn’t get to use it for pain management so I can’t speak to that but I had heard great things about it which is why I started using it before I found out I was having a section and then it was the best thing I packed highly recommend it no matter what way baby is arriving!

I second the winner flow device. I used it during labour on my second baby and can’t believe how such a simple thing helped so much. Also helped with loo & pelvic floor recover after.