What To Put In Hospital Bag For Newborn

Your Bag For After The Birth

• A couple of front-opening nightdresses or loose shirts so you can breastfeed and snuggle your baby skin-to-skin
• Sterile bottles, teats and formula if youre bottle-feeding
• Light dressing gown and slippers
• A couple of packets of super-absorbent sanitary or maternity pads
• 5 or 6 pairs of knickers you may also want to bring some disposable ones
• Extra-absorbent sanitary towels for the bleeding you’ll have after the birth, called lochia
• 2 or 3 nursing or ordinary bras bear in mind that your breasts will be much larger than usual
• Breast pads to soak up leaking breast milk you may need these even if you don’t plan to breastfeed
• If you are going to breastfeed, you may want to take a nipple cream these can help to heal any sore or cracked nipples that may occur in the early days of breastfeeding
• Clothes to come home in you’ll still have a bit of a bump so pack loose comfortable clothes
• Up to 5 sleepsuits and vests or baby grows
• A pack of newborn nappies
• Cotton wool
• A baby blanket or shawl
• Clothes for your baby to come home in, including a hat, scratch mittens and socks

The hospital will probably have basic items for the baby, such as towels and blankets. The lists above should cover everything, but ask your midwife if they also provide a specific list for your hospital or birth centre.

The Hospital Bag Essentials For Your Birth Partner

Being a birth partner means making sure you are prepared too. Here are some things you should have in your birth partner hospital bag:

• A copy of the birth plan if your partner has one.
• Snacks and drinks. Keeping your energy up for your partner is vital. Come prepared.
• Cash. Make sure you have spare change in case you need to head to the vending machines.
• Entertainment. Something to keep you occupied during the long waiting periods can make time go a little quicker. Grab a book, magazine or download movies onto a device.
• A change of clothing. You never know how long labour will be so it is a good idea to pack spare clothing.
• If your partner wants to have you in the shower with them during parts of the birth it may be a good option to pack swimwear.
• A camera/video camera that is charged and has plenty of room on the memory card. If you have a device you are not familiar with making sure you learn the right settings to capture all the special moments.
• A phone. No doubt loved ones will want to know progress and the happy news once the baby is born. Make sure you have your phone and charging devices.
• Any medication, glasses etc that you use daily.

We hope this hospital bag checklist makes getting ready for birth easier. Becoming a parent is such an exciting and amazing time. We wish you lots of joy and happiness with your new baby.

Did we forget something you think every newborn diaper bag for hospital needs? Be sure to tell us in the comments.

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What To Pack In A Hospital Bag: For You

• Slippers and socks
• Robe and nightgowns or pyjamas that can unbutton for breastfeeding
• Nursing bras
• Contact list for sharing your big news
• Loose, comfy clothes to wear home
• Toiletries, including hair elastics
• If you plan to use the shower or Jacuzzi: a loose bra or top for you, swimwear for your partner
• Lip balm, moisturizer
• Your birth plan and any paperwork youve been asked to complete by the hospital and/or for insurance
• Nursing pads, nipple cream, maxi pads
• Camera/video camera, phone and chargers
• Flip-flops for the shower

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What Your Partner Or Support Person Should Pack

If you have a partner or support person attending the birth and staying in the hospital or birthing center with you, remind them to pack some things as well. In addition to clothes and toiletries , here are some things to bring.

• Lots of snacks! Try to pack something from each of these categories: salty , sweet , protein and healthy/fresh . The laboring parent will appreciate these post-birth too. During Covid-19, most hospitals arent allowing people to leave and come back, so the snacks you bring will be extra important! Also look into restaurants nearby that deliver. And bring a reusable water bottle.
• Book/iPad/laptop/headphones & general entertainment. Download a few new podcasts to listen to in case there is some down time.
• A lightweight sleeping bag and pillow. Hospital sheets and pillows can be scratchy and thin.

Once you pack your bag, youll be all set to head to the hospital when baby is ready to come.

Necessities For Your Partner

On top of bringing all the normal overnight stuff , your partner should be in charge of important paperwork / insurance cards / identification / etc. Depending on how nice the sleeping situation is, they might want to consider bringing a pillow from home as hospital pillows arent the most comfortable. Check out our full checklist here.

The last step after zipping up your hospital bag is to throw it in the car or leave it by the front door — and wait patiently for babys arrival! Good luck to you, mama. Youve got this!

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What The Birth Center Provides

Youve probably read over a bunch of packing lists that seem beyond comprehensive. You dont need to bring everything and the kitchen sink. In fact, even if you dont pack a thing, your hospital likely has your basic needs covered. That should be a load off your shoulders literally!

All facilities are different, though, so if you have any questions, be sure to call to ask before you arrive. You may even want to schedule a hospital tour during your pregnancy to learn more about what you can expect during your stay.

For mom, birth centers generally provide:

• hospital gowns

• shampoo/soap
• pacifiers
• formula
• prescription and non-prescription medications, if needed

And before you think of what to pack, you should know that hospitals suggest not packing expensive items, like:

• wedding rings and other jewelry
• laptops and tablets
• loads of cash

Basically, avoid bringing anything that youd miss if you accidentally lost it. We promise, your items will be far from your mind when you hold your little one for the very first time!

What Happens In The Delivery Room

When the time comes, youll most likely give birth in the labor and delivery room .

As you dilate to 10 centimeters and start to push, an OBGYN will join the labor and delivery nurses in the room to assist in the hospital delivery. This may or may not be the practitioner youve been seeing throughout your pregnancy, but rest assured that is totally normal.

If youd like, ask your doctor or midwife about the other OBGYNs who work at the hospital beforehand. You may be able to meet them ahead of your delivery, which can help you feel more comfortable when the time comes.

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What To Pack In A Hospital Bag For Baby

• Coming home outfit Bring 1 newborn size and 1 one to three-month size because theres truly no knowing what size your little one will be.
• 2 white onesies I like long sleeve kimono onesies with the built-in hand mits for my newborns.
• 1 Hat
• Scratch Mittens
• Blankets One warm blanket and some for swaddling
• Boppy
• Approved Infant Car Seat So, this might not quite fit in the bag but you will want to have it ready to go either in the car or near your things.

What To Leave At Home

Laptop as someone who works from home, I could easily try to take my laptop to catch up on emails or whatever. skip it youll be connected via your phone. Worst case, you can always have someone run it up to the hospital if you really want it.

Gifts for Nurses dont get me wrong I 100% get the nurses a gift as a group and then also get something special for any nurses that stand out AFTER the stay is over so I actually know what they will like Just a little more personal!

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How To Choose A Hospital Bag

Of course, you could just use any old duffle bag you have lying around. But hey, maybe youre in the market for a new bag and this is the perfect excuse to buy one so here are some great options.

However, I do recommend looking into the diaper bag options on this list. If you choose one of these, you are killing two birds with one stone. Not to mention a diaper bag has tons of different pockets which will make it easy for you to keep everything organized.

A Special Security Blanket

Make sure to pack your own special baby blanket. Yes, you might get a receiving blanket from the hospital, but its always nice to swaddle your baby in one that youve picked out yourself. Security blankets provide comfort to a newborn – not only because theyre warm, but also because they smell like mom. Letting your little one snuggle up in their very own blanket will keep them cozy and give them a sense of security from the very beginning.

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Tons Of Food And Drinks

For my first delivery, my bag was stuffed with nuts, granola bars, peanut butter crackers, teas, and Gatorade. What if they dont let me eat? I worried. What if the vending machines are terrible?

Now that Ive been there and survived it, I can tell you they feed you surprisingly well at the hospital. When youre pregnant and constantly foraging for snacks, its really hard to imagine going three let alone 12 hours without eating, but youll have other matters to attend to during labor, and that mound of snacks in your bag is likely to remain there.

Types Of Postpartum Underwear

Along with typical styles in fabrics like cotton and nylon, there are a few different types of postpartum underwear to consider.

• Disposable briefs
• Period panties, which are thicker and designed to absorb menstrual blood
• Light compression underwear

Along with different types, there are also different postpartum underwear silhouettes. These include:

• High-waisted briefs
• Bikinis
• Crossover
• Boy shorts
• Bike shorts

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How To Choose The Best Postpartum Underwear For You

• Size. You may want to order a size larger than you normally would to accommodate your postpartum body and have room for pads .
• Fabric. The hormonal changes that occur after birth will cause some serious perspiration all over your body . Look for breathable materials like cotton or microfiber. Some panties are also made with a light compression material that will give you a more sucked-in feeling , which women tend to either love or hate.
• Bells and whistles. Some postpartum underwear styles boast extras like a silicone panel to help soothe C-section scars or a pocket to hold an ice pack.

What To Pack For Mum

• Maternity bras if you are planning to breastfeed

• Clothes that are easy to learn to breastfeed in – a top that is loose to lift up or opens down the front or a breastfeeding singlet.

• Comfortable clothes you dont need to wear a hospital gown or PJs the whole time youre in hospital. It can feel amazing to have a shower and get changed into your own clothes so bring enough for the duration of your stay

• Slip-on shoes and socks

• PJs or nightie for evening wear

• Toiletries shampoo, conditioner, body wash etc.

• Big, comfortable underwear high-waisted black cotton underwear are the best

• Maternity pads many birthing units provide these but they can be uncomfortable so you may want to bring your own supply

• Lanolin nipple cream and/or Hydrogel or Manuka breast pads if you are planning to breastfeed these will always come in handy!

• Snacks! Great options are nuts , low-sugar muesli bars, crackers, fruit etc.

• Magazine/book you wont get a lot of free time but its nice to have something if you get 5 minutes.

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And When Supporting Mum

Dont forget to pack a bag for yourself as youll need it

Most importantly, remember to take the bags to the hospital!

Its nearly go time. But hang in there, theres a hospital bag situation that mum needs to take care of first. Luckily weve got the mother of all hospital bag checklists for you to print off.

Pregnancy is supposed to be about 40 weeks but most babies havent mastered timekeeping yet. Its best to pack your bags around the 30-week mark, just to be safe. The last thing you want is to go into labour when youre queueing for last-minute supplies. Oh and no, three bags isnt too much. Better to be prepared.

Heres what wed pack:

When Should You Pack Your Hospital Bag

You should have your hospital bag ready to go between weeks 32 and 35 of your pregnancy, in case your baby comes a bit earlier than expected.

A good time to start the packing process is around the 28 week mark, or at the start of your 3rd trimester. A checklist can help, so we created this one to make sure you dont forget any essentials for babys arrival!

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Checking Into The Hospital For Birth

Chances are youll be in labor when you arrive at the hospital, though not if you have a scheduled induction or c-section. Luckily, hospital staff members are prepared for this, and the check-in process is usually quick. Theyll ask you for your name and insurance information, and they might also need your license plate number if the labor and delivery wing has a special parking lot.

Once youre checked in, the nurse at the front desk will put a wristband on you and another nurse will escort you to a triage room .

Small Bills And Change

It’s always a good idea to have some cash on hand, but in this case you may appreciate it more than you might realize. Having access to small denominations and a few coins could prove helpful if you want something from the vending machine or if you need to feed a parking meter that doesn’t accept cards.

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