Hospital Bag - Checklist and Tips

My due date with Baby Callaghan 2.0 is creeping up! The nesting bug has hit. With no physical nursery space yet to nest in, I've been left to really focus on my hospital bag at the moment.

I thought I'd share what's in my bag with you.

Now, I'm set to birth through my local Midwife Group Practice. So all going well with pregnancy, birth, me and baby, I should be heading home within 6 hours after labour. So I really shouldn't need much stuff. BUT it's important to remember that plans change, things happen and I need to be prepared for anything. So I've packed for a couple of days. Also, I really think you're better off over packing than under packing when it comes to your hospital bag. It's just such a crazy time! Better to have the things that make you feel nice and comfy, rather than a smaller bag.

Also, just a quick note, I'm due November 14th and live on The Central Coast, NSW, Australia. So the weather should be warming up. Summer clothing rather than winter.

My Hospital Bag

Things in bold will be added into my bag when we get closer to D Day, or when I go into labour.

• Massage oil - clary sage and lavender in sweet almond oil.
• Clary sage oil.
• Lip balm - carmex is the besssssst.
• Hair tie. Scrunchy. Head band.
• iPod.
• Little lolly/snack bag including gum.
• Toiletries:
  • Hairbrush
  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Deodorant - roll on
  • Shampoo & conditioner (Just a note, I'm going to get some really special ones that smell really amazing and feel luxurious. One: because I deserve it after pushing out a baby. Two: because I want to have some amazing scents associated with birth/third trimester. Haven't actually picked any yet - I need to go looking for some)
  • Moisturiser (as above too)
  • Witch hazel wipes
  • Nipple balm - Lansinoh
  • Hydrogel discs
  • Breast pads
• Phone & charger.
• Adult nappies - Depend Real Fit size L.
• Maternity pads - Libra.
• 2 x undies - granny ones.
• 2 x maternity bras. Comfy, crop style ones for me.
• A loose nighty. Button down for feeding.
• A pair of pyjamas - shorts and long sleeve button up top.
• A summer dressing gown.
• 2 x pairs of socks.
• Slippers.

Babies Bag

Pretty simple to be honest... babies really don't need much! Newborns are particularly easy to please. Eat, sleep, poop, repeat. Main thing is having a selection of sizes - you can never be sure how big your baby will be. I put each outfit into labelled ziplock bags so that my husband easily knows what's what when pulling stuff out to dress the baby.

• Nappies - Baby Love.
• Wipes - Water Wipes.
• A muslin swaddle.
• A jersey swaddle.
• 1 x baby girl outfit 0000.
• 1 x baby boy outfit 0000.
• 2 x t-shirt onesies 00000.
• 2 x long onesies 0000.
• 1 x long onesie 00000.
• 1 x long onesie 000.

Packing tips:

One bag for mama and another for baby is best I reckon. Wheelie carry on bag for mum with our BROOKLYN NAPPY BAG strapped onto the handles works really really well. You can actually use the pram straps that come with the Brooklyn Nappy Bag to attach it to the wheelie bag.

When packing the baby clothes I put each outfit in a seperate zip-lock bag and label it. Eg. "Baby girl. Singlet onesie and long sleeve swaddle. 0000." This makes it so much easier to find the outfit you are looking for - particularly for my husband. I didn't do this last time and it was just so hard for him to ruffle through the bag and find the clothes that I was talking about.

It's a good idea to show your birth partner what's in your bags and where everything is once you have it all ready to go. So when you're in between contractions your partner can quickly grab your lip balm or hair tie as soon as you ask for it.

Some stuff I've seen suggested a lot is your own pillow, towel, burping cloths, lots of babies blankets. Yeah I don't pack those things. Hospitals have a shit load of laundry - so if I can get away with using as much of theirs as possible then that's less for me to wash when I get home. But, I can understand people wanting to have their things from home to make them feel more comfortable.

Don't worry too much if you feel like you might have forgotten something. The hospital isn't a prison - you're allowed to get friends and family to drop something in for you if you realise that you need it. You might also find that the hospital will supply some things, or you might meet other new mums that are all too happy to share stuff with you.

Happy packing mama! I quite enjoy the process of getting this stuff together. Makes me feel organised in an otherwise chaotic stage of life. Let me know how you go too.

Have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments.

P.S. I originally wrote this blog post a few months before Penelope was born on my old blog and thought I could transfer it over here.