What to pack in your hospital bag (plus baby's)

Hello! It’s been a long whilst since i’ve written on here. I’m currently writing on a time limit as there’s a stirring baby metres away from me… I post most of my updates on instagram – recommend following me over there for more recent updates about my baby journey so far!

I’ll be writing a more detailed post about baby at a later date but he’s now almost 3 weeks old and is named Joseph. He’s quite the cutie (I know, I’m biased)… a cutie who is determined to not let me write this post! I think he’s waking! Yep, he woke, and now i’m writing this with only my right-hand (i’m left-handed) whilst feeding him for what feels like the hundredth time! Better get to the list or else i’ll never get this post written….

All items listed below are things I actually used. I went through my list after my labour and eliminated all the unnecessary items I packed. I did a lot of research of what to pack before I packed mine, and so here’s what I ended up using…

Your hospital bag

Your maternity notes – take them everywhere with you (every appointment)
1 x outfit to wear home – something comfy (leggings, loose top – nursing-friendly if needed)
1 x spare top – in case of leaky boobs!
1 x nursing bra – if breast-feeding – I have something similar to this maternity bra pack of 2 for £35 from John Lewis – they don’t seem to have mine online!
2 pairs of socks
4 x big underwear – the more the merrier – it gets messy post-labour
A bag to put dirty laundry in – a plastic bag will do!
Your phone charger
A camera and its charger if wanting to document the experience!
A wash bag containing the following – flannel (great for cooling down during labour), hair brush, toothpaste, toothbrush, nipple balm – recommend the Weleda Nipple Balm – £5.96 in Boots. Some nice shower gel for non-intimate areas and Femfresh for intimate areas post-labour – I highly recommend a quick bath straight after labour!
Lipbalm – essential when using gas & air as your lips will dry out! I used the Burt’s Bees ultra-conditioning lip balm – £3.99 at Superdrug
2 x pair of pyjamas – recommend taking a nightie to wear during labour and a comfy pair to change into post-labour
Lots of snacks and drinks – my fave part when packing my bag! Here are the snacks I packed in mine and all of which I highly appreciated during my long early labour: retro sweets – think fizzers, parma violets, love hearts etc.., a pack of individual bags of ready-salted crisp (don’t pack anything too strong in flavour in case you feel sick); double chocolate chip cookies; a can of cola (I went for the Fentiman’s curiosity cola can) and a pack of four of Firefly’s lemon, lime and ginger drinks – I found these really refreshing! Oh and a pack of gruyere and spinach twists – think cheese straws!
Mints or chewing gum for a mouth refresh – you will probably forget to brush your teeth whilst in labour… my labour went into the next day, and that morning when Joseph was born, I forgot to brush my teeth!
A hair band – great for tying hair up during labour – no-one wants hot, sticky hair on the back of their neck!
Money in change for the hospital car park – you just never know if the card machine will work or not! Ours only took change, so this was a must.
A dark towel – you’ll want it dark for your first shower/bath post-labour…like I said.. it gets a bit messy down there after labour! But don’t worry – it’s all normal.
Maternity pads and LOTS OF THEM! It’s recommended to change them every hour or so, so you’re gonna need load.

Baby’s hospital bag

Nappy sacks – we love the Eco by Naty biodegradable bags
3 x vests in newborn – You’ll see that I packed two sizes. You might need 0-3 in case your baby doesn’t fit in newborn. I packed 3 of each – one for the day they are born, one for going home and a spare in case you have to stay an extra day.
3 x vests in 0-3
2 x first outfit (newborn & 0-3) – I recommend just going for sleep suits in the early days. Makes things a lot easier, plus they look super cute in them!
2 x going home outfit (newborn & 0-3)
2 x spare outfit (newborn & 0-3)
A blanket for the car ride home plus a cellular blanket for swaddling or covering in the hospital cots – Joseph loves his satin-edged cellular blanket from The White Company
Nappies – I recommend 10 as a minimum. They poo a lot, trust me! So far we’ve found Pampers and Mamia (Aldi) to be the best
Cotton wool for cleaning during a nappy change (or water wipes)
A nappy barrier cream – we use Weleda baby calendula nappy cream – £5.40 in Waitrose
1 x pair of mittens
1 x hat – the hospital will give you a hat as soon as the baby is born as it’s hospital policy for them to wear one. We took our own for him to change into after
3 x muslin cloths – you can never have too many though!
1 x cardigan – to wear home in the car
Don’t forget the car seat! You won’t be allowed home without one!