Hospital Bag Packing Checklist
What To Pack in Your Hospital Bag as You prepare for delivery
One of the ways to prepare for delivery is to get your maternity bag ready. This will help you to engage your energies elsewhere as you wait for labour or even that scheduled induction or planned Caesarean delivery (C/S). You want to pack your maternity early enough. This you may do by around week 36 gestation, which corresponds to eight months’ gestation, as you get closer to your due date. Since the onset of labour is majorly unpredictable, you want to be ready and be done with the predictable activities or the activities you can determine, like this one. This checklist will also help you to remember what to pack by acting as a general guide.
Now, more than ever, we wish to congratulate you on your pregnancy. Congratulations mum and dad-to-be! 9 months will soon be over, with your bundle of joy around the corner, here is your packing list!
Remember there are hospitals which provide some of the listed items as part of hospital delivery packages and therefore it would be good to find out from the hospital you plan to deliver in what they offer to moms upon delivery. However; the quantities provided may not be enough and so you may need to bring extra items beyond what your facility will provide for your comfort.
Hospital Bag Checklist
To compile this list, we have added some of our own experiences and what we needed while preparing for the births of our little ones. Below is a list of most of the items you will need to pack.
What to Pack in hospital Bag for Mum When Going to Give Birth
Important Documents
These documents may be required for admission purposes and/ or for your identification and payment processing as you take care of the hospital bills.
- National Identity card for you and your spouse as this may be needed too if using
- Insurance cards if using insurance for payment or cash for admission
- Maternity Health booklet
- Admission form or referral letter
Clothing For Mum
Most hospitals will provide you with hospital gowns to change into immediately upon admission and during your entire hospital stay/admission. This applies to the provision of maternity pads as well; however, you may need to carry extra just in case (most times you need the extra). If the quality of pads provided is not what you would have wished to have, this is an opportunity to purchase the ones that you are comfortable with.
- Comfortable or loose clothes or pyjamas
- Outfit or clothes to wear from the hospital upon discharge
- Underwear
- Maternity pads or diapers/panties: Most hospitals provide you with maternity pads
- Nursing bras
- Nursing pads
- Nursing tank tops or vests or breastfeeding outfits that allow for ease of nursing your newborn/breastfeeding
- Nipple cream
Maternity pads are slightly different from the usual sanitary towels you use during period flow. They are longer, more absorbent and thicker and may not have the stick-on ability.
Toiletries
You will need to pack a couple of toiletries in your hospital maternity bag as much as hospitals ensure that they have basic toiletries. Here are some personal items that you will bring along with you to the hospital.
- Soap
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Hair brush
- Face and Body lotion
- Towel
- Lip balm
- Tissue paper
What to Pack For Baby in Your Maternity Hospital Bag
The Baby Essentials
What to pack in your hospital bag for the delivery of your newborn baby once he/she arrives should be warm, especially during the cold months. However, you want your baby to be warm whichever season they are born since babies have a smaller surface area to body ratio and this can cause them to lose heat faster than adults. Generally, term babies weigh from about 2.5 kilograms onwards and therefore the clothes you will select for a term baby need not be too small in size as the speed of their growth is also quite fast. Below are some essential baby items that you may want to tick into your baby hospital bag checklist as you plan to go to the hospital for delivery:
- Baby clothes- rompers |onesies| mittens| socks| hats |vests
- Outfit for baby for going home upon discharge
- Baby blankets-warm
- Baby shawls
- Diapers-newborn or small-size ones
- Wipes
- Bath towel
- Wash clothes
- Burp Clothes
- Other items-nappy rash cream; cotton wool balls; bath oil or emollient
NOTE: Choose appropriate size for baby clothes to avoid going back to buy too soon and also do not buy too many for the same age as they grow pretty fast. You do not have to carry so much to the hospital since you will be home in a matter of a few days sometimes even one day later if you have had a spontaneous vertex delivery (normal) and you have not had any complications.
What to Pack in Your Maternity Hospital Bag: Additional Essential items
Practical items
These items will come in handy while you are in the hospital and make your maternity stay less strenuous as they are some of the practical items you would normally use at home. Do not forget to bring these along with you in your maternity bag.
- Slippers
- Basin
- Socks
- Robe
- Hair Pin or hair band
- Snacks and Drinks
- Phone
- Phone charger
- Any prescription medicines you are on
What to Pack in Your Maternity Hospital Bag: Optional Items
Optional Items
Other items that may come in handy depending on different circumstances include:
- Breast pump
- Car seat
- Camera
- Music/essential oil/movies/books
- Breastfeeding pillow
- Eyeliner or mini-make up kit
To be prepared for delivery with your hospital maternity bag ready means one less thing to think about as you wait to meet your new baby.
You can learn more about driving while pregnant here.
Nyalife Women Health team will be glad to answer any concerns you may have regarding birth preparation and delivery. Book An Appointment With Us Today. Call our dedicated clinic line at +254 746516514 and schedule your appointment.
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Address and Contacts
Call Us
+254746516514
Email Us
info@nyalifewomensclinic.com
Our Location
JemPark Complex building suite A5 in Sabaki
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