Baby > Pregnancy

If you're getting ready for baby's arrival, this article will help you prepare your hospital bag for your trip to the labour ward!

When preparing your hospital bag for your trip to the labour and delivery ward, you want to feel like you have everything you might need whilst at the same time remembering that ward space is usually quite limited!!

You'll usually need to bring items for baby as well as for yourself, so you might prefer to pack two bags - one for each of you.  If you live fairly close to your birthing centre or hospital, your partner / a friend / family member may be able to bring you extra bits & bobs if you stay for a few days, so just aim to have enough with you to last 1-2 days.

For labouring & postnatal ward:
* An old nightshirt / t-shirt to give birth in - it may end up in quite a mess, so choose something you wouldn't mind never wearing again.
* Comfortable clothes to wear after delivery.  You'll still have a bit of a bump for a while, so bring clothes that fitted you when you were about 5-6 months pregnant.  You'll also need nightwear, a dressing gown and slippers.
* Snacks - even if you can't snack during labour, you might want to have some snacks in the ward afterwards.
* Magazines/books - daytime in the postnatal ward is usually quite busy between resting periods, visiting hours and mum & baby health checks, but there can be some quiet periods.  Sometimes mums are too 'wired' to have many naps in the first few days, so you might want to consider bringing something with you.
* Disposable pants - not necessary, but very convenient and therefore popular with postnatal mums. 
* Sanitary/Maternity towels - you'll need 2-3 packets of these at least.  Go for maternity pads if possible as they're larger.
* A bath towel - sometimes these are provided, so best check in advance.

For baby's bag:
* Nappies - most hospitals won't provide them and you should aim to have at least 8 per day
* Cotton wool balls - for cleaning baby's bottom! You might prefer to use Baby Wipes instead, but having cotton wool balls means you can clean baby with lukewarm water instead of a cold wipe.
* Feeding / sterilising equipment - you probably WON'T need to bring this, but check in advance with the ward.  It's normal for sterilising equipment, formula, bottles, breast pumps etc. to be provided for you.  Make sure you have your own set up and ready to go at home though, for when you get back!
* Baby clothes - stick to vests and sleepsuits (babygros) to start with.  They're easy to get on and off and will keep baby nice and cozy. Between nappy accidents and vomiting, you can expect to go through 3 or so a day.

For going home:
* Depending on the time of year, you might need a combination of one or several: snowsuits, blankets, hats.
* Car seat - absolutely essential if you're driving home.  Make sure you have it set up BEFORE you go into labour, so you know exactly what you're doing.
* Going home outfit - not essential, but many parents like to buy a special outfit for baby to wear when he/she first arrives home.

All of the above items and MUCH more are available on the Shopping For Baby section of Babywear Exchange.  You'll find everything you need for baby from all your favourite online and high street stores such as Kiddicare.com, Early Learning Centre, Blooming Marvellous and many more, all brought together in one convenient place to shop!

Click here to visit Babywear Exchange.

This article was written by Carol Beck from Babywear Exchange

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