I was rather surprised when a friend of mine asked me what to put in her hospital bag and when she should pack it, she then explained that the pregnancy magazines contained lists but each list had different stuff and gave different advice on when to pack it. I told her that both with my 1st pregnancy and with my current (2nd) pregnancy I packed my hospital bag at around 6 months that way it doesn’t matter if the baby appears early and it also leaves enough time to get anything I haven’t got. I’ve also got the rest of the stuff such as Moses basket and the rest of the stuff like the sterilisers etc ready so I wasn’t rushing around at the last minute trying to get everything ready at the last minute; However I do know women who left it til the last minute and coped fine, so it is up to the individual.
Here is a list of what I put in my bag, this is only the basics you can add to this:
- 2 Nighties with a front fastening
- 4 Maternity Bras
- 4 Pairs of pants
- 1 Pair of Slippers
- 3 Baby Vests
- 3 Sleep suits
- 1 Baby Hat
- 1 Pack of Nappies
- 1 Pack of Breast Pads
- 1 Pack of Maternity Pads
- 1 Towel for You
- 1 Towel for Baby
- 1 Dressing Gown
- Cotton Wool
- Deodorant
- Shampoo
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Shower Gel
- Hair Brush
Obviously you will also need your maternity notes, to leave the hospital you will need a car seat, a blanket and possibly a jumper depending on the time of year. You can also take a camera, an MP3 player and a book, however I would recommend that you keep the number of valuables you take with you to a minimum.