“Any day now!” is something you’ll start hearing on repeat – by everyone from your mother’s former work colleague to the sweet but slightly-too-over-familiar check out girl in the supermarket. The other is “Have you packed your hospital bag?”… And this is where it gets fun! When you pack that precious little onesie into a bag along with the teeny tiny hat, things really start to feel real.
We’ve gathered together our checklist of hospital bag essentials along with a few helpful little tips…
For starters, have your bag packed from around 34 weeks as even the most organised of mamas can be surprised far earlier than expected. Secondly, don’t over-pack. Limit yourself to one bag and don’t plan to add your everyday items at the last minute – have it ready, zipped up and waiting by the door – that ‘last minute’ might be a little more rushed than you might think!
Keep reading for what to pack…
Oat Dots Pixie Bonnet, £22 – Organic Zoo
Silky Soft Dream Blanket, £59.95 – Aden & Anais
Padsicle Essential Oil Blend – Babyopathy (From the natural parenting experts, this gorgeous blend of three healing essential oils; Helichrysum, Lavender and Geranium can be used to calm and aid recovery from the effects of a vaginal delivery, or to support the healing process of a C-section wound. Mums can make cooling ‘Padsicles’, to be packed in their hospital bag and applied immediately after birth to ease the swelling and bruising that so many women suffer from.)
Breast Balm, £7.99 – Kit & Kin
Oat Dots Suit, £37 – Organic Zoo
Cloud Z i-Size Car Seat – Cybex (Obviously this isn’t going to fit inside your hospital bag! But we felt it needed to be in this list with the essentials – for obvious reasons!)
Swaddle Mint Dot, €21.95 – Nanami
White Oversized Nightshirt, £85 – Sian Esther
La Source Shampoo, £28.50 – Crabtree & Evelyn (For your first shower after birth, favourite shampoos and familiar scents are everything)
Classic Orthodontic Pacifier, €7.50 – Hevea (Whether you’re planning to use a pacifier or not, pack one regardless, so you can make that decision upon meeting your new addition)
Classic Nursing Cami, £35 – Bravado Designs
Cashmere Bed Socks, £36 – The White Company (You can thank us later!)
Snacks! Or more specifically, Deliciously Ella’s Coconut & Oat Energy Balls (Have one of these at the start of labour, the slow release energy will come in handy later!)
Hari Block Print Dressing Gown, £150 – Toast
Bamboo Toothbrush, £3.60 – &Keep
NOTES: Also include pads, disposable pants, snacks (for both you and your birthing partner), any paperwork/hospital notes you’ve acquired through your pregnancy, little 100ml bottles of ready mixed formula (whether you plan to breastfeed or not, these little bottles are a great back-up for those ‘just in case’ moments), and comfy clothes for when you go home.
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Inspiration/ImageCredits: adenandanais.co.uk, kitandkin.com, babyopathy.com, organic-zoo.com, cybex-online.com, nanami-store.nl, sianesther.co.uk, heveaplanet.com, bravadodesigns.com, thewhitecompany.com, amazon.co.uk, deliciouslyella.com, toa.st, andkeep.com, crabtree-evelyn.co.uk
