Congratulations!!! What an exciting time!!!
With so many changes and things to prepare you might get overwhelmed by the amount of information. So do as much planning as you can in advance. Around 35 weeks, you need to have the hospital bag ready, and if driving in your boot, when going for midwife appointments because you just never know.
If you are not sure what to pack in your hospital bag, the best way is to divide the packing into two, for yourself and for the baby.
Hospital bag for mum:
- Pyjamas min.2 (front opening)
- Dressing gown
- A jumper
- Socks min.3
- Underwear min.5
- Flip flops
- Nursing bra x2
- Breast pads
- Clothes to go home
- Clothes for pictures
- Birth notes
- Maternity pads 2 packets
- Hand sanitiser
- Dark towel
- Flip flops
- Charger
- Nipple cream if breastfeeding
- Calming Cabbage Breast Gel for engorgement, buy at shopcoolcabbage.com
- Food (e.g. instant porridge, breakfast bars, chocolate)
- Water
- Toiletries
- toothpaste and toothbrush
- hairbrush
- shower gel
- shampoo and dry shampoo
- Intimate wash
- lip balm
Hospital bag for baby
- Nappies
- Wipes / cotton wool
- Nappy bags
- Blanket / Swaddle
- Body suits x4
- Pyjamas x4
- Hat
- Mittens
- Muslin clothes min.3
- Pacifiers
- Car seat
- Bottles / milk
Some of the clothes you would want to throw away after, so choose those you don’t mind sacrificing. Also, wash your baby’s clothes, blankets, muslins before they wear/use them.