Each time I was expecting, I relished the thought of packing my hospital bag. It’s one of the most practical – and oddly satisfying – ways to prepare for Baby’s arrival. It felt good to be organised in spite of the uncertainty of the labour ahead. As it turns out, I was lucky to have really positive birthing experiences. Now, I don’t deserve any medals; I was wholly accepting of the artillery of medicines available to me to get those babies out and into my arms.
My advice for anyone packing to give birth would be to have two separate bags – one for the labour ward before Baby’s arrival and another for the maternity ward after Baby’s arrival. There’s no need for everything to be stuffed in the same bag.
The labour ward bag in particular needs to be well enough organised for your birthing partner to navigate it under pressure. It would probably be a good idea to go through the contents with them in advance, although in my case, my good husband had never set eyes on the bag or its contents before D Day! He still managed just fine.
You’ll need very little to get you through labour; a roomy nightie – no need for bottoms! A bottle with a straw for sipping. Vaseline to soothe your lips as they can dry out. Some people like a damp face cloth or a little spray bottle for misting their face. Hair ties to keep your hair back.
I’ve heard of recommendations to bring in extra things like a book in case it’s a lengthy process, but there’s no way I could have settled myself to read! Yes, you’ll have your phone and the notion might be on you to scroll the socials, so make sure you have a charger with a long cable too. Ear buds in your maternity bag wouldn’t be a bad idea so as not to disturb other mums on your ward.
You’re unlikely to be eating during labour, but it’s a good idea to have some snacks for your birthing partner so that you don’t need to suffer the audacity of them complaining that they’re hungry! However, I did take the liberty of packing some celebratory shortcake biscuits as a post delivery treat for myself! Delicious.
You’ll also need Baby’s first outfit in your labour ward bag. A single nappy, a baby vest and babygrow and an optional hat is all you need. This can fit neatly inside a sealable sandwich bag for handing to the nurse.
You’ll need big knickers and a pad for yourself too. Oh, the glamour. Your dressing gown and slippers will probably be ok in your maternity bag. The labour ward is hot, so you’re unlikely to need them there anyway. Plenty of extra knickers and pads can be packed in your maternity bag too.
I didn’t need any of my toiletries in the labour ward before the arrival of Baby, but obviously you’ll need them for the maternity ward. All the usuals, plus some dry shampoo.
You’ll need plenty of nappies and some changes of vests and babygrows. Little mittens to cover their sharp nails can be a good idea too, although they might be built into the sleeves of the babygrow. You don’t need loads of sheets or blankets for their little hospital crib, but it’s a good idea to pack some muslin cloths for tucking flat under their head to catch any spit up. That avoids the need to change the whole sheet. Burp cloths are also handy to get accustomed with early on – more so than bibs when they’re still so tiny. I made the fatal error of not packing dodos for my first born. I didn’t imagine she’d need them from day one. Silly me.
It’s a good idea to have everything packed at around 35 weeks; labour doesn’t always wait for you to be ready! At the end of the day though, all that matters is what you’ll bring home in your arms – not what you packed in that bag. Best of luck to any mums to be with the journey ahead!
Louise Flanagan is an admin of Letterkenny Babies Facebook page and the author of the children’s book series Dragonterra and Dream Beasts. www.dragonterra.ie
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