Below is Limuru Cottage Hospital‘s list of the items you need to pack in a newborn hospital bag to carry to the maternity hospital when labour sets in. It contains all the essential items you need on your way to the hospital, during your stay there before, during, and after childbirth, and on your way back home with your newborn baby.
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Newborn Hospital Bag Items For The Mother
Below is a list of clothing, hygiene, and travel essentials to pack in a newborn hospital bag for the mother before going to the maternity hospital for childbirth.
- Identification and Important Documents:
- National Identification Card (ID) — This will be used to identify you in the hospital.
- Insurance Card – This will be used to process your payments through your insurance in case you will not pay in cash.
- Antenatal Care (ANC) booklet – The booklet contains the records of your antenatal care. These are helpful in enabling health personnel to understand the history of your pregnancy.
- Hospital Admission Letter – This letter contains details from your doctors with their verification for your admission to hospital.
- Birth plan (if you have one) – This plan states your preferences for labour and delivery. It will guide the doctors on what you would like done during labour and delivery, for example, whether the process should be recorded or not. You should understand that not everything will go exactly as planned.
- Clothing
- Maternity clothes – Loose clothing is preferable; it could be a bathrobe, a nightgown, or even a leso to ensure that you stay comfortable throughout the labour. This clothing should have an open front to ease nursing.
- Going home clothes – Choose a comfortable outfit to wear when going home from the hospital.
- Comfortable maternity/nursing bras – Underwire-free bras are more comfortable for nursing.
- Underwear – Comfortable, high-waisted panties are able to accommodate postpartum changes.
- Slippers -Slippers are easy and quick to wear and walk around in hospital during labour.
- Warm Socks – Socks will keep your feet warm, especially because most mothers complain of cold feet during labour.
- Comfortable pillows – If you prefer your own pillows, make sure you bring them to hospital in coloured pillowcases to differentiate them from the hospital’s.
- Towel – You can carry your own towel to hospital to use after showers.
- Toiletries:
- Toothbrush and toothpaste – For your oral hygiene.
- Deodorant – To keep you feeling fresh.
- Hair brush or comb – To keep your hair neat.
- Lotion or body oil – For massage during labour and to keep your skin moisturised during your stay in hospital.
- Lip balm – To keep your lips from getting dry and chapped lips from the dry hospital air.
- Nursing pads – For absorbing breast milk leakage from the breasts and to help keep your bras from getting wet.
- Maternity pads – For postpartum bleeding. These are more absorbent compared to normal sanitary pads.
- Cotton Wool – For the baby and personal use.
- Makeup (optional) – Personal preference, if you like feeling made up.
- Spectacles or contact lens with solution – For you to be seeing things more clearly when the time comes for baby delivery, in case you really need them.
- Hair tie, pin or clip (optional) – For keeping the hair away from your face.
- Face wipes – For freshening up fast.
- Electronic Gadgets
- Phone and charger – This would be used for both communication purposes but for taking down memories as well. Having a long cord might come in handy in cases where power points are too far from the bed.
- Other Essentials:
- Fruits, snacks, and drinks – These are essential to keep you energized during your stay in hospital.
- Nipple cream – It helps you to ease pain in nipples in case they hurt from breastfeeding.
Newborn Hospital Bag Items For The Baby
Below is a list of clothing, hygiene, and travel essentials to pack in a newborn hospital bag for the baby before going to the maternity hospital for childbirth.
- Clothing:
- Sleepsuits and vests – These items are required to dress the baby. It would be preferable to carry ones with front openings for easy diaper access.
- Bodysuits – They make it easy to change the baby’s diapers.
- Socks or booties – These help to keep the baby’s feet warm.
- A baby beanie: This hat keeps the baby’s head warm and comfortable.
- Homegoing outfit – Choose a piece of clothing that will be comfortable in the weather outside the hospital.
- Baby shawl or blanket: For warmth and swaddling the baby. This is particularly essential for the journey back home.
- Diapering and Hygiene:
- Baby diapers – Pretty much a ‘must-have’ product for caring for the infant; be sure to carry the right quantity for both normal delivery and a caesarean section.
- Wipes and cotton wool – For wiping the baby.
- Burping cloths – Wipe off the baby’s milk spit.
- Oil/cream/ointment – Diaper changing times will require these items to protect the baby’s skin.
- Sanitizer – Ensure that you sanitize your hands, cleanliness is paramount, before handling the baby.
- Travel essentials
- Baby’s car seat – If you will use a personal car to travel home after delivery, install and learn how to adjust a baby’s car seat, it provides much-needed safety for the baby.
Newborn Hospital Bag Items For The Birth Partner
Below is a list of essentials to pack in a newborn hospital bag for the birth partner before going to the maternity hospital for childbirth.
- Essentials
- Phone and charger – The phone is needed for communications and capturing special moments. The charger ensures the phone is up and running throughout the hospital stay.
- Camera and charger, and other attachments – If you wouldn’t like to use a phone to capture important moments during your stay in hospital for childbirth, you can bring a camera together with it’s accessories instead.
- Entertainment – Books, music, etc. – You can bring books to read or films and music to enjoy on your phone to keep you occupied in your free time during labour, delivery and other moments during your stay in hospital.
