The Baker Farm: The Definitive Hospital Bag list

A COUPLE of friends of mine are pregnant at the moment and have asked me for advice on what to pack for their hospital stay. There are so many versions of this list online but after having three babies and tweaking the bag packing at every one, I think this is the only hospital bag list you’ll need. I’d advise you to pack a few different bags. It’s better than having one gigantic one that you have to root through to find anything, or worse yet, that your partner will have to root through. I haven't bothered with the paper knickers, fans, woolly socks and other paraphernalia that other lists recommend - simply because I never used them.

I’ll start with a labour bag, and for this any kind of overnight bag will do. Here’s what I packed in mine and I had it in a handy place so that we could just grab it and go whenever we needed to. I’ve seen all sorts of things on this list before but I never used half the stuff I packed first time around. As well as the labour bag, I also brought a birthing ball with me as the hospitals don't always have them. I found them amazing for during labour.

*2 x loose nighties with buttons down the front with easy access to your chest for skin to skin straight away after the birth. I got mine in Dunnes. I say two because during my first labour I was a puker and needed a change of clothes, so for subsequent labours I made sure to pack two, just in case.

*A pair of flip flops for walking around during labour. You’re not going to be wearing shoes and slippers could get messy. Flip flops are handy as you can also wear them into the shower etc.

*A hair tie to keep your hair away from your face if you need to.

*A bottle of water and some snacks - I packed jellies and some chocolate but I’m sure there are healthier versions that you might like to go for instead. You could get hungry during labour and it may very well be at night, when the shop is closed and the vending machine is broken.

*Phone charger.

*Tens machine, with new batteries. I swore by my tens machine for all three labours and used it throughout the labours. In fact, I wouldn’t go through labour again without one. You can rent them but given that your due date is only ever a guess date, I bought mine online. Make sure it has a boost button. I got mine on www.inhealth.ie.

*A homeopathic birthing kit, if you are into that kind of thing, and I was. I had drug-free labours and found this really helped. I got the Helios Pregnancy and Childbirth kit in my local health shop and himself had a read of all the instructions ahead of time so that he knew what to give me and when. I found it brilliant.

*A towel in case you decide to have a shower or if you’re lucky enough to have a birthing pool in your hospital. CUH has one, as does the Coombe in Dublin and the midwife led units in Cavan and Drogheda.

*A facecloth can be nice to mop your brow if you’re feeling hot.

*Within your labour bag, have a little brown paper bag and in it put one nappy, one vest, one babygro and a hat. When you leave the labour ward you’ll have a baby with you that will need dressing, after all!

Bag for the post-labour ward

*Shower products…The first shower you have after labour will be the best ever! Bring small travel shampoos, conditioners and shower gels as you don’t want them taking up all the space in your bag. Try use products that don’t contain too many chemicals or smells - you could be delicate after birth so it’s good to reduce the risk of stinging etc. Also, if you’re breastfeeding, it’s good to not mask your own smell too much from baby.

*A hair dryer and hair brush. Nothing worse than having to go to bed with wet hair and the hospital won’t have one.

*Comfy, light pyjamas/nightie that has easy access to your chest and boobs. Hospitals are also stifling hot usually, so cotton or light natural fabrics are best to stop you melting in your bed.

*A light dressing gown for when you’re up and about.

*Slippers

*A comfortable sleep nursing bra - I got two packs in Mamas and Papas that you can just pull down. Really stretchy and nice.

*Breast pads. I’ve tried loads of different brands over the years and my favourites were the Lansinoh disposable pads as they were the only ones that didn’t leave me soaking through. I’ve also heard good things about the Vital Baby 3D ones.

*Nipple cream is brilliant for preventing sore nipples in the early days of breastfeeding. I like the Lanolin cream by Lansinoh or the Madela PureLan Nipple Cream.

*Multimam patches. These are a life saver if you have sensitive nipples. I brought a box to the hospital for babies two and three and it was one of the best things I packed. So soothing! You'll get them in good chemists and they cost around €14.95 per box.

*Knickers, knickers and more knickers. The bigger the better. I bought big bloomer like ones from Dunnes, in black. They need to be comfortable to accommodate the giant maternity pads you’ll have to wear for the next while.

*Giant maternity pads. I went for the plastic-free big green things that you can get in most pharmacies for a couple of euro. I don’t even know if they’re branded but they’re cheap as chips and provide plenty of cushioning. You’ll need loads of these.

*A small makeup bag with a few items to make you feel good when you’re having those precious first pix taken - a bit of concealer, some moisturiser, foundation, mascara and some lipstick or whatever you’d normally wear.

*For baby, pack around six vests and six babygros. The average length of your stay is around three days for a normal delivery and first baby, so two outfits a day should be plenty and allows for pukes, explosive nappies, peeing on themselves and you leaking milk all over them. The glamour!

*Muslin squares. Loads of them. I used them for everything - burp cloths, mopping up spit ups, laying down on their little cots to catch any pukes that happen when they’re in bed. I really like the extra large muslins as they’re so soft and multi purpose and I especially like the ToTs by Smartrike, which you can pick up in Smyths.

*Cellular blankets. Not all hospitals provide blankets and the cellular ones are what’s recommended for breathability etc.

*I don’t recommend bathing baby in the hospital as some experts reckon it’s better to go without for at least 10 days. I did bring some cotton pads to wash baby’s face and top and tail them though. I brought one pack of newborn sized nappies and a packet of Water Wipes as well.

*Magazines, a book or something else to pass the time for you. Babies can sleep a lot in the days after birth and you can be on a high and find it hard to sleep after going through labour. Bring a good book to keep you company.

*Your phone charger.

Going home bag

You can pack this and keep it at home and ask your partner to bring it in for you the night before you’re going home. It’ll save you having a load of stuff in your hospital room/ward. You’ll probably have just a small locker for your personal possessions. In it, pack a going home outfit for yourself (something comfortable!) and for baby. Throw in a blanket for covering baby when they’re in the carseat, and depending on the time of year you might need an all in one suit to keep baby warm on the journey home.