What you really need in your hospital bag

Congratulations on your pregnancy, while you are getting used to the back pain, sickness and other ailments that come with pregnancy I thought I would give some real advice on what you need for your hospital bag.

• Towel – Useful for all the blood loss or to use if you have a bath while in labour or decide to have a water birth while you are at the hospital. It will also be useful when you want a wash after the birth.
• Nightie – You really need a loose fitting nightie for the labour as the midwife will keep checking you down there to see how many centimetres dilated you are and to check everything is okay. A loose fitting one will also make you feel more comfortable and allow you air to breathe as sometimes people get very warm with all the effort involved in labour.
• Face cloth – A face cloth is great for keeping you dry on your face while in labour as well as having lots of water to drink or use on your face to cool you down especially if you give birth in summer.
• Camera – For pictures obviously after the birth and maybe throughout depending on how you feel, its always nice to look back on your labour pictures as you forgot about all the pain once you have the bundle in your arms.
• Sanitary Pads – You will bleed after the birth, like 9 months worth of blood so its worthwhile getting extra large sanitary pads, not tampons especially if you have had stitches as sometimes tampons don’t help with infections after birth.
• Change – This is for the hospital car park, usually you only pay for the first hour or so and the labour ward may be able to give you a ticket for free parking as you won’t know how long you will be in labour.
• Clothes for you and baby to go home in, usually a sleepsuit and vest for baby and something loose fitting for you as unfortunately your stomach won’t be a washboard straight after the birth (unless your very very lucky), usually maternity jeans are the best for several weeks after the birth.

That is pretty much everything you will need as by the time you get to the hospital and are 4cm (which is when they keep you in) you will be having contractions pretty close together and there won’t be any time for reading or writing or anything else as you will be focused and concentrating on getting the baby out as soon as possible.

Good Luck with your labour – This article was written by mother of 3 Gemma Dawson who sells Charlie and lola party supplies