The Overnight Bag

During the stages of late pregnancy, you might be eagerly waiting for those contractions to start so that you can hurry up and meet your little one. If you're planning a hospital birth then the last thing you want to worry about once your contractions start is what to pack for your stay. Even if you are hoping for a home birth you may want to pack a bag beforehand just in case you need to go to hospital for whatever reason. Seasoned mothers recommend packing a bag at around 36 weeks and keeping it somewhere easy to reach.

So what do you take with you? Well, it depends on you, but general advice is to keep the bag light in case there are storage restrictions at the hospital. You can always keep a second bag containing less essential things in the car.

For the labour, you'll need any birth notes or maternity plans you've made beforehand. You might want to take a lightweight dressing gown so you can stay comfy during your stay and extra pillows might come in handy during the birth if the hospital doesn't have enough to keep you really comfortable. Slippers and socks are useful too so your feet stay warm, while an old nightie or large T-shirt will be loose and lightweight during the labour. Some mothers like to tie their hair back during contractions so bring a hair tie and clip for your fringe. Lip balm is good for keeping your calm and your lips hydrated. If you have a birthing partner, you might want to put some water spray into your bag so they can spray you to cool you down when the time comes.

While you're in hospital waiting for the second stage of labour, you might want some magazines, books or cards to help you pass the time. Bring in a battery powered music player with headphones and make sure you have plenty of drinks and snacks ready as you may be in the hospital for a while and we all know that hospital food isn't amazing.

Your birthing partner may want to also bring some snacks, as well as a change of clothes, watch or stopwatch so they can time contractions and swimwear if you're planning a water birth and they want to come in with you.

Finally, bring any toiletries you'll need during your stay and a camera for that magical moment when you first hold your new born baby.

This article is a feature from the MUM.com Trusted Bloggers Club.

About the author

Rosanne Moulding

Alice graduated from the University of Nottingham with a Masters degree in Classics, before moving to live in Canada where she worked as Marketing Coordinator for a publishing press.

Twitter | My Blog

share this page with friends and family

Tweet