You might be anticipating the birth of the baby and experiencing both excitement and anxiety. It’s normal to feel conflicted about bringing your brand-new child home from the hospital. After all, both mom and the baby must make a significant adjustment. In the days following delivery, having your mother or another dependable caregiver stay with you can lessen your stress and ease your adjustment to life at home.
And while the majority of mothers give their partners instructions to pack a bag for the mother, dad frequently forgets to include necessities like sweatpants, a comfortable nursing bra, and a nightgown. Pack a well-organized hospital bag with everything you’ll need in it, even if you’re expecting someone to stay with you after giving birth. That way, when everyone else is busy, you won’t have to search around for things like clean underwear.
Important items to pack for mom
When deciding what to put in hospital bags for mom, the very minimum that you should have ready to pack are the 5 things listed below.
- Mother and Child Health Handbook
- medical examination papers (e.g., doctor’s note)
- Health insurance card
- Ballpoint pen
- Hospitalization expenses
They will be required when you are discharged from the hospital in order to settle the costs associated with your hospitalization, as well as when you fill out paperwork that needs to be completed during your stay in the hospital. During your stay in the hospital, many maternity care facilities will keep a copy of both your Maternity Record Book and your Medical Certificate.
In addition to the items listed above that will be required for procedures, etc., you should also prepare the following items in hospital bags for mom in preparation for the birth and hospital stay.
- 5 pajamas
- 1 pair of postpartum panties
- 3 sanitary panties
- 5 underwear (non-wire bra)
- 5 face towels
- 5 bath towels
- Pelvic belt
- Chopsticks, spoons, cups
- Several plastic bags
- Socks
- Discharge clothes (for baby and mom)
- Donut cushion
- Several gauze handkerchiefs
- A charger for each
- Make-up kit
- Shampoo, rinse, body soap
- Lotion
- Tea
- Slippers
- Nipple cream
- Toiletries
You will probably receive a document from the maternity hospital with a list of things you will need when you are hospitalized.
Tips for packing a hospital bag
- You might not actually need items you previously believed to be necessities, like baby bottles and diapers.
- There are times when mothers only need to prepare a few things in hospital bags for mom. This is due to the fact that maternity hospitals frequently prepare puerperal pads, puerperal shorts, menstrual pads, pajamas, slippers, etc. You can prepare efficiently if you check in advance what the maternity hospital has to offer.
- You should start getting ready somewhere between the 28th week of your second trimester of pregnancy and the 35th week of your pregnancy, which is the last month of your pregnancy. This is a basic rule of thumb. When a woman goes into labor is one of the many factors that determines when she is admitted to the hospital. Some women are admitted to the hospital after they go into labor, while others are admitted after their water breaks during a checkup, and still others are admitted after receiving a recommendation from their doctor that they should be admitted to the hospital as soon as possible. In the event of an anticipated cesarean section or planned delivery, the timing of the procedure is chosen in advance following consultation with the attending physician. However, the timing of a natural childbirth is, for the most part, an unpredictable variable.
- In some maternity hospitals, family members may not be permitted to visit due to the coronavirus, and you may not be able to bring a change of clothes, etc. Be sure to make preparations in plenty of time in advance because it is entirely likely that you may be admitted to the hospital earlier than thought.
Hospital Bag for Mom’s Essentials
When you are admitted to the hospital, having a larger hospital bags for mom to carry your belongings in is almost always handy. Even if carry-on luggage is the standard, some maternity hospitals still do not let mothers bring them in. If you should call the hospital ahead of time to find out whether or not patients are permitted to bring in carry-on bags, and if they are, you are free to use the hospital bags for mom you brought along with you. A larger bag is needed if you aren’t allowed to bring a carry-on.
Baby Basics
Baby Clothing
It may be hard to know how many pairs of underwear to buy before a baby’s arrival. Some mothers prepared ten pieces of short and long underwear to reduce the number of times they had to wash them. The baby’s wardrobe needs may vary by season. Overgarments include rompers and coveralls. Some mothers prepare more than just their children’s underwear. When giving birth in the fall or winter, prepare a baby wrap to wrap the baby and keep him or her warm.
Socks or booties to wrap around the baby’s feet
Because infants are more susceptible to catching colds, you should bring socks or booties with you just in case you need to keep their feet warm. Swaddles and blankets
It is helpful to have a swaddle or blanket for the mother to use while breastfeeding and engaging in skin-to-skin contact in order to help regulate the baby’s body temperature. Blankets are provided at the hospital; however, it is helpful to have a swaddle or blanket for the mother to use during these activities. The baby can also be wrapped up when you return home from the hospital.
Child Car Seat
It is not required that you place them in the hospital bags for mom that you bring to the hospital with you. However, it is a good idea to have a child seat in your car when you bring everything that your baby needs.
Final Tips
Making a list of everything you need to purchase in order to get ready for the arrival of your child is one way to accomplish this goal. It will be much simpler to understand if you just check off the goods that you have already bought. If you take notes on your smartphone, you’ll be able to check your list more quickly while you’re out shopping, which could make the process of getting ready go more smoothly.