Hospital Bag Essentials For Baby

When it comes to packing your bags for hospital it can be so easy to feel overwhelmed. There are so many things that you feel like you should bring with you, it's tempting to almost bring the whole nursery with you! But the fact of the matter is that you won't need all the fancy bells and whistles, they're only more things for you to have to pack back into bags when your checking out of hospital! 

So keep the contents of your bag more streamlined, it makes it much easier to find things as and when you need them. One great tip for the hospital bags that I've seen and can be used for both Mam and baby's bag is to get little storage bags or packing cubes. That way you can have everything you need in the bag but also have it neat and easily accessible. 

Baby Clothes: It goes without saying that of course you can put whatever and how ever many things in your bag for baby as you like, this is just a list designed to help guide you in the packing process! Baby vests are of course crucial! A couple of sleepsuits, some pairs of socks, a soft hat and a pair of mittens in case of scratching should all be staples in the hospital bag. And for baby's coming home outfit, it would be really handy to put that in a separate bag with it marked on the front so you know exactly where it is! And don't forget to prewash the clothes before you pack them into the bag!

Blanket: It's really useful to have a cellular blanket packed in your bag, the chances are you won't need it but on the off chance that you do at least you have it tucked away! 

Baby Towel: A baby towel is one of those things that it's actually really easy to forget about when it comes to the hospital essentials, and lets be honest there's nothing more adorable than a little hooded towel! 

Bibs/Muslin Cloths: You may only want to pack one or the other when it comes to feeding, or you might want to take some bibs and muslin cloths to see which works better for you! Some people definitely like to use the two in tandem especially when baby is so small.

Nappies: When it comes to nappies one great piece of advice is not to stock up too much in the way of nappies before your baby arrives. The reason for this being that not every nappy brand agrees with every baby. You might feel like the tabs are too long on one brand, or that one brand holds pee better than the other. So of course bring nappies with you to the hospital, but maybe don't have one specific nappy brand stockpiled at home in case you need to switch! 

Cotton wool: Cotton wool and lukewarm water are a great way of cleaning baby's bum so make sure to bring a big pack of cotton wool with you when going to the hospital. Alternatively, some people prefer to use wipes or even use a combination of the two! Don't forget to bring nappy sacks with you too! 

And so there is our more streamlined list of essentials for baby's hospital bag. Of course there are some non-essential things that you may want to bring with you too and that is brilliant! At the end of the day it's all about putting you at ease and feeling as relaxed as you possibly can be going into the birth of your baby.