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Mind over Mama

Discussing the ups and downs of parenthood, whilst promoting positive mental health

Birth, Pregnancy

Hospital Bag Checklist: What I ACTUALLY Needed

February 4, 2022 Leave a Comment

* This post contains some affiliate links

As someone who loves organisation and lists, packing my hospital bag was a particularly satisfying experience. I read many different examples of lists, one of my favourites included a mini bottle of champagne (shout out to that mama!). Then from this, I wrote my own based on what I thought I needed and then some.. So I thought it would be helpful to share what I actually used, in order to spare the over packing. See below the exact hospital bag checklist I used for Liam (birth partner), Indie and I. Feel free to save these and add your own items, or download a blank version for free here.

hospital bag checklist
hospital bag checklist
hospital bag checklist

Products I Used

It’s easy to say order x, y and z, but I found it really helpful to have recommendations from friends/other bloggers on products they found worked well. Here are some of mine I found useful (click the heading to access the link).

Nightie – This nightie was great as it has buttons down the front meaning when I was being checked I did not need to remove any clothing, just popped open a few buttons. Trust me, anything that makes life easier during labour is a must! I ordered a couple to take in and still wore them after birth as well for comfort.

Water bottle – A water bottle with a straw is a must, as again doesn’t really involve much effort when you’re feeling tired. This is similar to what I bought (and less money!)

Fan – I got a handheld fan from B&M which I think was about five pound. I don’t have a link for this, but you can get similar on Amazon (though a little bit more expensive).

Projector light – Some of the hospitals already have these, but I took my own in case they were not available. Liam had bought me one as a present, so I did not buy it especially for labour, but it did help me to feel calm throughout. Plus the baby loves to use it now! I also took in little tea lights from B&M.

Cooler – This was my best friend throughout labour and my stay in the hospital. I don’t know about your local hospital but mine is about 300 degrees so this helped keep me cool.

Nursing bras – I bought almost all of my maternity/nursing bras from ASOS and H&M. These ones were definitely the comfiest and felt a bit more luxurious with the lace.

Maternity leggings – I still wear these four months postpartum. They are so comfortable and feel more expensive than they actually are. They were a godsend after birth to come home in, as wearing tights for a few days was a bit of a no go.

Coming home clothes – I wore this maternity dress to come home from hospital in. As it’s a smock it was nice and loose, as trust me, you do not want anything clinging! My stomach was still quite tender so light and floaty worked well.

Birth Announcement Card – I ordered Indigo’s birth announcement card from this shop on Etsy. I have since ordered a Christmas Eve board for Santa and both orders have been amazing! I would highly recommend this store (not an Ad, just loved it!)

I had also packed a TENS machine from Boots and some heat pads from B&M. I found the heats pads helped initially when I had mild back ache at the start of labour, however the TENS machine irritated me. Some hospitals already have TENS machines, so if you were wanting to try one, please ask your midwife about availability.

Hospital Bag Checklist: Snack Edition

Packing the food was almost as important as packing the essentials (I mean I’d even argue more important). The hopsital I went to do not provide food for the birthing partners, but would provide hot water. Therefore Liam’s snack pack looked a lot like this (please don’t judge the lack of nutritional value in this list haha) :

  • Pot Noodles
  • Curry (this was from B&M, though I can’t remember the brand, you basically added boiling water to make)
  • Flapjacks
  • UHT milk (to make tea)
  • Tea bags
  • Crisps (his favourite)
  • John West ‘on the go’ salads (again from B&M)
  • Sandwich (My Mam brought in a full picnic when she was allowed in!)

For myself I had little things I could snack on during labour, as meals were provided. My snack pack included things such as flapjacks, cereal bars and haribos (my favourite). I tried to include things that would give me little bursts of energy throughout. Unfortunately, I was nil by mouth from the morning of induction (which I did not know about before), so I could not eat during labour. Silver linings was I had quite the picnic for afterwards!

During my stay I used a lot less than what I packed, so this list may seem short, but I only wanted to include what I actually used. I definitely felt I had to pack an enormous amount of things ‘just incase’, but it was actually more of a faff getting it all home with baby in tow. I hope this hospital bag checklist helps and feel free to download and share the free resources!

Click here to read how the birth went!

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My Birth Story
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Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes

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Holly | Blogger
Eight months baby ✌🏻 You can sit, you can sa Eight months baby ✌🏻

You can sit, you can say your first word, you love to sing and to swipe food off our plates. You truly are the light of our lives and we love you so much baby girl ❀️
So I’ve been a little bit MIA lately, as we’ve So I’ve been a little bit MIA lately, as we’ve been buried in boxes and bubble wrap πŸ“¦

Moving house is hard, but felt ten times harder with Indie in tow. She was as good as gold during the move, but I felt (still feel) incredibly guilty that she’s been left to play independently for more time than I’d like. So, I’ve been trying to balance unpacking with play time, which doesn’t always go to plan πŸ˜…

I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have a to do list completed in one day, not dragged out over weeks 😬 I’m trying to be easy on myself and remind myself the boxes are still packed as I’m juggling many plates, which does help. Start small, eh?! 

BRB whilst I go cry over our last family photos in our first family home. The one where I became a Mam ❀️
Socialising whilst Dad β€˜babysits’ πŸ€”πŸ₯³ So Socialising whilst Dad β€˜babysits’ πŸ€”πŸ₯³

Socialising once you become a Mama can be tough. You can feel judged for β€˜leaving’ your baby, which can lead to feeling guilty and even avoiding doing so. Then on top of that, there’s trying to find the time and energy 😴

But here’s why I think it’s important:
β€’ It’s good to have β€˜adult’ conversation. I sometimes think I’ve lost the ability to talk about anything other than Peter Rabbit, so it’s good to challenge this. 

β€’ It’s important to have time to switch off (and properly!) Even when Liam is off work and in another room with Indie, I’m still listening and waiting to jump in. So, being able to get out of the house alone does me the world of good. 

β€’ Being a parent can already feel pretty isolating, so finding time to spend with your besties can help squash that feeling. 

β€’ It gives you time to reset and restore. After I’ve been out with friends or family, I always feel like a new woman the next day (minus the hangover if there has been gin involved). You can become quite burnt out being a parent/stay at home Mam, so having a β€˜day off’ allows us to feel like us again and come back refreshed. It’s a bit like annual leave from work, right πŸ˜…

β€’ Socialising can help improve your mental wellbeing overall, so a win, win right? 

How often do you find time to socialise with others? Leave your tips to do so below and save this as your reminder!
Best friends in the making ❀️ Ernie came home Best friends in the making ❀️

Ernie came home with us on 21st October 2020 and Indigo’s original due date was the 20th October 2021. A puppy and a baby all within the year, were we okay?! πŸ˜…

I’m very happy to report that so far, so good. Ernie adores Indigo and she finds it hilarious when he’s doing something he shouldn’t (usually running around with one of our socks). 

Moments like this, spent down by the river with my family, is everything I’ve ever wanted. It’s even better than I could have imagined to be honest and I feel so incredibly lucky. 

When we first had Indie, I felt so overwhelmed by everything, that I could never imagine days like today. But here we are, six months later, doing normal family stuff without any of the dramas that I worried about before. Cheers to that πŸ™ŒπŸ»

So if that little voice in your head is telling you that you can’t, please kindly tell it to do one 🎀 drop.
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