16 hospital bag essentials you’re likely to forget
You'll definitely want these
Last updated 1st Sep 2017
If you're pregnant, one of the most important bags you’ll ever pack is your hospital bag and it will sit by the door for weeks, as you await the arrival of your new baby.
There are plenty of guides out there on the items you must include, yet here are the items you’re most likely to forget, or wish you had when the day arrives.
1) Ear plugs
If you’re kept in overnight with your newborn, you’ll soon experience the joy of a post-natal ward. Despite being exhausted, you’ll be surprised at how difficult you find it to sleep on a noisy ward.
2) Comfy slippers
It’s normal to feel cold during labour and hospital staff will not be happy with you walking around in bare feet, so make sure you pack a pair of comfy slippers, even if you won’t wear them at home.
3) A camera
Using your mobile is OK, but you'll soon find it buzzing with messages. Take a separate camera and you can take photos of your new arrival uninterrupted.
4) Snacks
Although you’ll be fed, it’s worth packing some extra snacks for both yourself and your birth partner. You don’t want them flagging when you need them most, and although most hospitals do have shops, they might not be open 24 hours. What’s more, a lot of mums say the last thing they felt like was hospital food and wished they had some more of their favourite snacks.
5) Headphones
Most delivery rooms will have a CD player for your birth playlist, but it’s worth having a pair of headphones that will block out all the other noises around you.
6) Dry shampoo
Dry shampoo is the one beauty product every new mum swears by; although you might not feel your best (or care how you look), clean feeling hair can always help.
7) Spare nightwear
Giving birth is a messy experience. A lot of mums wished they had an extra pair of pyjamas in their bags, for those last minute changes.
8) Lip balm
Gas and air can make your lips feel super dry, so make sure you’ve got your favourite lip balm to hand.
9) Chocolate
This is one of those moments where devouring chocolate is totally ok! Loads of mums crave and desperately want that sugar boost. What’s more, dark chocolate is packed with iron, so it’s a great way to increase your levels of this.
10) Squash
Although you might not be allowed fizzy drinks, a lot of mums say they wished they’d packed something to make the hospital water more bearable.
11) A hand fan or face spray
Labour wards can be hot, so hand fans or cold flannels can really help make you feel more comfortable.
12) A headband
Many mums wish they had something to scrape all the hair away from their face during labour. Dig out that wide headband you haven’t worn in years – you won’t regret it!
13) Extra maternity pads
Although most of you will already have these on your list, you might be surprised by how many you go through during labour itself, so pack some extra ones to get you home! Clemmie Hooper, midwife and author of ‘How to Grow a Baby and Push It Out’ recommends mums look for incontinence pants with a built in pad. Although they may make you feel like you’re wearing an adult nappy, they’re far comfier than pads and you can just throw them away.
14) Mints
A lot of mums told us the gas and air left a horrible taste in their mouths, so take a pack of mints!
15) Shampoo and conditioner
If you do get a chance to freshen up before going home, it’s always worth packing your own shampoo. The husband of a new mum apparently went to the shop to buy shampoo and came back with exfoliator - she was so desperate she used it!
16) A phone charger
You’ll be so busy taking photos of your new arrival and answering congratulation texts, you might not realise your phone is running low on charge.
If you're expecting this year, you're in great company, these celebrities are also expecting in 2017: