Hospital bag

Hospital bag check list – for mum, partner and baby! What did you pack? What couldn’t you have lived without?

• Google the basics… Personally for me chap stick, rubber thongs for showering and my own pillow. Anita

• My advice: take a packet of post it notes and write ‘DONT FORGET PHONE CHARGER’ on every single one and stick them EVERYWHERE haha. I left my charger in hospital & apparently they have a very vast collection of them LOL. Penelope

• Don’t forget a pen.. but i’ll grab my list and post it. Justine

• Phone charger, camera.  And although my hubby laughed at me, my own pillow! Nerelee

• Oh I agree with all of the above- your own pillow! Penelope

• Lots of maternity pads. A jumper or cardigan and socks. Klaire

• Lip gloss is a must. Rosie

• Good toilet paper. Melissa

• A SOFT towel! and maybe even your own toilet paper haha!! as everything’s extra sensitive after!! Casey

• Maternity Pads, breast pads, pjs, socks, own pillow, loose tees, underwear (black) lots of, nappies, wipes, bubs clothes x5 sets, mittens, socks, phone and charger, dressing gown. And that’s about all 🙂 Joanne

• I forgot hair brush so HAIRBRUSH!!! Lol Chana

• Essentials like mini cosmetics for mum to freshen up and smell good, breast pads, maternity pads, phone and charger, camera, own pillow, pjs, breast feeding singlets and comfy clothes, suits for the bubba and nappies, blankets u can also get mini j&j travel goods for bath time. Olivia

• Pj’s, slippers, socks, belly bandit to support your tummy, cardigans or dressing gown, breast feeding singlets, breast feeding bras, lots of knickers but not necessarily good ones as pads sometimes leak after birth!, socks, lots of maternity pads, camera/video camera, and chargers/spare SD cards. Spare set of clothes for dad, and some board shorts in case he needs to get in shower with u in labour. shampoo/condition, soap, nipple creme, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, hair ties, face cleanser/moisturiser. for baby 3-4 good stretchy wraps about 1mx1m to wrap them properly, 4-5 jumpsuits and singlets, about 3 baby hats, about 10 newborn nappies (some hospitals supply cloth while u stay though), wipes. Brooke

• Cheap Black knickers, maternity pads, comfy loose clothes, toiletries, phone, camera, chargers, money for a tv if you want one, snacks, food for after you’ve had bub in case you get moved to the ward too late (I was moved at midnight and told to wait it out until breakfast time by the midwives on duty I had been in labour since 7am and hadn’t eaten anything!) Tomika

• If you’re like me and want the baby bonus money quickly (LOL), your passport and drivers license numbers 😛 Vanessa

• MUM- toiletries, lots of loose fitted undies, maternity bras, breast pads, maternity pads, slippers for walking around the hospital, ‘easy access’ tops for breast feeding, loose fitting clothing, hair ties/brush. BABY- nappies, singlets, socks, jumpsuits, mittens & beanie, a nice going home outfit, bottle if bottle feeding, flannel, wipes. PARTNER- change of clothes, something comfy if he’s sleeping there as well, snacks & something for him to do like a magazine, ipad, etc. Remember your phone chargers!! This was the first thing on my list haha. Bianca

• we brought one change of clothes for my hubby and i threw up all over them. so more clothes next time and more towels. Sarah

• Socks!!!! Own pillow, Big comfy undies (cottontails are best) Louann

• Definitely recommend your own toilet paper as hospital ones can be rough. Magazines, books for when it’s just you and bubs. I found as my DD slept so much I got bored of tv and when I couldn’t sleep I could read. Everyone else has mentioned just about everything else you need. Rebecca

• Bottles and formula if not breast feeding. Stacey

• A box of ‘URAL’. Kristie

• Lanolin or some sort of nipple cream!! Clare

• Noodles for daddy during labour and spare clothes for dad (boardies) for when he helps in the shower and LIPBALM lol. Pirihi

• A spray bottle for those giving birth naturally. Sorry for TMI but if you tear giving birth then using a spray bottle while using the toilet and showering relieves some of the pain 🙂 Lexie

• For myself i packed a week’s worth of clothes, my brush, soap, shampoo, conditioner, tooth brush, towel, face washer, over night pads breast pads phone charger. For bub i packed 7 suits singlets mittens socks beenies formula grow suits bibs wipes nappies bottles blankets. Dee

• A few pairs of pj bottoms! If you leak through, you don’t want to be stuck with the one pair of pjs. Katie

• I would take an old water bottle that you can use for going to the toilet if you deliver naturally it may hurt really bad

• I absolutely must have a thermos travel mug! Makes a cuppa last so much longer when there are so many reasons to forget about it when you’re in hospital! 🙂 Kathy

• For sure your own pillow and mittens for bub. I also found the blankets given by the hospital were too small to swaddle your baby so better take one with you. And you need music so take your mp3 player. Melanie

• The softest toilet paper you can find, hospital toilet is bad!! lollies for when in labour, socks and music!! Roxy

• Lots of undies!! And pads with wings so they don’t move too much why your sleeping. Shilo

• Slip on slippers for those late night feeds, a comfy dressing gown and super comfy clothes you are happy for lots of visitors to see you in, beauty products to freshen up, snacks are a must and taking a four pack of Gatorade was a great move for hubby.. He gets tired during labour too! Oh and I felt like Lansinoh saved my life. Charlotte

• Couldn’t have done without the following….My own water bottle and powerade for labour. Lots of cheap high waisted undies. Herbal teas for the hospital stay. Flusable wipes to use instead of toilet paper. Tissues And my own pillow and doona. Roz

• Sounds silly but i didnt pack enough nappies for my bub. Some hospitals supply nappies, but mine didnt. Cassy

• And my own wraps. Hospital ones are so tiny. Roz

• Dressing gown and slippers! Mills

• Beanie for baby. Worse case if you forget anything…hubby or friends or family can always pick up for you. Katie

• WET TOILET WIPES – they are a savoir if your need stitches from natural delivery. Casse

• I’ve packed new towels and flannel and my own pillow, lanolin cream  and after day 2 I’m getting my 3 year old daughter to come stay with me can’t go 5 nights without her. Felicity

• Definitely agree with your own pillow, ural (but if you forget they should have some at the hospital), black undies, and formula and bottles if you’re not breast feeding the hospitals are stingy with that, and maybe your own breast pump, nappies and wipes, pen, phone charger, camera, dry shampoo!! Caitlyn

• For your partner pack food so u can avoid a trip through mcDonalds drive through when you’re in full on labour!! (the people at the window looked slightly scared). Also some magazines or a book for them to read because sometimes they have to wait a while and if your anything like i was you done want anyone near you. lol Kirsty

• I second the chap stick especially if you use the gas as it dries out your mouth. Also relaxing birth music was a must for me. And don’t forget to take your phone charger home! Also take a camera and spare batteries. Also I was so glad the hospital told me about frozen pads in the freezer – they were freaking awesome! Nikki

• Lansinoh!! for breastfeeding a MUST. Sarah

• Pj bottoms, feeding or comfy tops, feeding/bras, undies, socks, slippers, dressing gown, toilettries, pillow, book, phone, charger, music, camera, pen, notebook, water bottle, thermos, suits, mittens and singlets for bubs (my hospital had hot drinks available, blankets, nappies, wipes, maternity pads, lansinoh, formula and bottles (some hospitals don’t and u may need these) Alice

• Your birth wishes (birth plan). Socks. Incontinence pads or pants heaps better than maternity pads. Your favourite toilet paper. Useful phone numbers for support ie: ABA 1800MUM2MUM . Prunes or pear juice. Mobile charger. Plus the usual clothes, toiletries, etc. Blake

• I found having an eye mask for sleeping was SO good. It meant I could nap during the day and keep the soft light on at night to see bub. My also had to go into a humidicrib for jaundice and it meant I could have him in my room and still sleep with the uv lights on. Blair

• I took my laptop so when it got to those boring times I could listen to music or watch a couple of movies. Especially if u have to pay for tv that should be free anyhow. Emma

• Definitely your own pillow and toilet paper!!!! Your own towel (i used my towel for my body, the hospital towels for the messy stuff), shamp/cond. Spring water as hospital water tastes funny. Snacks for during the day as hospital food can be stingy, phone charger, camera, lots of undies, socks, breast pads and anything to keep u occupied as hospitals have crappy tv 🙂 Zoe

• Best thing we ever took was a dummy! After 5 hours of screaming one in night in hospital we gave her that and she was out like a light! We never took nappies as we thought they would be supplied but they weren’t and had to buy some. Jorja

• Usb memory stick with movies and tv series that you like on it, we just plugged ours into the hospital tv and got to watch True Blood during night feeds!! Bring a laptop our ipad if no tv. We got a stash of ice cream for late night cravings, as I had a c sect and was in for 5 nights. Vanessa

• Packed all the essentials & my own toilet paper, most definitely couldn’t use hospital stuff after birth 🙂 Tamara

• In line with the frozen pads, my hospital froze newborn nappies! Gives a bit more coverage than a pad and TMI but relieves so much pain down there!!! Robyn

• Thanks guys, great advice I just wrote my list from this thread 🙂 Stacie

• Heaps of maternity pads and knickers!! Lol Gatorade, Lollies, 00000 clothes as well as 0000, crop top, baggy comfy clothes, laptop with a hard drive of cartoons and movies. You have to pay to use the TVs in public hospitals. Liz

• Hair dryer for drying stitches or otherwise tender parts you don’t want to touch with a towel! Jordan

• The biggest thing I found was the pj pant I brought sat on my hips but I then had to have a c-section and couldn’t wear them as they sat right on the cut, I had to send my mum to buy me different ones, so when buying them in the first place buy them to sit around your middle!!! Kasey

• What I used: pj pants and feeding tops a supportive bra, undies, pads with wings, toiletries. Wet ones for in the toilet because hospital toilet paper is harsh on sensitive areas, a book to read, done thing to snack on when feeding, slippers., for baby nappies if not supplied wipes, one or two all in ones and going home outfit if you like, bottle just in case breastfeeding fails or you have trouble and need to express that way bub will def tasks the bottles you brought. Everything else I packed didn’t get used eg towels blankets extra clothes. Tiffany

• Comfy pj’s, cardigan, slippers, wet wipes, chap stick, moisturiser, own pillow, phone, camera + chargers, snacks, ear plugs (just to reduce noise-u still wanna hear bub, although mine ended up in NICU). If u share a room they always have 20 visitors right when you need to sleep. Pack for an extra day/two just in case – I was there for 6 days. Make

• Cheap black undies and camera are both a must! Sami

• ‎5x black kmart men’s trackies!!! Definitely dry shampoo! Cheap undies to chuck out after u wear them. Something to wear in the shower when in labour eg hubby’s tshirt. Sarah

• I bought cheap granny nickers, as they were looser than normal undies, so if need be I could put a maternity pad and an ice pack down there if I need to. Also take wet toilet wipes, much nicer than toilet paper. Hand cream and lip balm, as air conditioners dry out your skin. Definitely a camera too. Annika

• A dummy just in case – essential if you have a reflux baby. Tina

What was on your baby hospital bag checklist?