Getting ready for the maternity hospital is a very important stage in the joyful anticipation of the first meeting with the baby. A pre-packed bag for the maternity hospital is a moral preparation for an important event, and a guarantee of comfort before and after childbirth. You won’t have to explain for a long time to your mother or husband what to buy - everything you need is already with you, which means you can not be distracted by little things and focus on the long-awaited acquaintance with your child.
Doctors recommend preparing everything you need already at 31-32 weeks. The list of things to take to the maternity hospital can be divided into 4 groups: before birth, after birth, for the baby and for discharge. Of course, they may not let you in with so many bags, so it’s better to put everything sequentially in one bag.
According to sanitary standards, your suitcase cannot be made of leather or fabric; a bag or a transparent plastic bag is required. We will consistently go through the list for the maternity hospital - from documents to slippers, so as not to forget anything.
What documents should be in the delivery bag?
Put it in a folder:
- Passport and medical insurance policy (preferably original and copy)
- SNILS
- Exchange card with data on how the pregnancy progressed
- A complete medical record for 9 months (don’t forget to take it to the doctor from the 32nd week)
- Birth certificate
- Contract with the maternity hospital (if you are giving birth for a fee)
- Receipt for payment for a single room or joint birth (if you have chosen these services)
A separate item is documents for the spouse if he plans to attend the birth:
- Passport
- Health certificate for husband
What will you need before giving birth?
Before shopping, call your maternity hospital and find out if they provide underwear for women in labor and newborns, or if you should bring everything with you. Each institution has its own procedure. But to be sure to feel comfortable, mom needs to prepare:
- For placement in the ward: shoe covers for yourself and loved ones, bags for clothes (to fold the clothes in which you were admitted)
- A robe with a belt or zipper that will not hinder movement. Choose a robe according to the time of year - warmer or thinner. Terry robes are not allowed
- Shirt
- Washable slippers
- Thin and warm socks (not woolen ones), several pairs
- Compression stockings: they are recommended to be worn during childbirth to protect the legs from the formation of blood clots in the veins
- Hygiene items: toilet paper, toothpaste and brush, shampoo, razor - everything that you are used to using for personal care. It is better to take a travel set of cosmetics so that the bottles and tubes do not make your bag too heavy
- Utensils: cup, spoon and mug
- A bottle of still water (1 liter or more)
- Garbage bags (the room is sterile, so there is no trash can), paper toilet seats
What is the principle of dividing things into packages?
We form groups of things according to their need at each stage of stay in the maternity hospital. A good option is to divide things into 5 packages:
- documents (this may not be a package, but a waterproof folder);
- things you need before and during childbirth;
- things for your husband/other person if you are planning a partner birth;
- things that are needed during prenatal hospitalization and in the postpartum department;
- things to send to you and your baby.
The packages should be collected and placed in a convenient and visible place, signed or numbered. Warn your husband or relatives about what these packages are.
Package No. 1 – documents and their copies
- passport;
- policy;
- SNILS;
- referral to the maternity hospital/contract for childbirth;
- birth certificate;
- exchange card;
- refusal forms if you plan to refuse something. It is better to fill them out and sign them at home, in the emergency room there will be a lot of documents to fill out, and time may be short if you arrive at a good dilation or if the birth is rapid;
- a list of contacts for your closest relatives/trusted people to whom you need to inform about the onset of your labor and the place of hospitalization, if you cannot do this in person.
It is better to carry this bag or folder with you in the last weeks of pregnancy, at times when you are quite far from home (going on a visit, shopping, to a residential complex). This will be convenient and important if labor does not begin at home, and you have to go to the maternity hospital by ambulance or in your own car, but directly from a friend/mother, from a store or from a residential complex.
Package No. 2 – things for the prenatal and delivery rooms
The list is quite large and can be adjusted. It depends on the severity of the maternity hospital's requirements. Nowadays, most maternity hospitals do not mind if the woman in labor does not wear a sterile maternity hospital shirt, but wears her own shirt.
Also, usually in hospitals they don’t mind if a woman takes her phone and/or player with her. Well, if you have a commercial birth, then almost everything is possible. So, the list:
- still water (3-5 pieces, 0.5 l each) with sports tips or straws inside, you can also use regular water without anything, but it’s less convenient to drink, and the bottles are larger than 0.5 l. difficult to hold with one hand;
- phone, charger, headphones (the phone is useful for calling family, listening to soothing music, and taking the baby’s first photo);
- regular or wet toilet paper;
- toilet seat covers (you don’t have to take paper and covers with you if you are giving birth on a commercial basis; in regular maternity hospitals, something may suddenly run out);
- player and flash drive with your favorite playlist for relaxation;
- something simple to eat, a small snack in case of long contractions (bagels, protein bars, nuts or kozinaki, a couple of apples/tangerines, chocolate, etc.; you need to take something that is filling, ready to eat and will not go away without refrigeration for 12 hours – fermented milk products, for example, are not suitable);
- essential oils for relaxation and reducing pain during childbirth (it is better to discuss their selection with an aroma therapist, or at least study the relevant literature so as not to get the opposite effect);
- socks, preferably with loose elastic bands for the season, terry or regular cotton (woolen ones are not allowed in the maternity hospital!), it should be warm during childbirth (!);
- replaceable slippers, better washable (or 2 pairs - some comfortable, others for showering);
- compression stockings (if indicated, check with your doctor; they may be useful during ECS if you have varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, etc.);
- disposable absorbent waterproof diapers 1-2 pcs (for covering a fitball, chair, bed while experiencing contractions);
- If you have a commercial single prenatal and delivery room and you are having a partner birth with your husband or doula, then you can discuss in advance the possibility of bringing with you candles, a fitball, if it is not in the maternity hospital, an aroma lamp, some things that are important to you personally, that can create the right atmosphere for you;
- a container for the placenta if you plan to pick it up (you should notify the maternity hospital staff who will deliver you in advance about this);
- 1-2 disposable absorbent panties or 1 regular panties and night pads with maximum absorbency or urological, or special postpartum. This set should be placed in the delivery bag, because... in the postpartum period you will also need such panties or pads, but in much larger quantities;
Package No. 3 – things for your husband/other person if you are planning a partner birth
If you are having a partner birth, then in this package you should collect the things necessary for your partner (husband, mother, sister, doula):
- replaceable shoes (better washable);
- disposable sterile clothing (sold in pharmacies and medical equipment);
- a folder with documents and certificates (be sure to check the exact list in advance at the maternity hospital).
Package No. 4 – postpartum
You will need most of these same things before giving birth if for some reason you have a prenatal hospitalization.
- nightgown (not pajamas) – 2 pcs;
- nursing top/bra – 2 pcs;
- postpartum absorbent panties (pack) or regular panties (4-6) and highly absorbent pads (2 packs);
- breast pads, lanolin nipple cream (packaging);
- seasonal robe;
- socks for the season (2-3 pairs);
- towel (1-2 pcs);
- disposable absorbent diapers in case of pad leakage (packaging);
- still water 2-3 liters;
- hygiene products: toothbrush, shampoo, shower gel/soap, unscented deodorant or not at all (this is important! children recognize mother by smell), comb, hairpin/elastic band, toilet seat covers, toilet paper. It is better to prepare all hygiene products in the form of samples or mini travel packaging so that they take up less space;
- postpartum bandage;
- dishes if you want to eat and drink from your own;
- snacks - biscuits, granola bars, tea bags, a small thermos for 0.5-1 liter;
- pen and paper for notes (or use the address book on your phone instead);
- glycerin suppositories to soften stool;
- book/magazine, if you don’t like reading from your phone;
- If the maternity hospital is a shared stay with the baby and the use of your own clothes is allowed, and not sterile ones from the children's department, then baby care products and clothing are needed:
- disposable diapers (“diapers”), sizes 0-1, small packaging;
- soap/washing gel;
- diaper cream/oil;
- wet hypoallergenic wipes;
- cotton pads, cotton swabs for children with restraints;
- towel;
- undershirts/bodysuits, scratchies, socks, diapers, or instead of all this, swaddlers (knitted bags with a zipper), caps (according to the season) for 1-2 days or for the entire period of postpartum stay - this is up to 5 days;
- pacifier/bottles, formula, if you plan to introduce a pacifier and not breastfeed.
Package No. 5 – For discharge
- things for mom - the size you wore in the second trimester;
- shoes for the street (according to the season), preferably flat ones;
- outerwear (according to the season);
- cosmetics,
- things for baby:
- suit and diaper or diaper;
- envelope/fleece overalls/fleece swaddle/blanket/plaid – according to the season;
- cap, warm cap - according to the season;
- bow, if you were planning decoration;
- a car seat or cradle that secures the child in it if you leave the maternity hospital not on foot, but by car (the seat cannot be put in a bag, of course, but it is worth purchasing it in advance and taking it to the maternity hospital for discharge, since it is safe to travel with a child by car specifically in a car seat).
If you are going to a maternity hospital in your own city, then you just need to take packages 1-2 with you, and if your assistant goes with you, package No. 3, and packages 4-5 will be brought to you later.
And don't forget to take the most important things with you:
- The love of your loved ones
- I believe in myself and the baby,
- Hope for the best
- well, and the knowledge gained in preparation for childbirth (breathing, sound, movement, care...)
Maria Kotlyarova on 01/31/2020 / Preparation for childbirth and childbirth / Leave a comment
What should be in a baby's cosmetic bag?
Wet wipes, for example, “My Sunshine”, which are recommended by pediatricians for children from birth
Soap or gel for washing from the “My Sunshine” series, they can also be used from the first day of life
Diaper cream “My sunshine”. Thanks to jojoba oil, D-panthenol and zinc in the cream, the baby's skin will be protected from irritation and diaper rash.
What will a child need in the maternity hospital?
Caps, 2 pieces each, warm and light
Baby vests, preferably 3-4 pieces of different density (depending on the time of year)
Romper, bodysuit, jumpsuit. Buy at the rate: one day - one set
Socks and anti-scratch socks
A pack of disposable diapers 60x60, which will be needed by both the child and the mother for examinations
Diapers for newborns (3-5 kg), large pack
Cotton pads and sterile cotton wool for ears and nose
Formula and bottle in case you are not breastfeeding
List of things for the baby
For the baby at the maternity hospital you need to pack the following things:
- Diapers, size 0 or 1 (2-5 kg or 3-6 kg) - 2 packs (if the child is separated from the mother for some time, then one pack of diapers will need to be given to the nursery to use them there).
- 2 cotton and 2 flannel diapers (or disposable absorbent diapers).
- Soft towel for baby.
- Clothes for children: vests or blouses with external seams and roll-up sleeves (or bodysuits). The amount of clothing depends on how many days you will spend with your baby in the hospital. Usually 4-5 sets are enough, but they must be washed and ironed well.
- Cotton anti-scratch mittens.
- Cotton caps of size 1 – 2 pieces.
- Gel or foam for washing the baby with a dispenser.
- Cotton pads or cotton swabs with a limiter for cleaning the nose and ears, as well as lubricating the umbilical cord.
- Wet wipes - 2 large packs, paper napkins.
- Baby cream, diaper cream.
- Scissors for newborns.
- A product for lubricating diaper rash.
- Zelenka or chlorophyllipt solution - for lubricating the umbilical wound.
Source: instagram @bluebirdkisses
What will mom need after giving birth?
Typically, mother and baby spend 3-5 days in the maternity hospital, so you need to stock up on:
- A nursing bra (keep in mind that your breasts will become larger after childbirth)
- Disposable panties and regular cotton panties
- Towels
- Wet wipes
- Urological or postpartum pads
- Breast pads to avoid staining your underwear
- Glycerin suppositories (to make it easier to go to the toilet after childbirth)
- Postpartum bandage to quickly bring your figure back to normal
- Something for leisure: you can take a novel or a tablet with books and movies. Don't forget your phone and charger!
List of things for the pathology department
If you go to the maternity hospital early, you will end up in the pregnancy pathology department, where you need to take the same things as in the maternity and postpartum departments.
In addition, you need to capture:
What foods should a nursing mother bring to the maternity hospital: what is possible and what is not?
- A robe, nightgown or comfortable pajamas.
- Books, magazines, player, tablet.
- Food for the day (since in many maternity hospitals the admitted patient is not fed on the first day).
Source: GettyImages
