As a soon-to-be first-time mum, transitioning into the world of motherhood feels pretty daunting. You spend so much of pregnancy counting down the weeks, checking how big your baby is compared to a piece of fruit, and yet still never quite being able to imagine having a little one to care for at the end of it. It’s not until you hit the third trimester — and for me, particularly after the 30-week mark — that everything suddenly starts to feel very real.
Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about my hospital bag.
“Is it packed yet?”
“What are you taking?”
And more often than not, when I answer, I hear, “Oh, you won’t need that.”
So, the honest answer is… I feel totally overwhelmed by what should be a relatively small task.
I’ve never given birth before, so I’m completely reliant on other people’s experiences or the internet to guide me. The problem? No two hospital bag checklists are ever the same. One says you need everything, another says you’ll barely touch half of it — and somewhere in between is where my anxiety has landed. Enter: the overwhelm stage.
Of course, the thought of meeting my baby for the very first time is incredibly exciting. But this is also the moment I become someone’s mum — responsible for keeping a tiny human safe and cared for from their very first breath. Making sure I have everything I need not only for labour and recovery, but for my newborn too, suddenly feels like a huge responsibility. What if I forget something important? What if I pack too much?
To get started, I googled several hospital bag checklists, spoke to parents who’ve already been through it, and then tried to pull together a list that made sense to me. This is what I’ve come up with so far…
For me:
- Loose clothing (3 outfits – a loose shirt, or some loose pyjamas or jogging bottoms and a baggy tee)
- Nursing Bra
- Breast Pads
- Nipple Cream
- Maternity Pads
- Big pants
- Toiletries (toothbrush, deodorant, flannel, lip balm)
- Hair Ties
- Fluffy Socks
- Flip Flops or Crocs
- Energy Snacks
- Water Bottle
- Something to do (tablet or a book or music to listen to)
- A spare carrier bag to put dirty laundry in
For baby:
- Their first outfit (sleepsuit and a hat)
- And then a couple more sets of newborn vests and baby grows
- Nappies
- Cotton wool
- Starter Milk Kit
- Cellular Blanket
- Muslins
And not forgetting my partner:
- Something for them to do
- Toiletries (toothbrush, deodorant)
- Change of clothes and something comfortable for them to sleep in
- Their own snacks and drinks (so they don’t dip into yours!)
Looking at it all written down, it feels like a lot — and I can’t help wondering how much of it I’ll actually use. I’d love to hear from those of you who’ve been through this already: what did you pack, what did you actually end up using, and what could you have happily left at home?