5 non-essential (but helpful) things to put in your hospital bag

Story by Chloe Neville

There are a million different lists and “Pack my birth bag with me” videos to watch out there. I’m always interested to see what people consider the ‘essentials’ to bring with them to have a baby and recover from birth. I’ve cared for a lot of women on the postnatal ward in hospital and I like to think I’m pretty self-aware, so you’ll see from the title that I don’t believe any of these things are necessary for a positive, nourishing postpartum. But, maybe you, like me, always grab your biggest suitcase even if you’re only packing for a weekend and fill it with everything you WILL need, plus a bunch of stuff you MIGHT need and a few things you almost definitely don’t, but WHAT IF YOU DO.

So here’s a list of a few of the things that fit into the ‘not necessary but probable helpful’ category that my heart lives in – little tips from a midwife who has never, and will never, ‘pack light’.

A notebook

“How many wet nappies has your baby done today?” is a question in the Top 5 Midwife Greatest Hits. But you’re running low on sleep, and the night feeds have all rolled into one another in your memory, and your partner (who has been changing most of the nappies) has popped out to get you a snack. 

BUT

You packed a notebook, and you kept a little note of your feeds and nappy changes. You can answer this question and have peace of mind that your baby is well hydrated and well fed.

You also use your notebook to write down things to remember and questions to ask to make all your postpartum dreams come true.

Essential? No. Helpful? Yes.

A long charging cable for your phone

You’re sitting in your hospital bed feeding and cuddling your baby and your phone needs charging but it’s also vibrating every couple of minutes because so many people are so excited you’ve had a baby and your partner wants to know what pads to buy for you at the shops and what flavour milkshake you want so you need to keep it close by but the hospital powerpoints are all too far away for you to be able to have your phone plugged in and have it next to you at the same time.

BUT

You packed a 2 metre long charging cable so all your problems are solved.

Essential? No. Helpful? Yeah.

Some form of soft lighting

Think: battery candles, diffuser, sound machine/night light/robot combo

2am. Your support person’s changing a nappy but doesn’t want to wake you by turning the light on.

3am. You ask your midwife to check your baby’s latch but it’s too dark to see without the big light.

8pm. You’re winding down for bed and you know that low light promotes oxytocin and melatonin release and helps with bonding and settling into sleep but these darn hospital lights have no dimmer switch.

DON’T EVEN WORRY ABOUT IT.

You’ve packed a little light that you can put on your bedside table and pop on for just enough light to get the job done without being blinded by those nice fluoros.

Essential? No. Squint-protecting? You betcha

Low/no fragrance toiletries

Those postpartum showers are WELL DESERVED and you should take those luxurious, pampered moments to give yourself a treat for a job well done of growing and birthing and feeding a human.

BUT

While treating yourself, you’ve also remembered that smell is one of the big ways your baby identifies you, grows bonds with you and establishes their feeding (if you’ve chosen to breastfeed), and so you’ve packed some low fragrance body wash, deodorant and hair products so that you still smell like YOU to your new little one.

Essential? Nope. Cozy little tip? For sure.

Button-up / tie up clothing

You and your partner have read about all the benefits of skin to skin and you know it’s a great thing to do with your baby postpartum, but it’s a bit of a pain to take your shirt on and off all the time.

BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO

Because you packed some comfortable button-up clothes (pyjamas will work fine) or a tie-up robe that you can open for easy skin to skin access.

Essential? No. Handy? Totally.