Hospital Bag Must Haves with Natural Baby Shower

Your little one is nearly here and you’re getting ready to meet them. You’ve got the pushchair and changing station, the nursery is looking exactly like your Pinterest inspo pictures and you’re counting down the days until your new bundle of joy arrives.

Now you need to tackle the task of packing your hospital bag. The list just keeps growing and you’re not even sure where to start – every new parent needs 20 pairs of knickers, right?

Luckily, award-winning nursery retailer, Natural Baby Shower, is here to share their list of hospital bag essentials to help you feel prepared for the big day.

Packing your hospital bag doesn’t have to be overwhelming, to help you make sure you have everything you need, download one of Natural Baby Shower’s free hospital bag checklists.

If you’re expecting a new arrival soon, you won’t want to miss our upcoming Natural Baby Show. This free online event is running only from 27^th February – 3^rd March and will offer tailored advice, product tutorials and recommendations, as well as huge savings and exclusive offers for baby-show-shoppers. Register your interest to take part in this exciting online event and click to find out more.

What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag for You

Changing Bags and Clothes

Changing Bags are great as they have multiple compartments and lots of space to pack your essentials and keep you organised.

We would recommend the Finnson Selby Eco Changing Tote as it comes with its own changing mat and is designed to grow with your family and adapt to your needs. It’s durable, comfortable and very well organised with a variety of pockets and pouches for your every need. Made from 100% recycled PET Polyester, both the interior and exterior are water resistant and wipe clean. Here at Natural Baby Shower, we love anything natural or eco-friendly, and only work with brands who share our mission to be best for baby, parent and planet.

We also recommend packing your most comfortable clothing such as an oversized t-shirt or loose nightdress to wear before, during and after your hospital visit. You want to be comfortable for your journey home so pick cosy clothes with a lot of stretch. Remember, it will take a while for your tummy to go down, so it’s a good idea to bring maternity clothes for your journey home.

Postnatal and C-Section Support

For those going in for a planned C-Section or in the event of an unplanned surgery, it’s a good idea be prepared and pack C-Section friendly items. C-section bands or underwear help give you support and help aid recovery.

We would recommend the Cariwell Hospital Panties as a great option for both C-Section and natural deliveries. If you have a C-Section, the high waist can help protect the incision area and eliminate bacteria. Designed to hold post-birth pads securely in place, the light fabric is situated to allow a caesarean scar to breathe and heal so you always feel comfortable.

It’s also worth looking into postnatal support clothing such as support leggings or vests which help offer support and compression in key areas. The wireless Belly Bandit bra is a lightweight yet supportive option,  whether you’re nursing or just need general comfort, this simple slide-over design is perfect for after labour.

If you can, bring along a big pillow or pregnancy pillow for extra comfort, the bbhugme Pregnancy Pillow is a great option, it is made from organic cotton and provides complete body support during both pregnancy and nursing once baby is born.

Toiletries + Feeding

You deserve a little – no, a LOT – of TLC so, pack soothing essentials like lotion, rescue balm and moisturisers to help you relax. The Green People Fresh and Wild Hand Cream is a great option, as it’s gently, eco-friendly, cruelty-free and suitable for eczema and sensitive skin.

Labour can be thirsty work so it’s important to stay hydrated. We highly recommend taking a bottle with a straw so that if needs be, your partner can help you drink and you can be hands-free.

In preparation for feeding, you maybe already know if you are planning to breastfeed or bottle feed. Some parents struggle to get the hang of breastfeeding straight away (which is completely normal).

If you do want to give it a try, bring along a breast pump so you can still store your breast milk, and feed through a bottle – don’t forget, you’ll need to pack a bottle too.

What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag for Your Baby

Sleepwear + Blankets

We would advise to pack four or five sleepsuits, newborns will get through a stack of clean suits faster than you might expect. Our favourite is the MORI Sleepsuit for their signature soft bamboo fabric and a two way zip for quick and simple changes.

Your newborn’s nails can be quite long when they’re born, these sleepsuits also integrate fold over scratch mitts as separate mitts can be pesky little things, often falling off little fingers – another reason they’re top of our list.

MORI hats should also be a key item in your bag, when babies are first born, they lose most of the heat from the top of their heads, so a soft, breathable hat is perfect. We advise to pack a couple and again recommend MORI for their bamboo fabric which will be gentle on baby’s delicate head.

Swaddling is a great way to keep a newborn snug and secure after birth as it replicates the feeling of the womb. The Merino Kids swaddles are a great option as they are silky soft for delicate skin and help regulate your baby’s temperature for the safest sleep.

A blanket is also always good to have on hand. You can use one during skin-to-skin, to keep baby warm. A Merino Kids blanket is made from 100% natural Merino wool and is perfect for keeping baby warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot.

Lastly, everyone has heard of thE famous going home outfit. We love this Brown Bear Sleepsuit from Rosa & Blue, it’s adorable and has a matching hat and baby blanket to complete the look. The unisex design is great if you don’t know already know the sex of your baby and it’s made from bamboo and organic cotton. Plus, it comes with feet so they’ll be no need for booties.

Baby Changing

Your newborn will go through a lot of nappies, as many as 12 a day in fact. We recommend reusable nappies such as the TotsBots nappies as they are beneficial to the environment, your bank balance and they are much kinder to baby’s skin.

Muslins are the most multi-functional item you could pack, and we love the aden + anais muslin squares which are a popular choice for parents for being soft and breathable. You can use these a variety of situations, from feeding, dribbling, burping, cuddling to skin-to-skin contact.

Don’t Forget…

One thing that you can’t pack in your bag that is extremely important is a car seat! Hospitals will not let you leave without a safe car seat for your child to travel home in. We stock a wide range of premium infant car seats from a huge range of trusted and award-winning brands. For some guidance on a few of our favourite and safest car seats you can check out this blog.

Checklist Recap

• Changing Bags
• Comfortable clothing
• Maternity clothing
• C-Section + postnatal support clothing
• Toiletries + essentials
• Breast + bottle feeding
• Sleepwear + blankets
• Baby changing + accessories
• Car seats

For a complete list of what to bring, make sure you download our free hospital bag checklist.

The Natural Baby Show

If you’re expecting and are on the lookout for more product recommendations, expert advice and guidance on all the newborn essentials you need, register your interest for our upcoming Natural Baby Show.

Sign up for this exciting online event to receive video tutorials, product demos, expert guidance and support, as well as unmissable offers and show-only discounts across our extensive range of trusted baby and parenting brands including iCandy, Cybex, Bugaboo, Joolz, Maxi-Cosi and more.

You don’t want to miss out on this much-anticipated event.

Sign up to save £100s on your new arrival essentials at The Natural Baby Show.