My hospital bag in hindsight: What was useful / useless?

When I packed my hospital bag (this was nearly a year and a half ago) I had no idea what to pack. I relied on those checklists you can find when you type "Hospital bag" on Google. In principle the checklists are great, and they certainly helped me, but when it came to the actual hospital stay I ended up a bit annoyed with some of the items I was lugging around, and desperate to get some other items. So here is my post about what I packed and what I (in hindsight) should have packed.

Partly the reason why I was logging around quite a few unnecessary items was because I had this image of a serene NCT-inspired natural labour, ending with a blissfully relaxed baby and me relaxing while baby was sleeping... Well, it didn't quite go like that, like it doesn't for most people I guess. But anyway, here is a list of what I had in my hospital bag.

What I packed:

Antenatal notes 

Magazines and a book

Small towel for a shower and face washes

Flipflops

Breastfeeding bra and nipple cream

Wet wipes
Shower gel, moisturiser, facial stuff, toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant and other personal hygiene products
Hair-brush
Make-up
Warm socks
Some loose trousers, tank tops and a dressing gown
An old T-shirt to give birth in
Disposable undies and old undies I was happy to chuck away

Sanitary napkins

Snacks for myself and my husband

Biscuits to midwives 

And obviously nappies, wet wipes and clothes, hats and mittens for the little one

And in hindsight what I should have left behind:

Magazines and a book - as if you have time or energy to read anything...

Small towel for a shower and face washes - useless, you get one from the hospital

Make-up - seriously, what was I thinking?
Warm socks - it is steaming hot in hospitals
An old T-shirt to give birth in - a hospital gown is much more useful and quite comfortable, and when in labour you won't care the hospital gown looks ugly
Disposable undies - disposable undies were horrible, too tight on the thighs, too loose on the bum, difficult to put on and uncomfortable. I'd recommend just packing your old undies that you are happy to chuck away!

The most important things I found invaluable were plastic flip-flops I could use in the shower, and a sleeping mask, to use during labour in those brightly lit delivery rooms. I particularly enjoyed a facial mist (mine was Vichy Thermal Spa Water)- it felt lovely and refreshing to use it when I was tired and feeling sweaty. Hairbands were great too to keep my hair out of my face. 

I should have left all those magazines and books home - no chance of reading them and made my bag heavy. And make-up - what was I thinking? Seriously - I must have been delusional, thinking I would read my magazine, and put my lippy and mascara on before the guests... I guess you won't really understand how tired you are after giving birth until you've actually done it yourself. Just brushing my teeth was an accomplishment enough!

And one tip I wish someone would have given me - pack your hospital bag in a cabin luggage. Because wheeling it around instead of dragging a heavy bag around the hospital is so much nicer.

If I were to pack one now, I would include:

• Using a cabin luggage to pack everything in
• My phone and charger
• Camera
• Several old dark panties to wear after giving birth
• Nursing bras
• Comfortable shirts to wear afterwards
• Comfortable dark sweatpants to wear after giving birth
• Slip-on fabric slippers
• Plastic flip-flops for shower
• Maternity pads (not normal pads due to potential stitches)
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Basic hygiene products (deodorant, soap, face cream)
• Hairbrush
• Warm socks if it is cold, otherwise probably not needed
• Nappies and clothes for the baby

In hindsight, what would you have packed in your hospital bag? And what would you have left home?