When the moment of labor approaches, you should have your bags prepared — one for you and the other for the baby, packed and stored in your car. In this article, you will find information what important things to pack.
These are the items which you must have in your pregnancy bag:
The following items are not obligatory but they will make you feel more comfortable:
Be sure to take with you the following items:
If you wonder what to pack for labor, have a look at the following list:
After you have delivered the baby, you are going to need the following things:
Your baby will be so vulnerable and sensitive to cold, so do not forget to take with you the following things:
When you know what will happen with the baby in the hours and the days immediately after delivery, you will find out what you will need in your bags for mom and the baby. It is also a good idea to attend courses for new moms with your partner. Thus, you will know what to expect and will feel calmer. Since newborns cannot control their temperature very well, they need to be kept warm and dry. So, you will need a thick blanket when you leave the hospital. A blanket and a cap to keep his head warm will be given in the hospital but you need yours when you leave it.
Soon after delivery, you will probably be allowed to cuddle your baby. The skin-to-skin contact will help keep the newborn warm. Also, these moments are essential for the two of you to start bonding. Be sure to have comfortable clothes or a nice nightgown to make you feel cozy enough.
When the temperature of the baby becomes stable, it will be a time for a bath. The baby now has to be cleaned well after the delivery. You should not worry about towels, baby soap and other because they will be available in the hospital. After the bath, your newborn baby will get a complete pediatric exam. Both the bath and the exam take place in the nursery but they can be done in your room, if you request this. If you're breastfeeding, it is better to keep the baby in your room. Be sure to inform in advance the medical staff what your preferences about the baby bath and the exam are.
Before both of you go to bed, your baby will be observed to ensure everything is normal. In the minutes after birth, an Apgar assessment will be done. Its function is to evaluate the baby's heart rate, reflex response, breathing, muscle tone and skin color. If everything is normal, you will be allowed to continue cuddling your baby. You will need comfortable clothes for these moments and maybe your mp3 player to help you feel relaxed. It is a good idea to have a little snack from your hospital bag and something to drink to keep you hydrated.
It depends on what happened with you and the baby during the pregnancy. If you had a normal vaginal delivery, you will probably have to stay in the hospital for a period of 24 to 48 hours. If you had an uncomplicated C-section, you will probably be allowed to leave the hospital after two to four days.
Use the time when you are still in the hospital for recovering and having a nice rest. You will need plenty of energy when you go home. For these days before going home, you will need your hygiene items, home clothes and everything that is going to help you feel comfortable.
Put on some comfortable clothes and take care of the baby. Be sure that he or she is dressed warm and wrap the baby carefully in the blanket. Be careful not to forget to put a hat on the baby’s head. Even if you are a driver, you must call the father or someone else to drive you back home.
You should know that newborns should eat between 8 to 12 times a day. It might be very convenient to use a breast pump in these days. Be sure to have almost one diaper bag nearby because you will be changing, at least, four wet diapers a day and one or more poopy diapers. Newborns usually sleep a lot - for 16 to 17 hours each day, but usually not for more than an hour or two at a stretch. Be sure that you also take rest often. This will give you the energy to take care of the baby.
Because when the time to deliver the baby comes, you will be pretty stressed to think, use a hospital bag checklist. This will help you take with you everything you will need for labor and before and after the baby delivery.
The right moment to pack everything from the checklist for a baby is Week 34 of pregnancy. Normally, the pregnancy continues 40 weeks but you have to be ready for surprises and your birth hospital bag has to be prepared. Thus, you will have your mommy bag available when the exciting moment comes.