In normal times, it’s recommended to gather together those essentials for your hospital bag at about 30 to 33 weeks, but we are certainly not in normal times.
With Covid-19 still wreaking havoc on hospital visits and being unable to have our partners ready to run to the shop for some much-needed forgotten essentials, it’s now recommended to start gathering and preparing your hospital bag as early as 24 weeks. This way, we can relieve some of that added stress which is evident as we give birth during a pandemic.
While some of us may be too suspicious to prep so early, it is advised to get your skates on, so you are well prepared for when the baby decides to show up. Children’s clothing brand BabyBoo.ie recently surveyed mums and created the ultimate pandemic hospital bag list. It's highly extensive but certainly worth checking out. It's worth considering since we are more limited with our hospital bag once its all zipped up and in the trunk.
Mums who were surveyed shared some of their insight into what they missed from their bag when in hospital. These included more snacks, a pillow from home, an eye mask, and those ever-important earplugs to help you sleep. Others suggested bigger knickers, supersize extra-absorbent muslin cloths, and a pre-wrapped swaddle.
More highlights which were deemed almost essential for a new mum’s hospital bag given the restrictions in place in hospitals include some excellent ideas. Some mums have had to think outside of the box when it comes to those vital hospital necessities.
Would you think to pack a spork (a camping utensil doubling as a spoon and a fork in one – think Forky!) to use while breastfeeding, considering we only have one hand free? I certainly didn’t! Another suggested extra jellies to help stay awake while feeding at night; a small clip-on reading lamp; arnica tablets; strong mints; and mint tea for trapped wind. Two of the best tips I found were a small handheld gripper to help pick things up off the floor and a dressing gown rope to tie to the end of the bed to help pull yourself up! Having had two c-sections, I think this is genius!
Ultimately, remember during a pandemic, with restrictions limiting visitors, you may have extended periods of time without that extra support we all need after giving birth. When it comes to your hospital bag, pack everything you will need to make your life easier to help you recover and rest.
The BabyBoo ultimate hospital checklist and packing guide can be downloaded from their website.