Contents
Maternity suitcase: the essentials for the delivery room
Prepare a small bag for the delivery room. On D-Day, it will be easier to arrive “light” than with your suitcases for a week! Another quick tip: make a list of everything you need to bring to the maternity ward. If you have to go in a hurry, you will be sure not to forget anything. Plan a large t-shirt, a pair of socks, a sprayer (you can ask the dad to spray water on your face during childbirth), but also books, magazines or music, if the labor is long and you are fit enough to distract yourself and pass the weather.
Don’t forget your medical file : blood group card, results of examinations carried out during pregnancy, ultrasounds, x-rays if there were any, vital card, health insurance card, etc.
Everything for your stay in the maternity ward
First of all, choose comfortable clothes. Without staying in your pajamas all your stay in the maternity ward, you will not fit into your favorite jeans just after giving birth! If you have had a Caesarean section, wear loose clothing so that it does not rub on the scar. It is often hot in the maternity wards, so remember to bring some t-shirts (useful for breastfeeding if you have chosen to breastfeed). For the rest, take what you would take for a weekend trip: a bathrobe or dressing gown, a nightgown and / or a large t-shirt, comfortable slippers and shoes that are easy to put on (ballet flats, flip flops ), towels and your toiletry bag. You will also need disposable (or washable) mesh briefs and hygienic protections.
Do you want to breastfeed? So take with you two nursing bras (choose the size you wear at the end of your pregnancy), a box of nursing pads, a pair of milk collection and a nursing pillow or pad. Also consider the hair dryer in case an episiotomy is performed.
The baby’s keychain for birth
Check with your maternity ward whether or not you need to provide diapers. Sometimes there is a package. Also inquire about the bedding of the pram and its hand towel.
Plan outfits in 0 or 1 month, everything depends of course on the size of your baby (better to take too big than too small): pajamas, bodysuits, vests, bibs, a cotton birth cap, socks, a sleeping bag, a blanket, cloth diapers to protect the pram in case of regurgitation and why not small mittens to prevent your baby from scratching. Depending on the maternity ward, you will need to bring a bottom sheet, a top sheet.
Your baby’s toiletry bag
The maternity ward usually provides most of the toiletries. However, you can buy them now because you will need them when you get home. You need a box of physiological saline in pods to clean the eyes and nose, a disinfectant (Biseptin) and an antiseptic product for drying (aqueous Eosin type) for cord care. Also remember to bring a special liquid soap for baby’s body and hair, cotton, sterile compresses, a hairbrush or comb and a digital thermometer.