Whether you are packing your maternity bag for the first or fifth time, you always seem to remember things after the fact that might have been helpful.
When I had my first child, I brought every single item on every list I ever read, and then I packed a few extra things – just to be sure.
When I had my second child, it was a miracle that there even WAS a bag, I was so disorganised!
We asked 20 amazing parenting bloggers what their 3 essential maternity bag items were, and here’s what they told us:
1. Kellie from My Little Babóg
“I’d recommend your own pillow, arnica tablets (to help with healing after labour) and witch hazel”
2. Yasmine from Glitter Mama Wishes
“Dry shampoo to keep hair feeling fresh if you don’t feel like washing your hair, a lip balm or multi-use balm because the hospital is so warm your lips and skin get really dry, and arnica tablets to take straight after birth – I found them brilliant for reducing swelling and bruising more quickly than normal”
3. Lisa from BadMammy.com
“A handheld fan, really light pyjamas and dry shampoo – my hospital room was a furnace! (Also some form of a pulley system to get out of the bed if you have a c-section, but that’s not really possible, just on the wish list!)”
4. Ellen From Bumps And Roundabouts:
“Snacks, charger and lots of spare underwear! Breakfast is really far when you give birth at 1:30 and the father eats your toast while you’re on the phone to your Mam!”
5. Laura from Love, Life & Little Ones
“I would recommend Multimam compresses for your boobs, lip balm and moisturiser. Also pictures of your other children for the bedside locker when they come visit”
6. Aedín from Minis And Mum
“Cosy socks, straws – handy for just taking small sips of water during labour – and headphones”
7. Sadhbh from Where Wishes Come From
“My twins were in NICU so I was on my own in the room with all the other mammies with their babies. I found my headphones with relaxing music a lifeline to getting some sleep. Maternity wards are so noisy with crying babies, people coming in in the middle of the night etc. Obviously I’m not recommending headphones if you have a baby beside you to listen out for but in my circumstances they were a saviour”.
8. Louise from Tattooed Lady With A Baby
“Top three items would have to be dry shampoo, slippers (I forgot them on one visit just before L was born and I was in for a few days and it was so much hassle to bend down each time to put my shoes on) and definitely snacks because I used to be starving between the tiny meals they served up”
9. Sinéad from Bumbles Of Rice
“Food (they give you cups of tea but no biccies); ziploc bags with labels on them containing vests etc (so someone else can be directed to the bag without rooting everything out) and a lovely shower gel or body cream to make it feel less hospitally”
10. Tracey From Musings And Chatterings Of A Busy Mind:
If you are having a planned CS then pack supersize sanitary pads not for wearing but great to stick to the inside of your knickers opposite the incision. Acts as an extra layer of cushioning! Oh and the biggest knickers going as well!!
11. Jane from Post-modern Mammy
“Fluffy socks, lip balm and flip flops for the shower… I was so sorry I had forgotten all of the above on my first…. I dutifully remembered them all on my second but then had no time as I had her straight away and was home in 6 hours! Bag barely was opened!”
12. Deborah from Fat Deb Slim
“Can really look at this from a different perspective now as a student midwife. Some women literally bring the kitchen sink and there is nowhere to put any of it. Most important from experience on both ends of the spectrum, the mum and the caregiver; comfy nighty with buttons for feeding, granny pants, headphones. You will still hear the baby – our hormones make sure of that – and if you don’t, we will, don’t stress. Nothing is more important than proper rest those first few days”.
13. Laura from The Mamma Fairy
“I had two sections and those mega granny pants were essential to come well up over the scar! Snacks! Was a long time from 5pm tea until brekkie especially when you are up during the night feeding”
14. Gwen from Wonderful Wagon
“Water. Extra food. Chocolate. Picture heavy magazines. Spare change (for the hospital shop). Loads of knickers. And black bags to send dirty clothes home in”
15. Muuka from Another Drop Of Ink
“Flip flops for the shower, tea tree oil – if you’ve had a cesarean, put a few drops into a sports cap water bottle and spray over the wound in the shower – great for healing. And of course a sports cap water bottle for same. It can also help for vaginal birth”.
16. Jennie from Mummy Vs The World
“A camera so you can take as many pics and videos as you like without draining your phone battery, a tinted moisturiser which will be the only makeup you’ll want to put on but will give you back some colour and your favourite treat which you’ll thoroughly deserve!”
17. Alannah from BabyGugz.ie;
I was one of those Mother’s that completely overpacked… all I actually used was nipple cream (if breastfeeding), maternity pads & cozy pj’s are essential!
18. Dee from Dublin Mummy
“Grub and loads of it! You will never be hungrier in your life than you are after giving birth. If bubs arrives in the middle of the night, the tea and the 2 piddly slices of toast they give you will not sustain you until breakfast time”.
19. Laura from Raising Elves
“The Helios homeopathy kit for childbirth (especially after a c-section you would use Arnica, Bellis per, Calendula, Hypericum). The kit comes in a much stronger dose of 200c in all the remedies including Arnica. You can also use it during labour but do not take Arnica before birth- it is for recovery only. There is a full instruction leaflet with it the box. Aside from the obvious, I also brought a pretty, soft, light, cotton dressing gown. It helped me feel fresh when I had visitors. Nice skin creams. You’re tired, your baby is napping, you want to rest your body. Give yourself a facial. (Clarins do a lovely New Mum Gift set) I treated myself to the works on my second birth after giving myself nothing on my first. You won’t think about yourself for months or more so do it now. I bought myself a gorgeous dressing gown and ALL the Clarins.”
And a great one from the Dad Camp!
20. Christian from Digital Dad
“I’d go with a protective cup (for the 3 times I was punched in the balls because of how bad her pain was), a pair of those Homer Simpson fake eyes sunglasses for when the Dr calls you down the business end to see what’s happening, and some sort of portable air conditioning unit to actually cool the room (the fans do nothing!).
I’m joking, of course. Probably.”
Brilliant! What would you recommend to someone packing their maternity bag for the very first time? Let us know in the comments on Facebook.
