SproutVine Growing Together
If your new baby’s nearly here, it’s time to get your hospital bag ready. Here’s a new baby checklist so you can take all the essentials to hospital with you – and make sure you’ve got the baby basics in place for when you get back home.
Baby essentials
- 3-6 sleep suits, depending on how long you think you’ll stay in hospital
- 1-2 woollen cardigans
- Baby blanket
- Towels
- Bibs
- 1 pack of nappies
- 1 toiletry bag with baby soap, shampoo, body lotion, cotton wool, baby wipes, bottom cream and hairbrush
- A baby car seat for when you leave the hospital
For you
- 1-3 cotton nighties or pyjamas (with easy front opening if you plan to breastfeed)
- Towels and facecloths
- Disposable pants and very absorbent sanitary pads
- Cooling face spray
- Toiletry bag
- Camera (batteries and memory card!), magazines and books
- Your medical file
- A watch to monitor feeding time
If you plan to breastfeed…
- 2 nursing bras
- 2 milk collection shells and 2 nipple shields
- Breastfeeding pads and soothing compresses
- Nipple cream
And when you get back home…
For feeding
- A breast pump, if you’re breastfeeding
- 6 bottles with teats for newborns
- Electric or microwave bottle and teat steriliser
- Milk dispenser for storing milk
- Bottlebrush
- Thermal bottle carrier
For everyday life with your baby
- Baby monitor
- Newborn dummy
- Baby bath
- Nose cleaner
- Hairbrush
- Baby bathtub
- Bath thermometer
- Baby care products including cleansing lotion, saline solution, sterilised compresses, nappies, rash cream, cotton wool
