Hospital Bag

I am in the mood to prepare lists today - something to do with the arrival of my new label maker I think, which makes me feel super-organisey. In reality I am not very organised - my husband is the most vocal testament to that. But he was my partner in crime during my pregnancy as we aimlessly wandered into baby shops in various cities and bought whatever caught our fancy! As a result we bought a lot of things that till date remain in pristine packaging because we did not require them at all. I think it is best to only buy the bare essentials before birth and then as and when the need arises, add to the collection. Trust me, babies are fastididious consumers!

For starters, get the hospital bag organised. That is what we were told and despite the family custom of not buying anything for the baby prior to birth (something about tempting fate I think), we went ahead and procured a few things. I am so glad we did, becasue our parents were not aware that hospitals no longer provide cute-sy gowns for new born babies and expect the guardians to get their stuff along. 

Here are my essentials for the hospital bag:

For the baby:

1. At least 6-8 onesies for the little one (keep a few more handy in case the stay at the hospital is prolonged) 
2. Mittens (babies come with nails - sometimes sharp ones and then they scratch themselves all the time)
3. Booties
4. Nappies/ diapers 
5. Wads of cotton (a new born baby's skin is too sensitive for baby wipes)
6. Little caps 
7. Blanket (two, in case the baby wets one!)
8. A couple of swaddle cloths
9. Bibs
10. Burp cloth
11. Small towels or hankies (babies keep spitting up)
12. Hand sanitiser in case the hospital doesn't provision for that (you will need a lot of that for visitors who want to handle the baby)
13. A few sterilised bottles, spoon and a can of formula (becasue hey, what if, like me, you discover breast feeding does not work for you? Best to be prepared right? Of course the hospital will provide you this back-up during your stay - but you will need something immediately after being discharged) 

For the mommy:

1. Open front shirts/dresses/tunics (basically anything that doesn't hinder breast feeding), loose easy trousers, salwars
2. Socks (for some reason post-deliver I felt very weak and cold through the night and needed my socks!)
3. Toiletries that one would carry for an overnight trip: Comb, scrunchies (I forgot mine and by the end of it was hallucinating about having something to bunch up that hot mess!), toothbrush, kajal (well I did not want to appear dowdy with all those visitors streaming in!)
4. Underwear 4-5 sets  (more often than not, new mommies bleed a lot post delivery)
5. Menstrual pads (unless the hospital provides these) 
6. Nipple cream
7. Sterilised nipple shield (you may not need it, but very often babies and mommies struggle with latching - so it is good to be prepared)
8. A going home outfit (remember your nipples will be sore - so soft cloth is essential), jacket, sweater (depending on the season), shoes. 

More importantly, this hospital bag/suitcase must be ready and handy by about the seventh month of gestation. Babies are unpredictable - that is their USP. You do not want to be caught off-guard!