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The Mommy Hospital Bag

Happy New Year!

It's a new year, everything feels fresh and before getting back into the daily grind, I would like to write.  My first topic this year: The Mommy Hospital Bag

2017 for me seemed to be the year of the buntis, with batchmates and friends popping up kids or announcing kids on the way, with twins and triplets even!

One of my dearest and oldest friends asked me to text her what she should pack so here is my no frills hospital bag checklist/s with the "why's" for each item:

For Mommy:

  • ID, Philhealth card, MDR or Member Data Record from Philhealth (download then print), and your Admitting Orders from your doctor - have these ready in an envelope 
  • Glasses if needed
  • Phone and charger!!! (I'll post a separate blog on useful apps for moms-to-be)  pack your earphones too
  • A light jacket - hospital air-conditioning is generally sleepy-cold temperature
Hair ties / head bands - at least 3 hair ties since you might lose them, these are just to keep your hair off your face especially when breastfeeding or carrying your little one

  • Outfits - I recommend tube tops or spaghetti strap tops with a bandeau for easy breastfeeding, what about those tube maxi dresses from summer?  That jacket you brought will be useful.  Note that you do not shrink back to your old size immediately and will probably look 5 months prego even after giving birth.  Going back to your old size will take a couple of months. 
    • Sleeping outfit: 2 sets - you may stay for a night or two, in case you need to stay longer, the hubby can just pick up more supplies.  No sense in overpacking.
    • Your day outfit: 2 sets - one for the in-between day when visitors may pop in to see the baby, one extra
    • Your going-home outfit
  • Extra undies: 4 sets - you will have the heaviest period of your life for a week or two, longer with some light bleeding for some women until six weeks
  • Maternity Pads: pack of 8, have a pack of regular pads ready at home too
  • Socks: 2 pairs - if you want to wear them to sleep
  • Comfy slippers - you'll want to pack the kind you can wear going home too
  • Vitamins: good for 2 days
  • Breast Pump - pump as soon as you can (after first feeding) to stimulate milk production.  
  • Your kikay kit - you will probably take a lot of pictures and unless your phone has some mean filters, you do not want to look like you just came back from the dead.
    • BB cream - slap on and look flawless for the whole day
    • Lip and cheek tint - also slap on and look alive for the whole day
    • Eyebrow make up - because kilay really is life..  and you do want to have some expression on your face for those photos
  • Your bath kit
    • facial wash
    • mositurizer and lotion
    • soap
    • shampoo
    • conditioner
    • Betadine feminine wash - your doctor will probably ask you to use this if you give birth NSD
    • deodorant
    • toothbrush and toothpaste
    • towel

For Baby:

If you do not pack clothes for your little one, the hospital will probably have clothes that they can use but will charge you for.  This is convenient but for your newborn baby, it would be best to have your own clothes that you've washed, pressed and stored yourself so you know its clean.
  • Baby bottles - to store any milk you are able to pump.  6 sets of 3 oz bottles should do.  Needless to say sterilized these before packing them!
  • Formula milk - I am all for breastfeeding, but having a back up with you couldn't hurt.  I brought 3 sets of S26 milk just in case I couldn't produce immediately.
  • Disposable Nappies - a pack of 30 would do, I changed my baby's nappies every 2-3 hours.  I suggest you get the more established brand at least for the first 2 months.  Pampers New Born is really soft.  I tried cloth diapers.. for a day.. at 2 months old.  More on that separately.
  • Lactacyd baby wash - the one in the blue bottle.  I found this is best for new borns, there are a lot of baby washes out there but new babies have a lot of sensitivities.  Its best to stick to the classics at the start.  On a useful note, the nurses bathe your baby while you are in the hospital.
  • Ethyl alcohol and small pack of cotton balls - to clean the belly button once a day (the hospital usually provides a free little kit with this and a bottle of feminine wash).
  • Outfits - 5 sets minimum (in case of weewee, vomit and pooping accidents) and this consists of:
    • Top - tie sides are recommended because they are easy to put on.  Avoid the types with snaps, you want soft everything for now.
    • Jammies 
    • Mittens - drawstring.  Knitted ones might be too loose for baby at this point.
    • Socks - also drawstring.
    • Bibs - 10 sets!  If these fall on the floor they are automatically deemed dirty.
    • Receiving blankets - baby will be swaddled.  This is to mimic the feeling of being in your warm, cozy womb.  Baby spent 9 months in there and needs to adjust to the cold, wide, open space of the world.  The nurse will teach you to lumpia wrap baby.

  • Optional: Baby carrier for transporting baby on the way home.  I held my babies on our way home.. because I didn't have a baby car seat yet.

For Daddy: 

Yes.. daddy needs his own bag too.
  • Pambayad!  The bills will need to be paid, not all hospitals take credit cards.  Ask the hospital about this in advance.  The hospital we were in took cards only for hospital fees but the bigger portion which was doctors' fees had to be paid in cash.  There was an ATM machine in the hospital but it was out of service.  Also there is a daily withdrawal limit and you will probably need more than 20k if you use a private hospital.  Generally personal checks are not accepted.  My advice is to have about 20k ready for contingencies and the hospital deposit, then the rest in 2 separate ATM accounts so the hubby can withdraw on payment day.  Or you can keep the ready cash in the trunk of your car or something.  Dads don't pay attention well to bags while waiting for their wife to give birth.  The last thing you need is to misplace cash on baby's birth day.
  • Glasses if needed
  • Blanket and small neck pillow - to help make that hospital bench a bit more comfy

  • Fully charged phone and power bank  - for all the waiting time
  • Towel, deodorant and toothbrush  - he will probably "borrow" the other bath essentials from you.
  • Vitamins
  • Outfits - I recommend comfy shirts and shorts.  Packing pants might bloat your bag.
    • Sleeping outfit: 2 sets
    • Day outfit: 2 sets - one for the in-between day when visitors may pop in to see the baby, one extra
    • Going-home outfit
    • A light jacket

The "Others" Bag

Pack a few items to make your stay comfy.  I recommend not to pack snacks in "outing-proportions".  This just bloats your luggage and usually ends up uneaten.  Food delivery services are your friends.
  • Instant coffee - because who can live without coffee
  • Hot chocolate or "Milo" for non-coffee drinkers and tea
  • Chips - for movie marathons with the husband
  • Paper Towels - because they make life easier
  • Scissors - I forget why but these came in handy
  • A pen - to fill up the birth certificate form
  • Spoon and fork - the hospital will provide a set for the mommy but not for daddy.
  • Toilet paper - no need to explain

So there are the basics according to moi.  You might want to pack more stuff, but keep in mind that daddy dear will have to haul everything to and from the car to your room.


Happy popping day soon!

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