Ready to go - what I packed in my hospital bag

I can't quite believe the time is here but I am now 8 days away from my estimated due date so of course I've had to get my bag packed. As I'm giving birth on the NHS you're strongly advised to take as small a bag as possible which is harder then I thought particuarly when you look at all the recommended lists out there.

Anyway after a lot of deliberating here's what I packed in mine:

Things for muffin:

Most importantly and of course excitingly, his first little outfits. As cute as little people outfits are there skin is sensitive so I've just chosen a couple of baby grows and a romper suit. The two on the right say 'welcome to the world' and are from Mammas and Pappas, the third on the left is from Next and has a little hoodie which looks really cute.

They also need some undergarments so I've included several plain white vests. Then a couple of hats to keep his head warm and a bib to catch any spit up or dribbles whilst feeding - no idea if that's necessary but thought I'd include anyway.

I know many hospitals provide swaddling blankets but the ones I've seen can be quite scratchy so I've put in a couple of my own blankets and of course muslins for any after feeding effects ;-).

This is by far the most special item going into my bag. The above is a blanket knitted by late Great Grandmother and was the last one she ever did. She actually specifically knitted it for her first Great Grandchild she knew she would never meet and it has been kept specially by my grandmother for this very occasion. It was a really special moment when it was handed over to me after my baby shower earlier this month.

In addition to my hospital bag I've also packed my nappy bag with bits and pieces for the beginning of many years of changing! As advised by friends and other blogs I've got cotton wool pads, sensitive wipes, sudocrem, pampers nappies and vaseline. Plus my hospital notes as they'll be easy to pull out in this bag - these are probably the most important thing you need to bring so don't forget them! They should be with you really wherever you go during pregnancy just in case you have an emergency. I've been keeping mine in the glove box of our car.

Finally we have the going home outfit! As it's the middle of winter and the temperatures are pretty nippy outside I've packed a bear suit to keep him all snuggled up in his car seat, with a matching bear hat. I can not wait to see how cuddly he's going to be in this one!

Things for me:

Whilst for the actual birthing part I plan to wear a hospital gown there will be a lot of time before and after the birth when it's best to have something comfortable, so I've packed a nightie, pjs, slippers and a dressing gown. The latter two are good for if you want to walk around the ward during labour to help move things along and crucially the nightie and pjs both contain buttons at the front for breast feeding.

As there's no way you can keep visitors away and the inevitable photos I'm definitely packing some bits and pieces for afterwards to get me looking as best I can again. These include shampoo and condition for if there's a shower, dry shampoo for if there isn't, facial wipes and of course make up and lip balm (apparently your lips get really dry). I know that's really vain but these pictures are going to be around for a very very long time!

No need to explain what these are for, other than to say the pants are from primark so cheap and disposable plus a lot comfier then the ones they give you in hospitals.

Finally, I've got the above bits and pieces for breastfeeding: breast pads, cooling pads, nipple cream, antiseptic gel and a notebook to keep track of when he's been fed and for how long.

So that's it for now! I'm sure I'm missing something important so feel free to comment but that's all I got for now. Eek really not long to go now.

Lots of love,

Mrs W xxx