When pregnancy comes to an end, each expectant mother should clearly know what is on the list of necessary things in the hospital. Some things will be needed there, but you can do without something. It is recommended that a couple of weeks before the expected delivery, you already have a bag on hand so that if you need it, you won’t waste time searching for things. In addition, a lot of what is included in the list of the most necessary things in the maternity hospital will need to be pre-purchased. And if the birth starts unexpectedly, of course, there will be no time to run to the store. When gathering, you should remember both mom and baby. In addition to things, each woman in labor must have a package of documents that will be required during hospitalization. All items that are required in the hospital are advised to be divided into three parts: the birth itself, the postpartum period and the things for the newborn. In advance, you can immediately prepare the fourth bag, which will be needed for discharge. You can take it with you initially or instruct relatives to bring it when the time comes.
When to pack
Experts advise you to make a list of what is needed in the hospital as early as possible. For example, documents that are required during hospitalization should be carried already from 32 weeks of gestation. Around this period, a very unpredictable time for expectant mothers comes.
All things that you take with you must be collected and laid out in bags or packages by 36 weeks of gestation. From this moment you should be prepared for the fact that childbirth can begin at almost any moment. In this article, we will detail what you need to take to the hospital. The list should always be at your fingertips.
What bag to pack?
First of all, you need to decide in which bag you will all collect. When making a choice, it is necessary to comply with sanitary norms and rules that prohibit taking leather, cloth or woven bags that can become a source of the spread of pathogenic bacteria to maternity hospitals. Having compiled a list of the most necessary in the hospital, all things should be packed in plastic bags or bags. The most parturient woman will be more comfortable if the bag is transparent. In this case, finding the right thing will be much easier.
You need to understand that the staff of the maternity hospital are unlikely to be favorable if you bring too many packages with you. The division into three or four packages described in this article should be considered conditional. Ideally, everything should be folded into one big bag.
Documents
The list of necessary in the hospital must include the documents that will be required for hospitalization and subsequent clearance of a newborn baby.
Currently, this list is standard for all regions of the Russian Federation. It includes:
- passport;
- compulsory or additional health insurance policy;
- exchange card, which should contain the results of the last ultrasound and analyzes, otherwise the woman in labor will be sent to the observatory as an unexamined patient;
- a birth certificate, it can be issued in the hospital itself, if you have not previously registered with the antenatal clinic;
- birth contract, if you have concluded it;
- if you have a partner birth, then you will need another passport, analyzes of the accompanying person and the results of his fluorography.
Also, a mobile phone with a charger should be included in the list of necessary items at the hospital. This will allow you to always be in touch with your family and friends.
What to take in childbirth?
The list of necessary things in the hospital for the mother, which will be required for the birth itself, is relatively small. In principle, you can limit yourself only to washable slippers, and everything else will be given to you when you find yourself in the maternity ward.
Be prepared for the fact that each maternity hospital may have some additional rules of its own. You need to know about them in advance. Theoretically, you can add to the list of necessities in the maternity hospital for mom:
- a nightgown or loose t-shirt;
- ordinary drinking water, preferably at least one liter;
- liquid baby soap and towel;
- disposable toilet seats;
- warm socks, but not woolen;
- a video camera or camera in case you plan to immediately capture the birth of your baby.
During the birth process, as a rule, women in labor do not think about food at all. Questions, what to take with you from the edible, can arise only for those who are going to give birth for the first time. But if you still want to take some products with you just in case, then make a choice in favor of dried fruits, cookies, crackers or bread rolls, chicken broth or boiled eggs. You can also take nutritious bars, but not fruit bars, as the newborn may have an allergy.
In the same package, collect from the list the things necessary for the baby in the hospital immediately after birth. This blouse, vest or body, several diapers, bonnet, romper.
Postpartum things
You will need a certain list of things while you are in the postpartum unit. Everything you need in the hospital is in the list below:
- a dressing gown or a nightgown (check this point in advance, as in some maternity hospitals only issued ones are allowed to use);
- pads for the postpartum departments (discuss the need for them with an obstetrician, as some doctors do not recommend using them to control blood loss);
- paper toilet seats and soft toilet paper;
- toothpaste and brush;
- comb, towel and mirror;
- nail scissors;
- shower gel, shampoo, soap, hypoallergenic agent for intimate hygiene, deodorant with a faint smell or no smell at all;
- cotton or special disposable underpants (from three to five pieces);
- a pair of nursing bras, as well as disposable inserts for them;
- postpartum bandage, if you plan to wear it;
- cream "Bepanten" or "D-Panthenol", which can be useful for lubricating the newborn's buttocks in places of redness or with cracks in the nipples;
- glycerin suppositories (problems with stools - a common problem after childbirth);
- vitamins for lactating and pregnant women and other medicines, if you need them;
- hand and face cream, hygienic lipstick;
- drinking water without gas;
- pen and notebook for recording important information;
- plate, mug and spoon, it is better that they are individual;
- a book or magazine to read in your free time so that you don’t get bored;
- garbage bags - there are often no bins in the wards.
If something is missing or in the process you realize that you need this or that thing, friends and relatives can pass it on to you. Visiting hours are determined in each maternity hospital. Parcels can also be delivered separately. In this case, the list of products may vary in each individual hospital, to learn about it should be in advance.
FAQ
So, we are going to the maternity hospital, we have compiled a list of necessary things, but we need to figure out which soap, pads or bathrobe will work best. After all, there are a lot of options, and you should choose the one in which you will feel as comfortable as possible.
Gaskets in the hospital are better to take special postpartum, they can also be called urological or postoperative. They have maximum absorption, which is very important with copious discharge in the first days after birth. Be sure that one package is enough for you. Of course, some feel more comfortable with regular gaskets that they use all the time. In this case, additionally take a couple of packs of soft pads, but not the “mesh”, which can cause sweating.
If you don’t give a dressing gown in the maternity hospital in which you are planning to give birth, it is better to take a cotton nightgown from the house. It will be convenient for you, it can be quickly opened or unfastened during feeding. It is better to have a shirt with a smell or zipper.
When choosing soap, give preference to the nursery - it can be solid (in this case you will need a soap dish) or liquid. It will be needed to wash hands and wash the newborn. If you wish, you can take a different soap for each of the cases, but this will only increase the number of your things, there is not much point in this. Some doctors recommend using laundry soap. It is truly considered an effective disinfectant that helps tighten cuts, tears and other wounds. But it should be remembered that laundry soap can only be used at the site of seams, it is not suitable for intimate hygiene.
That's all you need to take to the hospital. You should always have a list at hand.
What does the baby need?
Certain things will be needed and the newborn. Everything you need in the hospital for the baby on the list is better to collect in advance. First of all, you need to take diapers, personal hygiene products and clothing.
Here is a list of things a baby needs in a hospital:
- Diapers in size 0 or 1, as a rule, one pack consisting of 28 pieces is enough.
- Baby soap.
- Cotton pads, cotton wool or cotton buds with a special limiter to clean the baby's ears and nose, as well as lubricate his umbilical wound.
- Disposable scarves and wet wipes.
- Baby cream for diapers - it should be borne in mind that small packs should be taken with you, since even the most hypoallergenic cream may not be suitable for a child.
- In most maternity hospitals, as a rule, diapers are given out, but you can take your own (two flannel and two cotton diapers of size 90 by 60 centimeters should be enough), you can, of course, use absorbent disposable diapers.
- A soft towel for the baby.
- Baby's undershirt or blouse with external seams and folding sleeves. Alternatively, you can take the body. Their number should correspond to the number of days that you spend in the hospital. In most cases, young mothers are not left for more than four to five days.
- Special sleeves - "anti-scratches" from the thinnest cotton.
- Cotton overalls or rompers.
- Cotton caps of the first size.
Recently, a lot of controversy and discussion is related to whether a breast pump and a dummy are needed in the hospital. There is no consensus on this issue, everyone must make an appropriate decision for himself.
Diapers
The list of necessities for a newborn in the hospital necessarily includes, as already mentioned, diapers, but not all young mothers know exactly what they are needed in the first days of the baby's life.
It is worth noting that universal recommendations do not exist. Like cream, certain diapers may not be suitable for your baby for one reason or another, so first get small packages for the test. And then empirically determine in which diapers the child feels best.
First aid kit
Some collect a first-aid kit in the hospital. It is worth recognizing that there is not much point in this. After all, you are in a health care institution, so all the necessary medications from doctors are always at hand.
You may only need specific medicines if you have a cesarean section. Then you should check with your doctor for a list of medications that will be useful to you.
Statement
You should consider what you need on the day of discharge, what you need to take to the hospital. The list of things for this case primarily includes clothes for the baby.
The easiest way is if the child was born in the summer. In this case, a standard set of clothes will include a vest, a bonnet and sliders. During discharge, the newborn is wrapped in a blanket or dressed in a light jumpsuit.
In winter, the situation is somewhat more complicated. The list of necessary things will need to be replenished with a transformer overalls or an envelope, a warm hat. Tape and blanket are not the best option, especially if the baby has to be taken by car. The fact is that, according to the rules of the road, even a newborn child needs to be transported only in a special infant carrier. To do this in a blanket will be problematic, as it is very bulky and does not provide any slots for seat belts. Under the baby’s outerwear, at the time of discharge, it is best to wear a blouse, a flannel vest, a bonnet and sliders.
A separate problem is how to dress a baby in spring and autumn. Off-season is a very changeable period when a child is easy to catch a cold. Therefore, he should be dressed warm enough, but do not overdo it so that he does not sweat, as this is also fraught with a catarrhal disease in the first days of a child’s life. Depending on the weather that is outside the window on the day of discharge, a jumpsuit or demi-season envelope is suitable. If the baby was born at the end of autumn or at the very beginning of spring, then most likely you will have to use classic winter clothes.
It is especially worth considering an outfit for mom. The main thing is that it is convenient. Do not count on the very first day after the hospital to fit in your jeans, which you went to before pregnancy. In addition, many have a slightly smaller stomach after childbirth than they did during pregnancy. It is best to wear a skirt or dress on the day of discharge. The sweatshirt should be as free as possible, since with the arrival of milk, the breast will necessarily increase in size. Do not forget to bring street shoes with you to check out. It must be stable - on a small heel or without it at all.
Photos will leave a memory of this day for you. Therefore, you should make sure that at least there is a minimum of cosmetics on hand to look in these pictures accordingly. The foundation is irreplaceable on this day, because after pregnancy the woman’s skin will definitely not be perfect.