Do I really need that? Packing for the hospital.

As a first time parent - or even a second, third or fourth time parent if it’s been a while since you last welcomed a bundle into your family! - it can be hard to know just what to put together in a ‘go bag’ for when your little one arrives. Just what will you and your little baby bundle need to get you through both labour and your time in the hospital?

Most experienced parents will tell you to stick to the basics. Don’t try to complicate things with a lot of “stuff” that, while nice, is not exactly vital for making your experience go as well as possible.

Some examples of things we consider essential for your hospital bag include:

• Maternity pads
• Lip balm
• Breast pads
• Nappy cream
• Nappies
• Simple baby clothing such as onesies or coveralls, socks and a hat.

Let us know your “must haves” in the comments.

Tip: If you’re about to pack your hospital bag / maternity bag, get your baby’s nursery ready, or you’re thinking about what you’ll need for your first few weeks at home, make sure you don’t miss our very comprehensive Baby & Hospital Checklist, where we go one step further and separate the “must haves” from the “nice to haves”.

While it’s a great idea to get things ready once you hit about 34/36 weeks, if your little baby bundle does decide to arrive before you’ve packed a maternity bag, remember all he or she really needs is you, some clothes and some nappies! Everything else you can pick up later or have someone else bring to the hospital for you.

Tip: Short on time or want to make sure you don’t miss anything? Check out our curated maternity Bundles, such as the Mum Bundle, Baby Bundle and Ultimate Bundle. The Mum Bundle focuses on the things Mum needs during labour and while she’s in hospital, the Baby Bundle contains items for making baby’s transition into this world as smooth as possible and the Ultimate Bundle rolls both together into one and comes conveniently packaged with our Bundle Designer Overnight Bag.