PREPARING HOSPITAL BAG FOR DELIVERY – PART 1

 

 

It has been over 6 weeks since I became a mother, and little did I imagine that so soon I would be writing a blog. In fact, when a friend suggested that I restart writing, I scoffed at him. How to write a blog with a demanding baby who wants me around all the time! Unexpectedly, few days later my good friend AV, a soon-to-be-mom, asked me whether I can give her a practical list for preparing a hospital bag for delivery, and boom! Here I am, all sleep derived and pressed for time, typing just that, while my baby sleeps next to me.
 
Enough of boring introductions! I just want to remind AV, and anybody else who reads this post, to understand what you are about to read is my personal opinions and experiences. There maybe someone who disagrees with me, or someone who wants a bigger or smaller list. Feel free to comment if I have missed something or you want to tell me something I don’t know.
 
For the ease of organizing my flow of thoughts, I have classified the list into the following categories:
·      Baby’s bag
·      Mother’s (plus caretaker’s) bag
·      Post delivery kit
·      General essentials
·      COVID protection
Let us tackle them one by one.
 

BABY’S BAG

This is the bag which I packed most carefully. The contents of this bag may vary slightly depending on the climate and place of birth.
1.    Diapers
2.    Baby clothes
3.    Swaddling blankets
4.    Baby towels and wash clothes
5.    Changing mat
6.    Quick dry sheet
7.    Baby wet wipes/Cotton
8.    Diaper rash cream
9.    Mosquito Net

 
Diapers

Arguably the most important item on the list. You can choose your pick – simple cloth diapers, advanced cloth diapers or disposable diapers. Simple cloth diapers can be flats -old soft cotton sarees or dhotis cut into squares, edges stitched, washed, sundried and ironed OR commercially available diaper cloth cut into squares, and prepared as above or fitted type -.which require no folding or contour type -shaped diapers requiring external cover.  Advanced cloth diapers are those available from brands such as Superbottoms, Bumpadum, Bumberry, Juniors etc, with an external waterproof layer and cotton inserts and they come in different types. They are available to buy online via Amazon or directly from their official websites. Cloth diapers have the advantage of being reusable, but simple cloth diapers leak and should be changed after each poop/pee. Disposable diapers from brands like Pampers or Huggies are another option.

simple cloth diapers

Juniors diaper cover   

      cotton insert

Personally I preferred using disposable diapers(Pampers New Baby Tape diapers) in the hospital as they were hassle free, but I also used Juniors newborn diapers with cotton inserts. Its better to buy disposable diapers in bulk as anyway you maybe needing them for night use or for regular use as you wish. Considering  the lockdown, you can order them online. I ordered from First Cry.

If using cloth diapers, have enough number so that you don’t run out of them, or you can wash them and reuse if conditions help. Have at least a 24no pack of disposable diapers ready.

 
Baby clothes

The kind of baby clothes depends a lot on the climate at the time of birth. In warm climates, pure cotton jhablas make the best choice, as they are easy to be worn and comfortable for the babies. You can also have baby tops made of t-shirt type pure cotton material with buttons or ties. My mother had stitched a few back open voile cotton jhablas  as my son’s first clothes. If you are opting for disposable diapers, onesies also make a great choice, since they do not get lifted up while carrying the baby (and look cute).

Home stitched jhabla

Onesie

If you are in cold climate, or in an AC room or even for use as baby night clothes, full length body suits/rompers are the best option. I had used and am still using them as nightwear for my baby. Onesies and bodysuits I have been using  are gifts/hand-downs from my nieces.

Again quantity depends on your approximate hospital stay( around 3 days for normal delivery and 5 days for LSCS) and your choice of diapers. Having a little extra won’t hurt. A minimum of two per day is a good number.

Do not forget caps + mittens + booties/socks to keep your baby warm at the peripheries, since those are the areas which become cold early. I put them as a combination, because that is how they are available in the stores. You can buy matching set depending on your baby’s clothes, or buy a combo pack of three or four sets like I did, which is cheaper and can be used as mix and match.

Clothe your baby just enough to keep him warm and cozy – warm little hands and feet are a good sign. Order everything online from Amazon/First cry etc to stay safe in the lock down period.

 
Swaddling blankets/wraps/bags

We always picturize newborns as cute little angels bundled up and sleeping peacefully, and this bundle is what we call as swaddle. It is an essential article in the baby’s bag to keep a brand new baby warm, and also helps him/her to sleep longer. Swaddling blankets are available in different kinds of fabric, from thick yet soft and fluffy ones for extra warmth in winter, to soft thin muslin material for summers. All types are available in the online market. You can also use old soft cotton  sarees/dhotis cut into big squares as thin swaddling blankets. You can buy a few thicker ones for the initial days and use thin ones later on. I had hand-down warm swaddling blankets so I didn’t have to buy them. Since its very warm here these days, I use blankets made from old dhotis for my baby.

You will need quite a lot of them if you are using cloth diapers. Otherwise one per day would be enough. Make sure you know how to swaddle beforehand as wrong swaddling can harm the baby.
Swaddle wraps and bags are also available, which eliminates the need for swaddling skills. Personally I found that the wrap was too big for my baby as a newborn, but can be used later. I used the swaddle bag to take him outside of the room or house, as it was easier to carry.
 

 
Baby towels and wash clothes

You wont be needing a lot of these as you wont be giving bath to your baby in the hospital anyway. They can be used to wipe the babies after they poop/pee/puke on themselves. I used left over cloth diaper material for this purpose. Personally I feel wiping baby’s bum with these clothes is too harsh, and can pre-dispose to perianal rash. You can keep separate small wash clothes to wipe if they spit up.

 
Changing Mat

This is something which I found to be very useful, although some may find it a waste of money. Basically it is a sheet like/soft bed like rectangular mat on which you can change diapers or clothes. Available online. I used a hand-down mat and I still use it every day.

 
Quick Dry sheets

These are must have articles in the list if you are opting for simple cloth diapering. They are made of absorbable material and quickly absorbs baby’s urine or fluid from stools and keeps him/her dry, and avoids soiling the bed, and are easily washable. These are available in the online market.

 
Baby wet wipes/Cotton balls

Using wet wipes to clean after your baby poops/pees is not a bad choice, but look for signs of allergic rash/worsening diaper rash. I didn’t use them in the hospital at all. Later, I have used them as alternative to bathing, on cold rainy days. I use J&J baby wipes, but multiple brands are available.
I was initially wiping my baby’s bum with soft cloth, but this predisposed him to a very painful rash. In the initial days it is best to wipe with cotton balls dipped in warm water, as they are soft and gentle on the baby’s super-smooth skin.
 

Diaper rash cream

My baby’s rash came after we left the hospital, since that is when his frequent pooping started. Many friends vouched by Himalaya diaper cream, but even though we started applying from day one, my son got a very bad case of diaper rash. Later, along with few other alterations in diapering, we changed over to Rash-free cream and it worked wonders for my son’s skin. There are other brands like Dermadew, Sudocrem etc, which are equally effective, though I haven’t used them.

A  diaper rash cream is a must have in the baby’s bag, especially when his stools start transitioning from meconium. Applying at each diaper change helps. There are friends who used coconut oil or petroleum jelly instead of nappy rash cream, and found them to be effective.

 
Mosquito Net

Mosquitoes are ubiquitous in our country, and therefore a mosquito net is a must have article in the baby bag. You can either buy the bedding attached net, which will be outgrown soon, or a separate  bigger net, which can be used longer. I bought the second type, from First Cry.

 
Practical Tips

1.   Use home available stuff or order online to stay safe in the pandemic period.
2.   Do not compromise on baby’s safety by ordering low quality things.
3.   Do not compromise on things which will make your life easy in the initial few days after delivery,            when you are the weakest.
4.    Following tradition is mostly good in baby care, but making smart changes will help you.
5.    There is nothing wrong in using hand-downs after ensuring proper hygiene. Baby clothes and other paraphernalia are quite expensive, and babies outgrow many of them really fast.
6.    I have purposefully left out baby lotion/cream and baby powder, because they are not required in the newborn period.

 
So that’s it! This is about the list of items in the Baby’s bag, not only from a pediatrician’s perspective, but also from my experience as a new mom. In this is  pandemic period, it helps that all the items in the list are available online or can be created cost free at home. Do let me know if I have missed anything. Feel free to comment. 

If you have not  read the other posts in this series, click the links below.

To read about preparing mother's bag in Part Two, click here.

To read about preparing post delivery kit, general essentials and COVID  protection special click here.

 Do read part two and three ! Cya!