So what exactly do you need that mum won’t be all over already? The best thing to do is imagine that an initial hospital is not even a little bit packed. You’re there to bring the essentials, the snacks, the chargers, the things that comfort mum and necessities for the new little member of your family…. So exciting!

When you should pack your hospital bag

Don’t start worrying about packing your hospital bag in mums first and second trimester (maybe a little shopping, if you really can’t wait), you’ll just end up taking everything out and re-packing it to make sure you have everything. 

You should aim to have everything packed up by the 35 or 36 week mark, just in case the new arrival decides to pop out a little early. That leaves plenty of time in the third trimester to think about everything you can pack to make mum and baby’s birthing experience as cool and calm as it can possibly be.

Key things you’ll need as a birth partner

No matter if you’re husband, wifedad, grandma, best friend, sister – as a birthing partner, you have the essential role of supporting mum through labour and doing everything you can to ease the experience. Here are some key things that you should pack to fulfil your role as best you can:  

• A camera (or phone) and chargers! You are in charge of taking at least 200 pics of the new member of the family so make sure you have a fully charged phone or camera and back up chargers just in case. And have some pre-game pointers, you want to be aligned on what is and isn’t ok to snap. 
• Loose change. This one is a little bit about you as well as mum… vending machines!! Make sure you have some loose change for some of mums fave snacks as well as a dozen coffees for yourself.
• Toiletries. Toiletries are heavy and mum’s bag is half full of nappies, so best to pack these in your bag. Don’t forget toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant etc. Yours and mums.
• A change of clothes – you might be there for a while. Think about packing a change of clothes so you’re not so – ripe – for the ride home.    
• Pillows from home. Whether it’s a pregnancy pillow or a normal one, this might just be thing that soothes mum a little and gets her to relax in a comfy position… for 5 minutes or so.
• Snacks, snacks, snacks! The most important of them all. Pack all her favourites, as well as some healthy and filling snacks that’ll keep you both going through labour.
• Something to pass the time. Think about taking some crosswords, maybe a sudoku or perhaps a book – you might be there a while.

Things for the baby!

Mum is probably all over this, but there’s no such thing as too prepared.!

• You’ll want to make sure the baby has a good amount of vests, bodysuits and sleepwear. A solid choice would be our Swaddle wrap– perfect for healthy sleeping positions and it comes in loads of different colours and patterns.  
• Nappies and wipes! They might get through around 10 nappies per day but it might be a good idea to take a few more just in case you have to stay longer.  
• Their blanket or shawl, for wrapping them up on the way home.   
• And don’t forget a car seat. You might want to opt for a carry car seat as opposed to a car seat that is left in the car, just so you can carry the little one out of the hospital and straight home without disturbing their snoozes.  

Remember: there’s no predicting when exactly baby will choose to arrive, so you need to be prepared in advanced and try to be as organised as possible when it comes to your hospital bag.

But don’t worry… you’re gonna do great.!