The honest guide to hospital bag essentials
If you're in your third trimester - CONGRATULATIONS MAMA!
I've been in your predicament, twice, and, while a beastly hornbag, ready to eat anyone who looked at me the wrong way, that time of my life also had its perks.
You know, like the tiny bundle of perfection who was about to slip-slide out of me, and the perfect strangers, invading my privacy and beaming idiotically, for no other reason, than the bun in my oversized oven.
There is lots to think about, at the tail end of a pregnancy - which pram to buy, how you're going to shave those hairy, fluid-retaining legs, and what on earth you'll need to pack for your hospital stay.
If you're anything like me, I had no idea what a maternity pad was even for. I knew that I'd need them, because I'd looked at a similar hospital bag checklist, that was nowhere near as cute as this one. But I had no idea I'd bleed sporadically, for quite a while postpartum, regardless of whether I had a natural birth, or a C-section.
For this very reason, I recommend all black everything, ALL the time, after the birth. Oversized black knickers, and stretchy black plants, are a godsend in those early days, giving your much-aggrieved hoo-ha, or incision site, a wide berth, and disguising those bulky pads, and potential leaks.
I also had no clue that my tiny little noob, would be a boob-sucking monster, and chafe the bejesus out of my tender nips, in the first few days of feeding. This early discomfort is not unusual, but lip and tongue ties in babes, can cause prolonged feeding pain, and often go unnoticed (These can be easily remedied with a quick procedure in the hospital - just speak to your board-certified lactation consultant, if feeding is unusually painful).
Nipple shields, ointments and a double electric breast pump, will make your life a helluva lot easier in those early days, if you're planning to breastfeed, and give the sisters a well-deserved break.
Hospitals can be incredibly germy places - if you're as germaphobic as I, you'll appreciate a spray bottle of colloidal silver, with a few drops of clove, tea tree and orange essential oils, that you can mist around the room and on the hands of visitors. Find these at your local health shop.
You might also like to bring an essential oil diffuser from home, to diffuse calming oils during labour, and antibacterial blends, for the remainder of your stay. I am a huge advocate of taking a daily dose of Vitamin C, or sodium ascorbate, powder, to ward off any bugs.
When it comes to what bub will need, besides constant cuddles from mum and a boob in hisor her, mouth, at all times, you'll want to ensure that you pack plenty of outfit changes, because:
A) newborns can be complete and utter divas, and
B) they're renowned for spitting up all over themselves.
I was a neurotic mess, when it came to dressing my kids.
I bought mostly organic baby clothing, because I was wary of the alternatives, and the effect of residual pesticides on a teeny-weeny bub.
This wasn't the most economical endeavour, and Afterpay was nowhere to be found when I had my firstborn, but, thankfully, you can now find reasonably-priced organic babywear, at Our Joey, and pay it off, across four manageable instalments. You're welcome.
I also found that there wasn't a great deal of choice in organic wear, at the time - always the SAME old colour ways and cutesy patterns. It was nigh impossible to find precious unisex pieces that I knew would last the distance, and which, could be passed along to siblings and cousins, to reduce clothing waste.
I immediately resented zippers on onesies - you always have that one leg that comes out ever-so-easily, but the other one has to be bent up into a yoga contortion, just to free it.
Oh, and the small necklines, don't get me started on the small necklines ... I felt as if I was partially suffocating my newborns, each time I had to manoeuvre a bodysuit, over their disproportionately large heads.
Enter Our Joey - designed for fuss-free change times, with buttons, in all the right places.
Thankfully, your little joey, won't have to suffer through the same clothing change gymnastics, that mine did.
For your peace of mind, our entire baby essentials range, comprising rompers, bodysuits, bedlinen and swaddles, has been crafted from quality organic cotton, certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard.
The GOTS label is your guarantee that no harmful chemicals have been used in the clothing production process, and that the talented humans, involved in farming, processing and manufacturing our collection, have enjoyed fair work conditions, because #ethical
If you choose Our Joey for your newborn, be sure to drop us a line, below, and let us know what you think, and what your favourite piece is.
Also, please give us a shout if our checklist has alleviated some stress, in preparing for your Joey's arrival. Is there anything we've left out, that you would recommend?
I wish you all the very best for a safe, healthy and blissful birth, for both mama and bebe.
Remember to take care of you, as well xx
