Most expectant moms and dads will probably start to google what to pack for the hospital bag a few months before their baby’s arrival. Best time to pack to your stuff is actually a month before your due date. You can give birth any time once you’ve hit the 36th week mark but don’t worry, the best advice I got throughout my pregnancy was to go with the flow because planning everything to the little-st detail won’t help cause things are so unpredictable but we can ease things out by being prepared.

I hope the checklist below will help you in the future. Keep calm and remember that at the end of the day, the most important thing is you and your baby’s health and everything else will fall in place.

What to pack for moms

• Long skirts, loose pants
• Underwear- throw in the big comfortable grandma ones cause it’s a war zone down there and you’d want to be as comfy as you can be
• Socks
• Buttoned and loose tops – practical and convenient for when you have to nurse your baby
• Slippers – non slippery ones for the toilet. My advise is to get someone to accompany you to the bathroom every time you need to make a trip
• Toiletries – the basic stuff, breast pads, hairbands, nipple cream, lotion, vaseline
• Hairdryer – I brought a small one to the hospital and the fact that I got to dry my hair a day after I gave birth made me feel so fresh and clean
• Nursing bra- With these, just unhook and you are good to go
• Maternity pillow aka your new best friend – You can use it for sleeping and nursing
• Overnight sanitary pads – I HATED the maternity pads because it’s so bloody thick and bulky and it made things even more uncomfortable down there. No. No way. Save yourself sister. Pack up some overnight sanitary pads, they work just fine and they’re a thousand times more comfortable. You’re welcome.
• Breast pump – make sure you wash, sterilize and charge them before packing. Bring some storage milk bags just in case. You can use this in the hospital if you want to check if you are producing adequate amount of milk. Might come in handy if you need to start expressing.
• A good book/ magazine/ iPad or whatever outlet to keep you ‘sane’ in the hospital
• Towel/Washcloth
• External wire, charger/cable: So you won’t run out of phone battery and quarrel with your husband/mother/father/cousin/sister etc for the only working plug point in the room.

• Read up on how to clean and sterilize bottles. Get the washing liquid, brush and sterilizer while you still have the time. Set a corner at home (preferably in the kitchen) and call it your bottle/sterilizing corner. Anything bottle, cleaning, baby related belongs there. Make sure that area is disinfected too
• Wash all of baby’s clothes, bed sheet etc at least 2 months before your due date
• Insurance: Make sure you know how the admission process is like for your hospital. Joe and I did our GL nearly a month before our due date in case anything happened. Make sure you are aware about the limit (pre, during and post pregnancy) and what you can claim with your HR and insurance company

• Extra pillow and blanket – Most hospitals charge for this
• Sweater
• Pyjamas
• Toiletries
• Day clothes

• Swaddle muslin blankets
• Overalls / sleepsuits
• socks
• Baby carrier (if you plan on getting one)
• A few diapers, wet wipes
• Mini towel/washcloth

The hospital will most probably provide your baby’s clothes and needs for most of the stay for you’re basically packing up for the last day. Just pack some extra just in case!

PS: Install the car seat a few weeks before the due date. Rauf arrived earlier than expected so when we had to rush him to the hospital there was a lot of commotion with the car outside the house because we couldn’t figure out how to install the car seat.

What to pack for your appetite

• dates
• milo
• oat biscuits
• almonds

The nurse told me that my milk production was a lot every time I passed her the expressed milk in the Pediatric ward and asked me what I had been eating. I realised it could have been the dates I kept munching and the Milo I kept drinking because I was in constant hunger in the hospital. Rauf had jaundice and the best treatment for him (aside from photo therapy) was breast milk. I will forever be grateful that I had enough for him when he needed it the most.

However, it is important to note that milk production varies. Some can express a lot and for others the task may be challenging. If you think you are not producing enough, don’t be too hard on yourself – this doesn’t mean you’re a bad mom. Formula milk is still milk, don’t starve your baby just for the sake of wanting to go 100% breast milk.

All the best moms and dads out there! Lots of love from myself, Joe and Rauf!