This is the concluding article on my child birth experience. Please feel free to message me privately with any specific questions you have. I have already had a lot of requests for what I bought for the baby room in terms of furniture and baby equipment so I will cover this before the end of the month.
What Did I Really Need To Pack For The Clinic
The below is based on my 4 night stay at the clinic:
For Mummy
1 x Cabin Size Suitcase.
4 x Night Dresses either button down or straps can easily be lowered to breastfeed.
1 x Flip flops.
1 x Box of Disposable Maternity Knickers and 2 x Regular (one size larger than usual size in order to fit comfortably the maternity pads).
2/3 x Maternity Bras.
1 x Box 40 Days Maternity Pads from the pharmacy (any others just do not do the job).
Toiletry Bag – Toothbrush, toothpaste, cleanser, toner, facewash, skincare, haircare, hairbrush – all travel sizes for the clinic. I did not pack any makeup however I did sneak in a concealer and I definitely needed it most days under my eyes.
Tissues – 2 packs of pocket size tissues or a box of Kleenex.
Wipes – Gentle wipes (no alcohol, no fragrance, balanced PH to use every time after the toilet). I could not use toilet paper, it was not gentle enough.
1 x bath towel, 1 x face towel and 2 x flannels.
1 x Apivita Almond Natural Oil – My midwife Kentia warmed and massaged my lower back during labour to help ease the pain and showed my husband how to also apply. I used it on my face in the clinic but now that I am home, I am using it on face, hair and body to nourish my skin and it is gentle enough not to affect the baby.
1 x Octiset Antiseptic Spray.
1 x Octensisan Antimicrobial Wash Lotion.
1 x Betaisodona Antiseptic Solution (for stitches).
1 x Octenisept Wound Gel (for wounds and burns). Really helped soothe and I bought a second tube after the clinic.
1 x Eubos Feminine Washing Emulsion For Intimate Hygiene.
1 x Kyriakides Mushrooms Power Bank (to keep the phone charged).
For Baby
Baby Bag 1
1 x Tots Baby Bag.
3 x Cotton Short Sleeve Vests.
3 x Long Sleeve Baby Grows.
3 x Baby Bed Sheets.
1 x Light Blanket.
2 x Bath Towels (one is used to clean the baby after delivery so you need 2 or 3 if you prefer to have an extra towel just in case).
4 x Pairs of Socks.
Baby Bag 2
1 x Pampers Box Size 1 (you do not need the whole pack. Half the pack is more than enough).
1 x Pack of Baby Wipes (Event Baby Wet Wipes with Calendula for 0+ Months).
1 x Mustela Gentle Cleansing Gel For Hair & Body (I didn’t use the Eubos and used the clinic’s Mustela one instead).
1 x Eubos Sensitive Lotion.
1 x Septona Baby Calm ‘n’ Care Protective Cream.
There you have it. There are some important differences.
Which Items Did I Need The Most
For me, there were 2 items which made a massive difference to my comfort and that was the 40 Days Maternity Pads from the pharmacy and the Octenisept Wound Gel. Those first days after giving birth are tough physically and mentally but these 2 products helped me feel better and made me more comfortable. For those of you that will breastfeed, have Panadol handy or ask at your clinic.
Breastfeeding especially in the early days causes uterus cramps. These cramps are caused by contractions of the uterus as it shrinks back to its pre-pregnancy size and location after having the baby, called “involution.” These cramps are good and normal but have Panadol on standby to help ease the pain.
If you have any questions, please ask in the comments section below or send me a message.
