Top 10 things to have in your hospital bag for a C-Section delivery
Posted On 26 August 2023
With the birth of bambino #2 fast approaching, it seems a good time to get my head around my my very own top 10 of essentials to take to the hospital. Let’s be honest though, I won’t probably have my bag ready until a couple of weeks before 🙂
I delivered Sydney at one of our local public hospitals via cesarean section. I was lucky enough to have a single room, still it wasn’t that big once you take into account the baby’s bassinet and Gab’s chair which unfolded into something that resembled a single bad. Not a comfortable one might I add.
Like most mums to be I had done some research and put together a very long list of things that I didn’t end up needing or using, so I promised myself that I would shrink that list the next time.
Here is my personal ‘Top 10’, based on what I found out to be essential, in no particular order:
- Partner/support person: Not that you’d put them in your hospital bag haha… but they are totally worth mentioning! I couldn’t have done it without Gabriel. A C-Section is a major surgery and for about 12-24 hours following the surgery you are in bed, unable to stand and, therefore, you will need all the help you can get to care for your poop-machine baby. Yes, there are some pretty amazing midwives, but they will be running around between patients’ rooms like crazy chucks, so it’s extra handy to have an helping hand changing nappies and handing you snacks and water while you are figuring out how to be the mum of a brand new baby;
- Snacks: Speaking of… I don’t need to tell you that hospital food isn’t that glorious, unless you can afford or have private insurance covering a private hospital delivery and stay. My first thought straight after surgery was ‘I am hungry’, and thank goodness for that prosciutto panini that Gab made me as my ‘first meal of choice once baby is born’. Then there was salami and lots of other snack bars, crackers and chips. Oh, and Prosecco. Gab thought that we would need to celebrate, but of course he had to do it solo because I was taking pain meds like lollies and I was also breast-feeding;
- Colostrum: Expressing this precious nectar before your delivery is entirely optional and can be quite difficult for some. You can start as early as 36 weeks and there are a few videos on YouTube that teach you how to do it. I personally found it challenging, there were times when I couldn’t even get some and cried like a baby, and that is ok. It happens. But I am so glad that I was able to bring some to the hospital, because I wasn’t very successful at breast-feeding at first and the nurses were able to give my colostrum to Sydney. You will collect colostrum with some special syringes which you will label with your details. Make sure you freeze it as soon as possible. You will take them to the hospital in a fridge bag.
- Newborn nappies: This is also very optional as you may want to take advantage of the hospital cloth nappies, provided they are supplied. We did at first, but Gab got really frustrated changing a little too many. The midwives showed us how to wrap them up but it was just all too hard while being sleep-deprived, plus we were stressing about the safety pin possibly hurting our brand new baby. We were glad we had a bag of newborn nappies in the car, which we started using on day two.
- Maternity pads: Warning, TMI. Post surgery you will start bleeding, A LOT. The hospital staff will use gauzes at first and replace them at need, while you are not mobile. As soon as you can stand up, usually within 24 hours, pending any complication, you might be able to wear some undies and you will need some real thick maternity pads. So make sure you grab some from your local pharmacy beforehand!
- Nursing bra and bra pads: It is up to you if you decide to breastfeed or not. I lived in the hospital gown for the whole 3 days of my stay, it’s not like anyone other than Gab and the hospital staff was going to see me anyway because we had chosen not have people visiting. The milk may not come for a few days, but when it does come, you might find it handy to wear a nursing bra with some pads, disposable or not, to start feeling human again. Even though your milk might not come straight away, the midwives will encourage your new baby to breast-feed basically as soon as you are out of the operating theatre. In the first few days your milk will be mostly colostrum, remember that very special nectar we talked about?
- Silverette: It won’t matter what you do, breastfeeding will be very painful at first. It is rare that a new baby latches correctly from day one, your nipples will crack and be very sore. That’s ok, we have all been there, so don’t let stop you if you’d like to give breastfeeding a go. Silverette are some nipple shields made of… you guessed it, silver, which apparently have some special healing properties when put on your nipples in combination with the magical healing properties of breast milk. You may use Lanolin instead/with, but be careful… it stains your clothes. In fact, I was never a fan and only used it for a short few days as I found that Silverette were pretty magical on their own!
- Toiletries: A travel kit might be just what you need… shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste and tooth brush, a hair brush, deodorant and moisturiser. Some ladies like to bring makeup too, although I thought it wasn’t essential.
- Baby outfit for going home: You want to pick something cute because you are going to take oh-so-many photos to share with relative and friends. Have a smaller and a bigger version of the newborn size with you, as you don’t know how big the baby is going to be. I had also brought a million other outfits, body suits, etc… but didn’t use any of them because Sydney stayed wrapped in hospital baby wraps the whole time.
- Phone charger: Family and close friends will ring, text and video call you. You probably won’t have much energy or the mental capacity to deal with everyone at first, but your phone’s battery will still drain. So make sure you can recharge it in case you need to make an urgent phone call.
Here you have it, this is my very own Top 10. Enjoy!
About The Author
alicebellavita
Hi! My name is Alice and I am Italian expat neo-mum living in Australia since 2011.