It’s worth shopping for essential baby items well before your due date. Not only will you have more energy, but you’ll be more prepared just in case your baby arrives a little early. We stock lots of the things you will need, but other items we’ve chosen not to stock, often because they are so easily available from high street chemists or supermarkets.

Preparing for Birth
The start of labour can be an exciting as well as an emotional time and
while you are likely to have plenty of warning that you will need to go
into hospital, it’s all too easy to panic about what you need to take
with you and forget the most essential things. So to ensure that this time
is stress free, pack your bag in advance and make a list of everything
that needs to be done. Check with your midwife as to what you will
need – hospitals vary on what they will provide. If you are planning to
have your baby at home, your midwife will give you lots of advice
about all the things you need. However, its still a good idea to have a
bag packed just in case things don’t go completely as you expect.

Essential baby items
It’s worth shopping for essential baby items well before your due date.
Not only will you have more energy, but you’ll be more prepared just in
case your baby arrives a little early. We stock lots of the things you will
need, but other items we’ve chosen not to stock, often because they
are so easily available from high street chemists or supermarkets.

In the case of your car seat, its important that you have this properly
fitted by a reputable nursery retailer, to ensure that it fits correctly and
safely in your car.

Essential clothing
Six cotton bodysuits
Two shawls or receiving blankets
Warm blankets/wraps for going out
Six sleepsuits
Two pairs of cotton socks or booties
Hats or bonnets for going out

Other essentials
Nappies
Cotton wool balls
Babywipes
Muslin squares
Baby towels
Changing mat

The rest of the kit:
The other bits of “kit” you need will depend on all sorts of factors and
personal choices. For example, your choice of baby carrier or
pushchair will be influenced by where you live, and whether you travel
largely by foot, car or bus, and your feeding equipment will be
dependent on whether you breast or bottle feed.

Things to be done
Make sure there is sufficient petrol in the car
Check you know the way into the maternity unit
Does someone need to feed the cat or take the dog for a walk?
Partners should keep their mobile phone charged and switched on or give contact numbers.

Things to take to hospital
2 nightdresses & dressing gown
Overnight washing kit
Fresh underwear
Sanitary towels, disposable knickers & breast pads
Nursing bras / comfortable support bras
A book, magazine or crossword, plus music (and headphones), which may help you relax
Birth plan
Clothes for baby - vest, sleepsuit, cardigan or matinee jacket, newborn nappies
Shawl or blanket for going home
Coins for the phone, as you won’t be able to use a mobile in the hospital
Coming home clothes - you’ll find the Belly Belt™ extremely useful for the first few weeks after birth
Car seat - good nursery retailers will ensure that your chosen car seat fits your make of car