10 Things to Bring to Pack in Your Hospital Bag

Sheena 09-08-2019
  1. Mesh undies and pads from Mothercare. The pads the hospital has are just simply awful (I think they bought too many back in 1952 and are still using up their stock!). C-section mamas… sorry to disappoint but you will also bleed heavily! So make sure you stock up on those pads.
  2. Nursing bra and pads: Not absolutely necessary but I would still bring a nursing bra and breast pads for leaky boobs. Here’s the deal though: you won’t know how big your boobs with milk are until you are a few days/ weeks into the breast-feeding game so don’t go buying expensive bras until your milk is established, or buy something that can be adjusted. I love the bravado ones because they are so soft and stretchy. They are not cheap (can buy at Naturally Bebe) but you will be undoing your nursing bra so much during those first few months, trust me they are worth every satang!
  3. Haakaa silicone manual breast pump – if your milk comes in early, these are great to help you pump manually.
  4. Going home outfit for baby and mama: For mum, remember that belly won’t be gone just yet, don’t be too disappointed if you still look super pregnant (like 6-7 months pregnant!). So bring comfortable maternity clothes. For baby bring a nice outfit for your photo book.
  5. Breast-feeding pillow: can be great way to get support for those first few days of breast-feeding in the hospital bed. They of course have pillows, but it can be quite complex to stack them up high enough to help you get the right hold. I personally recommend the ones in Emporium (not branded).
  6. Nipple cream – lanolin based cream can really help those first couple of days when the nipples are in pain from feeding. And bring some breast pads although for most people milk doesn’t come in until they are home, for me it came when I was in hospital and it was embarrassing walking around with leaking boobs – no one ever told me how much they leak!
  7. Charger for your phone! And make sure that cable is extra long because the sockets are quite far from the bed.
  8. Carseat: bring your carseat for the trip home. I recommend you test install it in the car before the big day so you are confident to install it properly when baby is with you. Maybe ask a friend with car to come and pick you up so you don’t have the harrowing experience of a grumpy taxi driver rushing you through Bkk traffic. If you don’t have anyone with car, book a Grab.
  9. Phone numbers or contacts of lactation consultants/ midwife/postpartum doula. It can be rough, especially those first few days and don’t be shy to call for help!
  10. Parents’ passports and documents to be able to get the birth certificate done through the hospital. They also translate to English and even certify with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Don’t bring: towels, nappies, baby wipes, creams and or slippers. The hospitals here are like hotels, so you get pretty much all the amenities you get in a hotel (including shampoo, conditioner, tooth brush etc.)
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