The best way to enjoy a wonderful birth experience is if everything is as stress-free as possible. Good preparation is an enormous help – especially since no one can foresee how labor will go. First-time mothers, in particular, face a completely new, overwhelming situation with many emotions. It is therefore often a relief for pregnant women to have things well prepared in good time. An important element here is the hospital bag. What are the essentials? What can stay at home? What can be organized in advance?
Preferably 6 weeks before the birth. Babies sometimes make an appearance unexpectedly early – it is therefore advisable to be prepared for such an (emergency) case. Important: do not forget to tell your partner or birthing companion where the bag is.
A pregnant woman should always carry a form of ID and medical documents containing the most important information about her and the pregnancy (e.g., antenatal care record or similar).
It is advisable for every pregnant woman to pack a hospital bag – even if she is planning a home birth or an outpatient birth (where you leave the hospital again shortly after the birth). It is not possible to predict how the labor will go and a hospital stay may become unexpectedly necessary in case of complications. This is especially true if it is necessary to perform a cesarean section.
In this case, a hospital bag containing everything for up to a week's stay helps to prevent your partner from desperately searching for various items. Find out what you need with this well-organized packing list:
Hygiene products:
Optional (depending on personal preferences and hospital equipment):
Personal effects/documents:
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