As the delivery date nears it is a special time in your life. You may feel nervous, but preparing yourself ahead of time can help calm your nerves. Here are some helpful steps for you to get ready to welcome home your little one.

  • Attend labor and childbirth classes– these classes are conducted by specialized birthing health professionals who are well experienced in various labor coping techniques and preparation for the delivery.
  • Preparation for normal delivery– if you are preparing for normal delivery then the preparation should start when you decide to get pregnant as it helps to in the entire process of delivering a baby so that you will not face any unforeseen complications and you are well prepared.
  • Discuss with your doctor– you can clear all your doubts and discuss various possibilities of childbirth such as what to do in case of C-section, premature birth, etc. You should know that the labor strategies may not work the same for every woman in pain, so you need to know your options and be prepared. The doctors start the procedures immediately after you reach the hospital. They will not explain the procedures and tests which they carry out. But you are free to ask them about what they are doing. The doctor will be happy to answer your questions about how to be prepared on the delivery day.
  • Pack your bag– you might need to rush to the hospital at any time. So it is better to pack the bag beforehand and keep it ready. You can take all your essentials like a pair of clothes, footwear, toothbrush, hairbrush, and clothes for the baby, medicines and other necessary things.
  • Breathing technique– when you are resting in the delivery room, lie down comfortably and concentrate on breathing. Slowly inhale and apply little force while exhaling this technique helps in expanding the tissues on either side of the vagina called perineum which helps ease the process of delivery.
  • Know about false labor– sometime you may have false labor contractions. These contractions begin to soften and thin the cervix preparing it for the delivery. But it is not true labor, they are irregular, it will reduce as time passes, and they do not become stronger.
  • Choose a pediatrician– if you don’t have any pediatrician then check your friends and family members and speak to them to visit the hospital on the day of delivery if he is not from the same hospital.

Once you are around 34 weeks pregnant, it’s the right time to prepare yourself and pack things that you would need on your delivery date. You might need to prepare things a little earlier because your baby might arrive earlier than expected. So it’s worth having your delivery kit bag ready.

This checklist will help you pack all the things that you would need in the hospital for yourself and your baby. You may also check with your hospital what they provide so that you won’t need to take those items.

Checklist for mom:

  • Important documents: Test reports, Health Insurance documents, ID proof, medical cards, make sure you have a copy of these readily available.
  • Socks: many mums wear socks if their feet get cold during labor.
  • Slippers: to walk around the hospital ward.
  • Lip balm: having lip balm will help hydrate your lips.
  • Comfortable pillow: the hospital will provide pillows but they might not be the right kind for you. If you have a favorite pillow you may take it along.
  • Relaxing pass time: you may carry a few books, magazines, tablet to watch movies or songs or a music player.
  • Dresses: take three or four regular dresses and night dresses.
  • Maternity pads: Generally hospitals provide some, but you can also carry a few maternity pads because it’s normal to bleed a lot after the birth and you may need to change very frequently every 2 to 3 hours.
  • Undergarments: you can pack some extra pairs of them.
  • Cell phone and charger
  • Toiletries- as your stay is for a short period at the hospital you may carry travel shampoos, soaps, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, hair bands, and body lotion.
  • Spectacles/ contact lens case and saline solution

Checklist for Baby:

  • Newborn or size 1 diaper
  • Wet wipes
  • Baby clothes
  • The blanket is likely provided by the hospital, carrying of your own is always good to have on hand.
  • Socks and booties- newborns get cold easily so you get them.

Checklist for your partner:

Don’t forget your partner’s requirements as the hospital will not be providing anything for them except sleeper bed to crash on.

  • Clothes, shoes, toiletries, medicines, glasses, phone, camera, pillows, blanket, snacks, water bottles, books, and magazines.

In the end, no need to worry about not getting it from home as everything is available at the hospital if some things are missing don’t worry you can send someone out and get it.