16 July 2021You never know when your little one may arrive, so it’s a good idea to prepare early with a pre-packed hospital bag! This way, it is quick and easy to grab and go when the time comes for you to head off to the hospital. There’s a wealth of information out there for new parents, and you might be confused about what essentials you’d truly need for the delivery. We’ve compiled a checklist of the bare essentials to pack in your hospital bag to ensure a smooth breastfeeding experience from Day 1!
For Breastfeeding
1. Lactation cookies & tea
Consuming lactation-boosting products from the first day of delivery can help to kickstart your milk supply quicker. As your body prepares to produce milk, be mindful that there are different types of milk that you will produce to help baby’s growth. Regardless of where you are at, supplementing your diet with lactation boosters will ensure that your body gets essential nutrients that can be passed on to your baby from Day 1.
Marian’s Lactation Boost offers a wide range of lactation cookies and tea that are packed with superfood ingredients to boost your milk supply. Consider trying our best-selling Australian Milo Sea Salt Caramel Cookies paired with our refreshing Peach Pomegranate Tea as a yummy tea time snack for a greater boost.
2. Colostrum Collector
Image Credit: Google
The colostrum is the first form of milk produced before mums transit towards producing “transitional milk”, and later, “mature milk” to feed the newborn. Colostrum is your body’s natural superfood for your baby, containing high levels of nutrients and antibody proteins to help boost baby’s immunity.
It can be challenging to collect colostrum with a syringe, especially while in the hospital. Make collecting colostrum convenient and fuss-free by packing a silicone colostrum collector like the ones from Haakaa, which has a tube for easy milk collection from the nipple.
Naturally, the easiest alternative is to latch the baby directly to the breast for a fuss-free and intimate bonding experience!
3. Hospital-Grade Pump
Image Credit: Google
Babies are born ready and eager to breastfeed. But what if you face problems with getting baby to latch? If your baby is not latching well, don’t worry — discover useful tips to improve your chances of breastfeeding success here. However, that means you may need to seek other ways to stimulate your breast in order to simulate demand and create supply. On the flip side, if you are making too much milk, your baby may not be able to clear the breast well.
The solution? Try doing a short pump session after every latch session with your baby! A quick pump using the hospital-grade pump from Spectra S1 can help to stimulate demand as you work towards building a steady supply. For mothers with an abundance of milk, it also offers some much-needed relief as you work towards regulating your supply. Our top tip for new mummies — be sure to get the right size flanges for your nipple to help with expressing milk optimally!
4. Storage Bottles & Silicone Pump
If you are planning to pump your breastmilk, a good set of storage bottles is a must-have for your hospital bag. We recommend the storage bottles from Autumnz for easy, single-serving size storage of your milk. As for collecting letdowns, it’s always good to have Haakaa’s compact manual silicone pump on hand for a quick pump as and when you need to.
For Sterilizing
Compact Steam Sterilizer
Many pump accessories are made out of silicone, which don’t respond well to UV light sterilizers. A much safer alternative is to use steam sterilizers, which can also be used on the usual PPSU or BPA bottles to ensure baby stays safe from germs. Compared to the usual big and bulky steam sterilizers, Pigeon offers a travel-sized compact steam sterilizer that you can bring along to the hospital to use on all your pump and feeding accessories.
For Clothing
1. Nursing Bras
Wearing regular bras with underwires may cause blocked ducts — and no breastfeeding mummy wants that. Remember to pack around 2-3 sets of nursing bras in your hospital bag. Nursing bras usually come without wires, and are also equipped with clips or other methods of easy access for latching your baby. Marian’s favorite nursing bra is the Shona from Envyher as they are lightweight and breathable. For those who prefer more support, Bravado bras are a good option.
2. Comfy Clothes for Mum & Baby
The day mummy and baby get discharged is always a joyous one. There’s no need to go out and get a new outfit for mummy. A loose outfit that allows easy access for feeding will suffice. For the new little one, a perfect going-home outfit comprising mittens and socks to keep hands and feet warm coupled with a swaddle will do!
Note: This is not a sponsored post
Remember — there’s no need to pack excessively. Our checklist of hospital bag breastfeeding necessities will be able to kickstart your successful breastfeeding right from the hospital! Wishing all soon-to-be mummies a smooth and safe delivery!
