The delivery bag!

Oh you mean a Go-Bag says my husband when I explain that I really need to get the bag ready. I am 36 weeks and 6 days pregnant and officially I may give birth at home starting next night. A Go-Bag? I look at him questioningly, that does sound more cool than an escape bag. Yeah you know, one of those bags they have ready in action movies full of fake passports and guns… aha… Well in that case the words Go-Bag or escape bag have just as much adrenaline in them… and adrenaline is exactly what I am trying to avoid. And although this bag will also contain my passport, that’s about the only similarity.

What else is in it or useful? At the bottom of this blog is a standard list which you also see a lot on the Internet. But first, I just lay out some important and indispensable things that you might not find everywhere that are just super nice.

Often the delivery bag is also called the escape bag or hospital bag. Like having to flee headlong or jump into a cab like in the movies. Fortunately, reality is milder. But is it also nice if you are going to give birth at home to have everything together in one place. Then if you do have to move during labor you have everything on hand. And if you stay home, even the maternity nurse can easily find that carefully selected newborn outfit (instead of that hideous present you got from your great-aunt that was still in the dresser somewhere). That way you can just focus on the birth, your partner on you and you won’t be too disturbed with questions like, where are the hot water bottles, hydrophilic cloths, clothes for yourself etc.

I am now preparing this bag for the^4th time, and in the meantime I am getting better at it (even if I say so myself:) Of course, this is because I can always look off at all the carefully assembled bags I come across at the deliveries I supervise. Therefore, below are 3 golden tips you don’t want to miss for packing your Go-Bag… ehh delivery bag.

1. Pamper yourself! Put some products in the bag ahead of time that you can really pamper yourself with after that top performance of childbirth. However it turned out, you more than deserved to be pampered. How nice when you then come across that normally overpriced foam soap, wonderfully soft clothing or something else that makes you completely happy. You’re worth it! For example, I am already getting excited about the maternity dresses in the bag, 1 for during and 1 for after delivery. They feel like gifts to myself for when the contractions start and after.
2. Make plastic bags in the bag for each set of baby’s clothes and write the size on them. 1 set size 50 and 1 set size 56. That way you prevent someone else from combining this just as you might not want to…I’m always a bit of a control freak in this because I want exactly that one hat, with that romper and socks.
3. Lay out what is essential for you to be able to relax during labor. Don’t assume everything in the hospital is there. Things like sanitary napkins and diapers are plentiful, but not in every hospital are heat bags (jugs for you, for the baby are there), gym balls, tens machine, music boxes, tasty snacks or drinks (for your partner to stay awake and for yourself afterwards. The other day I saw next to the delivery bag a whole shopping bag full of yummy things and games, labor took quite a while so they could use it well, and shared generously with us (midwife, nurse etc) so everyone in the room was happy, and happy people at your delivery are always nice 🙂

It may all sound somewhat controlled although in my very book I advocate a birth full of trust, where letting go is the art. Still, I think the very things you do have control over, like your delivery bag, can help you let go of other things like labor and when it begins more easily. In this, on the contrary, you can be kind to yourself and thereby create peace during your labor.

For inspiration, below you can see my items and the standard items

Vivian’s additional items:

• 2 x bamboo birthing gown
• 1 x bamboo birthing leggings
• 1 x Sleep bra
• 1x rinse bottle of peridouce
• Cordring (in some hospitals they have even larger umbilical clamps)
• Pitsack
• Wrap for baby
• Tens device
• Dextro dextrose
• Canned energy drink for Thijs
• Lip balm
• Cushion
• Music box (and on Spotify my delivery list is ready with relaxing music)
• Phone holder for filming part of delivery
• Gym ball (in the car, and can be grabbed if necessary)
• Syringes of pre-pumped milk (currently still in the freezer, so there is a bill at the top of the bag that those still need to go in the cooler bag)
• Affirmation cards
• Attitudes map from my own book🙂

Standard delivery bag:

• ID proof
• Insurance card
• Pregnancy card
• Coin for the wheelchair
• Phone
• Wallet
• camera
• Phone charger
• 2 x suit size 50 (includes hat, socks, romper long sleeves)
• 1 x suit size 56 (includes hat, socks, romper long sleeves)
• Jacket for baby
• Car seat (check beforehand how it fastens in your car)
• Clothes for yourself 2 sets
• Large underpants for yourself (at least 4 times)
• Dress set for your partner
• Roomy bra (nursing bra you can also buy good size later)
• Toiletries stuff for yourself and partner: Shampoo, cream rinse, shower gel, toothbrush, toothpaste etc.
• Possibly your own pillow
• Salt lamp
• Fragrance Oil
• Fake candles (real tea lights are not allowed in the hospital, at home you can of course go wild with candles)

Things that you don’t have to bring to the hospital, but are ready at home:

• Maternity Package
• Understitch
• 2 metal pitchers + pitcher bags
• Diapers
• Bottle feeding (unless you have special feeding)
• Bottles (unless you want to get the baby used to your bottles right away) also when breastfeeding.

I wish you a very beautiful birth full of confidence of your baby!

Kind regards,

Vivian Vietje ~ www.geboortevolvertrouwen.nl