The final days before you go into labour can be a stressful period. And your doctor will agree that the last thing an expecting mother will need is more stress. Pregnant mothers and their partners can plan ahead and ensure that they have all the preliminary checks in place in order to make the labour and delivery period as smooth as possible.
You can start by completing your hospital bag checklist to prepare for labour in Singapore.
How Soon Should You Start Packing?
While the mother and the baby’s health remains paramount, there are administrative, financial and even comfort-related things that need to be factored in, to make your stay at the hospital more seamless.
Packing a hospital bag is a pivotal task as you approach the final weeks of pregnancy. It’s generally recommended to have your hospital bag ready by the time you reach around 35 weeks gestation. This ensures that you’re well-prepared in case of an unexpected early arrival, giving you peace of mind as your due date approaches.
Planning ahead allows you to include essential items like comfortable clothing, toiletries, important documents, and anything else you might need during your hospital stay.
You don’t want to enter the labour room knowing that you’ve forgotten an important document at home or need to head back home time and again to carry the little things. That’s why, the delivery bag pack needs to be packed and loaded well in advance, just in case the expecting mother goes into preterm labour.
Table of Contents
Complete Hospital Bag Checklist In Singapore
To make things easier for you, here’s the ideal hospital bag checklist for pregnant women in Singapore, before and after labour. Since you won’t only be packing for yourself but for the rest of the family as well, this hospital bag checklist spans the needs of mum and baby and there’s a section for dad and the siblings too.
No need to note these down. Just print this article and it can serve as your complete hospital bag checklist printable.
Important Documents
Image source: iStock
Documentation is an extremely important process of labour, especially for the partner who will be in the middle of it all. As part of your hospital bag checklist in Singapore, make sure it carries all of the following:
- Your gynaecologist‘s letter
- Hospital admission form
- NRIC of husband and wife
- Credit Card, cash and maternity insurance form
- Receipts of your outpatient visits to the gynaecologist (For Medisave)
- Original Marriage certificate to register the name of baby*
- Your birth plan
*You can either register your baby’s name at the hospital or at Immigration and Custom Authority(ICA). Birth should be registered within 14 days from the date of birth. If registration is done after 42 days, a letter of explanation stating the reason for late registration must be submitted for the Registrar/Registrar General’s approval.
After approval has been given, the birth will be registered and the birth certificate will be issued. Such cases can only be registered at ICA. For full details, visit the ICA’s website for more information on how to register your baby.
Hospital Bag Checklist For Mum
A new mother needs every care in the world to make sure the labour process is smooth and pain-free. Make sure the hospital bag checklist in Singapore has the following included:
- 2-3 pairs of warm socks (your feet may feel cold during labour)
- Eye mask (if you have trouble sleeping with lights on)
- Noise-cancelling headsets (this is not a must, but nice to have)
- 1 extra pack of sanitary pads (maternity or heavy flow)
- 4-5 sets of disposable underwear
- Two nursing bras and nursing pads
- One presentable robe (for you to look presentable to your visitors or when checking on your baby in the nursery)
- Massage oil (recommended in most childbirth classes)
- Two sets of a nightgown (one that opens in the front if you are planning on breastfeeding)
- One set of clothing for a happy trip home (preferably something loose and comfy)
- Belly wrap (to support your belly, waist, and hips after delivery)
- Lip balm (your lips get pretty dry during delivery and nothing more annoying than cracked lips)
- Toiletries like toothbrush, toothpaste, hair care product, body wash
- Spectacles (instead of contacts)
- Slippers
- Hair ties
- Medela Swing Electric Breast Pump to help stimulate milk production
- Nursing pillow to make positioning of babies easier especially if you have a C-section.
- Cosmetics (totally optional!)
Image Source: iStock
Hospital Bag Checklist For Dad
Dads are the backbone for mums during this period and need to stay strong, proactive, and alert. Here’s what you need to include for your birth partner:
- Snacks or sandwiches (especially for long labours)
- Coins for the hospital vending machine!
- Books or CDs to help Mum relax.
- Camera or camcorder. Make sure your camera is fully charged.
- Smartphone with the charger
- Power bank (in case the sockets at the hospital aren’t available)
- Hoodie (hospitals can get extremely cold at late nights)
- List of names to call after the baby is born
- Baby car seat for the trip home (compulsory in Singapore)
- Toothpaste and toothbrush (to quickly freshen up)
- Your medication (don’t want to ignore your own health)
- Glasses instead of contact lenses (you don’t know how long labour will last)
- Your own pillow, so you can be comfortable sitting for long hours in a hospital chair
- Change of clothes
- A push present for your wife! (it’s common to give your wife a gift post-delivery)
- Ideas for baby names
Hospital Bag Checklist For Baby
Image Source: Pexels
Of course, you can’t forget to pack for your new addition to the family when completing your hospital bag checklist in Singapore.
Your little bundle of joy will need their own space and you can make sure that his first days in this world are comfortable. Make sure you cover as much ground as possible with the following:
- Newborn clothing (one set for going home as hospitals will provide clothing only during the stay. Please pre-wash them beforehand)
- One receiving blanket (for going home)
- Extra diapers (hospitals will provide one pack of diapers, but you can bring yours if you like, such as the all-round breathable Merries Diapers)
- One set of anti-scratch mittens (for going home)
- Baby wipes or cotton balls to clean your baby.
- Baby towel: Give it to the nurses as soon as you move into your maternity home so that it can be used right after the first bath.
- Toiletries: Try to avoid synthetic soap for the baby’s first wash. Look for organic baby soap or avoid it completely.
- Cans or bottles of infant formula if you intend to bottle-feed so your baby can start with the brand you prefer as soon as possible.
- Good-luck charm: Take the good luck charm that you would wish for your baby. It may be a religious charm or anything you consider lucky – maybe, a picture of your mum when she was expecting you!
Tip: Check beforehand with the hospital on what they provide and what needs to be carried so you can pack light.
For Siblings
Image Source: Pexels
For the siblings, it can be a mixed feeling to have a new addition to the family. Apart from handling their mood swings and at times tantrums, here’s what you need to carry to make sure they feel involved in the complete process and are looked after at the same time.
If siblings are going to be present before or after the baby arrives, here are some helpful things to have available for them in your hospital bag checklist for when in Singapore:
- Favourite books, toys, drawing paper, crayons or markers to keep them entertained
- Snacks
- Change of clothes (you never know when you would need them)
- Tablet/iPad (to keep them occupied during the long labour hours)
Tip: Put older siblings in charge of taking photos of their newborn little sister or brother so they will feel involved in the birth too.
Essentials To Carry During Labour Post Pandemic
As much as we’d like, the reality of today’s medical state is a lot different in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As parents to newborns, you and your partner will have to be extra cautious about your visit to the hospital. So, maintaining that extra level of caution, make sure to include these in your hospital bag checklist in Singapore.
- Sanitiser – Liquid and spray (your hospital will provide one, but keep a portable bottle handy)
- Hand gloves
- Face mask and face shield (your hospital will provide this too, but carry a few of your own)
- COVID-19 Negative test report (some hospitals may ask your partner to get a COVID-19 test done if he intends to stay at the hospital)
- Travel pillow (to make those long waiting hours on the chair slightly more comfortable)
- Your own water bottle (avoid contamination and single-use plastic bottles)
Now you’re ready to have a safe delivery. Remember, every pregnant woman’s needs are different get advice from your gynae on what to pack for your hospital bag checklist in Singapore too!
Did we miss out on anything? Let your fellow mums know what they are in the comments section too!
Updates from Camille Eusebio