What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag (my list on hindsight)

This post is long overdue, as many (fellow expecting) readers have asked me what I packed in my hospital bag for delivery. However, I wanted to wait till I was discharged so I could look back and see what I ended up using, and the ones I didn't, as well as if there was anything I didn't bring which I wished I had.

I would also recommend wearing a loose-fitting dress with slippers to the hospital and simply re-wearing back that same outfit when you're discharged. The slippers will come in handy when you're walking around the ward / entertaining visitors / going to the toilet.

Here's the comprehensive list of what you need to pack in your hospital bag:

Important Documents

• Admission letter from your gynae
• Prenatal receipts (totalling at least $900, for your MediSave claims)
• NRIC
• Credit card (look out for my upcoming post on the best credit cards to use for hospital bills!)
• Your marriage certificate (if you're registering your baby's birth cert at the hospital)

Clothes and Personal Toiletries

• A cardigan (especially if you get cold easily)
• A pair of socks
• Disposable underwear 
• Personal toiletries : facial wash, body foam, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc
• Basic cosmetics (for when guests visit - I packed only eyebrow pencil and lipstick)
• A pack of wet wipes to clean your body
• Dry shampoo (get the spray types from A'Kin or Batiste)
• A pack of maternity pads (I recommend Sofy Cooling series)
• Cooling perineal spray (Earthmama is the most popular, but it didn't work for me)
• Mobile charger

Breastfeeding essentials

• Breast pump (note that if you're delivering at Mount Alvernia hospital, they do not allow you to use your own breast pump and you'll have to rent from them at $50 per usage)
• Breast pads
• A stretchy nursing bra (wireless)
• 2 x sterile, disposable syringes (to collect your colostrum)
• Breast shells (for sore and/or bleeding nipples)
• Nipple shield (to latch your baby with even while you nurse sore nipples)
• Nipple cream

Other optional breastfeeding items to bring would be lactation cookies and/or nursing tea. I had cookies from Singapore Lactation Bakes (SLB) with me to kickstart my milk supply.

For your baby

• A romper, or any going-home outfit
• Swaddle blanket
• Mittens and socks

For your husband

• Mobile charger
• Some snacks and drinks, or cup noodles
• 2 - 3 sets of clothes and underwear
• Personal toiletries

Luckily for me, I delivered at Thomson Medical Centre (TMC), where they provided a lot of the above necessities and hence on hindsight, I didn't actually end up using a lot of what I had prepared. 

Without further ado, here's my minimalist hospital bag packing list (for mummies delivering in TMC):

Important Documents

• Admission letter from your gynae
• Prenatal receipts (totalling at least $900, for your MediSave claims)
• NRIC
• Credit card (look out for my upcoming post on the best credit cards to use for hospital bills!)
• Your marriage certificate (if you're registering your baby's birth cert at the hospital)

Clothes and Personal Toiletries

• A cardigan (especially if you get cold easily)
• A pair of socks
• Disposable underwear 
• Personal toiletries : facial wash, body foam, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc
• Basic cosmetics (for when guests visit - I packed only eyebrow pencil and lipstick)
• A pack of wet wipes to clean your body
• Dry shampoo (get the spray types from A'Kin or Batiste)
• A pack of maternity pads 
• Cooling perineal spray (eg. Earthmama)
• Mobile charger

Breastfeeding essentials

• Breast pump (optional. If you're a first-time mom and want the lactation consultants at TMC to teach you how to use your breast pump, then bring it along (no extra charge for the teaching!). Otherwise, TMC provides a manual breast pump complimentary for all of their patients)
• Breast pads
• A stretchy nursing bra (wireless)
• 2 x sterile, disposable syringes (to collect your colostrum)
• Breast shells (for sore and/or bleeding nipples)
• Nipple shield (to latch your baby with even while you nurse sore nipples)
• Nipple cream

For your baby

• A romper, or any going-home outfit
• Swaddle blanket
• Mittens and socks

For your husband

• Mobile charger
• Some snacks and drinks, or cup noodles
• 2 - 3 sets of clothes and underwear
• Personal toiletries

TMC provided me with all the items I've struck out in the list above (in the Breastfeeding Essentials bag they give to all patients), so we really only needed to pack our documents, charger and cosmetics. We were also given various items for our baby to bring home with us:

• Baby bag (a stylish grey one that I've been using as a diaper bag)
• Baby bathtub 
• Baby vest
• Baby swaddle blanket
• A pack of disposable newborn diapers
• Wet wipes 
• Diaper cream
• Cord spirit
• Bathing toiletries

However, I've since found out that they've discontinued their Breastfeeding Essentials bag for mummies as of November 2018 (so I was one of the last batches to receive it, apparently). They've in fact, UPGRADED from 20 items to 40 items now so it has gotten even better! 

P.S. This is NOT a sponsored post and neither did TMC pay me to promote their Mum & Baby Essentials bag mentioned above. I wrote this of my own accord as I've been receiving questions on what I packed in my hospital bag. I was a satisfied customer at Thomson Medical when I delivered my firstborn there in Nov 2018 and am sharing based on my own experience with my hospital bag and their gifts, which I felt was fantastic customer service with a lot of thought put into it.

With love,

Budget Babe