What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag? - UAE Edition

What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag? - UAE Edition

Wondering what to pack in your hospital bag? 

Confused as to what is enough?

To pack a purse? A duffel bag? A suitcase? 

Or all three? 

Hopefully the list below helps! 

-For Mama: 

-Three comfy outfits. Including the ones you’ll be going home in. Preferably light and breezy, ladies. 

-Nursing bra and nursing pads. Needless to say, these need to be supremely comfortable.

-Underwear. Keep a couple of extras. 

 The hospital might provide you with the disposable mesh ones. They’re good for especially after a c-section. Doesn’t cling on the incision site and feels weightless on your skin.

-sanitary pads. 

-Anti-slip shoes. You’ll be walking quite a bit during labor, to move the process along. So be sure to pack in your most comfortable pair. 

-Your make-up bag. Now what it contains will vary from mama to mama. But you get the gist? Your fave lipstick, a compact, and a blush to give you that flushed-and-glowing-new-mama-look. 

Some waterproof mascara too?

-Toiletries’ bag.

Although most of the toiletries will be available for you at the hospital, but it won’t hurt to carry your favorite ones with you. 

-Wet wipes. These come in handy to freshen up in case you don’t have the energy to shower soon. 

-A scarf or some hair ties to pull your hair back during labor. 

-Medicines. Don’t forget your antenatal vitamins and other medicines prescribed by your doctor. You don’t want your partner leaving you alone to make those pharmacy runs. 

-Essential Documents

It is mandatory to bring in your attested marriage certificate when going to give birth in any hospital in the UAE. Other things you must have, include; your insurance card, and passports and Emirates ID of both, the mother and the father. You may require some of these things when you’re going to apply for the baby’s birth certificate too.

-Gadgets and more 

Your phone! (How will we ever survive without them). Don’t forget your charger, and earphones if you want to listen to some music or stream Netflix shows to kill time. 

Your digital or Polaroid camera to capture one of the most precious moments of your life. 

-Snacks for you, your partner and perhaps some visitors too. (We brought along our own electric kettle, believe it or not, with tea bags) Life really is difficult without karak.

-Something for your entertainment. A book, laptop or some playing cards perhaps. 

For Baby: 

-5-6 newborns’ size sleep suits. These are usually very comfortable and good for any season. 

-5-6 newborn vests. 

-2-3 caps, mittens and socks.

-3 Muslin wraps. These also provide protection from the sun, during the car ride back home. 

-Baby blanket 

-Diapers for newborns (Although you won’t need a lot as the hospital will provide as many as the baby will need) 

-A soft baby rattle 

-2 bottles and formula of your choice if you’re planning to formula feed the baby from the start. 

Some items that don’t exactly go in your bag:

-Car seat installed. You need to have an age appropriate and safe car seat for the ride back home from the hospital. It might be a short ride, but it’s still not safe to carry the baby in your arms.

-Have your Zomato/ Uber Eats/ Talabat account ready with the hospital location saved. Just in case, you or your partner are craving something more than hospital food! 

You should have your hospital bag packed and ready to go by the 36th or 37th week of pregnancy. 

Good luck! 🖤 

How to Choose the Right Hospital for Delivery in the UAE?

About to have a baby in the UAE? 

Picking the right hospital is one of the first difficult and overwhelming decisions to make once pregnant. 

I’m here to break it down for you with these 9 factors you need to consider before picking a hospital for your maternity journey. 

1) Your insurance

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This one’s pretty much self explanatory. 

For coverage, you need to check with your insurance provider (check the back of your insurance card for contact details). 

Or if insured by your company, most employers in the UAE would provide a document, listing all the hospitals covered under your insurance. Call and/or email your provider to check details. 

For example; there might be a cap on the number of consultation visits to the doctor, policy relating to a possible c-section, epidural coverage, newborn care, and neonatal intensive care coverage. 

Needless to say, in case of non-coverage from insurer, check your own financial stance. 

2) The Right Doctor  

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Do. your. research. 

Browse hospitals’ websites, and go through different obstetricians/gynecologists’ portfolios. 

Read their reviews on several platforms. 

Maybe even pay a couple of them a visit if you can?  

Don’t be afraid to change your doctor if you’re not comfortable. 

You might not be getting all your questions answered, or the medicines or method of treatment might not be working for you, whatever the reason, you can always change. 

3) Accessibility to the hospital 

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Always better to pick a hospital closer to home. You don’t want to be stuck amidst Dubai - Sharjah traffic when your water’s broken. 

Or driving up and down every month and every week in the last leg of your pregnancy (yes, the visits get quite frequent near the end) 

4) Neonatal care 

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Would you want a hospital with Neonatal care? If so, check if the one you’ve chosen is equipped with it. 

This might just be imperative if you have a complicated pregnancy.

Discuss with your partner. 

5) Hospital atmosphere.

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Simply put, you would be visiting the hospital quite often. You don’t want to be sitting outside the doctor’s office feeling uncomfortable and jittery every now and then. Ask yourself these questions: 

Do you find the staff friendly? Is the waiting area warm and welcoming? 

Most hospitals also offer a tour of their labor ward and their delivery rooms. See if you can get a peek. Do you see yourself writhing in pain in one of them? :) 

6) Hospital’s birthing partner policy

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Most hospitals in the UAE allow one person inside the delivery room or the OT in case of a c-section. Mostly, either your mother or your husband. 

Double check if the hospital of your choice allows that.

7) Hospital nursery

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At the risk of sounding like a selfish mama, you might want to consider leaving your child in the hospital nursery (with, may I add, trained nurses and staff) overnight to get in a good night’s sleep. 

After going through hours and hours of labor (if you’re not one of the lucky ones) and pushing out a baby or going through a c-section is, needless to say, exhausting. 

It might be a challenge for you and your partner to stay up and care for the baby the first night. 

Don’t forget the drugs that might still be in your system.

And not to worry, as the nurses bring in the baby whenever it’s time to breastfeed. (if you choose to) 

8) Lactation clinic

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Breastfeeding, (if you decide to) can be rewarding yet quite a difficult journey, hence requires support from your partner/family and in my experience, from lactation nurses too. It would help you if your hospital has lactation consultants onboard who would visit you and offer assistance if needed after you’ve given birth. If it’s your first time, you will have questions. 

9) Antenatal classes

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These are offered now by most hospitals in the UAE. Inquire if your hospital offers them too, and be sure to attend. 

Of course Google can and will answer all of your questions, but having certified doctors and nurses give you a few guidelines won’t hurt! Plus, these will help you understand your hospital’s birthing procedures, labor drugs offered/advised and after-birth care for mother and baby. 

Well there you have it! Hope this makes it easier to kickstart your pregnancy journey and helps you make the right choice. ♥