There’s enough stuff to worry about when you get pregnant and one stressor that seems to creep up on you is your hospital bag. People are always asking, “is your hospital bag packed and ready to go? You know it can happen at any moment!” For some of us it’s been packed since week 15, while others are frantically grabbing stuff as they are literally in labor! Wherever you fall in these scenarios I want to share what I found useful, what would have been nice to have, and what I didn’t even touch.
*Side note: I’m an over packer-for everything, you should have seen how many suitcases I brought with me when I studied abroad. My over packing has now translated to my adult life where it’s a joke among my family and friends. My hospital bag was no exception :)
In no particular order...
Must Haves for You:
A long phone charger to reach all the way to your bed for phone or iPad (I found mine at TJ MAX).
Stretchy, comfy, looooose pants because you’re healing and you don’t want anything tight, but it’s nice to get out of the hospital gown.
If you plan to breastfeed or even for skin to skin contact I packed a button down pajama top so it was easy access to the chest at any given moment. I didn’t want to spend a fortune incase it got ruined so my faux silk version from Amazon did the trick.
Nursing bra-you might feel like wearing a bra and having easy access is a must!
Reusable bag- not going to lie, you get a lot of free stuff for the baby at the hospital so having an extra bag to throw it into was perfect because my bag was already stuffed :)
Must Haves for Baby:
For baby: A knit, stretchy swaddle blanket. The hospital ones did not work for us, but you know as first time parents we didn’t *know* how to swaddle this 7lbs babe just yet.
Baby going home outfit, any ‘first’ birth announcement props like monogrammed receiving blankets or name disc, bows or hat.
Car seat: we LOVE the Doona. Since it transforms into a stroller we piled our suitcase and stuff on top and wheeled it into the hospital.
Nice to Haves:
Sound machine-there’s so many noises in the hospital it was nice to drown them out. Take your portable stroller one (don’t forget charger) or You can also download the White Noise app.
Toiletries- I did bring my own bath towel, shower shoe flip flops, and shampoo/conditioner for .2 seconds i felt like I was at the spa, but instead i just had A BABY. Taking that shower was one of the first times I took a breath and thought, “wow my body just did THAT! Women are incredible.”
Chapstick-maybe it was my winter delivery, but my lips needed some extra hydration.
Grippy socks-my hospital ended up having them, but I enjoyed having my own PLUSH pair.
High rise underwear-I was not sure if I’d have a c-section or not so wanted super high rise undies just incase. The mesh hospital undies are a good start, but I found that these helped hold in the ice packs/pads etc.
Hard sole slippers like UGGS-was perfect to slip on whenever I got up and give me some stability.
Pillow/blanket from home for mom/dad-I’m not one that loves hotel pillows so this was a must for me. I did put a silk pillow case on it which felt luxurious because the rest of birth is not! I also loved having a blanket since my hospital room was freezing.
Bluetooth speaker-honestly it was nice to have music playing during labor on something other than your phone. It kept my mind busy (if that’s even possible). Maybe you even have a favorite song or two to motivate you during those last few pushes :)
Wish I Had:
If breastfeeding- My Breast Friend nursing pillow or Boppy. I wish I had something to help assist me as I navigated breastfeeding for the first time with this little human. The hospital bed/pillows did not make it easy for me.
Portable humidifier-not sure if it’s practical, but our hospital was SO DRY. We sleep with one every night at home so could tell the difference-we will see if it makes the cut for baby #2.
I also made a nurse basket filled with lots of snacks from goldfish to chips, Oreos, chocolates, mints and gum. The nurses take such good care of you and it was fun having them pop into the room to grab a snack! Bonus: save a couple snacks for yourself to eat to mix up your diet from the wonderful hospital food.
What to pack in your husbands bag…eh he can figure that out :)
What are some of your must have items? Please share in the comments so I can perfect this bag when baby #2 comes!