Hospital Bag - What to Pack

The time has come for me to start getting things prepared for my hospital stay with Baby # 2 (even though the date is already scheduled, he could still decide to come early). We had our bags packed about 3 weeks before Beckett's due date, with a note on top of things we needed to pack at the last minute (make up, hair stuff) and though I'm still about 5 weeks out from my due date, I know it's time to start getting things ready. I'd rather have everything sitting by the door for a few weeks than to have nothing ready to go and be in a panic.

When I was pregnant with Beckett, one of my sweet new momma friends (Hiiii, Kayla!) went to Target with me and helped me pick out what I needed to pack for my hospital stay. I was SO thankful that she was willing to help me because I had no clue what to pack! Of course I had searched the internet and read a million posts about what to pack but having a friend who had just had a baby a few months prior at the hospital I would be delivering at who was willing to go with me shopping was such a huge relief. I made a list of what I packed and edited it after my stay to ensure it included only what I actually used/needed and have given it to several friends who've had babies after me. Some things may not apply if you don't have a c-section or some reason to cause you to stay more days than normal but I say, better safe than sorry. I didn't want to have to ask anyone to bring us anything I had forgotten.

Below is my list of what I packed in my hospital bag the first time. If I've forgotten anything, PLEASE let me know! It's been over 2 years since I've done this and though I think this is a pretty good list, I know other moms may have thought of something I didn't the first time around.

• Must Haves for Mom
  
  
  
  • Toiletries
    
    
    
    • toothbrush and toothpaste
    
    
    • hair ties/bobby pins and brush
    
    
    • sponge, soap, shampoo, and conditioner (that first shower is AMAZING!)
    
    
    • make up (I need make up to feel good + we'll have a photographer doing a hospital session for us)
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • non-skid socks or house shoes (and flip flops to wear in the shower)
  
  
  • nursing bra(s) (1 is safe, 2 can’t hurt) This is a total personal preference. I wore these under my gowns for a little extra coverage and support. If you bring nursing tanks, the nursing bras probably aren't needed.
  
  
  • night gowns (2-3 options, just in case w/ buttons or easy to pull down for nursing)) I searched the clearance rack in the PJs at Target and found a couple the first time. I'm hoping to have the same luck this time. I didn't want any part of wearing pajama pants with my incision.
  
  
  • Robe – An easy way to keep covered up if you have visitors.
  
  
  • comfortable outfit to go home in (I wore a lose cotton dress that I'd been wearing while pregnant though some people like the comfort and support of leggings or yoga pants. I again didn't want anything touching my incision.)
  
  
  • nursing pads for your bra (may not need these but it’s better to have them than not)
  
  
  • nursing pillow (not a necessity but worth noting and it helped my weak arms while trying to get in the hang of nursing)
  
  
  • phone and camera chargers
  
  
  • nursing cover or a receiving or swaddling blanket for covering up while nursing (I used these for everything! I didn't get an actual nursing cover because these were so lightweight that it didn't bother me to use them to cover up.)
  
  
  • nipple cream if you plan to nurse (if you don’t have it, just ask for it at the hospital)
  
  
  •  big bottle of sanitizer (even though the hospital has some)
  
  
  • snacks
  
  
  • blanket and/or pillow for you and Dad (comforts from home are nice)
  
  
  
  


• Diaper Bag
  
  
  
  • 3-4 outfits/onesies - You cannot have too many! Seriously! Blowouts can even happen in the hospital and you don't want to run out of onesies for baby.
  
  
  • Hospital pictures/coming home outfit
  
  
  • socks
  
  
  • mittens or onesies with the mittens built in
  
  
  • blanket/swaddle blanket (they can use this as a background for pictures so make sure it coordinates with outfit too)
  
  
  • bibs (not necessary but I was glad to have them while we were both learning the nursing ropes)
  
  
  
  


• Things I didn't use
  
  
  
  • burp cloths
  
  
  • pump (if you end up needing one for some reason, the hospital should have one to loan you)
  
  
  • diapers/wipes (hospital will provide and you take the rest home so don’t forget to grab anything from the cart before you leave!!)
  
  
  • underwear (the hopital will provide mesh ones that are better than anything you can bring from home)
  
  
  
  

Other things to have at home
- loose, comfy underwear you don't mind to toss if they get ruined
- long pads (be sure to take the ones you didn't use at the hospital too!)
- Nursing tanks/the most comfy things you can find!
- Nursing pads for your bra. I used the disposable ones and liked those as opposed to having to wash the reusable kind.

A couple of things to note:

1. I know some people are fine with wearing a hospital gown the entire time but I much prefer to have my own clothes and something new each day. It's just what made me feel best.


2. Also, I packed the things for B in his diaper bag to keep them separate from mine. It was, of course, another bag to carry in but I think I'd still prefer a separate bag for baby things.


3. We didn't pack a bag for Joey because we hadn't planned on being in the hospital more than 1 night. We packed clothes for him to sleep in and maybe another outfit for the next day but he actually ended up going home to shower and change and bring what he'd need for that night and the next day.


4. We aren't 100% sure what our plan is for Beckett while I'm in the hospital but we know he won't be spending a great deal of time there with us. He'll come meet his brother the day he's born and be there for pictures and probably come back the second day for a visit as well. All this to say, we aren't packing a bag for him because he won't be staying at the hospital with us long enough to warrant needing it.


5. My feet were still so swollen the day we left the hospital that my sandals wouldn't go on. I ended up wearing my house shoes home so I was definitely glad I had brought a pair with me.