What's in my hospital bag?
I am officially 38 weeks and our hospital bags are finally packed. I've actually had everything pulled out and together since about 34 weeks because well, I'm a planner and being prepared puts me at ease. So if having your hospital bag packed early gives you a little peace of mind, then girl you pack those hospital bags.
A couple things I want to call out, I am an over packer - I even think I've mentioned this in posts before. And as hard as I tried, I probably over packed for the hospital. Another thing, since there are still visitor restrictions in the hospital, I can't have my parents bring us something we forgot and Duke can't run home and grab something for us so it was even more crucial that I pack everything we might need. Finally, there are probably things on my list that you don't feel is a necessity for you and that's totally okay! I also might not be bringing something that you feel you will really need and that's fine too. My whole philosophy around my hospital bag is packing the necessities and packing what will make me feel as comfortable as possible while I bring a baby into the world. Everyone is different.
Also, I originally was going to pack a separate bag for me, a separate bag for Duke and a separate bag for baby but Covid-19 has changed my plans. We decided to combine my stuff with Duke's and take our large rolling suitcase. Although it's a really big suitcase, we think it will be a lot easier when we're getting admitted/changing rooms. Not only can Duke carry all of our stuff by himself in one trip, but we also have a lot of space in our suitcase to bring home the things the hospital gives us (diapers, postpartum supplies, etc.). In total we have three bags: our suitcase, baby's bag which has a trolley sleeve so it can sit on the suitcase and our snack bag which Duke can wear on his back.
I hope you find this list helpful! I have linked as many items as possible below and I tried to explain any items that might need some sort of explanation but if you have any questions feel free to reach out! Also to my experienced mamas, if there's something I haven't packed that was critical to you please let me know! I love hearing about other people's experiences and suggestions.
All my love,
Annemarie
For me:
-Cozy socks with non-skid bottoms
-Pajama short set: Button-down top will be easy to breastfeed
-Button-down nightgown: I know a lot of people bring a robe for the hospital but I am not a big robe person so I'll be wearing this nightgown for pictures
-Tank tops: just a couple normal cotton tanks from Target
-1 set of nursing pads: I'm not sure if my milk will come in while we're at the hospital but I wanted to bring 1 set of nursing pads just in case
-Makeup: yes I will be doing a little bit of makeup in the hospital because even though we can't have a photographer, we will be getting some pictures with baby girl once she's here. I know this is not something everyone will want to pack but I think putting on a little bit of makeup will make me feel like a brand new person after labor. To each their own.
-Makeup remover wipes
-Loofah: I take a loofah any time I go anywhere overnight - I hate washcloths so I'll use it at the hospital and just toss it when we leave
-Toiletries: face wash, body wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair ties, chap stick
-Hairbrush and dry shampoo: I won't be washing my hair at the hospital so dry shampoo is a must
-Hair tools (straightener and/or curling wand)
-Shower shoes: cheap pair of flip flops from Target that I'll toss when we leave
-Depends: in case I prefer these over what the hospital provides
-Frida Mom Washer: after researching, I saw a lot of moms preferred this over the bottle the hospital provides
-Amazon maxi dress: comfiest dress ever that I plan to wear home from the hospital since it's loose and flowy
-White slip on sandals: I'll wear these shoes to the hospital and wear them home since they're so easy to throw on and go
For baby:
-Name onesie: I made her three different name onesies since we aren't set on a name yet. This is how we're going to announce her name when she arrives :) I made ours but I linked a similar one from Etsy
-A couple onesies: I am packing her both NB and 3 month onesies. I actually didn't fit in newborn clothing when I was born because I was so big so I want to be prepared
-Pair of socks: not sure if these are needed but just in case
-Pacifier and pacifier clip
-Small pack of wipes: I know the hospital provides wipes but I've heard that some hospitals give the wipes you have to get wet first in order to use so I'm bringing a small pack just in case
-Portable sound machine: bringing this just in case we feel like we need it. Hospitals are noisy so sometimes some white noise helps me sleep. Plus coming out a noisy womb is a big adjustment for babies so we can have it on for her too once she's here.
-A few headband bows (of course!)
-Copper Pearl multi use cover: I am bringing this to put over her carseat when we leave the hospital. That way she is shaded when we walk out into the July heat.
For Duke:
-Lounge shorts
-A couple t-shirts
-Sweatshirt: in case the room is chilly
-Pair of nicer shorts: for pics
-Polo v-neck t-shirt: for pics
-Socks
-Underwear
-Shoes
-Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste
-Nintendo Switch: I know labor can sometimes be a lengthy process especially for first time moms so we're bringing his Nintendo Switch if labor is slow in the beginning. Don't worry he won't be playing this when things start to pick up
Miscellaneous:
-Nightlight: I've seen a lot of moms talk about how much they loved having a nightlight in their bag. Instead of turning on the bright overhead lights in the middle of the night to feed, I'll use this nightlight. I also plan to use it in our bedroom when we get home.
-Snacks: mainly for Duke since he can't leave the room
-Lollipops: I'm not sure if I'll be able to eat but I wanted something with some flavor but didn't want a hard candy that I might choke on. I heard lollipops are a good thing to have during labor.
-Tripod: since we aren't able to have a photographer, I'm going to bring my tripod to set up and get some family pics with
-Mini fan: Knowing me I'll get really hot during labor and I told Duke he is on fan duty if I do. This little fan packs a lot of punch and comes with a charging cord to easily charge it if needed.
-Trash bags: with Covid-19 going on, we plan to just throwing all dirty clothes into a trash bag when we're leaving. That way when we get home we don't have to go through everything we can just dump dirty clothes into the wash.
-Pillows and blankets: for both Duke and myself
-Amazon Firestick: this was recommended to me by a couple people because you can hook it up to your hospital TV. I'm not sure if we'll actually use it but we had an extra and it's small and easy to throw in the bag
-Mini speaker: I might want some music playing softly in the room since music is usually a good distraction for me so I'm bringing my mini speaker just in case
-Wireless headphones: so I can be hands free while on the phone with friends and family after she's here
-Stress relief lotion: I've heard that scents that help you relax can be helpful during labor so I threw this lotion into my small essentials bag
-Two-pocket folder: I have to call several numbers for work from the hospital once baby arrives to finalize things like my short-term disability and FMLA. I also have to provide the hospital with our pediatrician information and bring a blank check for her birth certificate. I decided sticking all this info in a folder will keep me organized and allow me to have everything in one place.
Nurse Goodie Bags
Originally I was going to do a couple big baskets of goodies to have set out for our nurses to just come by and pick something out, however my doctor said with Covid stuff going on individual goodie bags were better for the time being. After thinking about it, these are also easier to pack/bring into the hospital when we arrive. I tried to do a combination of items and include things that they can use at the hospital and things to relax at home. Here is what we put in ours:
I used cellophane bags to wrap them and secured them with these thank you tags.
Other links: