How to Pack your Hospital Bag Effectively
When it comes to the end of your pregnancy, so many things are on your mind. Do I need to take a birthing class? Did I get enough newborn clothes? Is the nursery ready for the baby? I'm here to help take the guesswork out of what to pack for the hospital. As a new mom, I learned a lot during my hospital stay. The first thing I learned, less is more, the hospital has everything you need! Now let's break it down to mom, dad, and baby.
For MOM:
Robe or Button Down Pajama Dress
I brought a button-down pajama dress and it was a lifesaver. I was able to easily nurse, do skin-to-skin with my daughter, and walk around without anything clinging to me. I remember going to a class in the hospital the morning after I gave birth and I was so grateful to have the button-down pajama dress to wear to it rather than just the hospital gown. It also was more comfortable than having pants on after having a vaginal birth and made it easy to wear large pads and easy to handle postpartum recovery.
Breastfeeding Pillow
This isn't a must as the hospital will give you as many pillows as you need I didn't bring mine to the hospital when I had my daughter, but I wish I had. I had a hard time getting comfortable with the hospital pillows. Don't stress if you don't have room, but if you do it would be nice to have! My favorite breastfeeding pillow is the My Breast Friend Nursingpillow because it gives the option of different firmness levels, which is extremely helpful as your preference and needs will change as your baby grows.
Portable Chargers
The outlets were so hard for us to access, the only way both my husband and I charged our phones while in the hospital was with portable chargers. While not a necessity, very convenient to have!! This one is great and at a great price!!
Comfy Outfit to Wear Home
Whether you're giving birth vaginally or via cesarian, you'll need a comfortable outfit to wear home that fits you at about 6 months pregnant. I opted for a very soft and flowy black jumpsuit. It was loose, I could easily wear my big pad and underwear under it, and it was also loose on my midsection. This is a good affordable option for a black jumpsuit from Amazon. I've seen a lot of people opt for maxi dresses, however, I preferred the jumpsuit because it is cuffed at the ankles so it wasn't a tripping hazard and was easy to move around in. Another great option is a loose-fitting two-piece set, I love this one!
Nursing Bra
You only need one nursing bra, you can get them on Amazon for inexpensive. My favorite is the Kindred Bravelynursing bras, worth every penny in my opinion, SO comfortable and supportive. There are also soft nursing bras for sleep, these would be a great option to bring to the hospital as they are soft and comfortable for sleep as well as flexible for changing breast sizes.
Toiletries
Do NOT overpack on these, the hospital has everything. I brought WAY too much, all you truly need is a toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant. If you plan on showering you can bring your shampoo and conditioner and body wash. I also brought contacts because that's what I wear every day along with my glasses as I was sleeping for such short intervals which meant either sleeping in contacts/ taking them in and out constantly, or wearing glasses.
Chapstick
Your lips will get so dry, I brought Aquaphor and it made all the difference for me during my hospital stay, I would've been so uncomfortable without it.
Hair ties
You will definitely want your hair out of your face, and make sure you bring back up in case!
Post Partum Recovery items (vaginal birth)
Dermoplast - this stuff is incredible, it really numbs you down there
Peri Rinse Bottle - keeps things clean, I LOVED the Frida mom one, much better than the ones they give you at the hospital and is absolutely worth purchasing and bringing to the hospital
Tucks - helpful for vaginal recovery and hemorrhoid
Ice Pads - I went through SO many of these, they just give such relief and help numb the area as well, you can get generic ones on Amazon, or Frida mom makes them, I also saw that Lansinoh makes a hot and cold one
Maxi Pads - you will bleed following a vaginal birth and you will need maxi pads initially, I opted for Always maxi pads flex fit, they were comfortable and not too bulky
Nipple Balm
Necessary if you're breastfeeding, it helps your nipples to heal more quickly. The motherlove one is my absolute favorite.
Full Butt Underwear
You'll need these to use maxi pads and ice pads. I preferred the high-wasted ones they helped make me feel held in place.
Makeup
I honestly never used the makeup that I brought but never had any visitors due to COVID, it's optional!
iPad / Laptop
Not a must, but nice to have for entertainment
For DAD:
Snacks
Your partner should prepare for a potentially long day or night and will get hungry and thirsty, make sure to pack lots of snacks and a variety because he may not get a chance to leave to get food and could be stuck in your hospital room for several hours. Also, be sure to bring any drinks he prefers as well as a refillable water bottle.
iPad/ laptop for entertainment
There might be a lot of time spent sitting around and waiting for dad and having entertainment helps pass that time, of course not a must but it is nice to have
Comfortable change of clothes
Whether or not your partner stays the entire duration that you stay in the hospital, they will want a change of clothes, something comfortable that they can sleep in
Pillow and blanket
This is not necessary but will make your partner so much more comfortable. We brought a pillow for him and it was a game-changer and we wished we had our blanket. The hospital blankets are thin and not very comfortable.
For BABY:
Baby Blanket
The hospital has blankets that they will swaddle baby in, but we brought a soft cozy blanket to lay over her on the ride home (I sat in the back and watched her during this time) or during skin-to-skin. The one we purchased was a Barefoot Dreams blanket, and it was worth every penny, it's still her favorite blanket.
Take home outfit in preemie and one in newborn
Two things I want to point out here, first you don't need more clothes than this for baby, I brought multiple different tops and pants and a few pairs of pajamas and my daughter didn't wear any of them, she was in a diaper and swaddles in the hospital blankets the entire stay. However, I only brought her size newborn clothes, this was a mistake, she was so tiny that she was swimming in the newborn clothes. When we got home, my mom had to run out to Carters to buy her some preemie pajamas and clothing. This wasn't a huge deal at the hospital, but it would've been nice to have a pair of pajamas that she safely fit into for the ride home.
Installed Car Seat
Make sure that your car seat base is installed, that you know how the car seat latches to the base and how to put the baby in the car seat. I made the mistake of putting the shoulder pads by her chest and the chest buckle across her stomach on the way home. I quickly learned that the buckle is meant to go much higher up closer to the baby's armpits, just be sure you've practiced! THIS is the BEST car seat of all time, my 16-month-old baby girl still fits into this car seat, it WILL change your life with its convenience and ease of use. I recommend this car seat to EVERY parent and soon-to-be parent I meet.
Socks
Make sure you have newborn-sized socks for your baby to wear home or in the hospital, these will not be provided and your baby's little feet will get cold easily.
As I mentioned earlier, the hospital has everything you need, so don't panic if you forget something. Another piece of advice would be to ensure that you have your bag packed up and ready to go around the 36-week mark. It's much better to be prepared than to be scrambling while in labor. No matter what you do bring, or don't bring, it will all be amazing when you finally hold your sweet baby in your arms. Soak up every single moment, it will change your life!
XOXO,
The Mom Detective