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I started packing the hospital bag. I know it might seem early but at this point, I’m just not sure when I’ll go to a doctor’s appointment and be given the news that I should go straight to L&D. Do I think that’ll happen? No. If anything, I’m pretty confident I’ll still be pregnant until the last week of this month and from there, it’s a crapshoot on when I’ll deliver. Still, you can never be too prepared for anything. If I do a vaginal birth, I rather enjoy my time laboring (did I really just say enjoy?) and spend that time with my husband than to worry about getting our hospital bags packed.
I spent a lot of time online trying to figure out what is the best way to pack for the hospital. Some lists were too small and only listed the very basics. Some lists were very long and drawn-out…almost to the point of ridiculous, as if I’ll be in the hospital for all of my days. I wanted something that was a solid middle and found it.
This post is a copy and paste I retrieved from The Bump, from one of their message boards. If you’re currently pregnant or you plan to be in the near future, this might help you. It helped me greatly and saved me a lot of time.
For Mommy:
Towel and 2 washcloths. The hospital ones are small, thin and scratchy.
Robe. It’s a thin cotton one in a dark color, just in case there is any leakage.
Nightgown suitable for nursing
Going home outfit. Cotton pants and a long sleeve as well as short sleeve top.
Nursing sleep bra and wireless nursing bra with the clips
Nursing tank
4 pair extra large throw away undies and jumbo pads
Socks with grips and slippers with grips
Travel size toiletries (shampoo/cond, body wash, lotion, face wash, toothpaste, etc.)
Chapstick
Breast pads and nipple cream
Flip flops for shower
Hair ties and a sports headband to keep hair out of face during labor
Camera and charger
iPod and iPad with chargers
Wooden back massager with lavender massage oil for labor
Hard candies to help with dry mouth since real food is not allowed during labor
Re-usable grocery bag to bring home all those free hospital goodies they give out.
Pre-registration paperwork, consent forms, insurance cards, ID, etc.
For Baby:
Going home outfit (nb and 0-3 in short sleeve and long sleeve options)
Hat
Burp cloth
Socks
Pacifiers
Scratch mittens
Muslin swaddle blanket, and heavier cotton blanket
Boppy
Car seat
(Note: My hospital “bag” is an extra-large suitcase so it was easy for me to fit all of this into it. Well, everything minus the car seat. At first I wanted to have three separate bags – Mommy, Yoda, and Daddy – and the more I thought about it, the more absurd it sounded. Are we really going to carry three bags, plus a newborn in a carseat, not mention all the hospital swag we’ll get (and possibly, hopefully, balloons and flowers)? I know to each their own, but if you can manage to put everything into one bag, go for it.)
For Husband:
2 shirts, 1 pair of pants and 1 pair of shorts
Socks and underwear
Sweatshirt
Toiletries in case he wants a shower as well as shower flip flops
Toothbrush and toothpaste
iPad and cell with chargers
Snacks as well as change for vending machines
(Note: We live relatively close to the hospital (within a ten-minute drive, give or take) so I’m not sure if M really needs to change at the hospital since he can just take the train and be at home to shower within 20 minutes. He’ll probably have an extra set of clothing on him, just in case, and our toiletries will be in the main bag. If you live further away from the hospital, you might want to consider a change of clothing. M is getting his own “hospital bag” (in the form of a backpack) so he can store magazines, his electronic devices, and other items in it without taking up more space in the “main” hospital bag Yoda and I will share.)
