After being a week late with our first, I haven’t even started packing my hospital bag yet. Ooooops. I guess I don’t want to get my hopes up! To be fair, I do know exactly what I need in there and have most of it lying around my house. My goal is to get everything packed by this weekend and since I’m in the process of checking off my list, I figured I’d share what I plan on bringing in case you need this type of advice in the near or far future.
Even though I try not to remember the laboring process (honestly, it really wasn’t that bad – the thought of it is worse than the actual process), the things I brought with me in my hospital bag for round one (haha!) made my experience a little more relaxing and helped me feel a bit more at home. The below is humorous and practical – I hope it’s helpful and something you won’t be too embarrassed to pin!
Hospital Bag Essentials
- The comfiest of clothes. Let’s be real, I plan on being sore and uncomfortable the first couple of days and I know for a fact having uncomfortable clothing will make or break me while I’m in the hospital. This time around I plan on bringing light-weight (hormones make you hot), loose, breast feeding friendly pajamas (stuff that has buttons or can be pulled down easily) to lounge in during my stay – gosh, I make it sound like a hotel or something. I’m also bringing a couple of maxi dresses and flip flop sandals. And one last thing, I plan on bringing a couple pairs of women’s boxer briefs because you can never have enough XL undies after giving birth. Just saying.
- Items that revolve around the boobies. I’m talking nipple cream, nipple gel pads, nursing bras and tanks, nursing pads, my breast pump and the boppy pillow. You can never be too prepared for breast feeding and even when you are prepared, it can still end up being difficult. Breast feeding was a breeze with our daughter, so I’m preparing myself for the worst with our second.
- Toiletries and lots of ’em. Because I’ll smell and will want to take a shower. I’m bringing a toothbrush, toothpaste, hair ties, headbands. shampoo, conditioner, soap, face wash, moisturizer, chapstick (hospitals get pretty dry) and deodorant. On top of that, I’ll also bring a hairdryer and brush because I won’t get a chance to do my hair again for the next six months.
- Music and lavender to put me in my happy place. We brought a Bluetooth speaker and our phones to play music during the whole ‘bringing life to this earth’ process last time and I absolutely loved it. It helped keep my mind at ease and was nice background noise. This time, I also plan on bringing my DoTerra diffuser and lavender oil to set the mood before I want to rip my hair out.
- Other Electronics. I’d recommend bringing your very best camera (whether it’s your iPhone or one of those fancy Canons), chargers and anything else you can’t live without for a day or two.
- Stuff for the newborn and husband, because I guess they matter too. I plan on having my husband pack his own toiletries and clothes. As for the babe, I’ll bring an outfit for him to come home in and some basic white onesies. On top of that, I plan on bringing a couple of swaddles/blankets, a natural/organic pacifier we bought him and a gift to him from our daughter.
There you have it, that’s my list. I hope it doesn’t seem too complicated. It’s just nice to have it all written out because it’s so easy to forget when you’re packing, especially with pregnancy brain. I will note, I do not know what women expecting to have a c-section tend to bring, so please ask someone you know if there’s anything you may need if you have one scheduled.
Before I go, there is one thing I should mention – take all the goodies you can get your hands on when you’re at the hospital! I mean, you are paying for them. That mesh underwear and the large pads they give you… take them all and ask for more because they will definitely come in handy when you get home. I’m hurting just thinking about it.
Good luck, mamas!
Marina Makes 