If you're a mom or delivering a babe soon, you've probably discussed this particular topic a few times - what do you pack in your hospital bag?
During my first pregnancy I was writing out my "must haves" for the hospital at like 24 weeks. I wanted to ensure I was prepared and ready to go when AB Grace was ready to make her entrance. Well joke's on me because she ended up delivering by scheduled c-section because she was frank breach and buried herself in my rib cage. Anyway, I read somewhere about a hospital bag list for dad's and when I talked to Josh about it he responded something like "all I need is from fresh boxers and bourbon..." Joke's on him because he was real thankful for the extra towels, blankets and pillows I brought from home.
Fast forward to being pregnant with the twins. We knew they would deliver via another scheduled c-section and that we had plenty of time to pack our bags and be ready for the big birthday. Joke's on us - we didn't pack a damn thing and ended up in triage at 32 weeks and a set of twins born less than 12 hours later via emergency c-section. Josh had to do a trip to the house to pack things alone and then a trip to Target to buy pumping bras and nipple cream (y'all, I love this man).
All in all, it doesn't hurt to pack bags early so whenever your babe or babes are ready for their birthday arrival, you are too! Below I'm sharing our must haves for mama, dad and babe(s). Save this as a favorite or screen shot for later - either way hope this helps! Cheers, friend!
Here are a few things you'll both need or enjoy having in your room, especially if you are there a bit longer than expected (where my c-section mamas at - heyyyy!):
Bluetooth Speaker | We brought one with us the second time around! We played music during the day and turned on white noise when we slept to drown out baby cries in the nearby rooms. Don't forget the charger!
Long Phone Cable | Your phone battery will likely drain faster than normal from all the pics and videos you'll be taking of baby so be sure you have a cable long enough to reach from the wall to the hospital bed! Don't forget to pack the usb plug converter since cords are USB these days.
Toiletries | Pack some travel size items of things you'll need (toothbrush, tooth paste, face wash, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, hair brush, etc). I found this toiletry bag which is cute and makes packing easy!
The hospital provides these items below, but having these items from home brought a bit of extra comfort for me.
- Pillows (put in a pillowcase other than white to ensure your belongings don't get mixed up with hospital linens or left behind)
- Blankets (one for you and one for him)
- Towels (that after birth shower is amazing! wrapping up in a plushy white towel helped make me feel more myself!)
FOR MAMA
Nightgown | I have this in 2 colors! It is so comfortable and is nursing/pumping friendly, and makes skin to skin with baby a breeze!
Slippers | These are a gift from the Lord himself - super comfy! These were great for my slow shuffles to and from the NICU while we were in-house.
Fuzzy Socks | My feet were so swollen and chilly. These kept me comfortable and had grips on the bottom so I didn't slip when I was walking around our room.
Nursing/Pumping Bra | If you plan to pump, this bra makes pumping hands free but also converts for nursing as well. Size up as this tends to be a bit snug!
Coming Home Outfit | These leggings are my fave on the planet - dupe to the aligns. You can get them cheaper from Costco if you have a membership!
FOR HIm
As stated from my husband - some fresh undies and bourbon will be the basics!
Just kidding! Pack something you can be comfortable sleeping in and a fresh change of clothes if you plan on staying overnight with mama and babe.
FOR BABE
The hospital will have the majority of everything you'll need for babe those first few days - diapers, wipes, petroleum jelly, formula, breast pumps, tiny bottles and nipples.
Here are a few things we packed for AB Grace:
Swaddle | I own too many swaddles to count and they are all Lou Lou and Co. These swaddles are buttery soft and stretchy! They come in lots of colors and patterns!
Coming Home Outfit | We had the sweetest little unicorn outfit for AB - it swallowed her! I do love these top and bottom sets that are simple and sweet!
Paci | We are paci parents and packed some of our own.
