10 Items To Pack In Your Hospital Bag

Pregnant women, understandably, have many questions. Some can be solved by reading medical journals, asking your doctor, or talking with your partner. But some, like which items to pack in your hospital bag, are best answered by other mothers who have been there.

This list will differ slightly for everyone but it is a good base to start from. I hope it will help and inspire you to bring things that will actually be useful to you, rather than a BS bag of stuff some lady on the internet told you to pack. (But trust this lady on the internet. I have had three kids. And I have forgotten something every time.)

10. Clothes For Yourself

It can be really hard to think about yourself when you are caught up in the excitement of meeting your baby. But you may not remember to wear something to the hospital that you want to be leaving in.

Bring:

-Comfy pants (sweats, yoga pants– something that you can EASILY PULL UP AND DOWN)

-A big t-shirt

-Sweatshirt (it can get chilly in the hospital)

-Socks

-Comfy shoes (Uggs were my shoe of choice. Easy on. Easy off.)

9. Clothes For Baby

You probably already have the perfect coming home outfit already picked out– now you just have to remember to pack it. The hospital sends you home with almost everything you need– but no clothes.

You may be surprised to find that your newborn baby is way too small for newborn clothes, so try to pick an outfit that will work if its a little baggy or too long in places.

8. Makeup

I’m not telling you this because I think you have to look pretty after pushing a watermelon out of that tiny little hole. BUT. There are a lot of pictures. All I wished that I had brought was simple stuff– some chapstick.  I wished I had packed a little something to make myself feel better.

I came out of labor puffy, red, with a bunch of popped blood vessels all over my face. I would toss your whole makeup bag in and give yourself some options.

If you don’t use it, no harm, no foul.

7. Extra Large Pads

Yeah. You’re gonna need these. Blood gushes out of your hoo ha for days after birth and the hospital will provide you with very few pads. You need to change them regularly to keep the area clean but also because the pads will fill up quicker than you can imagine.

6. Big-Ass Grandma Undies

The hospital generally sends you home with a pair of mesh underwear that look like they have been taken off the set of “The Mummy”.

Give yourself a small comfort by bringing a big-ass pair of grandma undies that you don’t care about ruining. Pick something soft, that are either dark-colored or have a pattern.

5. Nursing Pads

Some women’s milk doesn’t come in until a couple of days after birth, so you may not need nursing pads right away. But they don’t take up much room and if your milk starts pouring out in the hospital, you’re going to be glad that you have some on hand.

4. Nursing Bra

Pick yourself up a nursing bra and put it in your hospital bag ASAP. These things are a LIFESAVER. They support your aching boobies and are easy to unlatch.

I don’t think I put a bra on until I actually left the hospital, but it was nice to have something that was comfortable and left my food jugs easily accessible.

3. Lip Balm

This may go along with #8 but it is almost more important. Your lips can get super chapped during labor and you need anything and everything that will bring your body even a small amount of comfort.

Don’t think you’ll want makeup? Cool. BUT FOR GOD’S SAKE PLEASE PACK SOME CHAPSTICK.

2. Hair-ties and Bobby Pins

Your hair starts to do all sorts of crazy stuff when you’ve been in labor 36 hours. It can stand straight up on end, puff up like a hamster, or maybe glued to your forehead and sealed with sweat.

It is nice to have your own stuff to get that nasty hair out of your face when you’ve finished bringing a baby into the world.

1. Snacks

This is my best piece of advice– bring enough snacks to feed you AND your partner. Often times the hospital will provide the new mother will a meal but not her partner. If your spouse was up all night with you, the last thing that they want to do is go run out and grab some food.

All of you are going to be exhausted.

Pack foods that don’t need to be refrigerated and chock-full of protein. Some good ideas are

-Beef Jerky

-Potato Chips

-Nuts

-Granola bars/Protein bars

-Pretzels

 

Does anyone have any other must-have items that they couldn’t have lived without? Let me know!