Hospital Bag

Amber&Reva

What do you need in your hospital bag?  What did you pack and never end up using?  R is convinced we need to bring onsies for while baby is at the hospital but I am pretty sure they will provide swaddles and a weird shirt thing and all we need is a coming home outfit.  Also did anyone bring there pump to the hospital?  Is there anything that you wish you had packed in hindsight?

JGY

I brought approximately 37 outfits for G.  We actually did use 1 or 2 of them, but didn't need to.  I wanted them for photos.  Anything medical, they can provide (lotions, creams, nipple shields, etc), including a pump and accessories - though you might want to call to double check just in case.  

Things that you'll probably want?  A hairbrush/toothbrush for yourself - they can provide those things, but they'll be cheap.  You also might want your own shampoo/conditioner/body wash.  Same reasoning.  If you plan to breastfeed, bring nursing tanks and a robe.  I also brought my Boppy, and was SOOO glad that I did (you can leave it in the car until you move into your PP room).  

Bring any prescription medication that you take (regardless of what they say to do).  Don't forget phone/tablet/computer and chargers. Anything that you think might provide comfort during labor (rice sock, massager, aromatherapy items).  

The list is really pretty short for items that you NEED.  The rest is just gravy.

mrs&mrsk

I packed a ton of stuff- a big rolling duffel for L&D, a small rolling suitcase for after, and DW packed a separate backpack for herself. 

They will provide clothes in hosp for the baby, we only packed a going home outfit.  

I am not bringing my pump- originally I was going to, but I read that you can use theirs and I am having some insurance issues so i haven't opened/sterilized mine yet in case i have to return it. 

I will try to remember to update afterwards what was a waste  

here's my list, sorry it's long:

Hospital bag-

Black/grey/brown solid shirts for pix 

Pajamas Leggings sweats Long sleeve tshirts Hoodies underwear (a lot)

Baby blanket Newborn outfit Hat, gloves, jacket

 Cover for infant seat 

Shampoo,cond,soap, razor, face wash Toothbrush toothpaste qtips brush deodorant face cream Hair ties Flip flops (for shower) Slippers Sneakers Socks x2, slipper socks Pads Yoga ball

nightgown/hospital gown

Scents, pix , playlist

My pillow, blanket

nursing bras and tanks

Phone charger

Camera/video camera and chargers and memory cards Kindle & charger 

Notebook &pen for feeding notes

 Boppy and cover Extra bag for stealing

Magazines, candy 

Robe

 Snacks & drinks 

Speaker box & charger 

Documents for insurance, Birth plan, Folder for forms

Towel for shower

Baby book for footprints

Plastic bag for dirty laundry

To call list for after + who can visit- tiers

Body spray

Ear buds Sea bands Pens Honey sticks Bananas Creamy peanut butter Gatorade Water bottle 

Gum

On way out make sure have :

Insurance cards,Id (purse)

Jacket/hat/gloves

Chapstick/lip gloss

snow boots (leave in car)

Chargers etc above

ball.and.chain

Yup, no need for clothes for the baby -- unless you'd rather put her in "real" clothes rather than the weird shirt thingy and swaddle.  I brought stuff to do because I was being induced and knew there would be a lot of time just sitting around.  There was but I couldn't concentrate on anything and ended up alternating between FB/TB on my phone and watching the World Cup on TV (I'm so not into sports but not a lot else was on).

What I wanted/was glad to have: real clothes (though I wore hospital gowns for a while), lip balm and moisturizer, my own shampoo/conditioner/etc.  Snacks!  There was obviously a cafeteria as well as a 24-hour cafe but it was nice to have some stuff in the room because breast feeding makes you HANGRY.  We did have a mini fridge in our room but if not, crackers or other shelf stable stuff would be fine.  If you want to drink something other than water, bring it.  A breastfeeding pillow would have been good.  That's all I can think of for now but I will post more if I think of anything else!

JGY

Many good suggestions above from @mrs&mrsk, I will comment on one thing ... I packed tons of underwear and never used 1 pair.  There is a surprising amount of bleeding and discharge post-partum, and with the size of the pads that they provide (and that I definitely wanted to use) along with general tenderness, those mesh panties that they give out were all I needed.  I even took an extra pack home with me.

Couple of other thoughts:

If you have an iPad, phone, or tablet, you might want to explore some of the apps available to help track feedings and diaper changes and sleep schedules.  You can absolutely write it out by hand, but I enjoyed being able to quickly identify trends by looking at graphs of multiple days' activity side by side.  If you do choose to write it out by hand, most hospitals will actually give you a feeding chart to use.

I did bring my own pillow, and it was worth it for me.  I did not bring my own towel because, honestly, it took up a lot of room and I decided I was willing to use whatever they provided there.  For me, that was a good decision.

I found that the food provided post-partum was totally adequate.  Actually more than I needed.  And there were snacks available too.  But I would absolutely recommend bringing snacks for labor.  Depending on the hospital, care team, and what you have going on with your labor, you might need/want to eat and chances are they will not have anything for you (you likely would need to sneak it in between visits from the nurse).  Quick protein sources are the best.

2MamazInSeattle

Honestly, we had an easy birth and a short stay, so most everything we brought we didn't need. BUT, I wouldn't say by any means we horrendously overpacked either. Lots of thoughts above, but here are a few of mine...

- I was glad to have  a pair of sweat pants + a nursing tank for when I had visitors.
- For the baby, we went with the little white shirt thingy they put them in, but were glad to have a couple hats that were 'us' (J loves her pix in her little Razorback hat!)
- We also were SO glad we brought a nice, neutral but pretty blanket for what ended up being her 6-hour-old hospital photos which we wouldn't trade for anything. The blanket really made the color photos especially.
-To that end, I was also glad to have brought a simple black sundress for photos too. I know some people are like "no way do I want pictures of myself after I've given birth!" but honestly, the next day, with the baby, those are my most cherished photos of the three of us. You can't go back and take them later (is my advice) and I'm glad I'm not in a hospital gown in them!
- It's nice to have a take-home outfit for the baby. Ok and this is DUMB - but - I did not consider the color of our carseat (red) when I selected her outfit (mulberry pink) - clash-o-rama! So our little 'take home' pics lack an aesthetic I'd have liked to have had... if you have an eye for design or this kind of detail, consider this!! And bring a little dress or something to wear home that is comfy.
- Otherwise, the hospital really had everything I needed outside of the obvious (contacts, etc.)

JGY

I knew I'd end up doing this piece by piece ... do you have pets?  If so, you might consider bringing a blanket or onesie to the hospital (not one that you cherish though), and wrapping baby in it for a few hours.  Then have your partner or family member/friend take that fabric home for the pets to smell and get used to before bringing baby home.  

I firmly believe this is one of the things that made the transition home easier for our furry guys.

mrs&mrsk

2MamazInSeattle said:

- It's nice to have a take-home outfit for the baby. Ok and this is DUMB - but - I did not consider the color of our carseat (red) when I selected her outfit (mulberry pink) - clash-o-rama! So our little 'take home' pics lack an aesthetic I'd have liked to have had... if you have an eye for design or this kind of detail, consider this!! And bring a little dress or something to wear home that is comfy.

i remember reading this a few months ago and planning accordingly

Amber&Reva

@JGY yes we have two dogs and two cats so need to plan to bring something home that smells like baby prior to baby coming home.

JGY

I guess I could just add a couple of things each day ... that's how my brain is working these days.

One thing I REALLY wish I had packed, but didn't, was my hands-free pumping bra (or an old sports bra that you don't mind cutting up and ruining).  My kiddo was jaundiced and they wanted me to pump after every feed and then finger feed that to him with the next feeding.  I used the hospital's pump, but had to do one breast at a time and hold the flanges on.  Not so cool at 3am.  Just an FYI.

And, if you plan to pump at all and haven't invested in one of these, do it now!

https://www.amazon.com/Medela-Easy-Expression-Bustier-Black/dp/B00LSOXR3Y/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1423581686&sr=8-7&keywords=hands+free+pumping+bra

Also, I just saw this and I think it's a reasonably new product.  You can bet I'll be getting one for myself, since you can wear it as a sleeping bra and then use it for pumping without having to change (I do worry about it being tight enough to keep the flanges on, but if it doesn't work I still have another nice sleeping/nursing bra)!!!!

https://www.amazon.com/Relaxed-Crossover-Nursing-Hands-Pumping/dp/B00GUPOHZI/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1423581686&sr=8-8&keywords=hands+free+pumping+bra

Twochickshavinachick

baby's bag - nappies and misc. changing assortments, 2 x each of baby grows and vests, 2 x swaddles (which we have never used) blanket and muslins.

My bag - two large, loose shirts and drawstring trousers, light dressing gown (for after - it gets quite hot during labour) toiletries (try 'weekend' miniatures or invest in a couple travel size plastic bottles and filling them up with your faves) large, comfy underwear (several) maternity and breast pads (you'll need more than you think you do) flannel for cooling down, digital radio with extra batteries, magazine (which I never had time for) and snacks.

A's bag - change of clothes, condensed toiletries kit, small change, camera, contact list, documents (she had more focus @ time)

Because mum lives so close to the hospital, we anticipated being able to fetch in anything as we needed it but there was nothing else we really needed. I'd considered hiring a tens machine off and on during the last trimester but never got around to it.  The labour ward loaned us one in the end.  After a long back labour with Santana, we'd definitely make sure we have access to one for #2.