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April 2021 Moms
theblondebump
member
Hospital Bag
theblondebump
member
I feel like packing the hospital bag is more important than ever right now during the pandemic because, at least at the hospital where I am delivering, once your support person enters the hospital, he or she is not allowed to leave and return. Therefore, you gotta have everything you need when you show up!
I've read the general packing lists on the internet, but I'd love to hear from everyone else what you have included in your hospital bag in the past and/or what you plan on including in your hospital bag this time around. For example, a friend of mine that gave birth this summer recommended a good wireless speaker so she could have a pre-curated playlist of hers playing during her labor. Our hospital recommended extra long phone charger cords because the beds and outlets are kind of far from each other. We also plan on bringing plenty of our own snacks and honestly, I may bring a small letter board for a first photo of baby, but I can be extra like that, haha.
I've read the general packing lists on the internet, but I'd love to hear from everyone else what you have included in your hospital bag in the past and/or what you plan on including in your hospital bag this time around. For example, a friend of mine that gave birth this summer recommended a good wireless speaker so she could have a pre-curated playlist of hers playing during her labor. Our hospital recommended extra long phone charger cords because the beds and outlets are kind of far from each other. We also plan on bringing plenty of our own snacks and honestly, I may bring a small letter board for a first photo of baby, but I can be extra like that, haha.
I'm also interested in any specific brands you would recommend of items like a delivery robe or gown, nursing pj's, and cute first outfits/hats/swaddles for those first pics of baby in the hospital.
Re: Hospital Bag
My essentials:
Snacks - They just don't give you enough to eat, especially if you opt to nurse. And it's gross.
Nipple balm (I love nipple crack)
Anti skid socks
Cheap undies you can toss, although I used the mesh ones for day one and two.
A coming home outfit for you (maternity) and a couple for baby in different sizes
Toiletries - Get special ones to make you feel better.
Your own towels
A pack of Super pads. The hospital will allow you to take some but have extras just in case
Take everything the hospital lets you. You absolutely need your sitz bath and peri bottle. If your sutures are bad, take the ice packs. Ask for extra.
Also any food you've been dying to have the last 40 odd weeks, tell your partner. He can go out and get it for you and bring it back. For me, it was Jimmy John's.
-tablet or laptop or something if you want to watch Netflix or zoom with family
-chapstick
-lotion
-hair ties
-comfortable clothes (stretchy, soft, loose tops)
-nipple cream
-face wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner
-multiple masks
-extra blankets, pillows for DH
-sweats (bring like 1-2 more clothes than you think you’ll need, just in case you end up with a CS and longer stay than anticipated)
-snacks (absolutely planning to sneak some champagne or something this time - I never did previously but will this time)
-book or cards or something to do with DH if you get bored
-slippers (I swelled up a LOT after l&d [for weeks] so I suggest the flip flop kind, but maybe this won’t happen to you)
-a couple outfits for baby but don’t go crazy, most of the time they are just swaddled
or in a diaper doing skin to skin
-I did a letter board for DS but probably won’t do it again, it was a hassle
-I’m bringing some pacifiers, bottles and formula. Some hospitals won’t give you pacifiers and I felt better about having it, just in case. Most will provide supplemental formula or a bottle if you are struggling to nurse but my kids have needed special [progressively more so] hypoallergenic formula, so I’ll be bringing that
-water bottles for you and DH
-baby book (or similar) for footprints/handprints
Small cooler, lots of food and drinks. I eat primarily plant based plus I'm not sure how much I can rely on husband leaving and coming back.
Fan
Toilet paper (yes, they supply, but it's awful)
Empty bag for the stuff they send you home with
Pen
Massage roller
My own pillow is a must
Headbands
I'll bring an exercise ball if the hospital doesn't provide, I do know they have the peanut ball.
A basket of snacks/goodies for the labor/delivery unit and one for the post partum unit
A cute robe, comfy PJs (Stars Above from Target, great for bf), and go home clothes for me, outfit for pictures and going home for baby. Otherwise, I do wear the gown they issue for l/d and keep baby swaddled most of the time.
I do not pack for husband, he's a grown up.
I'm also looking for a cute robe for pictures, and love the idea of bringing booze, haha.
Definites:
- Xtra long phone charger like you mentioned (i just brought an extension cord! Used it the entire time)
- PJ's (i LOVE the Nordstrom brand button down Pj's - so soft! Regardless of brand, some kind that buttons down the front is key for nursing, and also go for DARK colors like navy or black (remember, you'll be bleeding). I actually wore the hospital gown for the birth and would suggest doing that, since there is ALOT of fluids etc. that you can't control during labor and delivery. Save the PJs for the recovery room where you'll spend the rest of your hospital stay - it's likely where you'll get your cute pics, anyway!
- Slippers (they give you socks which were fine for delivery, but in the recovery room it was nice to change into slippers)
- Chapstick! Ideally this should be in your toiletry bag anyway, but make sure to have a good one. My hospital room was so dry and stuffy
- Per the above - your toiletry bag. There likely won't be visitors this time around per covid, but it was nice to freshen up in the recovery room and put on mascara and feel somewhat human (personal preference!)
- Flip flops for the shower (back to the old college days!)
- Comfy going home outfit
- Nursing bra (i never found a brand that i loved; honestly the soft, cupless bras that you can easily pull down were my fave for everyday. But Im going to try the Larken nursing bra that i've been targeted on instagram - looks so comfy!)
- Sounds obvious but - don't forget your insurance card and ID that you will need for check in!
- For Baby: going home outfit (onesie, hat, no scratch mittens, blanket for carseat* and carseat should already be installed in your car (they will ask you / check it before letting you go home). That's honestly all that you need - the hospital will provide diapers, wipes, formula if needed, soap to clean bottles, and even sent us home with a newborn pacifier). I love the Monica & Andy newborn sets - such cute prints that they update frequently! One tip from friends, it's not a bad idea to bring a size NB and size 0-3months if you already know your LO is on the larger percentile - some NB's are born and skip the NB size altogether!)
Nice to haves:
- Eye mask (there are a lot of lights in the delivery room and nurses in and out, so if you are used to total darkness and you like eye masks, i'd bring one to help you sleep)
- Nursing pillow (was helpful to get used to using it - the lactation consultant on the floor helped show me how to use it) So I did bring this but it was bulky; retrospectively i probably didn't need to bring it with everything else. Won't bring it this time around for #2 since I know how to use when I get home.
- I brought my breast pump at the advice from others; the lactation specialist on staff can show you how to use it, but honestly I ended up using the hospital grade pump at the hospital to jump start my supply and other FTMs i know were told not to pump yet until their milk fully came in...so up to you if you think you know you'll have q's for the lactation specialist (and i would confirm your hospital even has one). I won't bring this for #2 either
- Blanket/pillow for your husband/partner (my hospital did provide them, but they were sub par)
- Snacks for your partner - once you get the epidural you cannot eat anything - so i did not have a bite of anything until i was in the recovery room! And we were downtown in a major city so I sent DH out to get real food vs hospital food. But given COVID, snacks for recovery might be a good idea. The hospital should serve you your first meal, worst case.
- Champagne! My parents brought a bottle into the recovery room to celebrate which likely won't be possible this time around, so if you think that sounds appealing, maybe bring one. You likely won't have a fridge but there are ice chip machines on every floor so you can put it on ice
Didn't use / not necessary:
- My own pillow / blankets
- Speaker for music (i may be in the minority here - we brought but never used. Just had the TV on instead when DH was awake)
- My laptop (brought at the advice of friends to watch Netflix; I laugh at that now)
- any kind of normal underwear / going home clothes
- Any kind of self care stuff for your recovery - the hospital will literally provide everything
- Anything extra for baby besides going home outfit/carseat
Probably biggest takeaway not to forget - make sure you go into the hospital with extra space in your bags!! You will take so many of the pads, ice packs, underwear (the BEST underwear ever) and witch hazel pads from your recovery room for the upcoming weeks at home. I hate using the words 'steal' but literally every person I know has done it. And the nurse who taught my birth 101 class at the hospital even told us all to do it
phone charger
chapstick
pajamas x 2 (I was fine in the hospital gown for delivery but changed into my own clothes afterwards)
warm socks
maternity leggings and loose top to go home in
a little makeup that I put on before we left for home, to feel more human
outfit for baby to go home in
I didn't use anything else I brought. I'll probably still pack some snacks and drinks just in case since we will be at a different hospital this time, but last time there was plenty to eat and drink provided. I might bring a couple of small containers of bubbly in case we feel like a toast post-delivery too.
I'd check to see what your hospital provides before deciding whether to bring a ball. Pre-covid, my hospital provided that so I did not bring my own. If I was planning a vaginal birth and the hospital did NOT provide one, I would absolutely bring my own.
I also was team TV instead of speaker/music. What background noise was on was literally the farthest thing from my mind while laboring.
I also separated into what I knew I needed in the delivery room and what was more for postpartum. But we did smaller bags to keep things organized (I'm not super organized in general so this helped). Since the support person can't leave, you can't go back to the car which is what we did but it still might be helpful to not have to dig through going home outfits while you're getting your labor stuff out.
This I love for the hospital bag:
Baby's going home outfit (NB + 0-3mo)
Mom's going home outfit (I prefer a skirt or dress to not have to worry about pants)
2 phone chargers (one for me and DH lol)
Kindle or other reading material
Nipple cream (I am an earth mama fan)
Nursing bra (I love the kindred bravely ballet bra to labor in and wear postpartum in the hospital)
An extra bag for all of the things they send you home with
Grippy slipper socks (I personally don't want to bring my slippers to the hospital and you can wash socks in the washing machine)
Water bottle and/or coconut water or gatorade
Sleep mask (although I'm not sure I wore it)
Chapstick
Snacks for postpartum and for DH during labor/postpartum
MIRALAX (although they might have provided it, but you'll want it at home so might as well)
I might bring my kid's step stool that folds flat to have as a squatty potty this time (related to the above) as I recently saw that as a recommendation and had never seen it before
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Cleansing wipes for my face
Face moisturizer
Things I didn't use:
Speaker
My labor specific snacks (I am not apparently one of those women who wants to eat once I get to the hospital)
Nursing pillow
My own pillow
My pump (they have hospital grade ones there if you need it)
Robe/PJs of my own - I hung out in my gown the first time and literally in a nursing bra and mess underwear with my second - IDGAF apparently (but I will probably bring a robe again this time just in case)
Any sort of makeup, shampoo, etc. (I couldn't stand after my delivery for DD2 but didn't use them with DD1 either - I did not feel the need to shower at the hospital but will probably throw this in a toiletries bag in case I have a CS and am there for a while)
chapstick
shower flip flops
my own toiletries (showering was the only thing that made me feel somewhat normal, it was bliss)
my own pillows with waterproof protectors
my own socks and slippers
snacks
sleep mask (once he was born they wouldn’t let us turn the lights all the way off in the room)
adult diapers (didn’t try these until later with DS but they were soooo much easier than managing mesh underwear/all the pads/stuff that goes in but downstairs actually stick to mesh)
padsicles- my hospital actually provided these but some don’t and they were ahhhmazing
ipad with shows downloaded, we were super bored since I was there when my water broke but didn’t have active labor for forever
Dress to go home in, much more forgiving in size than pants, I was super swollen after for a week so my maternity pants wouldn’t have even fit over my calves
long charging cord
and for baby, not much but basically the diaper bag:
pacifiers (they discouraged using them because it takes calories to suck, but I’d bring them again because it’s better than the calories from crying)
Newborn diapers (our hospital provided diapers but they only had a limited amount of nb size, so he was drowning in the size up)
Nursing pillow
going home outfit, probably 2 options but DS was naked until we left
my own swaddle blanket and a cute bow for pictures
Formula (they also provided this but it probably varies by hospital)
I didn’t use my ball much last time but I’ll take it again, I’d be too grossed out to use theirs. I know where they’ve been.
Things I definitely will take again with this one:
- phone charger
- nursing bra (I preferred my super soft and totally non-supportive nighttime one while my milk was coming in)
- comfy pjs that I changed in to eventually - it was a nursing top/shorts/robe set. I labored in the hospital gown because I couldn’t even care about what I was wearing at that point in time.
- warm socks
- flip flops for the shower
- my own toiletries. I actually put on a little makeup after DD2 was born because we had a photographer friend come to the hospital. I doubt I’ll worry about that this time, but may pack minimal makeup in case the mood strikes
- a going home outfit for little man
- I want to get a hat with the baby’s name on it for pictures!
- nursing pillow
- something comfy for me to wear on the way home, probably maternity leggings and a t-shirt
- the diaper bag since you’ll stock up on extra things while you’re there!
There could be more. I just know that I followed every list I found on Pinterest before DD1 was born and had wayyy too much stuff!
take-home outfit for baby (NB + 0-3, my last baby surprised me and came out at 9lb 9oz)
toothbrush
toothpaste
dry shampoo
hairbrush
hair ties
body cleansing wipes (I have yet to make it to the shower post c-section)
chapstick
thinx underwear (new for me - giving them a try)
smaller but more absorbant pads
comfy jammies / sweats and nursing t-shirt
nursing cover for pumping (debating this one since I won’t have visitors with COVID)
comfy socks
white noise maker
face mask for sleeping
Pumping bras (I used Bravado last time and loved them, but had to use an attachment for pumping - since I exclusively pump, I bought Kindred Bravely this time - no attachment needed!)
loooong phone charger cable
(Will wear these, but my “c-section earrings and wedding band” that aren’t metal)
duckbill valves (the Medela ones with the flap are terrible)
Boob-ease pumping lubricant
lansinoh gel soothies
medela quick clean breast pump wipes
lily padz silicone nursing pads (LOVE these)
Dulcolax stool softener and fiber (start taking these in advance just in case of a c-section - trust me on this one!)
Love the idea of snacks! I will probably add this to my list. I have a bottle of champagne in the fridge but I won’t bring that due to the painkillers I’ll be on. I am dying to drink some though - I really don’t drink but mimosas are my weakness.
Things I will ask for at the hospital:
Ear plugs
Abdominal binder
A pump and pumping kit
ice bag for incision
I had a virtual tour with my hospital yesterday and they told me that they provide balls so not to bring one, but honestly that kind of grosses me out, I think I still may bring my own, haha. They also mentioned that they provide champagne for me and DH after the birth if we want it, which I thought was a very nice perk!
I will probably have way too much stuff with me, but that’s okay, I’d rather have too much and not use it, then not bring something and wish I had it. For this first time around I’m going to bring anything I think I may even remotely want and if I don’t use it then whatever, but especially since DH isn’t allowed to leave and come back, I’m not taking any chances! Very jealous of those of you who mentioned DH leaving to get you food since we won’t be able to do that this time
*Phone & Charger(s)
*Chapstick
*Snacks for DH (I wasn't allowed to eat)
*Cash for vending
*Hair ties
*Two changes of clothes in different sizes (loose, comfy, easy access type)
*Outfit for baby
*Toiletries
*Pillow
*Empty bag to snag all the "goodies" (diapers, wipes, baby wash, pads, mesh undies, etc.). Our hospital couldn't use those things for another mama/baby after packs had been opened, so the nurses actually encouraged us to take them!
Everything else was just crap my poor DH had to lug in and out. lol
- phone charger
- chapstick
- slippers with soles
- baby book for footprints
- sound machine (for baby)
- MY OWN TOWEL... very important. The ones at my hospital barely cover your butt, and I'm a smaller person.
- my own pillow
- robe/comfy clothes for after delivery (the ones I've worn in the past are motherhood brand but looking to get something else)
Brands I like:
- kindred bravely for nursing bras (they have tanks I may try this time)
- loulou and co for sweet little outfits/swaddles/hats
- copper pearl swaddles/hats
My hospital allowed me to wear them until my epidural, when I had to transition to "Fall risk", but even then, they put these ones over the hospital ones because the staff got a kick out of it.
I really recommend buying a special outfit just to come home in. You deserve to splurge on something nice after growing a human.
-Chapstick
-My own pillow and a blanket from home (i'm a pillow and blanket freak and it's a huge comfort to me!)
-non skid socks
-Towel for showering (I'm glad a brought one from home last time, but will probably pick one of our "last leg" towels this time around... you just never know where the blood is going to go)
-Shower flip flops
-comfy headbands
-Hairbands
-Extra long iPhone charger
-Ipad (I had a very long induction so having netflix was nice)
-Airpods
-lounge type pants
-Nursing tank tops and zip up hoodie
-I liked the ginormous pads and some normal (although larger) underwear than the mesh underwear they provide
-Couple outfits for baby
-A baby hat, the one they gave DD1 looked ridiculous.
I took so bags of stuff home from the hospital. They literally gave us packs of diapers, a ton of supplies for me, like 2-3 weeks worth of formula, it was a lot!
Also I was induced unexpectedly at 35 weeks, so am definitely team pack your bag early!
-clothes in 2 sizes for baby because who knows how big she will be (NB/0-3)
-comfy clothes for me including cozy socks and nursing tanks and jacket
-sandals
-face wash so I can feel human and tooth brush
-phone charger
-snacks(!!!)
I don't think (because of COVID) they do really long hospital stays but we will see!