Hospital Bag
I would say we definitely took the over-prepared approach to packing our hospital bag (except for the snacks, WE NEEDED MORE SNACKS) but I felt way more comfortable being over-prepared than under…especially since I had a baby during a pandemic and all. Once we got in the hospital, we weren’t allowed to leave (not even from our room) so it was nice to know we had everything we would want. And I say want instead of need because if you were to go into labor with absolutely nothing, the hospital has everything you need to take care of you and your baby. All of this stuff is just extra to make you feel more comfortable! I’ll list off what we brought and then let you know what we used. There were a few things we could have left at home but everyone is different and likes and uses different things so always remember to pack whatever YOU want! 💙💙💙
Each hospital is going to have different rules & policies so make sure you check with yours but the hospital we delivered at allowed for people or delivery services to bring things to the hospital and drop them off at the front desk and then the front desk would deliver it to our room. We had only brought a box of cheez it’s for our snacks (which I ate a ton of) and then the hospital supplied all of our meals and other snacks but sometimes you just want something different to eat that the hospital doesn’t have so it was nice they allowed us to order things in. Bryce ordered Mexican food one night for dinner off grub hub and then I door dashed snacks from 7-11!
We brought our own masks with us too! The hospital of course has some for you to have if you don’t have your own. Wore them to walk in and out and Bryce wore his most of the time but I took mine off as soon as my contractions really started to kick in! They gave me a covid test as soon as I got there but Bryce didn’t have to get one. All of the nurses and doctors had masks + face shields on.
Here are pics + links to most of everything I packed in my hospital bag! The mommy bag was the perfect size to pack it all up in!
The Sis Kiss Mama Necklace // Nursing Bras // Ryan & Rose Pacifier // Tripod // Doona Car Seat // Hand-held Massager // Microfiber Bowtie Headbands // Black Collar Nightgown // Grey Pajama Set // Fuzzy Slippers // Fuzzy Socks // Portable Charger // Hand-held Fan // Leggings // Ugg Boots // Knot Gown & Hat // Wooden Birth Announcement Sign // 10 Feet Long Charging Cord // Barefoot Dreams Baby Blanket // Rainbow Boppy Cover // Chapstick // Adidas Slides // Mama Sweatshirt // Mommy Hospital Bag // Dada Sweatshirt // Swaddle // Nipple Shields
Hospital Bag Essentials
We used everything from this list above except for:
• pacifier (we didn’t feel the need to try one)
• tripod (the nurses offered to take a few pics right after I delivered)
• hand held fan (lots of you said you used a fan but I mostly got the chills and shivers so I actually ended up needing more blankets)
• nipple shields (I always recommend having these on hand especially for new mamas because it saved me when I was struggling so hard to nurse Boss but Kampbell ended up nursing fine on his own…I think my nipples are just nice and stretched out at this point 😂) and also, the hospital should have nipple shields if you need one so make sure you ask them if you’re struggling with breastfeeding. The nurses and lactation consultants don’t love you using them but if you’ve tried everything else, it doesn’t hurt to try! That was the ONLY thing that worked for me to be able to breastfeed Boston for the first 3-4 months because he couldn’t latch on his own and then all of a sudden he was able to latch on his own after that!
Overnight Bags
We also brought our overnight bags (which included shampoo, conditioner, face products, razor, tooth brushes, tooth paste, deodorant, and a little bit of makeup). I had shaved right before I went in (or should I say Bryce shaved me 🤣) so I didn’t need to use my razor and then the hospital gave us body wash to use and we used their towels. Some of you recommended we bring our own but we didn’t and we were totally fine! I ended up showering 3 times while I was there! I just felt so gross from sweating and bleeding and it just felt so good to stand in the warm water. I never used any makeup either. I thought I was going to want to put some on for pics after he was born but turns out, I didn’t care at that point 😂.
Bryce also brought a backpack with a few changes of sweats. And we brought one of our big, comfy blankets from home (which I highly recommend because their blankets are scratchy). We didn’t bring our own pillows (probably would have been nice to have but we had already brought so much stuff and Bryce only had one trip to bring it all up so we passed on those). We brought a few extra swaddle blankets for Kampbell too and we ended up using all of them since he peed and pooped on a couple of them.
Nurse Baskets
And then other than this, we brought the 3 nurses baskets we made. We gave one to the day shift when we first got there. Then we gave another to the night shift (they were who helped me deliver). And then we gave one to the post-partum nurses once they changed us rooms. We had also given one to our doctor’s office at my 35 or 36 week appointment. I’m so glad we ended up making them because they were so appreciative and that was the least we could do for them! It’s definitely not required to do but I know they really feel the love when you do! Another thing I’ve heard that they love is when people order them platters of food while they’re there! Nurses don’t always get a full break to go eat!
I hope this all makes sense and helps to decide what you might want to take with you! Let me know if you have any questions about anything at all!
xoxo
