The Best Hospital Bag Checklist
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It feels like so long ago when I was deciding what to bring in my hospital bag for the birth of my son. As I reminisce on that exciting time in my life, when I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my first baby, I realize, I brought way too many things with me to the hospital. You could argue that it’s better to be prepared with a bunch of extra stuff that you might need, but in reality, it was just a bunch of extra things to unpack once I was home. In most cases, you’re only staying at the hospital for 1-2 nights depending on if you have a vaginal delivery versus a c-section, so you don’t need to pack that much. You really do hit the ground running once your baby is out, which is why you don’t need to add more to your plate by then needing to unpack a bunch of things that you didn’t even need. This is why I’ve put together a list of things that I considered essential for mom, dad, and baby during my second time giving birth. I also came up with a list of things that you most likely do not need to pack in your hospital bag, just in case you are on the fence about these specific items. If you are just interested in a literal hospital bag checklist packed with only the essentials, join my email list to gain access to a free download! Or you can keep reading to get the details on why I considered some items must-haves and why other items didn’t make the cut!
What to Bring
Hair Tie - Packing a hair tie will ensure that you have one available during labor if you happen to be out and about, wearing your hair down when all of a sudden regular contractions start. Laboring is physically demanding; trust me, you’ll want your hair out of your face. You might also want your hair up and out of the way when breastfeeding as well. My favorite hair ties are either these spiral hair ties or basic satin scrunchies from Amazon.
Lip Balm - The hospital air is dry and laboring involves a lot of different breathing techniques. This leads to some dry and sometimes cracked lips. Please do yourself a favor and have some lip balm on hand. I’ve been loving the Sephora Lip Sleeping Mask lately. I know it’s a sleep mask, but I think it makes a good lip balm too!
Slip On Shoes - If it is a warmer time of year, plan to wear shoes that easily slip on to the hospital. Otherwise, have some sort of slide on shoe packed. It just ensures that you can get in and out of bed more easily and not have to walk around the hospital floor in socks. If you’re in the market for some good slides, I brought my Adidas Adilette Comfort Slides.
Robe - It may be the thin hospital gowns or the hospital air circulation, but I find that hospitals are chilly at night. Bringing a robe from home gives you just enough coverage to get around without exposing your back side, and it also gives you just another layer to throw on when you catch a chill. My favorite casual robe is from the Aerie brand and it looks like they are always coming out with new classic looking robes!
Toiletries for 1-2 Nights - I brought the most basic toiletry bag during my second round at the hospital. There was no need for me to bring my whole skincare routine knowing that I would most likely be back at home in a day or two. Instead, I packed small travel containers of face wash, body wash, body lotion, shampoo, and conditioner. I also brought a small tangle teezer brush, mini travel toothpaste tube, cheap disposable toothbrushes, and a travel sized deodorant.
Blow Dryer - This might be an extra thing for those women with hair that air dries perfectly. Unfortunately, I am not one of those women. If not styled, my hair can get pretty frizzy. I ended up bringing a travel sized Chi blow dryer with a mini travel Chi straightener, but if I could do this all again, I might opt for bringing a 2 in 1 product, like my Drybar Double Shot Blow-Dryer Round Brush.
Disposable Shower Slippers - Yes, I went full dorm bathroom style and I wore cheap flip-flops in the shower. I know they take time to clean the rooms and bathrooms between patients, but you just never know what germs are lurking in a hospital. For that reason, disposable shower slippers are a must. I bought a cheap pair from target for about $5, but I know that Old Navy sometimes puts flip flops on sale for even cheaper. If your partner plans to take a shower at the hospital, I would recommend bringing another pair of disposable shower slippers for him as well.
Makeup - For being a makeup everyday girl, I brought the absolute bare minimum. I brought a sample size tinted moisturizer and a mini travel size mascara. Currently, my favorite tinted moisturizer is the Rare Beauty tinted moisturizer with SPF, so if I were to do this all over again, I would probably bring enough tinted moisturizer for 1-2 days sealed in a contact case, just to keep things compact. I would also choose to pack a mini Caliray tubing mascara because I love that it stays all day without smudging and it easily washes away with warm water.
Lanolin - I suggest bringing some lanolin because you’ll need to start protecting your skin in that area right away. Breastfeeding a newborn can really start to rub your skin raw as you and your baby adjust to breastfeeding. I started applying lanolin after every nursing session with my second baby, to be more proactive about preventing sore nipples. My favorite lanolin cream is from Lansinoh, but any lanolin cream should work fine.
Pen - This is something I didn’t think to bring during my first delivery. But, I learned that you end up having to fill out a lot of important paperwork once your baby is born. Having a pen comes in handy because you (or your partner) can get right to work on those forms without having to ring the call light to ask to borrow a pen from your nurse.
Laundry Bag - Having a designated place to keep all dirty clothes just helped to keep my hospital bag organized. It was also super easy to just toss everything in that bag straight in the laundry hamper or washing machine once I got home. I already owned a reusable travel laundry bag, but it is totally fine to use a plastic bag or whatever you have available.
Simple Going Home Outfit for Mom - I decided to go really simple with my going home outfit after the birth of my second child. Since I only wanted to pack one going home outfit, I focused on choosing an outfit that was simple, functional, and not bulky in my bag. I ended up packing black postpartum leggings, a nursing bra, nursing camisole, loose zip up sweater (large enough to cover my back side), socks, and I planned to wear the shoes that I wore to the hospital home. I also wore the mesh disposable underwear with a giant pad provided by my hospital. Yes, there are more flattering options for disposable underwear that I could bring with me to the hospital (like the ones that I mentioned in my “Postpartum Aftercare Essentials” blog post), but I decided to wear the bulky, yet surprisingly comfortable, hospital provided underwear because it was just so much more convenient for my short car ride home.
Dad’s Clothes - I would recommend having your partner wear comfortable clothes to the hospital and bring 2 changes of clothes just in case you end up being kept in the hospital for 2 nights. Keeping clothes simple, comfortable and with warm layers, such as sweat pants, socks, a T-shirt, and a hoodie just makes everything easier, so you won’t need to bring a separate set of pajamas. We live so close to our hospital that after my second delivery, my husband actually didn’t have to bring any clothes. Instead he would go home, take a quick shower, and come back to the hospital in fresh comfortable clothes to spend the night at the hospital with me and our baby. If you are able to do this, I highly recommend it!
Snacks - You’ll definitely want to bring snacks for both you and your partner. Being up around the clock, you never know when the hunger pangs will hit you! I really didn’t need to bring much, just a couple small bags of lactation cookies for myself and something high in protein like nuts and beef jerky for my husband.
Water Bottle - During my first experience with labor, I found that the hospital was good at providing me with water. I swear, every time any hospital staff came into the room, they brought a refill of water. Trust me, you’ll be well taken care of in this department! However, I can’t say they did the same for my husband. For that reason, I brought a Hydroflask water bottle for my husband during my second labor and delivery.
Baby Clothes - I brought one going home outfit and one long sleeve newborn onesie that double zips from the foot for easier diaper changes. Notice I did not say “simple” going home outfit. Pick an outfit that you love for your baby! This is a special day! Baby is going home and could be dressed up or dressed down however you wish. The reason why I also brought an extra newborn onesie is because I felt like it was important to bring a backup onesie just in case accidents involving spit up or poop happen before you make it home. I don’t think it is super necessary to bring more than 2 outfits because during their short hospital stay, your nurse will be checking on you and your baby often and sometimes it is easier for them to make their assessments when your baby is dressed in the little hospital shirt they place on them once they are born.
Sleep Sack - I recommend bringing a sleep sack if you are new to, or not comfortable swaddling with regular baby swaddling blankets from the hospital. I would advise having your nurse teach you how to swaddle properly while you are in the hospital, but I know that babies are houdinies and can get out of just about any blanket just by shimmying a little. While you are getting the hang of swaddling with a blanket, you can use a sleep sack in the meantime. Our favorite brand is the Halo sleep sack because it is easy and intuitive how to securely swaddle your baby. Once your baby gets used to a good swaddle, you’ll find that they’ll love it and sleep more soundly between feeds.
Carseat - This one is an absolute must! The hospital will not discharge you without one. I would just have the base installed in your car and ready to go at 36 weeks or earlier, just so that you are ready at all times.
Baby Blanket for Car Seat - It is best practice to secure your baby in a car seat with clothes that are not bulky or jackets, but you can still keep your newborn baby warm, after fastening their 5 point harness, by draping a blanket over your baby from their shoulders down.
Last Minute List - I kept a list on my phone of important small items that I needed to bring to the hospital that I could not pack in my hospital bag ahead of time. This list included mine and my husband’s wallets with ID and insurance card, phones, phone chargers, glasses or contact lenses.
What to Leave at Home
Pajamas - Against popular opinion, I did not bring pajamas with me to the hospital during my second delivery. The hospital provides gowns and additional gowns when requested. After delivery, you’ll want easy access for frequent pad changes and nursing. I found that the gowns have the easiest access when you need it and you don’t feel bad if it gets messy. And, I learned quickly that postpartum gets messy.
Postpartum Aftercare Supplies - My hospital provided everything that I needed for aftercare in the hospital, so I saved all of my pads and disposable underwear for when I got home. You may want to check with your hospital provider ahead of time to see what kind of supplies will be available to you at the hospital before deciding on whether to bring supplies or not.
Diapers - I did not bring diapers the second time around because I knew my hospital would have diapers and wipes available.
Blanket - I did not bring an extra blanket for myself to the hospital because blankets can be so bulky and they have plenty of blankets at the hospital if you just ask for what you need. Not to mention, bringing a blanket from home that you’ll only use for one or two nights, means more laundry when you get home, and no one wants that!
Extra Pillows - I don’t think any extra pillows from home are necessary to bring with you to the hospital. If you need more pillows to help with breastfeeding positioning, the hospital staff is usually more than happy to grab you more. And, it is just another thing that can either be accidentally left behind or added to your laundry pile once you are home.
Burp Cloths - Our hospital provided these and extra swaddle blankets. If they don’t have burp cloths, you can temporarily use their extra swaddle blankets as an extra long burp cloth as well.
Knowing what to bring with you to the hospital when it’s your first time in labor can be overwhelming. A good place to start is talking with your OB or midwife and finding out what supplies are definitely provided at your specific birth center. And, remember, just like your birth plan, what you want to bring or what you feel is valuable to have with you during labor is very personal. At the end of the day, I would recommend using this list as a guide and ultimately bring what makes you feel comfortable!
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