Hospital Bag Essentials

Alright little guy, we are all packed and ready for you to arrive! After three hospital births I’ve narrowed down my hospital bag packing list to mostly the bare essentials. Right now with the pandemic most hospitals are doing a 24 hour discharge once you have delivered which means you really don’t need to pack much at all. In the event you have to stay longer you can always have someone drop off more things for you.

Disposable Items:

Of all the things I’ve learned from my previous birth experiences, one major thing I seem to always forget is how much extra stuff you end up going home with. Whether it’s spare nursing, diaper, postpartum supplies or pamphlets, paperwork, and sentimental items I am always amazed with how much we end up bringing home. So with all of that being said, I try to pack a lot of items that can be left behind and replaced with all the other things when we get home. I usually start to collect toiletries that are almost finished, old socks, spare donation clothes, and anything else I may need that can be let go of before we head home. In the age of the pandemic this has been especially helpful because I don’t feel like I have as many things to clean once I’m home.

Toiletries:

This category and the disposable category can be fairly interchangeable at times, but I thought it would be helpful to still see what I pack. Remember this is all for just a 24-36 hour stay. If you need to stay for longer or want more supplies, pack more! I try to save products that are almost running out for times like this and then I can just throw it away and not have to unpack it later. I also pack in a ziplock bag instead of my normal toiletries bag to take up less space as I throw away more and cut down of things to be cleaned.

• Face lotion
• Face wash
• Chapstick
• Hand lotion
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Shower supplies
• Deodorant

Clothing:

• 2 pairs of comfortable, loose pajamas- even better if they are ones that can get messy or thrown away. Save your nice clothes for going home when you’ll actually see people.
• A robe- You never know what the temperature will be like in your room so it’s helpful to have an extra layer just in case. Also nice if you want to cover up for a picture but not necessarily get “dressed”
• Going home outfit for mom and baby- Totally up to you what you will want to wear home. I usually pick a dress because I know it will fit and feel comfortable.
• A few baby outfits and baby blankets- Not necessary but its so nice to have clean clothes that smell like home to wrap baby in. You can definitely eliminate a lot of extra stuff if you don’t bring any of these.
• Lululemon scarf– Super helpful for nursing cover, extra blanket for you or baby, or extra layer for the middle of the night chills

Miscellaneous Items:

• Special baby items- this time we made a name plate in advance but for our girls we had different hair bow and hat combinations. Also any special swaddles or sentimental items.
• Baby book supplies inside of an empty binder- Include a pen and extra paper for notes. I love having Jon jot down labor notes and things we remember from the delivery as soon as he can to save some of those very special memories you may not remember as clearly later. Also super helpful for reminders like calling your pediatrician and storing all your new pamphlets and paperwork until you can sort through it all.
• Video camera-Yes we are old school and use an actual video camera.
• Garbage bag for dirty laundry
• Ipad for FaceTime, entertainment, reading
• Any special linens or pillows- I tend to not bring any for me because I hardly sleep when I’m there so it’s just extra stuff to carry.

Items for Dad to Pack:

This section is where you can really add a lot of stuff. Jon usually doesn’t bring much and will head home at some point to change clothes, shower, etc so he really packs the bare minimum. Depending on how long you are going to be staying your spouse may need more things. The hospital typically provides the patient with everything they need but not the partner. Same goes for food. Sometimes they will provide “linens” but more often than not there’s not much for your partner. When we have stayed at the hospital, meals were only ever for me and not supposed to be for Jon. I would typically order something we could split or he would pick something up from the cafeteria.

• Sheets/Pillow/Blanket
• Change of clothes
• Toiletries- don’t forget contact solution!
• Ipad, phone, charger
• Snacks/water

When I see it all written out it looks like so much stuff, but in reality it all fits into a medium size Scout bag. I typically like to bring bags that are easily cleaned just in case they end up on the hospital floor or gross. I use packing cubes and ziplock bags to keep items organized and easy for someone to grab if I’m not able to. Items to bring but won’t necessarily fit into your dedicated hospital bag would be the baby’s carseat (have partner bring in just before you leave so you don’t have to carry from labor to recovery), your purse, and your phone. Have your partner pack a small bag to stay next to yours that he can grab on the way out the door when you leave. Don’t forget to install the carseat base before you go into labor so you aren’t totally exhausted trying to figure out how to install it.

At the end of the day the hospital really does have almost everything you would need, packing things just makes your stay more comfortable. You can get by with bringing nothing if you want, or you can pack a fully stocked rolling suitcase. It’s all about what you’re most comfortable with!

Best of luck with your packing! Is there something I forgot?

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