There are tons of blog posts on what to pack when you're expecting in order to prepare for delivery time so here's my take on it! Just keep in mind that not all hospitals and people are the same so you may not actually need to take some of these items but need to pack other things not on the list.
Hospital bag:
Things I packed and needed:
For me:
- Chapstick (hospitals with dry you out!)
- Phone/camera/tablets and charger (of course)
- Glasses and case
- Toiletries (deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, styling product, toothbrush, and tooth paste. I used a 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner and took my mousse but didn't use it and didn't bother taking my hair dryer)
- Hair ties (this includes any clips or head bands too)
- Nursing bras (I wore one in and brought a 2nd one, even if you don't plan on breastfeeding you'll want something comfy but supportive such as a sports bra or a camisole w/ built in bra)
- Going home outfit (I just wore home what I'd worn when I came in, maternity clothes are the good type of comfy that you want/need when leaving, plus I literally just wore it for my doctor appt the morning of and then the car ride home so it was still clean!)
- Boppy pillow (these pillows are lifesavers, seriously, breast or bottle feeding or just for support while holding the baby while he's sleeping, just amazing.. your arms and back will thank you! ... also, if you have a c section, it is good to use to hold against your incision site if you have to cough, sneeze, or even laugh, a folded up blanket works just as well for that though)
- Baby book (is best to fill out while everything is fresh in your memory!)
For your husband/SO/whoever is staying with you:
- Extra clothes (extra changes of underwear and socks, and comfy clothes such as loose shirts and sweats or shorts)
- Entertainment (phone/tablet and charger, DVDs (our in room tv had a built in DVD player which was a lifesaver for him bc his tablet wouldn't connect to the hospital's WiFi), sudoku/crosswords, you're going to be sleeping and resting a lot so he'll be doing a lot of waiting around)
- Snacks and money (I packed him some poptarts, slim jims, and a couple canned drinks from home, his dad gave him a roll of quarters and a $10 so he could get meals from the cafeteria or snacks from the machines, our hospital offered to bring a second meal with mine if we requested it for $5)
- Blanket (the hospital will provide some but they are thin, I kept the ac on so I froze him lol
For baby:
- Car seat (of course)
- Weather appropriate accessories for car seat (in cold: a car seat cover and/or blankets, in hot: a cover to block sun but make sure it won't over heat the baby)
- Going home outfit (make sure it is weather appropriate, socks, hat, undershirt, jacket.. don't use a snow suit, the extra padding isn't good in between the baby and seat straps in case of a wreck)
Things I packed or wanted to pack but didn't use:
- Extra underwear for me (mine were removed upon admission and I wore the hospital ones throughout my stay and when I went home)
- Sanitary pads for me (again, used the hospitals the entire time)
- Pacifier for baby (he wouldn't take it)
- Socks (my feet were so swollen they didn't want me to wear them and I was burning up so I didn't want to wear them anyway lol)
- Blanket (the thin hospital ones were my friend, it was way too hot for me to want a thicker one)
- Pillow (the hospital ones were just fine for me)
- Towel (the hospital ones weren't luxurious by any means but there's bound to be some blood or other fluids that will get on them so it's nice not to have to bother with them)
- Nightgowns (again, there's gonna be blood or other fluids so it's nice to not have to worry about cleaning your own and just use the hospital gowns)
Diaper Bag: (for a 0-1 month old who only breastfeeds, I'm not gonna pretend to know what a formula-fed baby would need at this point!)
- Diapers and wipes (obviously lol but make sure you have enough diapers for 1 per hour that you'll be gone, plus 1 or 2 extras, your new motto should be "better safe than sorry!")
- Extra clothes (1 or 2 full outfits, again better safe than sorry! I took mine to his first Dr appt and didn't take extra clothes and of course on the trip there, he peed so much it over flowed his diaper and wet his undershirt, shirt, and pants! My mom ran to the nearest store while I took him into the Dr's office, they had to have him undressed for the checkup anyway so it worked out! Don't forget extra socks too, mine likes to kick his off randomly lol)
- Pacifier and a toy (you never know when they'll come in handy)
- Diaper rash cream (just in case)
- Nipple cream (lanolin!), breast pads, and an extra shirt (again better safe than sorry!)
- Burp rags or cloth diapers
- A thin blanket or two
And there you go! If I didn't include some thing on either list, please let me know, and feel free to ask any questions!
Thanks,
- Julie :)
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