What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag
Packing your hospital bag can be extremely overwhelming. You do so much research on what you need to bring, you might pack really early and then get antsy playing the waiting game, or you might be so overwhelmed you never packed a bag and just throw some random stuff in a bag right before you leave for the hospital. Here we share what we packed and what we actually used from our bags! *As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Grace
I had no clue what to pack in my hospital bag because I didn’t know what to expect! To find out what I might need I looked on pinterest, Instagram and asked friends who had recently had kids. Most of the friends I asked were people who gave birth in the hospital I was going to give birth in so they knew exactly what they had and didn’t have already at the hospital.
I tried to pack just the essentials because I didn’t want us to lug around a bunch of bags, but I also have anxiety and wanted to be prepared for anything. I also had read to pack your bag around 3 weeks early because you never know when baby is coming! My water broke 9 days before my due date and I was happy my bag was packed with the exception of things I use daily like my phone charger and toothbrush etc. Meesh gave me a good tip to write those daily items you need on a sticky note and put it on your hospital bag so it’s handy and you don’t forget anything when you’re about to head to the hospital. That made it so easy to just toss in the few other things I needed and be done with it. Cody hadn’t packed a bag yet but honestly for men it takes about two minutes for them to pack. They just need a change of clothes, PJs, and toiletries. We had already put extra pillows and blankets in the car, so we were ready if we wanted those at the hospital.
Most used items were:
Toothbrush/toothpaste and deodorant
Snacks
Least used items were:
Portable fan
Literally everything else
I didn’t pack any makeup or cute clothes or anything because I DGAF what I looked like after I gave birth. I was barely able to get up to brush my teeth so my appearance was the last thing on my mind. I also didn’t end up using any of our blankets from home but Cody did because the hospital blanket for him wasn’t great. I didn’t bring a breastfeeding pillow either because the hospital had one, but we ended up just piling up a few pillows anyway and that was more comfortable for us. Make sure to have some snacks packed because the cafeteria in your hospital might not be open all night and you might be starving at 3am and jello will be your only option from the labor and delivery fridge. You also don’t need to worry about a water bottle because the hospital will give you a giant one when you get there. Some snacks I brought were cartons of coconut water, jerky/pepperoni sticks, small bags of chips and popcorn, protein bars, and granola bars. I read about some women bringing honey sticks too for a little energy boost. I thought that seemed like a good idea but never got around to getting them. Also, the portable sound machine really came in handy trying to sleep in the hospital because the machines are loud and constantly beeping and whatnot so it helped drown out distracting sounds.
Meesh
Unlike my friend Mon, I am an overpacker and I definitely over packed for the hospital. I read maybe 50 blogs on what people packed to bring to the hospital just to see the differences between them. In my opinion, what you bring to the hospital mainly depends on how long you stay. Below are my top 10 things you should bring. Everything else is nice to have.
Eye masks! MY NUMBER ONE RECOMMENDATION. For you and whoever will be staying at the hospital with you. You will thank me later.
A cozy blanket for you and for the person staying with you. The hospital blankets are so itchy and you want something soft and snuggly when you’re cuddling that newborn! I got mine from target for $20.
Pillows from home! Again, hospital sheets suck. Have your birth partner bring theirs as well.
Whatever you plan to birth in (gown, bra, etc). I borrowed mons by Kindred Bravely from Target. Sisterhood of the traveling birthing gown. Is that weird? ALL the nurses commented on the birthing gown- they said it was the nicest one they’ve seen!
Cozy jammies for after birth. Bring one more extra pair than you think you’ll need.
Grippy socks. I didn’t quiet understand the purpose of them until I had to use the bathroom and I was NOT secure on my feet post epidural and birth. The grips are for your safety! haha
So many snacks. Bring more than you think! I didnt bring enough and was forced to eat hospital food…
Toiletries.
Frida Moms Padcicles and underwear. These are 1000000X better than the hospital ones. Just get the kit and bring it to the hospital. Get one for home too!
Mon
I am a horrible packer. I always forget something and don't pack enough. This was the case for my hospital bag too. I ended up spending 3 nights at the hospital and my mom ended up bringing me things twice. I mean I didn't even pack an extra hair tie and lost mine at some point. One thing I did have and loved was a labor and delivery gown. During my c-section I had to wear the hospital one but after I was so glad to have a clean cotton one to put on. They needed to still have access so this was perfect for me and the nurses loved it too. Otherwise, I would have had to put on another hospital one and those are just not comfortable. I am also really glad I brought my shampoo and conditioner. Some things my mom ended up bringing me were; hair ties, my own towel, slippers, warm socks, eye mask, and snacks. My advice would be to pack what you bring to be comfortable sleeping while camping. You will be provided with very little and what they do have is not the nicest.
Here are all the items I needed and wanted:
Some say grippy socks, I say cloud sandals!
