When I was 39 weeks along with my first baby my OB sent me to the hospital to check on baby boy’s heart rate. I remember her exact words were ” I hope your bag is packed because this boy might be coming!” Nevermind the shock of impending childbirth, my first thought was “what bag”? Here’s the best list for your pregnancy hospital bag checklist, c-section or vaginal birth.
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Pregnancy Hospital Bag Checklist : FOR MOMMA
Duffle Bag– ESSENTIAL– You don’t need anything fancy here girls, but it does need to be large enough to fit clothes for you and for baby. Don’t bring a suitcase, your husband will have to carry that thing out on discharge, trust me…he will have enough to do
weekender duffle bag
Robe– ESSENTIAL– For my first baby I had my husband grab me a Wal-Mart robe, I did not have many options as I did not pack a pregnany hospital bag. I ended up really wanting a robe though because after delivery the nurses made me walk the halls every hour and those halls were FREEZING! It was January so the robe hubby got me was thick ,scratchy and hot. It got the job done, but I took it off as soon as I got back in the hospital bed. For my second go around I found Ekouaer. My goodness this brand is heavenly feeling, soft, breathable and thin.
I slept in this Ekouaer robe over my nursing bra. I walked the halls in it and kept it on the entire hospital stay.
My one little piece of advice is get the maternity robe if you have a C-Section. The tie rides higher on the waist so it doe snot put pressure on your surgical site…you won’t want ANYTHING messing with that area.
Delivery room robe
Nursing Bras– ESSENTIAL in your Pregnancy Hospital bag – In the delivery room or in the OR (C-Section) they will make you take your bra off. It feels just fabulous to have your huge and sore breasts just hanging about (sense my sarcasm?). You will want breast support when you realize they are just hanging about and leaking everywhere (more on leaking later).
You will not want to sleep, rest and breast feed in a regular wire bra…UNCOMFORTABLE.
When your milk comes in (more like colostrum in the hospital) it will not be comfortable, help yourself and get some cotton nursing or sleep bras. I preferred sleep bras under my robe while in hospital, instead of the bras with clips. These are great, you just pull it to the side to breastfeed. You will want easy and quick access to your breasts, they are basically like a baby water fountain for awhile. Unfortunately, the sleep bras don’t have a ton of support, so I didn’t wear them to work or during the day…just at night. I swear by Sleep/Nursing Bras
Socks– Luxury– My kids were both winter babies, but regardless of season my feet are always freezing. Those hospital socks were thin and itchy and I did not like them. They worked just fine for my first delivery, but with baby #2 I brought my own. Good thing too, because with my second delivery my feet were so swollen, they looked like cow udders. So if your feet stay cold like mine then I suggest getting some soft socks, maybe a tad big in case your feet swell and packing them in your pregnancy hospital bag.
Slippers With Rubber Sole– Essential– You will walk the halls of the hospital countless times, the nurses will make you do this and honestly it’s good for you. With baby #1, again no bag packed, I walked the halls 24 hours after my delivery with only my hospital socks on…ended up getting them wet on something… ewww. Now keep in mind you’re in the maternity wing, so that liquid could have been MANY things, but I am pretty sure it was urine. I ended up tossing the socks and begging my husband to go home and get my house slippers and some fuzzy socks.
I suggest getting slip on slippers, especially if you had a C-section, you won’t be able to bend down to put shoes or boots on.
Slip-on rubber soled slippers are fast, cozy and easy…those nurses are pretty demanding about “taking your walk” every hour…but again it’s good for you 😉
Underwear– Makes your life easier– After delivery you will bleed, yes even if you had a C-Section. After a vaginal delivery the nurses will give you mesh panties with an ice pack in it for your hooh-ha. It will feel like heaven… Now after a C-Section, you still get the mesh panties, just without the ice pack. In the mesh panties you will have a large pad as long as your thigh. I bled all over myself for my entire hospital stay with baby #1…at least I ruined that awful Wal-Mart robe. With baby #2, I brought my depends to the hospital with me. This is not essential, but I was SO much more comfortable and I didn’t have to worry about blood leaking and ruining my Ekouaer robe. So these were a great add in for my Pregnancy Hospita bag checklist. If you wanna check out my post on C-Section: What nobody will tell you click HERE.
The depends were high rise, tight enough to support my tummy and not one leak, they were grand!
Going Home Outfit: Mother Tucker Leggings“>Mother Tucker® Postpartum Compression Leggings. They are a bit pricey, but I just used one pair and kept it cycling through the wash. They feel so nice and provide that nice amount of compression to hold everything “in”. I just through on a nursing cami and a cardigan over the leggings. That’s another post-partum staple…all the cardigans.
Point is girls, don’t be thinking you are going to put on your cute maternity jeans right after having a baby. You will be sore, EVERYWHERE, no denim…don’t do that to yourself.
You will either have stitches in your hoo-ha or stitches on your lower tummy. Repeat after me…NO FRICTION! Get the leggings, you will LIVE IN LEGGINGS for the next couple months.
Nipple Shield– I did not think of this with my first baby and I wish I would have. Breastfeeding is friggin hard. It hurts and in the beginning there is a STEEP learning curve. Getting baby to latch on properly is priority #1. Now my hospital did have lactation consultants that tried their darnest to help me, but my nipples were just flat. My baby boy couldn’t latch on to them because of this shape, I had no idea this was a thing. The lactation consultant brought me a nipple shield to help, but the size was wrong and she had no other sizes. I ended up pumping and feeding my son with a syringe the first day until my husband saved the day, yet again, and brought me 3 sizes of shields. I needed the largest shield, hospital didn’t have it. Point is I’d bring a correctly sized shield to the hospital with you, you never know what obstacles you will encounter woth breastfeeding, but just remember it is not as easy as it looks. If you wanna check out my post on Successful Breastfeeding Tips CLICK HERE.
Breastfeeding Cover– Seems like you wouldn’t need this, but trust me everyone and their neighbors will want to come visit you in the hospital. Family members especially will stay a long time wanting just to hold the baby. Remember, baby is feeding on demand…like every 2 hours. You will need to feed the baby when company is visiting. You could ask friends and family to leave the room, but I hated doing that. My experience, a nursing cover came in very handy when my husband and I weren’t alone. It’s earned a SOLID spot in the Pregnancy Hospital Bag Checklist.
1.) Shampoo and Conditioner– You will want to shower after 24 hours, trust me. You will want to feel normal again. My hospital did not have toiletries, they are not a hotel. Get the travel size in everything.
4.)Toothbrush and toothpaste (don’t forget retainers)
5.) Glasses and contact lenses, lens rinse and case
6.) Chapstick– Your lips will be dry, so dry. I LOVE AQUAPHOR..stuff is friggin amazing!!
7.) Hair ties and maybe a headband for labor (you sweat and the little hairs stick to your face)
8.) For my 2nd delivery I brough some Burt’s Bees face wipes for after labor (again all sweaty)
9.) Colace to help with the first BM, it is brutal. They can give you this at the hospital, but Iv’e heard they charge insurance big money for it.
-I did not bring my hair dryer, brush or straightener with me. Honestly, when I had a free moment when the baby was not on the boob I just wanted to sleep.
-I also did not bring Make-up with me, at all. That was just the furthest thing from my mind.
Pregnancy Hospital Bag Checklist – SNACKS
The hospital will provide you with breakfast lunch and dinner, but you will be hungry after labor and delivery. C-Section moms cannot eat or drink for 24 hours after delivery. If you had a vaginal delivery, you will want something to snack on besides ice chips. I brought homemade lactation cookies with my 2nd (no I didn’t make them, I am not that rockstar). With my first I had pringles and granola bar out of the vending machines, C-Section with my second so I was basically starved. I’d bring something semi healthy. Lara bars (chocolate chip cookie dough are my fave) or bananas and apples are great too and don’t need refrigerated. Point is, bring something dry to snack on just trust me. Trail mix, pretzels, crackers just bring them
Pregnancy Hospital Bag Checklist – For Baby
1.) DO NOT bring diapers or wipes in the Pregnancy Hospital Bag. They will have these at the hospital and they will keep em coming while you are there. DO NOT waste your own…pretty sure you are gonna need em when you get home. You can check out my post on Newborn tips HERE.
2.) Aquaphor– This healing ointment is insanely effective on diaper rash. I NEVER used Desitin or Boudreaux’s butt past, ALWAYS Aquaphor, this stuff is magical. The hospital will give you vaseline and desitin, and they work fine for diaper rashes, but you don’t necessarily need diaper rash treatment at the hospital. Aquaphor is wonderful to coat baby’s bottom BEFORE the first poop. If this is your first baby then welcome to the world of baby poop. The first poop is black, tarry and SO hard to clean off. I learned this with my first baby, so with baby #2 I was ready! Coat baby’s butt after every diaper change with aquaphor, so when the tarry black stools come they easily wipe off, you will thank me later.
3.)Baby onesies– The hospital will not have these. Unless you want to keep baby in a diaper and blanket then I suggest bringing some onesies. I’d consider getting some with snaps at the crotch and also with built-in hand mitts (newborns scratch their face like crazy, and yours…those nails are like little daggers!). These are the onesies I brought to the hospital, notice the built-in mitts…genius. Also, I’d suggest bringing a couple 0-3 month and a couple newborn size. Neither of my kids fit into newborn sizes after birth, they were huge. I sent all of the newborn sized stuff back with my 2nd baby…of course I tooke the tags off the newborn stuff with my first baby (rookie mistake). Be aware of the seasons ladies. I had winter babies so I also brought baby pants with me, that may not be necessary for summer and spring births.
4.) Baby Socks– They do not provide these at the hospital and newborns get cold. I’d bring some with you, just a couple pairs is fine. Get the big pack, you will use them.
5.) Hat– They give you one in the hospital, right after baby is born. I never brought hats with me to the hospital, but covering baby’s head is essential as heat leaves the body through the head very quickly.
6.) Burp Rags– You will use so many of these. I had these everywhere car, all rooms, bathrooms, kitchen, patio. Everywhere. You will need these, the hospital will not provide them and baby’s DO spit up ALOT.
7.) Infant Carseat– Already installed. Captain Obvious here, but this doesn’t go in the Pregnancy Hospital Bag. BUT…The nurses WILL NOT release your baby with you unless that car seat is installed in your car. So figure it out BEFORE delivery day. It is not something you can just “wing” at hospital discharge, so have it ready.
Pregnancy Hospital Bag Checklist –FOR DADDY
Poor dad’s needs kinda get lost in the process of labor and delivery, but ladies your man will want to be there with you. My husband was a trooper. He fluffed my pillows, helped with baby positioning during breastfeeding, he washed my hair, changed diapers, walked me to the potty (also held my hand while I screamed during that first BM…OMG) and everything else I requested. He was my rockstar. We can’t forget daddy ladies. Things to bring for him in a separate bag.
1.)Change of clothes (2 days at least)- I’d stick to comfort, sweatpants and Long sleeve shirt…don’t forget hospitals are cold. Boxers, socks, pajamas.
2.)Basic toiletries like toothbrush. He can share your shower stuff and toothpaste in the pregnancy hospital bag.
3.)Pillow and Blanket- Our hospital did not provide these things for dad. I’ve heard some do and will even roll in a cot to sleep in for the dad, but don’t count on it. My husband slept on that hard sofa/couch thing with baby #1. For baby #2 he insisted on bringing an air mattress and he definitely used it.
4.)Ear Plugs and sleep mask– Hospitals are loud and bright places. Not only that the nurses will be coming in every hour or 2 to check your vitals, “massage” you tummy and bring baby to nurse (if you send baby back to nursery).
5.) Ipad for movies with chargers or a firestick– Our hospital had a TV with a DVD, but we don’t own DVD’s so that didn’t help. We watched shows on netflix on the Ipad.
6.)He needs his wallet, cash and coins. Food will be brought up for you from the cafeteria, but they will not feed your husband. He will need to fend for himself. Our hospital had a great cafeteria. There were also vending machines on the antepartum floor. Also, grubhub and doordash are available as well so I’d make sure your APPS are all set up to order that.
7.) Some tylenol, motrin or advil. The hospital will give him nothing
8.)Folder with insurance card, ID’s, etc…
THINGS TO LEAVE AT HOME!-YOU DON’T NEED THIS STUFF !
1.)Diapers and wipes- Hospital provides, but you will need these at home.
2.)Pacifiers-Hospital provides
3.) Breast pump-Hospital provides
4.)Boppy/breastfeeding pillow-Unecessary
5.) Bottles and Formula-If you need this then the hospital will provide it
6.) Infant carrier (ergo/baby Bjorn)- you won’t use this there, leave at home.
** CLICK HERE for my blog post Massive List of ESSENTIAL Baby Items to put on Baby Registry
** CLICK HERE for my blog post Key to Successful Breastfeeding
