my hospital bag
Welp, still no baby! Any guesses on how long this little guy is gonna stay put? :D
Today I’m sharing a list of things I’ve packed in my hospital bag for labor. I’ll premise this by saying that this is my third baby, the third hospital I will have delivered in, and my third birth plan. Having gone through pregnancy, delivery and postpartum twice now, I feel like I’ve learned some things and feel much more relaxed going into the birth process this time around. Hopefully I can share some of that wisdom and calm with you today! (Especially you first time mamas—don’t worry, friend. You’ve got this!)
I went into my first delivery three weeks before my due date and with no birth plan aside from knowing I wanted an epidural. I ended up being put on pitocin and laboring for about 14 hours. The experience, looking back, was not ideal, but it was overall a pretty positive one (aside from those relentless pitocin contractions—ouch!) For my second baby, I really wanted to have a medication-free birth. I had read extensively about the benefits of natural birth to mom and baby and wanted to give us both that gift, if I could. I went to the hospital armed with a page-long birth plan, a special playlist saved to my phone, and a stack of “birth affirmations” for my husband to read to me when things got difficult. (I was going through a very “zen mama” phase, you guys.) Let’s just say that by the time those birth affirmations came out all I wanted to do was launch them at my husband’s head—haha! The best laid plans :D. Anyway, I did end up getting the medication-free birth experience I had hoped for and have only positive things to say about it—it was, without a doubt, the most empowering thing I’ve ever done! BUT, there are SO MANY ways to have a baby and each experience is beautiful and brave, so I’m preparing this list with ALL mamas in mind :).
So, onto the list! Things to pack in your hospital bag:
1) A printed-out birth plan. Whether you have only one or two preferences for your labor experience or have a very specific plan in mind, it’s important to bring a copy of your birth plan to give to your care team. Often, your nurse will post it on the wall for reference. You can include intervention preferences, instructions for cord clamping, etc.
2) Comfortable clothes. Whether you deliver naturally, with an epidural, or via c-section, you’ll need to recover after delivery. And that means REST. So bring loose-fitting, comfortable clothing like lounge pants, nursing bras and tops, a robe or cozy sweater, slippers, cozy socks and cotton briefs. The hospital will provide you with weird, mesh underwear for after delivery. These are nice to have and are useful for those first couple of days of heavy bleeding post-delivery, but I like to bring my own cotton panties as well for comfort. If you want to be fancy and pack a special going-home outfit, go for it. After two babies, my plan is comfy clothes only :).
3) Maxi-pads. Speaking of bleeding, there’s gonna be a lot of that going on after you deliver. The hospital will provide you with the biggest maxi pads you’ve ever seen. Are they effective? Yes. Do they feel like wearing a diaper? Also yes. If you bring your own box from home, you can switch out of the hospital ones and into your own as bleeding slows.
4) Perineal spray. The hospital will likely provide you with something called a “peri bottle” after delivery. It’s basically a squeeze bottle that you fill with warm water and use to gently clean your downstairs. If you have any tearing or stitches, though, there will be a lot of stinging going on. An herbal spray, like this one from Earth Mama, can help soothe the area and reduce discomfort as you heal.
5) Nursing pads and lanolin cream. With both of my girls, my milk didn’t come in until after I left the hospital (I think three days post-delivery with my first and two days post-delivery with my second.) But baby will need to nurse right away to get the health benefits of colostrum, which your body starts making before you give birth. While baby learns to latch and nurse, your nipples can become raw and painful. A lanolin-based nipple cream helps tremendously.
6) Toiletries. Have a toiletry bag packed with personal care items like a tooth brush and toothpaste, face wash and moisturizer, cosmetics, etc. After an intense labor, it’s nice to be able to freshen up with your own products and not the industrial-style options provided by the hospital!
7) Phone charger and camera/other electronics. While you likely won’t have time to watch movies on your laptop, there will be some down time while baby sleeps. So pack an extra phone charger in your bag ahead of time, and if you plan to bring a camera to the hospital to capture those first precious hours, make sure you have a charger and extra memory card for that too.
8) Clothing and toiletries for your support person. If you plan to have a husband or other support person with you at the hospital, make sure you’ve packed a change of clothes and toiletries for them, too! (Also pajamas if they will be staying with you overnight.) I remember after my first baby was born, my husband had to run home for something and I hated being left at the hospital without him. Best to just have everything packed and ready to go beforehand!
9) Diaper bag with special items for baby. I have my diaper bag packed separately from my hospital bag. In it, I have some special clothing items for those first photos, a sweet little engraved birth announcement, swaddle blankets and diapers and wipes. Keep in mind that the hospital will provide diapers, wipes, a blanket and clothing for your babe, so you could skip the diaper bag altogether. I wanted something more than the little pink and blue hospital items, though, so I am bringing my own.
10) Snacks. While most hospitals have cafeterias and room service, the menu is limited and so are the operating hours. If there’s a treat you know you’ll be looking forward to after delivery like your favorite candy bar or trail mix, bring it with you! You may also want some snack items to get you through those middle of the night feedings while the cafeteria is closed.
I also wanted to note some things that you WON’T need to bring with you to the hospital. 1) A water bottle. The hospital will provide you with a HUGE water bottle and will keep it filled for you, so there’s no need to take up precious bag space for this one! 2) A breast pump. Like I said, your milk likely won’t come in while you’re at the hospital. And if it does, the hospital has a pump you can use while you’re there. 3) Pain medications. Your care team will provide any pain medications you need both during and after delivery (including things like ibuprofen), so there’s no need to pack your own. 4) Towels/blankets/pillows. These are items that take up a lot of space and to be honest, you just don’t need them. The hospital will provide and replenish as many of these items as you need to be comfortable.
Interested in where I found the items in my hospital bag? Here are a list of links!
1) Knit pants
2) Cora Organic overnight pads
4) Universal Thread waffle crew socks
6) Universal Thread weekender bag
7) Earth Mama herbal perineal spray
That’s all for today, friends! Maybe next time we chat I’ll have a newborn? Fingers crossed!!
xo
