I have been so behind in getting my hospital bag together. I am pretty sure with Aiden I had everything ready to go at 35 weeks! I finally got my stuff together and thought I would share my hospital bag essentials for mom, dad, and baby.
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15 Hospital Bag Essentials for Mom, Dad and Baby:
Packing a hospital bag is always challenging in the sense that you need to pack a few weeks in advance so you can’t pack anything you need for daily life. However, the purpose of packing is so that you don’t forget anything. Also, you may be in the hospital for one day if you are planning a vaginal delivery, but if there are complications or you end up with a c-section you could be in the hosptial for as many as three days!
I’ve found the easiest way to pack is to pack three bags. One for me which comes into the hospital when we arrive, one for my husband which stays in the car until after the delivery, and one for the baby. I use our diaper bag for our baby’s bag since he really won’t need much.
I’ve found packing can be especially challenging for my husband. He doesn’t have a lot of extra stuff that I can just pack away for three weeks. The good news is, he can leave so he doesn’t need much. This time around I ordered a Basic Outfitter create a drawer for Dan. The package comes with four pairs of socks, three pairs of underwear, sweatpants, and a t-shirt or sweatshirt. We’ve ordered these before and really like the quality so I knew I could pack these basic essentials for the hospital and then he would get good use out of them moving forward. I packed a couple of extra t-shirts for him too.
The baby bag is pretty easy. They definitely don’t need much! I packed a newborn size going home outfit and a 0-3 month size going home outfit, hat, blanket, pacifiers and that’s about it.
My bag is the fullest! Here are my hospital bag essentials:
Hospital Essentials for Labor:
- Headphones — I found this wireless headphones headband that will be perfect for labor.
- Essential Oils — I have a labor blend to diffuse and a rollerball
- Birth Preferences — This is basically my “birth plan” I have several copies to provide to the nurses, doctors, and Dan
- Copy of Pregnancy History from the doctor
- Cooling Towel
Post Labor Hospital Essentials:
- Robe
- Going Home Outfit — Comfy pants and shirt (Bring something that would still fit around 5-months pregnant)
- Nuroo Pocket Shirt — I love this shirt for a new baby. It’s perfect for skin-to-skin time!
- Highrise Underwear/Disposable Post-Partum Underwear — I’ve heard these disposable post-partum underwear are great for moms who have had a vaginal delivery.
- Nursing Bras/Nursing Tanks
- Dermoplast/Earth Mama Herbal Perineal Balm
- Fridababy MomWasher Peri Bottle
- Toiletries: Toothbrush/Toothpaste, Cleansing Face Wipes, Chapstick, Hair Elastics, Nipple Cream (if you plan to breastfeed)
- Boppy Nursing Pillow (if you plan to breastfeed)
- Cheap Flip-Flops — You don’t want to shower in the hospital barefoot!
Don’t forget your electronics! You may want to bring your camera (don’t forget to charge the battery in advance) and your cell phone charger (consider getting an extra long cord).
Do you have any must-pack hospital bag essentials? I would love to hear about them in the comments!
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