What’s In My Hospital Bag

As of this week I am 36 weeks pregnant and this baby will be here very soon! That means it’s time to pack my hospital bag! I was very pleased with what I brought to the hospital when I had Margot and I’ve pared it down even more this time. In most cases the hospital provides what you need so you really don’t need to pack a lot! Here’s my list of what I am bringing:

What I’m wearing to the hospital

On the way to the hospital I’m planning to wear a nursing nightgown, a pair of comfy undies, my Barefoot Dreams cardigan, and slip on sneakers. Once we’re admitted I’ll change into the hospital provided gown and slipper socks but this way I’ll have a nursing gown and comfy cardigan with me if I want to wear them postpartum.

For the delivery room

For the delivery room I’m bringing a few things to make me more comfortable and to help me through labor. When we had Margot we brought a portable diffuser with lavender essential oil to mask the hospital smell and I’m so glad we did! We also used it in our recovery room. I brought a big cup with a straw for ice water – one of Matt’s jobs in labor was making sure I stayed hydrated and giving me sips of water. I’m sure some hospitals provide this but I wasn’t offered anything in labor so it’s a good idea to bring your own. The hospital also most likely won’t let you eat while in labor. I didn’t ask, but I brought some Luna bars just in case I got hungry and needed some calories for energy. I ended up having no appetite while in labor but we also brought juice boxes which was a Godsend! I started feeling like I needed some energy when I was close to pushing and sucked down two juice boxes quickly. In the moment it was the best thing I’ve ever tasted! We also had a file folder with three copies of our birth plan for the midwife, the nurses, and ourselves, and a pen. Finally, we brought two bags of chocolates for the nurse’s station just as a little thank you.

For recovery

I brought other clothes last time, but all I ended up wearing was a robe and the hospital provided mesh undies! So this time I am just bringing a robe and flip flops to wear in the shower. I’ll also bring a nursing tank and maternity leggings to wear home with my Barefoot Dreams cardigan, slip on sneakers, and an extra pair of comfy undies. For breast feeding I plan to bring these Medela Hydrogels. I prefer these to nipple cream as they are cooling, soothing, and stay on without being messy. Other than that I am bringing a long charging cord for my phone, toiletries and makeup, hair ties and clips, dry shampoo, and a brush. That’s it!

For the baby

The hospital provides diapers and wipes, little shirts and blankets, and a hat for the baby so we won’t need much for our stay. I’m terrible at swaddling with regular blankets so I am planning to bring my Ollie Swaddle so I can try to put her down while we sleep. I’m bringing one sleeper and hat to put on her to go home in, a muslin swaddle blanket to cover her with in the carseat, and a fuzzier blanket to put over that so she doesn’t get cold.

This all fits in one big tote bag and we should be good to go! Was there anything you had for your hospital stay that isn’t on my list? Let me know in the comments!