WHAT DO I REALLY NEED IN MY HOSPITAL BAG?
There are TONS of hospital bag checklist. When preparing my bag, I wanted it to be simple and essential. So I wondered, “what do I REALLY needed. Here is what I packed (and didn’t pack) in my hospital bag. My bag was packed at 36 weeks, and I went into labor at 38 and 39 weeks with my boys. I included an (*) symbol on items we did not end up using with either delivery, but packed just in case.
Scroll down for a quick checklist!
For Momma & Delivery Partner (DP)
- Hospital bag
- Overnight sized duffle type bag.
- I casually packed my bag over time as I had things to add versus all at once.
- Packing checklist
- I created a “packing checklist” memo in my phone and added items as I thought of them. I also printed the checklist and kept it on top of the hospital bag just in case we were running out the door (which we did), we could do a quick check to make sure we had everything packed.
- Birth plan & birth aid
- Two birth plan copies.
- Visualization & breathing aid cheat sheet I created*.
- Phone, headphones & chargers
- A long charger is a must.
- TIP: Both pregnancy’s were 12-hour labors which outpaced the battery life of my wireless headphones. So I wanted to go old school and used wired headphones, but new phones don’t have a headphone port. I purchased this adapter so I could charge my phone AND listen to music without having to worry about my headphone battery life (stress free delivery).
- Music or meditation playlist(s)
- Downloaded Hollie DeCruz Hypnobirthing hypnosis tracks.
- Prepared an upbeat and calming Spotify birth playlist*.
- Snacks
- Snacks are a must. Think grab & go like protein bars. Delivery can be long and unpredictable. The cafeteria may be far away from your room, closed, or your DP may not want to leave the room to get a snack. I packed protein bars and even made a PB&J that I ate on the way to the hospital knowing I would be on a liquids diet.
- Flip flops
- Easy to slip on when getting in/out of bed. Preferred over slippers (I wouldn’t have wanted to bring them home after walking all over the hospital).
- Toiletries
- The hospital will supply you with essentials like shampoo, body wash, etc. I packed toothbrush, hairbrush, hair clip, deodorant, face moisturizer, lotion (naturally scented), dry shampoo. I left the blow dryer and hair straightener behind.
- Makeup (yes this needs its own line item)
- I had on foundation during labor and hospital stay. I put on more makeup for going home.
- Cute and comfortable going home outfit
- For me that was a pair of high waisted leggings (yes please), loose shirt, and sneakers.
- Nursing bra
- I only used with my going home outfit, otherwise I was braless in the hospital. Being braless was comfortable, but also easy for frequent feedings and visits from lactation consultants.
- Underwear
- For my coming home outfit, I used regular prematernity underwear and stuck the hospital provided pads. Think boy short or full panty.
- At the hospital I used all of the provided postpartum selfcare items (see what I skipped packing list below).
- Sweater
- I wish I had packed. I was cold and wanted something to cover my upper body.
- Meds
- Travel size bottle with prenatal vitamins, pain reliever, plus Benadryl (incase my husband couldn’t sleep), and other regular medications.
- Book & entertainment*
- Brought a book & laptop just in case. My husbanded watched the hospital TV and I was in the zone listening to my prepared tracks or sleeping. Then once baby was born, we kept busy with baby, getting checked on by doctors and nurses, visits from registration, baby photographer, and resting.
- Delivery partner essentials
- My husband used a backpack and packed similar items like above especially because he stayed overnight. We were issued a standard private room which had a pullout sofa bed. You can check your hospitals rooms in advance, so you know what to prepare for. After a natural birth with no complications, we were home in 2 days.
- IDs
- Driver’s license*
For Baby
- Velcro swaddle (must have)
- The hospital will provide you with receiving blankets to swaddle, but it’s a little hard to “get right”. We used the SwaddleMe swaddle initially since they are easy to use, run small for a newborn, and do not ride up to baby’s neck. After around 9lbs we switched over to the Halo Sleepsack swaddle.
- Nail file or rotary file
- Baby’s are active movers and their nails are sharp which leads them to scratch their face. I prefer filing over using mittens, so you can still see baby’s hands. I have a love/hate relationship with this electric nail filer, but I find it easier to use than an emery board.
- Cute baby going home outfit
- Personalized outfit for baby’s coming home day! Etsy is great for this.
- Baby clothes*
- Two newborn onesies with matching pairs of socks and hats, but we ended up using the hospital provided ones. They typically do not provide socks, so it would be good to bring your own just in case. I did use a beanie hat with my first since he had a pointed head from delivery.
- Car seat
- Required before you can leave the hospital.
- TIP: Install before baby is born! A good time is around the time you are planning your hospital bag. They are tricky to install at first and you want to be sure you aren’t figuring it out the night of (oops).
What We Skipped Packing
- Extra bags
- From hospital provided items (pumping gear, postpartum supplies, etc.), to gifts, and of course your little one, you will leave the hospital with A LOT more than you walked in with. We used hospital provided bags for surplus.
- Robe, nursing tanks, or any other extra clothes
- I was in the hospital gown the entire time and LOVED it. During delivery you move a lot. Having the freedom of the hospital gown open back and button sleeves made everything easy for me, nurses and doctors. Also, I think this is a special time and wearing a hospital gown marked the occasion; I loved the natural look of our photos.
- PJs
- I lived in the hospital gowns and didn’t find a need for separate PJs.
- Socks for me
- The hospital will provide you with a pair(s). Plus, I didn’t want to bring my own socks after having walked around the hospital room floor.
- Breast pump
- The hospital will bring a hospital grade pump including all of the set-up gear.
- Postpartum selfcare items
- The hospital will provide you with essentials like, mesh underwear (they are so comfortable and perfect), long & thick pads, peri bottle, medicated witch hazel cooling pads, Dermoplast first-aid spray (amazing), Lanolin cream for breastfeeding.
- TIP: You can take home what you don’t use, and can even ask for a little more (see my separate post on use and reuse of hospital provided items).
- Nursing pads
- In the first days your body is only producing colostrum which is very thick. I only started leaking when my full supply came in (a few days later) and stopped leaking when my supply regulated.
- Baby care items
- The hospital will provide baby with their first bath and all needed essentials.
- TIP: We LOVE this Medline soap from the hospital, it smells exactly like newborn baby and it’s a no-rinse solution.
- Diaper bag
- The hospital provides all baby essentials like diapers and cream. You will likely have enough left over to take home as well.
- I packed baby’s clothes with my own to avoid multiple bags. I may have considered packing a diaper bag if we had a long commute home.
- Blanket, sleeping pillow, or breastfeeding pillow
- The hospital will provide you with blankets and standard pillows. I did not want to lug around anything extra.
- SLR camera
- We used our phones. This is personal preference, but phones now have amazing quality.
Quick Hospital Bag Checklist
Here is a short and practical hospital bag check list from a 2nd time mom. For details and including tips on the items I packed, review the full post.
I included an (*) symbol on items we did not end up using with either delivery but packed just in case.
For Momma & Delivery Partner
- Hospital bag
- Packing checklist
- Birth plan & birth aid
- Phone, headphones & chargers
- Music or meditation playlist(s)
- Snacks
- Flip flops
- Toiletries
- Makeup (yes this needs its own line item)
- Cute and comfortable going home outfit
- Nursing bra
- Underwear
- Sweater
- Medications
- Book & entertainment*
- Delivery partner essentials
- Drivers license
For Baby
- Velcro swaddle (must have)
- Nail file or rotary file
- Cute baby going home outfit
- Baby clothes*
- Car seat
What We Skipped Packing
- Extra bags (hospital provides “personal belonging” bags for surplus)
- Robe, nursing tanks, or any other extra clothes
- PJs
- Socks for me
- Breast pump
- Postpartum selfcare items
- Nursing pads
- Baby care items
- Diaper bag
- Blanket, sleeping pillow, or breastfeeding pillow
- SLR camera
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