What I'm Packing in our Hospital Bags
Hey everyone! It’s crazy to be even saying this, but we are officially within one month of meeting baby B! Josh and I have been working hard to get everything ready and prepared for baby.. one of the most important things being packing our hospital bags! I had shared about this on my IG stories, and had a few people reach out to say they wanted me to share the deets, so here we go!
I want to start by saying I’m no pro over here. Obviously, I’m a first time mom & learning all the things just as much as whoever is reading this! But I did put a lot of thought and research into what we are packing, so I’m thinking/hoping I have a pretty good idea of what we will need. That being said, I’m also an “over preparer” and would rather bring too much than not enough. So I’m sure there may be some extra things that aren’t necessary, but make me feel prepared and less anxious. I’m sure next time around I will be able to simplify this list quite a bit!
I’ve listed what we packed in my bag, the baby’s, and Josh’s. I didn’t take pictures of Josh’s, but he’s in charge of some of the importance misc items, so I included his list too! PS, how cute is this floral duffel bag?? We ordered it from Amazon and it seems to be perfect for a hospital bag! :) It’s the perfect size and even has a pocket on the side for shoes. Anyways, let’s get started!
Here’s what I’ve packed:
Easy slide on slippers
Comfy Robe (but it’s also cheap, so I’m okay with it getting dirty)
Button down PJ gown (I’ve heard that this is so helpful! It’s comfy, is open at the bottom for the nurses to have access if necessary, and the buttons are great for breast feeding)
A few comfy clothes items to possibly wear there, but also to go home (I heard mixed opinions on whether I would need loose sweat pants or supportive leggings.. so I brought both just in case!)
Cozy cardigan (I’ve heard hospitals can be freezing! I originally had a hoodie on the list, but then read about how annoying that will be for breast feeding.. duh! Don’t know why I didn’t think of that)
Granny panties (cute, I know) that are okay to be ruined
Socks (regular & a fuzzy pair with grips)
Nursing tank
2 nursing bras
Toiletries bag (I’m bringing some travel size shower stuff just in case, but honestly will likely just take a body shower & use dry shampoo if necessary)
Flip flops for shower
CHAPSTICK — this was a very important one from what I hear & a necessity for me!
Some oils & rollers (my labor roller to stimulate labor if necessary & calming/energy oils for sure!)
Nipple butter
Extra Masks
Hand sani & wipes
Prenatal vitamins
A water cup (if you know me you know I LOVE water and my water bottles :) I later used my cricut to add a “mama” sticker. I’m sure this is an unnecessary addition, but it brings me joy!)
Polaroid camera & film
Folder for paperwork
Some extra cash (just in case)
Portable night light
Portable fan (this one can attach to my hospital bed & can later be used for the stroller)
An extra long phone charger (Another huge recommendation!)
Not Pictured, but added (or will be added later):
Iphone tripod & remote (Such a bummer that we won’t be able to have visitors to help us with pictures! But you know I’ll be wanting them, so a tripod will have to do :)
Iphone holder for facetime (We aren’t allowed to have visitors, so I’m sure we will be doing a lot of facetime!)
Pillow & blanket (This one was such a debate! I heard so many mixed opinions, and even my IG story was pretty split. Most people said it was unnecessary, but the ones who said to bring them said they were a MUST have! So I figure I would rather be safe than sorry, and next time can leave them home if I want.)
Perineal spray (I heard a lot of great things about the Earth Mama brand!)
Always Discreet adult diapers (I know they will have post partum stuff at the hospital, but I’ve heard this is really recommended! So I threw a few in just in case.)
Wallet (Id, insurance card, etc)
Nurses Baskets (We made one for L&D nurses & one for post partum)
Boppy nursing pillow (I’m not sure if we really need this, so I will likely just keep it in the car and Josh can go get it if necessary!)
I plan to have a “last minute” list ready for anything we need to throw in at GO time, so we don’t have to be worrying about forgetting anything!
What I Packed for Baby:
Announcement outfit & accessories (like her name sign!)
Going home outfit
A few extra onesies
A swaddle or two (& will possibly bring one of those velcro sleep swaddles)
Cute bows (because why not?!)
A burp cloth or two
Mittens, socks, & a hat (I’m not sure what the temp will be like in the hospital)
Our preferred baby wash & lotion (in case we don’t want to use the brand the hospital has)
Portable sound machine (this was pictured with my bag, but I switched it to baby’s)
Baby nail file
Car seat (obviously, this will be in the car until we are ready to be discharged)
What I packed for Josh:
Comfy clothes for 2 days or so (and something to sleep in)
Comfy slippers
Hoodie
Toiletries
Shower shoes
A book or something to do (Josh has been really in to Sudoku lately haha)
A water bottle
All the snacks!
Phone charger
Extra masks
Vitamins (or any medicine he would want for himself)
A speaker
His wallet
So that’s what we got! I feel like we’ve got quite the list, despite trying to be conscious about being somewhat minimal haha. Like I mentioned above, I know we may not need everything on this list, but it makes me feel prepared & excited. And as a first time mom who’s never experienced all this before, I think that’s what counts! Plus, we each have one bag and were able to fit everything we needed into them, which I think is the perfect amount. Do you have any other must haves?! Post it in the comments or send me a dm on insta! Hope you found this helpful :)