Hello sweet friends and readers! Long time no blog. Motherhood is the wildest hood I’ve ever been a part of, luckily it’s also the best. I am coming back from my blogging hiatus with 12 hospital bag must haves because I’ve got some wonderful mamas to be in my life who have asked for my recommendations. Truthfully, I’d love to come back to blogging more consistently and about a wider range of topics than babies but for right now, it’s still top of mind for me even though my son is 17 months old. If you’ve got something you think I might be helpful in weighing in on, don’t hesitate to comment or message me on my socials and let me know.
Hospital Bag Must Haves For Mom & Dad:
1. Loose & dark going home outfit for you
I wore very loose leggings and an oversized graphic tee –ya know, something long enough to cover your adult diaper butt. A loose, lounge set would be super cute. I didn’t have much postpartum swelling but it is very common, so consider packing sandals or similar in case your feet swell.
2. Loose clothing/nursing friendly clothes
This of course goes hand in hand with your going home outfit. However, if you want to nurse, plan for easy access. I’d recommend button night gowns or pj sets. Again, consider dark colors for those first few days. You only need clothes for after baby is born. I went to the hospital on Saturday for my induction, my son was born later Sunday night and we left on Tuesday. I wore my hospital gown Saturday and Sunday. Assuming everything goes smoothly, you probably only need 2-3 outfits max, not counting whatever you want to wear home.
3. Nursing Bras
If you’re a no bra girlie, you might not need these. My milk didn’t come in until day 4, so I wasn’t leaking in the hospital (though I’m sure some do.) However, I am a sports bra girl all the time so I wore one during labor and for the remainder of my stay. If you need a nursing bra recommendation, these were my absolute tried and true nursing bras for the entire 8 months that I nursed my son. The padding is sewn in… need I say more?
4. Long phone chargers
Extra long phone chargers for you and dad! Unless you happen to have a fast labor, there can be a lot of downtime and usually the outlets aren’t super close by. My husband and I had these from Amazon and they’re still going strong all these months later.
5. Your own toiletries/shower towel/chapstick
Think about the least luxurious hotel experience… it’s kind of like that. You will want your own body wash, face wash, etc. I packed my own towel after so many people told me to and I forgot to bring it in the bathroom with me. The hospital towels are laughably small. Bring your own, trust me. And lastly, chapstick. It’s dry in there!
6. Your own pillow
Maybe you’re not a pillow snob like me but man oh man I was glad to have mine. The first night in the hospital I was still very large and pregnant. Then you’re hooked up to things, not in your own bed. My pillow was unbelievably nice to have. I didn’t bring my own blanket and was fine with that but feel free to bring your own. I was afraid it was going to get “stuff” on it (gross stuff ya know).
Dad needs his own pillow and blanket too! This is one of the most important hospital bag must haves for dad. My husband insisted he would be fine. Man does he regret not listening to me. Not only was he on the most uncomfortable pull out couch but he was freezing under one blanket and had one sad hospital pillow because there was apparently a shortage. So, heed my warning. Everyone needs the best sleep they can muster in there.
7. Hoodies/jacket for dad
Obviously dad needs to pack clothes too but make sure he packs something warm! My husband had to leave and get a hoodie because he was so cold in the hospital.
8. Advil (& other meds) for dad
Because dad is not a patient, the hospital will not give him anything so pack accordingly.
The hospital will of course give you stool softeners after you’ve had the baby. They gave them to me for the first 24 hours. However, I was so nervous about that first postpartum poop that I requested continuous Colace for the entirety of my hospital stay. I also continued taking it for at least a week postpartum. So, you may consider bringing your own or at the very least having them ready for when you leave the hospital. The first postpartum poop was a breeze compared to the way people had described it.
9. Boppy or other nursing pillow
The Boppy was so dang helpful for months into our nursing journey but especially in the beginning. While it’s “natural” it doesn’t mean it’s easy or comes instinctually. The Boppy lets you be hands free. Baby rests on pillow so you can adjust position and latch.
10. Snacks!
If your doctor lets you eat during labor (yay!) as well as for after baby and for dad. Obviously they have to be non perishable snacks but think about things that actually bring sustenance, like protein bars, beef jerky, etc.
Hospital Bag Must Haves For Baby
1. Zip or Velcro swaddles
This might be the number 1 thing on the whole dang list! Blanket swaddling is for the birds. The last thing you want to be doing is baby origami in the middle of the night on no sleep. Not to mention, worrying they’re going to break free and the blanket is going to cover their face. Nope. No thank you.
I used these velcro swaddles in the hospital and for the first few weeks! They were great for when they are smaller and you really want to keep them cocooned. Then I found my number 1 baby registry recommendation, the love to dream swaddle and never looked back. You just can’t beat the simplicity of the zipper and i’ve never met a baby that didn’t love the “arms up” position it allows.
2. Baby’s going home outfit (& announcement sign if that’s your thing!)
Remember, baby has to go in a car seat so the baby “sacks” that tie on the bottom don’t really work unless you just want to untie it for the ride. Also, unless you plan to wait to post your new sweet babe on socials for the day you leave the hospital or once you get home, you may want a first picture outfit and a going home outfit.
I am nothing if not reasonable which is why the rest of this list exists. Do you absolutely NEED these next things or you won’t make it? Of course not. But are they reaaalllly nice to have? YES. And a few of them are things that I didn’t bring with my son that I will absolutely bring with my next child.
Hospital Bag Would Be Nice To Haves:
1. Frida Mom Peri Bottle
The hospital gives you a peri bottle that is certainly adequate BUT I didn’t know what I was missing! I had the Frida mom peri bottle at home and once I used it, I wished I had had it at the hospital.
2. Frida Mom Disposable Underwear or Adult diapers
Again, the pad and mesh underwear combo the hospital gives you is totally fine. I had even packed the Frida Mom disposable underwear but was in such a sleepless fog, I never got them out. I wish I had. They were just all around more comfortable and everything felt more secure.
I wrote an entire blog on my postpartum must haves if you need those recommendations too! I deep dive on all things postpartum care and give a review of the Frida mom postpartum kit. There are a few postpartum items on that list (like the Frida mom ice packs) that I think were a tad overrated but would have perhaps been more helpful to have in the hospital rather than when I got home.
Related blogs you might enjoy: Our Birth Story, 9 Postpartum Must Haves
3. Sound Machine
I didn’t listen when people told me to bring our Hatch sound machine. It felt like another cumbersome thing to pack. Well, that dreaded 2nd night everyone warns you about ended up being even harder than I imagined. It resulted in me playing white noise from Spotify and that worked well enough to get us through. They have 12 hours no breaks on Spotify if you end up trying to lighten your packing load too. Looking back, not only would the white noise have been helpful to drowned out the hospital noises (babies are used to consistent loud noise inside your belly!) but the nightlight feature would have been amazing for the middle of the night diaper changes, for both of you.
4. Breast pump
The hospital has pumps in case breastfeeding doesn’t take off as smoothly as you hope so you likely don’t need yours. However, whether you need to pump in the hospital or not, it can be helpful for the lactation consultants to teach you how to use your specific pump.
5. 1-2 Newborn outfits with zippers OR night gowns
These would be in addition to the going home outfit and the first picture outfit, if those are not one and the same. I didn’t bring my son any outfits besides his going home outfit and a swaddle/hat combo for his first picture. He just wore the little hospital baby shirt underneath the swaddles and was perfectly fine. However, when they’re not swaddled, you might want them to look a little cuter wearing their new baby clothes.
6. Pacifiers
If you think you might want your baby to use them, you could pack a couple different options. The hospital has some but in case baby isn’t a fan of a certain type. I know some people want to wait until their breastfeeding relationship is established which makes sense. I felt similarly and didn’t really use any in the hospital but looking back, they may have helped comfort him during that tough 2nd night.
And lastly, a couple things you don’t need to bring:
Multiple sizes for baby
We anticipated my son possibly being big and I had heard that I should bring newborn and 0-3 months just in case. He was 9lb 1oz and still wore newborn clothes for 3+ weeks. You don’t need to bring 0-3 month clothes.
Diaper bag or other products for baby
Unless you want to pack their clothes/swaddles in the diaper bag to keep it separate from your stuff. Otherwise, you don’t need diapers, wipes, formula, etc.
Your own labor gown
I mean sure, maybe they’re nice and you’ll look a little cuter than the rest of us but its true what they say, you reaaallllyyy won’t care what you look like. So unless you’ve got money to spare or someone buys it for you, I would skip this one.
Extra postpartum care items
Perhaps bring the disposable underwear/adult diapers like I mentioned above and maybe ice packs if you want, but the hospital provides things like tucks pads and dermoplast so you don’t really need to pack those extra care items.
I hope you found my 12 hospital bag must haves list thorough without being excessive! If there is anything at all that you have questions about or want my opinions on, feel free to comment below or message me on my Instagram @therelatablered.
I know how those last few weeks have a way of dragging on but they’ll be here before you know it, I promise. If the waiting is getting to you like it did to me, just know there are very few times in your life where you get to sit in anticipation of the best day of your life.
