What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag
I remember searching on Pinterest for countless hours about what to pack in your hospital bag when I gave birth. I wanted to be prepared and have everything I needed. HA! It’s never what you think it’s going to be like.
I did have almost everything I needed but there were a few things I missed. Also, this list is what I liked or wish I had, everyone is different. Don’t go out and spend a lot of money on stuff (unless you want to of course) because really the only thing you need is your vagina and that’s it!
The hospital does supply a lot of stuff for you. More than you would think. Most say you don’t need anything but that but I wanted to be extra comfy so I brought other things.
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First, let me share with you what will be in the “bag” the hospital gives you. All hospitals are different but I delivered twice at the same place and each time I was given a plastic bag full of stuff.
Here is what was inside the bag the hospital supplied after giving birth:
1 – swaddle
2 – baby hat
3 – white onesie
4 – nasal aspirator (sucky thing)
5 – comb
6 – mesh undies
7 – pads (the world’s biggest ones)
8 – squirt bottle (to clean with)
9 – skin numbing spray
10 – witch hazel pads
11 – wipes
12 – diapers
13 – painkillers!
What I added to my hospital bag:
1 – swaddles
2 – pillows
3 – blankets
4 – pacifier
5 – boppy pillow
6 – wipes and diapers
7 – phone chargers
8 – flip flops/slippers
9 – nursing bra
10 – comfy clothes/ nursing clothes
11 – makeup and toiletries (I’m not going to list them all)
12 – camera (fully charged)
13 – going home outfit
14 – extra onesies
15 – glasses and extra contacts
Swaddle
The hospital will supply their first swaddle. Que first photos of your sweet baby! The swaddles do their job great but if you want a cuter one make sure to pack another or two in your bag. I use to hand make and sell muslin swaddles in my past life so I’m a swaddle snob. I had tons of them and took them everywhere with me! Above and below are two of my favorites ever!!
Baby Hat
The hospital does supply a cute gender neutral beanie for the baby and they are soft and work great but again bring one if you have something specific in mind.
Baby Clothes
Again the hospital will supply a white newborn onesie and they will work but I would definitely bring extras and your cute take home outfit!
Nasal Aspirator
A nasal aspirator. It sounds scary but it’s just those blue sucky things that the hospital supplies. I had to use mine a few times with Ella and it scared the crap out of us the first time we needed it.
She was choking on a bit of after birth and we had to suck it out of her mouth. I would take all of these that you can they are great for snot too!
Mesh Undies
Time to strut your stuff and show off your new favorite undies! They are very big and very soft. They supply a bunch of these and they come in handy to hold the giant pads (more on those next).
Pads
The hospital will supply pads and hey are like none you have ever used before! They are super long and thick. They have to be to soak up all of the stuff that comes out after you give birth.
And while we are on the subject be prepared to bleed a lot. And not just for a few days, lucky me bled for 8 weeks after each of my births. It lightened up after a few days to a normal period type flow.
Check out the video below for more info!
Squirt Bottle
They supply a bottle that you can add warm water to and use to spray up to clean everything while you are on the toilet. It does feel good and helps keep everything cleaner.
Skin Numbing Spray
They supply the world’s best spray to spray on your under area after you clean it. It helps a lot! I want to say it’s antibacterial too!
Witch Hazel Pads
These really cool round wet pads that have healing witch hazel on them. I would put three of them from the top of my pad to the bottom. Don’t skip these help a lot too!
Wipes and Diapers
I did not know that they would supply wipes and diapers the first time. They had plenty of both and even had wipes that were more for washing then wiping. Snag all that you can! And the diapers were Pampers brand and were nice but I always liked Huggies better myself.
Pain Killers
Your new best friend! After birth, you will still have contractions ew and I lucky me had sciatica so after my epidural ran out I still had sciatica and loved the pin pills! They are safe to take while breastfeeding too!
Pillows
My husband thought I was insane for packing two pillows and totally thanked me later. They do take up a lot of room in the bags but I wouldn’t go without them. He used one and I used one because the hospital ones suck.
Boppy Pillow
People either cannot live without them or never use them. I was one that could not live without my boppy pillow and even bought a second one to have. Don’t forget you can sit on them yourself too. Trust me on this, I dare you to try it!
Again I used to make covers and love my boppy so much so treat yourself to some really cute ones! This is something that is taken with you room to room so make sure it’s a pattern you really like!
Pacifiers
This is going to be something that is a sore subject at the hospital. Nurses will tell you not to use one because it hinders breastfeeding. I don’t believe that but you can if you want.
YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO!
If you want to use a paci do it. IF you don’t then don’t. It’s simple. I am not sure why they get a bad rap because I swear I wouldn’t have survived without them.
The first night we brought Annabelle home was crazy. We had no clue what we’re doing. For some odd reason, we thought we be hip and try the no pacifier route. Dumb.
After hours of fussing and not going to sleep (my milk hadn’t come in yet), we finally remembered the pacifier. I can still remember the smile on my husbands face when we put it in her mouth and she stopped crying. She instantly fell asleep and was perfectly content. It was amazing! We never looked back.
This is the pacifier both girls loved and you start with the smallest and go up.
Remember there are tons of styles and sizes. If one doesn’t work try another one! And once you find the one they like buy 5-10. Trust me buy them and have the extras, you will need them!
Moms Clothes and Shoes
Bring comfy, very baggy, loose-fitting shirts and pants. Make sure to bring a nightgown or shorts too. Thanks to hormones I was drenched in sweat and kept having to change my clothes.
As for the shoes, I would bring flip flops to shower in and slippers. Comfy slip-on shoes too so you don’t have to bend over and tie your shoes. Or make your husband do it for you. It’s the least they can do since you just gave birth to their offspring.
Tech
Bring cameras, phones, and all chargers!
Hospital Back Checklists
I wanted to share some hospital bag checklist with you to make sure I covered all of my bases. Check out these lists from other moms!
Video of What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag
Thanks so much for stopping by and letting me help with what to pack in your hospital bag. I am sure there is stuff I missed and I would love to add it to the list. Let me know what I should add by commenting below.
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