If you’re reading this, it probably means you’re in your third trimester and you’re trying to figure out what you need to get packed for the big day- the day you FINALLY meet your new family member! Toward the end of my pregnancy, I got super nervous. After my water broke and we loaded in the car, I actually cried on the way to the hospital because I was scared. My best advice for you is this: don’t be like me. Having a baby is hard work, but the doctors and nurses know what they’re doing and they’ve likely done it a hundred times before.
I love how she captured our family!
I wanted to be extremely prepared, but it was so hard for me to decide what to pack in my hospital bag. Looking at all of the lists on Pinterest was extremely overwhelming. I was like, ‘Are you kidding me? We’re going to look like crazy people bringing our entire house to the hospital!’ But in fact, everyone brings their whole house to the hospital when they’re moving in for a few days. So in an effort to help you be prepared and feel peaceful, I’m outlining what you need, what you don’t need, and some things you may want for your hospital stay. Trust me, it’s less than you think.
What you need:
- Just go ahead and put a towel in your car. You never know what may happen. My water broke at home so I was thankful to have a towel to sit on.
- Pillow and blanket. The hospital room will be freezing and your spouse/mom/dad/grandma/whoever is staying with you is going to need that blanket. And the hospital pillows aren’t great.
- Black nursing tank. Black is important. The Medela Slimming nursing tank is amazing because it sucks everything in and makes you feel a little better. I still wear this one under things to help hide the extra tummy fluff.
- Black robe. This is nice to slip on over your tank and mesh undies when family/guests come visit.
- Lanolin, nipple butter, or whatever you plan to use to help your aching boobs if you’re going to be nursing your baby. Breastfeeding is HARD (but worth it).
- Slippers or non-skid socks to wear to the bathroom.
- Camera. Take pictures of everything.
- Chargers for phone, camera, etc.
- Hair ties.
- Face wash. It’ll feel so good to wash your face.
- Toothbrush/toothpaste. Hairbrush. Any other toiletries you use. I didn’t take a shower while we were there (we only stayed one full night) but pack your shower stuff too, just in case. You may end up staying longer than you planned.
- Hand lotion and chapstick since the hospital is super cold/dry.
- An outfit to bring baby home in. I took one newborn outfit and one 0-3 mo. outfit just in case he was bigger/longer than we expected!
- An outfit for you to wear home (I opted for this black nursing dress/gown I found online).
- Baby book for handprints, footprints, etc. The nurses will usually be nice enough to do this for you!
You may also want:
- Nursing pillow. The pillow is a nice arm support for when friends and family want to hold your baby and obviously handy for nursing or bottle feeding, especially after what your body has just been through.
- Special swaddle/hat set for pictures.
- A couple of snacks. Snickers are my guilty pleasure, but it’s nice to have something to munch on between meals.
- Hair dryer, flat iron, and makeup. I didn’t use any of this stuff in the hospital, but if we had stayed longer I definitely would have wanted it.
- Something to read… if you’re a reader and don’t end up just staring at your sweet new babe the whole time. And if your baby has to visit the NICU, this may be nice to have.
- Flip flops for the shower, if you’re a germaphobe, like me.
- Dry Shampoo. You’re a mom now. It’s your best friend. This is my favorite kind.
- Portable sound machine. Introducing white noise to soothe your baby can help create good sleep habits early on!
- Mini-bottle of champagne to toast your new bundle of joy. We didn’t do this, but had friends that suggested it.
- A visitor’s guestbook. We had a page in our baby book that visitors could sign, so when we look back on his birth, he’ll know who came to visit him!
What you DON’T need:
- Underwear. I know that seems strange but you’ll be wearing the hospital’s mesh undies for the next few days, and if you’re lucky they’ll send you home with some extra. I packed underwear and never used it.
- Jewelry. One of my friends lost a special piece of jewelry because they made her take her pieces off when she was admitted (in case of emergency C-Section). So just leave your wedding ring (which probably doesn’t fit anyway) and any other jewelry at home or in your bag until after delivery.
- Pads/Feminine products, ibuprofen, Dermaplast spray, and anything else you’ve read that you’ll need for post-partum care. The hospital provides this stuff, and most of their products are higher quality anyway. They even have pads that double as ice packs (praise the Lord for whoever invented that!). And they’ll likely send you home with extras. Just make sure you have the basics at home!
- Diapers, wipes, diaper cream, burp cloths, or anything you think baby might need. The hospital provides all of this too, which is nice because it’s less stuff you have to pack! As long as you have all of this at home, you’ll be good to go.
What you NEED can also depend on how long you’ll be in the hospital, but sometimes a long stay is unplanned. Keep in mind your husband, friends/family, community of supporters will be happy to run and get you anything else you might want. But do yourself a favor and just wait until they admit you and have your husband, mom, dad, or whoever run back out to the car to grab all of your belongings. You don’t want to be toting that stuff back out if they say you aren’t quite ready yet.
Having and raising a baby is a whole new ballgame but God designed you to be in this role. He gave YOU this blessing and responsibility, chose YOU to be this baby’s mother. So just keep yourself focused and imagine that tiny, squishy face resting on your chest and try to ignore the rest. You’ve got this, momma, and God’s got you!
