THE LIFESTYLE JOURNAL

I wasn’t sure I was going to have (or take) the time to write a ‘what’s in my hospital bag’ blog post, but since baby girl is now past her due date, and there’s not a whole lot else happening yet, I figured why not.

Besides, I know how much I appreciated and benefitted from lots of other blog posts, Youtube videos, and input from friends & fam. It was helpful in terms of deciding what’s essential to bring to the hospital for labor & delivery and what I’m likely to never even bother taking out of my bag.

After all, you’re there to give birth, which is pretty all-consuming in & of itself – ha.

I wanted to lean into bringing a few ‘comforts’ with me as I’m not a big fan of hospitals to begin with, but I also don’t want to look like I’m moving in for a month.

So I tried to curate and consolidate this list down as much as possible, striving for preparedness, and also realizing the hospital will also have me covered for a lot of things, too!

Here’s a quick peek at the majority of what’s in my bag(s), as well as more detailed checklists below.

I wanted to be detailed but not every single little thing is on the graphic (just fyi)! It sounds like a tonnn of stuff, but it all fits inside my diaper bag and a carry-on (other than my pillow, blanket, and nursing pillow)!

I linked anything/everything that wasn’t incredibly obvious like ‘toothpaste’ (haha) and of course, there are tons of options for all of these things, so it’s up to your preferences!

Edit – I went back through this list post delivery and added a star(*) next to the things I actually used and would recommend &/or bring again myself if/when there’s a next time. I also added some additional notes throughout if there was more to share about a particular item!

BAGS + ITEMS TO CARRY

• Caraa Diaper Bag*
• Pehr On the Go Pouch*
• Caraa Baby Pouch*
• Beis Carry-On Roller*
  • Having a roller was nice, but the hospital did provide a luggage caddy of sorts for later loading up the car. So if you can fit your stuff into more of a weekender bag, I’d recommend it since space can be tight and it’s tricky to find a place to easily open up a roller bag and get in & out of it.
• Beis Laundry Bag* (or any small laundry bag for dirty clothes!)
• Barefoot Dreams Blanket*
  • Soo glad I brought this! I was freezing immediately after my delivery and was so thankful I had this super soft and comforting blanket for the nurses to lay over me and to sleep with that evening.
• Pillow with Satin Pillowcase*
• Boppy Nursing Pillow + Cover*
• Coat + sunglasses (TBD based on weather)
• Empty tote bag (for bringing home hospital freebies)
  • Didn’t end up needing this. The nurses packed things in big white bags for me.

ESSENTIALS

• Baby’s car seat + mirror + baby blanket* (installed in car)
• Wallet & paperwork* (insurance card, ID, birth plan/preferences list)
  • They did ask me if I had a birth plan and I was glad I had a bulleted, one-pager to break out and hand over to them. Although plans often change, establishing those intentions was really helpful for all initially being on the same page.
• NEEDED hydration sticks
• Snacks (Z bars, trail mix, pretzels, goldfish, protein bars)
• Stanley Water Bottle*
  • I ended up buying an Owala water bottle a couple days before heading to the hospital and I’m obsessed. It’s leakproof, and has a built-in straw that’s easier to sip out of than the Stanley, and an open spout if you preferring sipping that way.
• Gum

DEVICES & ENTERTAINMENT

Honestly, who knows if or what of this stuff I’ll use or really pay much attention to, but it doesn’t hurt to have it! I kept hearing about needing an extra long phone charger, but I have this great portable charging pack that I use when traveling so I’m just bringing that. It plugs right into your phone and recharges via a wall outlet.

• Bluetooth speaker + charger* + labor playlist on Spotify
  • Loved having this – we listened to a combo of a Bon Iver playlist and worship music on Spotify and it really helped set the mood at points when I was struggling!
• Phone charger + portable charging pack*
• Kindle
• iPad & charger*
  • The only time this was used was in the first few hours after being admitted for the induction. We watched the Love is Blind Season 6 Reunion (haha) while the Cytotech kicked in!
• Airpod max headphones
• Polaroid Camera (for fun & special pictures :)) + extra film*
  • Definitely used and loved, loved having this. We now have a marble bowl full of photos in our living room!

TOILETRIES

• Summer Fridays lip balm*
• Hand lotion + hand sanitizer
• Face wipes*
• Skincare routine (I use and love Oak Essentials)*
• Deodorant*
• Toothbrush + paste + mouthwash*
• Dry shampoo
• Shampoo/conditioner*
• Body wash*
• Body lotion*
• Brush*
• Makeup bag with a few items (like this and this and this)*
  • Only used this the afternoon we went home. 🙂
• Hair ties, claw clip & headband
• Towel*
• Shower shoes (black Havianas flip-flops)
• Ritual Vitamins/probiotic + travel case*

FOR MOM [CLOTHES & SHOES]

• Robe
• Grippy socks + tube socks + comfy Barefoot Dreams pair*
• Undies/low briefs
• Target nightgowns* (x2) – I figured these would be great for initial breastfeeding and easier than the pants version for post-delivery checks by the doctors
• Target nursing bras* (x2)
• HDYWT Sweat Set for Going Home*
• Aerie joggers, nursing tank & Aerie pink hoodie (planning to wear this to the hospital, we’ll see, haha)
• Aerie Waffle Henley top
• Uggs
• Slide slippers* (I actually scored these for free with an Oak Essentials skincare purchase and love them – but any similar pair of slides with a grippy bottom will do!)

MOM CARE / POSTPARTUM RECOVERY

I only brought one or two each of these items. Mostly because I know the hospital supplies so much of it. I’ve heard good things about the items below so in case I prefer them to what the hospital gives you, I figured it doesn’t hurt to have on hand and start trying out.

• Frida Disposable Boy Shorts
• Rael Disposable Underwear
  • Although I didn’t use these in the hospital, these have been my favorite at home. They’re comfy and the built-in pad feature makes it super easy.
• Nursing Pads
• Tucks Cooling Pads
• Frida Peri Bottle
• Earth Mama Nipple cream
• Earth Mama Perineal Spray
• After Ease for contractions
• Labor comb* (for pain relief / accupressure points) – My sister loaned me her pretty palm-sized wood one but I’m sure any sturdy comb will do!
• Baobei Postpartum Support Bloomers (use code: themamapt)

Notes: Other than the labor comb, I didn’t end up using any of this postpartum stuff of my own and definitely could have just left it all at home. The hopsital supplied me with more than enough and it was way easier to just pull from the stack them put in my bathroom rather than drag out my own. So unless you know you have strong preferences of your own, I wouldn’t sweat it!

FOR BABY

I packed all of these items specifically in my diaper bag to make it easy to find mom vs. baby items.

• Hatch Portable sound machine + charger (just clipped onto my bag!)*
• Hat + headband + Socks (x2) + Mittens*
  • The hat I brought was wayyy too big so she stayed in the hospital-provided ones. 🙂
• Baby pjs/onesie (x3) [H&M set, LouLou gown, L’oved Baby]* – I was told to bring different options & sizes since you don’t exactly know what their weight will be and to have extras in case of any accidents!
  • Different options was definitely the right call and I wish I brough more NB sizing instead of all 0-3 months. Even at 7 lbs. 15 ounces, everything in that size range has been huge on her!
• Swaddles + sleep sack*
  • We used the hospital blankets/swaddles since we were so new to it all anyway, and the nurses were really helpful in swaddling her regularly, so again, bring these if you know you have preferences, otherwise you can definitely use theirs, too!
• Burp cloths (x2)*
  • The hospital also has these of course, but I liked our soft muslin ones.
• Baby binder w. pediatrician info and to store any docs from the hospital*
  • This was actually a good call to bring and gave me a place to store all the paperwork and brochures they left us with.
• Hakaa Nail Trimmer (be sure to install batteries first!)
  • Her nails have actually been okay, so I really haven’t used this yet.
• Baby toy/lovey
• Pacifiers, holder/case & cleaner/wipes
• Optional – keepsake (i.e. something with their name on it!)

I’m planning to use the hospital’s exercise ball, handheld fan if they have one, and all the diapers & wipes to save our good Coterie ones for home. 🙂

FOR DAD

• Toiletries
• Shower shoes
• Slippers
• Sneakers/shoes
• Change of clothes / PJs
• Going home outfit
• Pillow
• Blanket
• Sheet
• Towel
• Entertainment + chargers
• Snacks/candy
• Reusable water bottle & hydration sticks
• Vitamins/probiotic
• Dirty clothes bag

It’s helpful to think of these things in advance as it did take a bit to round them all up and get everything ordered + organized. I also had a lot of these items on my registry, which helped me collect things over time and greatly assisted with all the purchases!

Hope this helps and wishing you smooth & safe delivery! xx