What I Packed in My Hospital Bag

As a first time mom, I had no idea what to pack in my hospital bag. I initially wrote this post with a list of items I had researched and was told by friends would be necessities. After going through the entire process myself, I made some updates to include only the items I found most useful. Everyone’s experience giving birth is different and the type of delivery you have may determine which items you find most beneficial. For reference, I was induced and in labor for 40 hours, resulting in a c-section delivery (you can read more about MY BIRTH STORY HERE!) After being in the hospital for 5 straight days, these are my TOP MUST-HAVE ITEMS TO PACK IN YOUR HOSPITAL BAG! The earlier you can pack your bag the better…I packed mine around 34 weeks.

I tried to keep my list limited to items that would not be provided by the hospital (with a few exceptions I explain below.) Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and germs in general, the less personal items I have to bring to and from the hospital the better. I even purchased several items I can easily discard after use – like cheap slippers and flip flops. I was also advised to bring a blanket, bed pillow and bath towel for James and myself, but chose to keep these personal items home and germ-free! While it would have been nice to have these things, you certainly don’t NEED them (especially if you’re only there a couple nights!) Another option is buying cheap versions of these things to bring and leave behind at the hospital.

For a video walk through of all the items I included in my hospital bag, be sure to follow me on INSTAGRAM and watch my “HOSPITAL BAG” highlight!

Postpartum care…

I intentionally left out several postpartum care products. My first pregnancy was an emergency c-section and this pregnancy will be a scheduled c-section. If this is your first time giving birth, it’s likely you don’t know what type of delivery you’ll have. The postpartum items you need completely depend on at the TYPE of delivery you have and most these items will be provided at the hospital to carry you over until you’re home. However, if you’re more comfortable bringing your own products or want to stock up on postpartum care for when you return home, I recommend grabbing the Frida Mom Postpartum Recovery Essentials Kit. I’ve heard great things about this kit if you have a vaginal delivery!

Many women recommend packing a ‘bag’ for the hospital. For me, a rolling suitcase seems so much more practical and functional! I’d much rather roll a suitcase than have to carry a bag through the hospital hallways. I also find it much easier to organize my things in a suitcase than an overnight bag… more spacious too! If you already have one great. If not, I recommend this HARD SIDED CARYY-ON that you can use for travel after baby too! I also used these PACKING CUBES to help keep things organized and a LAUNDRY BAG for dirty clothes.

TOP ITEMS TO PACK IN YOUR HOSPITAL BAG

Keep scrolling to see what I packed in my hospital bag! CLICK ON EACH ITEM TO SHOP.

What you really need in your hospital bag

1. TOILETRIES

The hospital will provide toiletries, but I would MUCH rather bring my own! I’m assuming a lot of you ladies feel the same way. I highly recommend this toiletry bag (I bring it everywhere!) It’s fits a ton of products and organizes everything nicely. Other than my usual toiletries – toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razor and skincare products – I’ll be bringing minimal makeup for photos. I’ll also be bringing my favorite DRY SHAMPOO (which I talk more about below.)

2. TUMBLER

Thinking back on my hospital stay, this is probably my most used item, my tumbler! I bring this thing everywhere so I decided to take it with me to the hospital for ice and water. Those first few hours of labor (or in my case …. days!) all you can have is water and ice chips. Of course the hospital provided a cup, but having a large tumbler to keep my water cold for hours was key…especially throughout the night.

3. NURSING PILLOW

I wish I had known my first time around to bring a NURSING PILLOW. Those first few days are so crucial when it comes to nursing, I want to be as prepared as possible. I remember having a hard time getting in comfortable position to nurse Emilia and would have loved to have had my nursing pillow with me. This time around I’m bringing it with a removable, washable cover. You can also purchase a WATERPROOF COVER, which I highly recommend!

4. POSTPARTUM WRAP

A POSTPARTUM WRAP can be used to help support your abdominal muscles in the first few weeks after you give birth, when those muscles are at their weakest. It can also provide light compression to help your uterus shrink back quicker. If you had a c-section, belly wraps can take the pressure off your incision while it heals. Wraps may also help reduce pain, increase mobility and stabilize your pelvic floor. Always check with your doctor as to when you should start wearing this wrap…but I’ve found the sooner after giving birth, the better.

5. BABY SHUSHER

A friend of mine gifted us this BABY SHUSHER and advised we bring it to the hospital for those first few nights. We kept it in her bassinet and turned it on every time we put her to sleep. The soothing “sush” sound helped put her to sleep and drown out other noise in the room. Nurses and doctors are constantly coming in and out of your room at all hours of the night, so any white noise that can distract the baby is helpful.

6. LONG CHARGING CORD

Don’t forget to bring a LONG phone cord to the hospital. You will want to easily access a charged phone from the hospital bed – I suggest grabbing a 10 FOOT CORD. I’m linking an iPhone specific cords above. Don’t forget your headphones too!

7. GLASSES

Only a necessity if you wear contacts or glasses…but be sure to bring a pair if you need them! I didn’t want to fuss with contacts so I brought my favorite pair of EYEGLASS FRMES instead.

8. HAIR TIES

I bring these CLEAR SPIRAL HAIR TIES with me everywhere I go! I was constantly throwing my hair up during my stay and these ties are the best to use – especially between washes. They don’t leave any kinks and never get tangled in your hair.

9. DISPOSABLE SLIPPERS

I prefer something more comfortable than hospital slippers, so I grabbed these DISPOSABLE ANTI-SKID SLIPPER SOCKS. I made sure to purchase a cheap pair that I wouldn’t mind disposing of after my stay. The less things I bring home after use in the hospital, the better.

10. NIGHTGOWN

A comfortable nightgown is a must-have after giving birth! I also wanted to bring one that would be easy to nurse in. This soft bamboo NIGHTGOWN has buttons for easy access while breastfeeding. Its so soft and excellent quality. I recommend packing a long sleeve and short sleeve nightgown. After my surgery I went back and forth from freezing to sweating, so having both options was nice. These are basically all I wore during our stay. I loved these so much that after returning home, I grabbed a few more colors! Also dark colors are always best after giving birth.

11. SLEEP MASK

Having a baby is exhausting! You’ll get very little sleep during your hospital stay, so I recommend bringing a light-blocking SLEEP MASK to help you snooze, regardless of the time of day! Whether you’re trying to nap mid-day or just trying to sleep through all the nurses/doctors coming in and out of your room throughout the night, you’ll appreciate having a mask to help you sleep.

12. LIP BALM

This is one of my favorite LIP BALMS! It keeps my lips hydrated better throughout the day than any other balm I’ve tried. It also has the prettiest pink sheen. I would imagine the way you look in the hospital is the last thing on your mind – but at least you can keep your lips looking pretty and hydrated, despite the dry hospital air.

13. COMFY ROBE

Treat yourself to a nice soft ROBE for your hospital stay. This robe is great quality, made of the super-soft bamboo. I wore a robe in out hospital photos and throughout our stay – it was much more comfortable than the what the hospital provided. This robe comes in a bunch of different colors and is sure to last long after my hospital stay.

14. PACIFIERS

A friend suggested I bring pacifiers for the baby and I’m so glad we did! I know all babies are different and some love pacifiers, while others don’t. I suggest bringing these NEWBORN PACIFIERS to try. They’re super small and made specifically for newborns. Both my girls loved these pacifiers for from the day I introduced them in the hospital. After about 3 months they graduated to the RYAN & ROSE SLANT.

15. NIPPLE BUTTER

If you plan on breast feeding the baby, then nipple balm or butter is a must! I did some research prior to having Emilia and found this ORGANIC NIPPLE BALM – safe for mom and baby! It worked great for me the entire time I breastfed. I started using in the hospital right after giving birth and experienced very little cracking/bleeding.

16. NURSING TANK

I love this NURSING TANK! Other than my nightgown, these were the only other tops I wore in the hospital. I didn’t end up wearing any of the NURSING BRAS I packed, only these tank tops! They have a built-in shelf bra and pads which is great – no need to wear a bra! The straps have easy to use clips for nursing. I grabbed the black and white (FYI – the pads show through on the white – this doesn’t bother me, it just looks like you’re wearing a bra under the tank.) I sized up to a medium for postpartum wear.

17. DRY SHAMPOO

If there is one beauty item I suggest bringing with you to the hospital, it would be DRY SHAMPOO! It’s likely that your stay will short so you won’t necessarily need to wash your hair until you return home. A few pumps of dry shampoo each day should keep your hair feeling fresh, voluminous and grease-free. This is my all-time favorite dry shampoo powder. It’s gentle on your scalp and formulated with safe and efficient plant-based ingredients. I find that it’s most effective when applied at night!

18. CAMERA

If you have a nice camera, bring it! We took a bunch of photos on our iPhone, but used my mirrorless CAMERA to capture some newborn shots (I suggest purchasing the 50MM LENS as well.) You’ll be suprised how much your sweet little baby changes day to day. It’s SO important to capture those first few days/hours if you can! Some hospitals offer professional photography services – but I preferred to take our own. Visit my post Emilia Ann Daddario to see the photos we took in the hospital. We will cherish them forever!

This camera is an investment but 100% worth it in my opinion. I’ve used it to take so many photos of Emilia over the past year…and they all look professionally done!

19. DISPOSABLE POSTPARTUM UNDERWEAR

Another great tip I would have never thought of….DISPOSABLE UNDERWEAR. The hospital will provide disposable undies, but these are SO MUCH more comfortable and worth bringing along. I liked these so much I would consider them a necessity. I also ended up wearing these for the first 2 weeks I was home from the hospital. NOTE: these are are necessary whether you have vaginal or c-section delivery.

20. BABY GOWNS

The hospital will provide caps and swaddles for the baby. However, we found the swaddles to be a little rough and uncomfortable, so I would suggest bringing your own swaddles and/or pajamas. I love this cute little knotted newborn gown. This style is great for the hospital – cozy for baby and easy for diaper changes. The material is SO soft and they come in a bunch of different colors and patterns. Both of my girls lived in these gowns the first few weeks. Remember to bring at least 1 pair of footed pjs/outfit for when you leave the hospital (the gowns don’t work great in a car seat.) If you’re looking for footed pjs, I recommend POST PEANUT – they were our favorite in terms of comfort and quality!

21. COMPRESSION SOCKS

COMPRESSION SOCKS were something I didn’t think of the first time around. Little did I know how swollen I would be after my c-section! Had I known, I would have started using these compression socks as soon as possible. Whether you use them in the hospital or in the weeks after, these will help to boost blood circulation giving you the relief you need while increasing energy and preventing swelling. This brand makes has the cutest colors and patterns!

22. DISPOSABLE FLIP FLOPS

As far as I’m concerned, FLIP FLOPS are a must for hospital room showers. I grabbed a really inexpensive pair that I’ll dispose of after my stay.

23. PUMPING BRA

If you plan on breastfeeding, it’s a good idea to start pumping at the hospital. The hospital will provide a pump for you to use, but no bra. Speaking from experience, having to hold everything in place during a pumping session is no fun. Using this PUMPING BRA will free up your hands and help to make the experience a little more enjoyable.

If you plan on purchasing the Elvie Pump, I’d recommend bringing that instead of/or as well. It won’t be as strong as the hospital pump but will be easy to use in between nursing sessions to help keep your supply up.

A few more ideas…

Here are a few other items recommended from followers:

SNACKS! I put James in charge of this one…
portable fan
cooling face wipes
hard candy
essential oil diffuser
battery operated nightlight
Starbucks instant coffee
portable speaker
extra bag to bring home hospital provided items (you pay for them so take advantage!)
gifts for nurses (I plan on doing this too!)

ARE YOU A NEW MOM OR MOM-TO-BE?

If you’re a new mom or expecting, I have some additional pregnancy related posts you may be interested in! Click below to read!

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