I remember coming up on about 32-34 weeks pregnant and thinking “OMG I need to get my hospital bag going and packed and ready” and feeling so overwhelmed with the thought of it. I am a major procrastinator as a lot of my friends and family know about myself, so it was kind of a blessing in disguise when I got admitted into the hospital at 35 weeks for contractions and early signs of labor because it made reality hit and me get my ‘ish’ together! When they sent me home it was go time in my head and good thing I thought like that because the next week we had our baby girl at just 36 weeks and 5 days!
The thought of what to pack made me so nervous – like I was going to get there and feel dumb and unqualified to be becoming a mom because of all the things I forgot. Let me tell you, I honestly feel dumb for thinking that way because you truthfully don’t need much at all! The hospital had nearly everything I could need and if I had just randomly gone into labor with no ‘hospital bag’, myself and baby B would have been all good.
Now with that said, I did pack a hospital bag and there were things I was happy to have there and that made the stay and experience more comfortable and enjoyable. Here are those things!
Nursing Bras + Nursing Tanks –
If you are planning on breastfeeding, not only do I recommend these for your hospital stay, but also just to have in general. I wear either one of these two things every. single. day. And in the hospital I was happy I packed them for easy access to nurse and also to have good support for the new girls haha.
PJ Set + PJ Dress –
I packed two different pairs of pajamas not knowing which style I would prefer in the hospital and I honestly loved having both! The pants outfit was perfect for when visitors came and the dress was comfortable to sleep in. Both styles I got were nursing friendly too so I just wore one of my nursing bras underneath.
Baby Book –
I got this modern baby book for Blair and brought it to the hospital so they could put her footprint in it! It’s the sweetest thing and I’m happy I had my book in time to have that as a keepsake.
Recovery Goods like Nipple Cream + Cooling Pads + Padded Undies –
I packed these things and honestly, the hospital has all you need in this department for your stay. I would recommend ordering so that when you go home you have things to help you recover and be more comfortable but don’t stress about things like this for your hospital stay as they’ll have plenty! I also took home everything in my room that was left so I had a lot when I went home.
Slippers + Fuzzy Socks –
I lived in these things in the hospital and got a cheap pair of slippers that I was okay with throwing away if I was grossed out haha. I wore my socks pretty much the whole time and would slip on the slippers whenever I walked around. Both just made my stay a little more cozy!
Nursing Pillow –
I loved having this in the hospital because learning to nurse is already uncomfortable and foreign to you, so it’s nice to have a little added comfort and support for that. You are also so tired and exhausted that holding your baby up every nurse session can be tiring too! This is a really nice thing to buy in general to have at home too!
Burp Cloths –
I packed these and honestly didn’t need them but they are a good thing to have on hand and we use them all the time now!
Baby’s Going Home Outfit –
I got this outfit for Blair in ‘preemie’ size since I had a feeling she was coming early and it was so dang cute to put her in to take her home! We paired it with a little bow from Bloom Headwraps 🙂
Fun Swaddle –
If you think you’ll be taking photos it’s nice to bring your own style swaddle since the only ones there are the hospital print! These are my favorite ones off amazon – most gorgeous prints I got so many compliments on both colors!!
Binkies –
Blair didn’t take a pacifier in the hospital but I know some babies who have! These are her absolute favorite ones and I got SO many of them because they are always getting lost or hard to find so I love having them all over my house so I don’t have to hunt them down.
Going Home Outfit For Yourself –
Not in the collage but I brought myself some cozy Barefoot Dreams sweats and a cardigan from them too since they are my all time favorite cozy brand! I also went home in one of those amazon nursing tanks under the cardigan and just some flip flops. Oh and you can’t forget the ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ hats that I bought us haha! Shown here 😉
Makeup, Skincare, Etc. –
I also brought everything I needed to feel clean and ‘ready’ so my everyday makeup, facial wash, toothbrush, etc. I personally didn’t shower at the hospital but you could pack those things too incase you decide to!
For Dad –
Dad needs stuff packed too! For Al we made sure to bring his toiletries and lots of comfortable clothes. Oh, and snacks + long phone chargers!
I hope this was helpful! Like I said, don’t stress!! I know how easy it is to overthink, but even if there are things you forget, you’ll be all good 🙂
xx, Karlie
