The Hospital Bag — Brittany Wynne

The infamous hospital bag…

I get it. I’ve been there. You’re about to be a new mom, and you want to be prepared. You have never packed a hospital bag before, and you have no idea where to even start. You look online for guidance and find full page lists with multiple columns of things you need to pack for this moment in your life (and that’s stuff just for you). Now you’re more concerned about what half of these items are than actually giving birth. (Like, is nipple cream really necessary?!) Take a deep breath, sister. I’m here to tell you that this process doesn’t have to feel daunting, and that you really only need to pack a handful of things.

I remember before the birth of my first son excitedly wanting to get everything in order. From decorating his sweet nursery to making sure I had all the baby items that I needed, it was a time of joyful planning. I have always been the type to make a list to organize my thoughts. It helps me to feel grounded and focused. So when I found pre-made lists of what to pack in my hospital bag from other experienced moms, I thought perfect! One less thing to have to do/create. That is, until I started actually looking at these lists. Every hospital packing list that I found had two to three columns of what to pack for myself alone. Cue anxiety. There were more things on these lists than I expected there to be. But these were moms who have been down this road before and clearly knew what was best. So for my first son, I packed all the things I knew that I personally needed, as well as everything from my two favorite lists that I found online.

Let me tell you, I used next to nothing that I packed in that big ole bag. Ladies, You Just. Birthed. A. Baby. The only thing you actually need is a toothbrush (Okay, you’ll need a little more than that. But if you made it to the hospital with just a toothbrush, you’d be 100% fine.) What I’m trying to tell you here is, forget about those long lists and big hospital bags. The second time around, I packed what I knew I needed and a few things I wanted the option to have. Spoiler alert, I didn’t use any of my optional items except for my pillow and the IPad.

The complete list of what I used at the hospital. (Click for list/printable.)

“That’s it?” you ask yourself. Yes, sister. That is really all you need. The hospital provides everything else. You get a giant size water cup when you get there and there is a place to fill it up. They also provide diapers, booty cream for baby, all the creams (and sprays, and wipes, and giant undies, and all the things…) for you, socks, hospital gown (Which is honestly the easiest thing to wear while you are at the hospital, because it is nursing friendly {if you choose to nurse} and it makes your checks via nurse simpler.) Momma, the hospital takes care of it all. (Most hospitals offer tours pre-birth. They are great ways to familiarize yourself with where you will be delivering. Including learning what your specific hospital offers as far as amenities go {i.e. hair dryer, shampoo, etc.})

Any activities you choose to bring (for me it was the IPad) will really only be used during labor. (I caught up on some of my favorite shows while bouncing on a labor ball!) Post baby you are getting sweet baby cuddles, learning the ropes, trying to sleep, eating, or spending time with visitors. (Did I mention trying to sleep?) So you really don’t need to bring too many time fillers.

Two things I am glad that I brought with me were face/body wipes (showering daily was the last thing on my mind while at the hospital) and my own pillow. The wipes allowed me to refresh quickly and I always sleep better with my own pillow. You know yourself. If there is a must for you, bring it. Just because you pack it doesn’t mean you have to use it, but it will give you peace of mind. My only other words of advice here is to utilize your nurses! They are amazingly helpful and are some seriously hard working ladies!

Now, take a deep breath and get your pack on!

xoxo