There seems to be a lot of varying opinions on what items are "necessary" to take to the hospital when you're going to deliver a baby. I am 36 weeks today (eek!!!) so I just finished packing my hospital bag for the third time. I don't claim to be an expert, but this ain't my first rodeo, so I pretty much know what works for me by this point. I also know it's going to differ for every woman depending on preference and what the hospital provides, although this will be my third hospital that I've had experience with (Can we stop moving now for awhile? Please?!) so once again, I've had some good experience with hospitals (At least in the U.S., I have no idea what's standard elsewhere).
You can download my handy-dandy checklist {here} and read along before I start going into some of the items in detail... or not. Your choice. :)
- Pillow: This is just my personal preference to have my own pillow. I recommend putting it in a non-white pillow case so you don't have to worry about your pillow getting confused with the hospital's.
- Comfy pants and shirts: As soon as I am done with delivery and can talk the hospital staff into letting me get in the shower, I don't want to put on a hospital gown again. I feel so much better and so much more like myself when I'm wearing some semblance of normal clothing. This is also why I don't bother bringing a robe. I have never been cold in the hospital and wouldn't feel comfortable sitting around in my robe.
- Stuff for baby pictures: all of the hospitals I have/will deliver at have had some type of photo company that they contract with. So if there is a special outfit, beanie, small stuffed animal, etc. that you would like to take baby's first pictures with, then bring it! I love those first pictures of my children when they are only a day old. They change so much so quickly. I don't bring outfits for the baby to wear while they're in the hospital (other than the one they'll go home in) because I don't see the point; the hospital (at least all of mine) have provided long sleeved tops which is so much easier to deal with when changing diapers and dealing with the umbilical cord.
- Going home outfit for mom: I didn't even think about this when I went into the hospital with my first. I knew that women (at least 99% of women) still look like they're pregnant when they leave the hospital after giving birth. I went in wearing maternity jeans and a shirt and planned to wear that out. The only problem was, the pants were falling and I felt all frumpy and gross. So now in all the leaving the hospital pictures and buckling baby into the car seat for the first time pictures there's my cute little bundle... and a very tired, frumpy looking mommy. So for my second I packed a cute and casual dress ({this} one actually) and left the hospital feeling awesome.
- Toiletries: To make it easier on myself, I pack as much travel sized things as I can. I also make sure to pack things that don't require water so that I can use from the comfort of my bed if I need to, like face cleanser wipes and Wisps. You never know what could happen during delivery and how you'll feel afterwards, so I like to be prepared just in case I can't get up to take a shower right away. For anything that I can't pack beforehand (like certain makeup items), I leave a Post-It note on my toiletry bag that sits out on the bathroom counter, ready to grab at a moment's notice. For that matter, I leave a Post-It note on the front of my hospital bag for any last minute things I know I'll need to grab, like my cell phone and pillow.
- Baby mittens/nail file: my son's nails were SO long when he was born, we even had nurses that had worked in the hospital for years commenting on them! But at both the hospitals I've delivered at so far, it's their policy not to clip or file them; so now I always just bring a pair of mittens and a baby nail file with me, just in case the onesie they put the baby in doesn't have the attached mittens that cover their tiny little hands.
- Stuff for daddy: Again, you might not need anything depending on your situation. Mike stayed with me the first time, not the second time, and plans to stay with me this time. I know some people that like to bring change for the vending machines, but they're always so over-priced, I like to bring our own snacks and then he can also always go down to the cafeteria while it's open.
Do you have anything that you HAVE to have in your hospital bag? Something I may have missed? Please share! :)
Linked to: Lamberts Lately, Organized 31, 52 Mantels, Craft-O-Maniac, Skip to My LouLabels: baby
