Time to pack the hospital/birth bags? Not sure what you really need or want? Where do you even start?
The purpose of this post is to help you get an idea of all the possibilities of what to pack in your bag, think about how many of the items you feel like you actually need or want, and create your own personalized list! In case you are needing any suggested supplies, I have affiliate links to some of my favorite items from Amazon at the end of this post.
There are so many opinions out there about what you really need and what you don't. In reality, everyone is so different and every birth is so different that everyone's bags... are going to look different. So I've compiled ALL the lists that I could find so you don't have to! I hope this list helps you to decide on what gets put into that bag and what gets tossed aside. I have also included some of my own thoughts on these items and what worked well for us.
What Worked for Us:
I like to be pretty organized when it comes to... well everything, so I started making a list of "For Mom", "For Dad", "For Baby", pretty early on. When it came time to pack we debated on what to do for a while. We decided to pack all the clothes and toiletries into one big rolling duffle bag. We used luggage separator bags like these to divide all the clothes into "For Mom", "For Dad", and "For Baby". I packed an additional "In Labor" bag to keep separate everything I wanted while in labor at home and the hospital. This made it easier for Jeremiah to help me while I was in labor as well. In addition to those, Jeremiah ended up throwing together a snack bag right before we left. I swear he packed every snack in the house! But even funnier... we ended up eating nearly all of them before leaving the hospital.
What Will Work for You?
This is our list, but what will work for you? Here is a list of EVERYTHING I could find on any hospital/birth bag packing list out there (See list above. Download lists coming soon). Everyone is different and will want different things. If this is your first time, you may have no idea! So that's why I'm going to give some input to hopefully help you out a little.
Noted Items:
Robe: I heard so many times that you will want your own robe while in labor. I definitely think there are those out there that would want this. However, I thought the hospital gown was just fine because I had other things on my mind! If you feel like the robe will make you feel better, go for it! Personally, I never even knew when the hospital gown was falling off of me.
Abdominal Binder: This is especially useful if you have a c-section. Definitely not needed and some hospitals provide them, but if you think it will make you feel less like your organs are falling out, you may want one.
Frozen Colostrum: **It is recommended that you talk to your care team before expressing colostrum to bring. I waited until I was term so there was less risk and it was fine for me. If you have any risk of pre-term labor or anything similar, it is not recommended that you express before birth.** Make sure you get this to your nurse ASAP so they can put it in the freezer for you.
Cash and Snacks: Especially among COVID, it is hard to know what you will have access to as far as food. It's best to prepare with some good snacks and drinks. I went on a hunt for the best hydration drinks. Coconut water is GREAT if you like it. I personally love the v8 hydrations and similar drinks. It's really important to stay super hydrated during labor, so find a good drink that you love! And drink lots of water of course.
Gum/Mints: Your partner might be in your face a bit... enough said 😅 This can also help with nausea.
Overall, the hospital really will provide everything you NEED. It's great to have things from home and things to help with labor. It's suggested to pack your hospital bag around 35 weeks. If you're like me, you start packing a bit before that so you can keep adding and subtracting items until it's go time.
Congratulations, and good luck mama!
Here are some of my favorite Mom and hospital supplies that you are going to want!
Boppy Nursing Pillow The Breast Friends Nursing pillow is also awesome!
Frida Peri Bottle (I'm so glad I brought mine to the hospital!)
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