What I Packed In My Hospital Bag

We tried to pack light & also leave room for stuff to take home from the hospital. Last time we took home extra diapers, dry wipes, mesh underwear, & any extra supplies they gave us!

This was my second time packing a hospital bag & this time I was way more decisive on what I actually needed to pack. Mackenzie’s birth was unlike anything I thought it would be & the entire 5 days we were there I barely touched anything I had packed for myself. I am having a c-section this time around & I’m hopeful this recovery will be the complete opposite than it was with Mackenzie.

I’ve attached a PDF for you to download if you want to use this checklist while you pack your hospital bag. I’ve included things I packed, my husband packed, what I packed for baby, & some other things you might find helpful that I didn’t end up packing.

Here’s what I ended up packing for myself:

* ID/Insurance card/Paperwork

* Pony tails

* Extra long phone charger

* Blanket

* Toiletries

* Aquaphor

* Glasses & contacts

* frida mom delivery & nursing gown

* 3 pairs of PJs (all that button down the front)

* Nursing & Pumping Bras

* Comfortable outfit for going home

* Shower sandals (I buy a $4 pair from old navy because we just get rid of them after)

* Socks with grippy bottoms

* Breast Pump (this isn’t necessary, but I like to bring it so that when the lactation consultant comes around she can help me figure out sizing & settings)

Here’s what I packed for baby:

* Outfits (mostly zipper onesies)

* Hats/mittens

* Pacifiers (this is the case I got to keep the pacifiers clean)

* Going home outfit

* Sound machine (with charger)

* Swaddle blankets (we use the hospital ones, but the ones I have are 10x softer so I like to bring a couple)

* Name sign (the one I own is no longer available, so I’m linking a very similar letter board)

* Car seat (with base already properly installed in the car)

Here’s what my husband packed for himself:

* 3 days worth of clothes

* Flip flops for shower (Old Navy ones because we throw them out before we go home)

* Pillow

* iPad

* Chargers (iPad, phone, back up battery charger)

* Book

* Toiletries

* Headphones

* Snacks

* Gatorade

* Sleep mask

Here are some things I thought might be helpful for some, but they might not be needed for everyone:

* Nursing pillow (I found extra pillows at the hospital worked just fine & I didn’t want to bring my nursing pillow to the hospital if I didn’t have to)

* Robe for mom

* Water bottle (My husband will bring one for himself, but I LOVED the giant hospital mug & found I didn’t need to bring one for myself)

* Birth plan

* Music playlist

* Belly Binder (this is for my c-section mamas, since my c-section last time was not planned the hospital provided me with one, so I’m bringing that one with my back to the hospital this time)

* Tucks, ice packs, mesh underwear, perineal bottle (these are all things the hospital should have for you so you shouldn’t need to pack them, but it can’t hurt to find out what your hospital has for you & what you’ll need to bring)

* List of people to call/text once baby is here! (this might seem silly, but it’s so helpful to do ahead of time so you don’t forget someone since there will be a lot going on)

Below is a PDF you can download of my HOSPITAL BAG CHECKLIST!

Hospital-Bag-Checklist Download

Let me know if there’s anything you found super helpful that I forgot to put on my list below.