My thoughts on the Hospital Bag

Okay, so when I was looking to pack my hospital bag for labour I searched google and found tons of blog entries on the hospital bag and thats what gave me my ideas for my list! So I figured I would do my own! I had a very classic "First Time Mom" hospital bag, technically it was a suitcase at first...and then when I was in labour I realized how ridiculous I would feel wheeling that thing in! So I'm gonna break it down for you...what I packed and why I initially thought I would use it and whether I actually did or not!

Stuff for me during labor:

Slippers & socks: never once did I even think about taking these out of my bag. Maybe because I had swollen up so much I could barely fit in my flip flops, but most of the time I was quite happy with my flip flops or in bed!

A cutesy dress for in labour: I actually really liked having this for the first half of my labour! I felt pretty, and I didn't have to worry about my butt flapping in the breeze if I had to walk anywhere! It was  just a cheap dress from Walmart, but I loved it up until my water broke in it!

Chapstick: Any of you that know me know that chapstick is a no brainer for me to have always. But it is generally drier in the hospital, so chapstick is a definite must pack!

Snacks: Not all hospitals let you eat while you are in labour, but ours did! And it was SO nice for me, and mostly for Justin and my Mom to have some decent snacks! I suggest something bland for you, I ate a muffin...my initially packed snacks of chips and candy didn't so much appeal to me! Hehe!

Powerade: Probably one of the best things you can pack in my opinion! I went through 3 I think during my 20 hours. I didn't necessarily feel like eating, and I am a water snob...so the water they give you at the hospital just wasn't good. Plus it gives you electrolytes, and you need whatever sustenance you can get!

Elastic & Headband: I definitely used my elastic but not my headband. But really, who wants their hair smeared to their face while working hard? Not me! I'm not much of a head band girl to begin with...but if you like them bring one!

Toiletries: I loved that I had my stuff to clean up after having a shower! I really liked being able to have my hair and make up done in the hospital! After giving birth I just didn't feel glamorous so putting myself together made me feel better when people came to visit or wanted to take photos! I didn't go hardcore or super glam up, but just enough that I felt freshened up!

Calming music: I initially thought I wanted soft relaxing music playing while I was in labour, so I packed a cheesy ocean sounds cd. It totally was the last thing I would have wanted to listen to! We ended up just playing worship music the whole time! Which, since our hospital has no wifi we had to use 3G. So if worship music relaxes you, don't make the same mistake we did and pack some cd's!

Cell phone charger: MUST PACK! The last thing you want while in labour or after having a baby is to not be able to have your phone! You want to shout it from the roof tops that you did it and want to show off your adorable offspring! Plus my cell phone provided me lots of entertainment during the nights when I was by myself!

Birth plan: Haha!! I think we talked about my birth plan with our nurses like 3 hours before I actually gave birth! I totally think its good to have one, and I had shared with Justin, my Mom and my doctor what I had wanted. But most of it they just asked as I went and were really good and not pushy! I think the most important thing to remember with a birth plan is that it is just a plan! So many things happened different than I had planned on my birth plan but I am okay with it! I knew going into labour that I had NO clue what would happen or how I would react to the pain, so I had an open mind!

Stuff for Hubby:

Change of clothes: If your hubby is staying at the hospital with you this is a good idea. Mine was lucky enough to get to sleep in his own bed, so was able to change at home!

Bathing Suit: If you think you might like to labour in the shower a bathing suit for your man would be a good thing! That way he can hop on in with you and give you a massage or hold you up, whatever you need! I found it much better labouring in bed so we didn't need a bathing suit for Justin.

Camera & Camera Charger: So good to have! It was really nice to be able to take photos during the labour, even though I look like I'm in labour it was nice to be able to flip through them and see things progress! Also it offered some entertainment for my Mom & Justin as they sat there!

Contact List for after: We made a list of people to notify once baby was born, some people to call and a bunch of people to text. I left it to Justin...but I'm pretty sure he didn't notify like half of the people. :) So make sure if you make this list that it actually gets used! hehe!

Flip Flops: These are good especially if your hubby is going to be in the shower with you. Or if he just wants easy comfy shoes to slip on and off while in the hospital!

Stuff for after birth

Going home outfit: Make sure you pack something that is loose and comfy to wear home! You will want to feel like a normal person again, so bringing a decent outfit is a good idea. Also keep in mind that you will be wearing mesh underwear and have a mondo pad...so that might affect the way that your pants fit! :)

Nursing bras: Bring at least 1 sleep bra and 1 regular nursing bra to wear home. I wore one of my sleep nursing bras when I gave birth, and they laid him on my chest right after so that bra was a no go for the rest of my stay. So I'm very glad that I packed 2 sleep nursing bras!

Breast pads: I packed some, but didn't really find that I needed them. You don't usually start leaking until your milk comes in, and generally by that point you are at home. But they don't take up a lot of space, so there is no harm in packing some...especially if you are using nipple cream they keep things a little cleaner!

Maxi pads: I thought I would bring my own because I didn't know how many they would provide me. There is no way I even considered using mine! The pads they have at the hospital are like the length of your arm, and sorry to be graphic but you need them. I don't think any pad I could have gotten in the store would have been sufficient.

Towel: I had planned on packing my own towel or towels because the ones they give you at the hospital are garbage, but I just never got around to it. If you are a towel snob then by all means bring some! They give you cheap towels just a little bigger then a hand towel to use, but by that point I didn't really care about a nice cozy towel.

Packs of black underwear: I packed a bunch of nasty grandma panties to wear in the hospital after baby was born, but totally never needed them. They give you these glorious mesh panties, and I know when you aren't in the hospital the idea of wearing mesh panties is just not appealing at all...but trust me, you will LOVE them! They have endless supplies of these underwear too, so you don't need to worry about them running out!

Nipple cream: MUST PACK!! The start of breast feeding is not glamorous, and it hurts like no bodies business. Nipple cream offers some sort of relief for your tender boobs! I used lanolin cream, but I know there are a couple different kinds.

Baby book: I wanted to pack this because I thought I could update everything in it during down time, or if I got bored. Let me tell you, with visitors and the need to sleep, and trying to master breast feeding I didn't really have time to write all the details in his baby book. I have yet to open his baby book :)

Nursing cover: I am SO glad that I packed this!! I got a really cute nursing covers off of uddercovers.com that I have been using a lot! It is really nice in the hospital to have a proper cover instead of just using a receiving blanket. Sometimes you need both hands free to get a proper latch and having something tied around your neck that isn't going anywhere is really nice! Plus it is nice to maintain some sort of privacy if people are visiting and your baby needs to feed!

Nursing tank tops: I honestly didn't wear any of my clothes I brought from home. It was just so much easier to wear the ugly hospital gowns! Especially with the amount of times they check you, it is just easier to have everything easily accessible!

Stuff for baby:

Car seat: This, for obvious reasons, is mandatory! Before they let you leave the hospital they will want to see baby in their car seat and make sure your child is SUPER tight in there!

Going home outfit: Make sure you bring an adorable going home outfit for your baby, you will be taking lots of photos so you will want baby to look good! Make sure you bring a bunch of sizes too! We NEVER expected to have such a small baby, so we really didn't have anything that fit him!

Sleepers for the hospital: This is pretty much the same as above! Make sure you have a bunch of outfit options, and sizes for your little bundle! People will bring you baby clothes and presents once they are born, but depending on you, you might want to wash them before putting your baby in them!

Warm blanket: Sometimes the hospitals are pretty cool, and you want to make sure your little peanut is nice and warm! Also for when you leave the hospital, who knows what time you will get discharged so it might be a little cool outside!

Diapers: Don't bother packing any! They offer them at the hospital, and why not use free ones?! Heck, we even took the open little package they give you home with us!

Socks: We packed a couple different pairs for Declan, and I'm glad we did! His hands are SO teeny that the scratch mittens were too big and fell off, so we just used some socks instead! I also liked to have them under his sleeper on his feet, just to make sure he didn't get too cold!

Swaddling blanket: I am seriously in love with our swaddling blanket! We got a couple really nice muslin swaddling blankets and Declan loves being swaddled! It is nice to be able to swaddle them tightly and put them back to sleep! The swaddle makes them feel secure, like being in the womb again and they generally sleep better swaddled! Plus the blankets are stinking adorable!

Receiving blankets: These are another must pack! Babies eyes are often larger than their shrimpy stomachs at birth, so they spit up quite a bit! Bring 4 or so! Because once they have a good puke on one you really don't want to have them laying in it!!

Soothers: There are conflicting opinions on a baby having a soother right away but I am a fan! I think as long as they are latching well that you are okay to introduce a soother. If you have a baby like Declan they find sucking to be soothing, so unless you want to have them on your boob 24/7 I suggest a soother. Declan loves his soother and his still feeding VERY well, its just a matter of what works for you and your baby!

Wipes: Our hospital didn't provide wipes, so I had to send my Mom to bring our box of wipes to the hospital! Your hospital may be different, but ours just provided diapers for baby, thats it!

Scratch mittens: I highly suggest scratch mittens! Babies when they are first born have sharp little nails and like to grab their face and eyes, so having their hands covered helps from them jabbing out their little eyes and cutting themselves up!

Vaseline: We packed a little thing of vaseline to put on his bum right when he was born! It helped when he had his first meconium poop! It obviously was still sticky and gross, but the vaseline made it a lot easier to get off his bum!

So, I'm pretty sure I covered the basics and more of what people bring to the hospital! Feel free to add any comments on what you think I missed!! Hopefully this helps at least one person with packing their hospital bag! :D