What to Pack in your Hospital Bag (for a minimalist)
I am a self-proclaimed minimalist. Or, at least, I am an aspiring one. With that comes the hardest thing I’ve probably ever had to do – not overpack. If you are like me and trying to cut back on your consumption of THINGS and live a more focused lifestyle, you’ve found yourself in the right place. Below are the things you ACTUALLY need for the hospital and what you can do without. I will however mention things that are an in-between (depending on your preference will determine if these are a necessity for YOU).
These are NOT in order of importance!
Every single one of these was on my personal list and a lot of it I didn’t realize would be a complete waste. I was an over-prepared first-time mom (it’s part of my personality in general to over-plan) and created my list after a deep-dive into 30 different people’s lists of what you need. I didn’t take any of it with a grain of salt and took literally EVERY suggestion (unless it was in no way relevant to my situation) as a necessity.
NECESSITIES:
Going home clothes
This is for both you and baby! And, honestly, this was probably what I had the most fun packing! Though it was tricky because we didn’t know if we were having a boy or a girl, it made the whole experience seem a lot more real and allowed the excitement to last a bit longer-ok, I just had a frickin’ baby, now I get to pack her all up in a brand new car seat and our color coordinated outfits-before the fatigue of having a newborn set it. A note: maybe your car seat is not brand new for whatever reason or maybe you chose not to match your outfits, that’s fine! The concept still follows.
I would also back a couple of other outfits (2 for baby for each day you expect to be in the hospital and 1 per day max for you) because you aren’t going to want baby to be naked less the swaddle for the duration of your stay. Plus, I don’t know how early blowouts can start but it’s best to always expect the unexpected and be ready!
Car seat
Ok, so this one doesn’t go IN the bag but is still vital.
Toiletries
Toothbrush and toothpaste and contacts/glasses and a hairbrush and shampoo/conditioner/body wash/lotion. Delivery is, shall we say, messy. You’re going to want to spray out your who-ha and rid your body of all that sweat at some point. If you want to be next level, you can also bring deodorant. I would personally recommend foregoing perfume as strong scents and newborns do not mix. Facewash is an option too if you use it regularly.
Medication
Whether you are staying on your prenatal vitamins, starting postnatal vitamins, or have other medications you are taking, make sure you have those! Also, make sure to consult with your doctor if you are unsure if they are nursing-friendly.
Nursing-friendly PJs & nursing bra
If you plan to breastfeed (and I have come to the conclusion that most moms want to at least try, especially if it is their first child), nursing PJs are a MUST! After you’re all cleaned up, the final *chef’s kiss* of feeling like an actual person again is clean clothes. However, PJs allow you to remain comfy and have full range of motion. What makes something “nursing-friendly”? Buttons in the front! You may also be wondering why you need a bra, especially if you’re anything like me and infrequently wore one prior to pregnancy.
Allow me to tell you a quick story. Once upon a time I gave birth. And, upon trying to breastfeed for the first time, I was finally starting to get the hang of it. Then I let my husband hold baby. She cried. My husband said “Are you leaking because she’s crying?” and yes, yes I was. So, in short, the bra helps not soak your PJs directly (and the sleep ones I linked don’t even feel like you’re wearing one!). I would recommend having nursing pads (here is a disposable option if that’s your style – the one thing I will say is there IS a sticky side and you WILL want to make sure it is AGAINST THE BRA!!) packed as well, though I recommend putting those in your diaper bag.
Underwear
Just make sure it is pairs you don’t care about or are disposable! The hospital will provide pads so it is totally preference-based if you would like to go the diaper route!
Hair ties
If your hair is long enough, bring them. Nothing worse than wanting your hair out of your face and having nothing! Labor is uncomfortable enough, don’t make it worse. With this comes headbands, bobby pins – whatever you need to successfully accomplish this. If you are doing a nurses’ box, you could always steal ones out of there I suppose…but you didn’t hear that from me!
Chapstick
Maybe you keep one in your purse or jacket pocket (or purse AND jacket pocket, like me) so you will already have one. Just make sure you have one somewhere. Chapped lips (at least to me) are one of the most annoying things and I always notice them more when I have no way to remedy it.
Long phone cord
I don’t know what it is about hospitals, but for rooms that have so much equipment hooked up in them, you would think the outlets would be easier to access. They’re not. And newborns sleep A LOT. While you should be trying to sleep as well, it is unlikely you will sleep as much as they do. You could bring a book or knitting or some other hobby to keep you busy but that usually requires 2 hands and you’re going to want to have baby in YOUR arms which limits your 1-handed options.
Paperwork
With 5 siblings between my husband and I and a lot of family friends that are considered family, we have a lot of professions we can easily connect with. One of those is a lawyer. He said one of the best things to do before having a baby is to make a will. In that will be a Power of Attorney document. If you are married, this person will likely be your spouse. This document along with any paperwork the hospital gives you for the day of delivery should be in your bag (and completed)!! He said his own brother doesn’t have a Power of Attorney for his wife and so, as she was in the midst of labor, she was having to sign documents saying the doctors could speak to him about her medical stuff. Even though he was in the room and they knew he was the father and her husband, it is part of HIPPA that consent be documented for releasing any and all medical information. Don’t make things harder for yourself!
Bottles/Formula
To be completely honest, I don’t know if the hospital will provide these should your milk not come in or you otherwise not be able to breastfeed. However, what I do know is that if that happens and they don’t have anything for you, you’re going to want to be able to feed baby and they will need to eat almost immediately. Plus, I feel most parents are very particular about/do a lot of research on which bottles and formulas they want to use.
Since I didn’t have to use formula, I don’t know a ton about it but I do feel as though baby may get used to the taste of one kind and then not take the kind that you already have at home. While I’m sure the hospital has some for emergencies (after all, they won’t let a baby starve), I can’t guarantee that and wouldn’t want you to be without it. Personally, we kept some in our diaper bag for the first couple weeks just until we solidified breastfeeding a bit (also, this was our first baby so we had no idea what to expect).
SITUATIONALLY DEPENDANT
Snacks
I tried so hard to get around the “once labor starts, you can’t eat” thing (for reasons that take longer to explain than we have time for here) to no avail. Plus, the hospital I delivered at had a snack bar for moms to keep up their calories in between the (large) meals that were offered. Again, I’ll take the free food and save my snacks for once I’m home. It’s called efficiency! This one varies for diet restrictions or other medical/preferential reasons.
Big Tumbler
You see all those “most expensive cup of my life but it came with this cute souvenir” videos where the souvenir is the baby? Well, I didn’t bring a cup FOR THIS REASON, and then didn’t get one and was stuck with the dinky little plastic ones. Probably the most disappointing part of my entire delivery experience…
Socks/Slippers
The hospital will give you compression, grippy socks to prevent falls and help with blood clots/swelling so unless you are really partial to your super soft, fuzzy socks, you don’t need them! They’re just going to get dirty on the public floor anyway. Or, if you want something warm on your feet but still with a hard bottom, slippers may be warranted.
Bag for pamphlets
This one depends on how organized you want to be. The hospital will likely give you a folder for all discharge and misc. Paperwork but, if you anticipate getting additional information, something as simple as a shopping bag can work wonders to keep it all together in your suitcase! Plus, all the stuff you take when you leave can go in there if nothing else (I said it before, I’ll say it again, TAKE IT ALL!! Either you or insurance is getting charged for it so it’s paid for!)
Swaddle
The hospital does provide a swaddle blanket. Unless you are adamant about the kind you want to use, don’t bother. All kids are different anyway and they may not even like the kind you bring. Plus, newborns don’t sleep longer than 3ish hours (max) anyway so it’s not like you are trying to get them to sleep through the night yet, anyways.
Laundry bag
I HATE when my clean clothes touch dirty clothes so this was a MUST for me but I can also see how it would be unnecessary for some.
FORGET IT!
Towel
They have em! Plus they take up space and are bulky!
Postpartum care items
Again, they will provide you with them! Plus you are being charged for them so you better clean out EVERYTHING in that room. The minute it is opened, you (or your insurance) are going to be seeing a bill for it!
Shower shoes
Unless you know for a fact there is communal showers (and even then, it would still be preference-based) these aren’t necessary. Plus, shoes are bulky!
Sweatshirt/cardigan
Unless you live in a cold climate/are giving birth in the winter and need it for going home, this is totally unnecessary. And, honestly, in those circumstances, you are probably wearing it into the hospital so there is no reason for it to be in your bag. You will be provided blankets to your heart’s content PLUS, milk production will literally make you sweat!
Breast pump
You’re recovering! Unless you have a specific reason and KNOW you will need/want to pump, don’t bring it! You can start as soon as you get home. Our hospital couldn’t even show us how to use ours because, while there is always a lactation consultant on duty, they are not qualified for every single pump. We YouTube’d ours…
I know colostrum is LIQUID GOLD but you produce that for 2-5 days after baby is born. Allow yourself to not have to worry about pumping immediately after the most strenuous physical work you’ve probably ever done and just bond with baby! They’ve been waiting a while to meet you!
Pacifiers
They’ll give you some. All babies are different. Unless you want to have a variety backup stash, just use what they give you and, if baby hates those ones, tough it out for a couple of days until you go home! Don’t want to risk losing them anyway.
Baby nail file
Unless you have one in your diaper bag for the long haul, this is completely unnecessary. I doubt your baby’s nails are going to be long enough to justify clipping before you get home and, either way, you can probably just rip them down because they are literally tissue paper (I am also traumatized from cutting my baby’s fingertip a bit with them when I tried for the first time at like 4 months old so I may be biased).
Makeup (this one was not on my list but is very common so it’s a bonus!)
Just don’t. Some women think this is the most necessary of them all but you’re going to sweat it off or be exhausted or a million other things that all end with you not putting it on. The only time I could see this being useful is if you have fresh-48 photos planned to be done before you go home. Even then, you don’t need a full face.
The whole point is to embrace the glow of those first 2 days because it doesn’t last long and by caking it on, you’re getting rid of the authenticity. You did an amazing thing and you look amazing! You’re everything your baby needs just as you are!
ANYTHING FOR YOUR HUSBAND/SIGNIFICANT OTHER
He’s a grown man. You have enough to worry about. If you want to be nice, you can give him a heads up that you’re not but, unless you WANT to, don’t stress about if he is going to have clean underwear. That’s his cross to bear if he forgets!
