What’s in My Hospital Bag?

Baby Merrell was due 5 days ago, so I figure it is about time I finally publish this post. My hospital bag has actually been packed and ready to go for a couple of months and living in the back of my car, just in case Baby decided to come early. That is obviously not the case, but I like being prepared anyway.

I have been googling and pinteresting and YouTube-ing every bit of advice I can find on packing a bag for the hospital when I deliver my baby. I also have a little bit of experience (and I stress a little bit) because I worked on the post partum floor a couple of nights during my time as a night shift float pool CNA.

Below you will find a broken down list of everything that I have decided to pack. I’m trying to pack minimally because I hate overpacking, but I also don’t want to go without necessities just because I didn’t want to bring a bigger bag. Plus we live about 30 minutes from the hospital so I don’t want to be missing something important. This list has been thought through, revised, role-played in my mind, revised again, and then tweaked. After my list of what I packed, I’ll include a blurb of things that I thought about packing or saw on other blog posts that I decided wouldn’t be necessary or practical for me personally.

A QUICK TIP BEFORE WE GET STARTED

I am the type of person that will pack and repack a bag until I die. I will also write and revise my packing list 1000 times. In order to try and prevent my scattered pregnant from panicking over not remembering what I have packed, as I packed my bag for the final time, I wrote down each item as I packed it into the bag. Once every was loaded in, I titled this packing list “What Crap Is Packed in Here” and placed in on the very top of my bag. It is the very first thing you see when you go to get anything out of the bag. So, at a glance, I can put my mind at ease that yes, I did remember to pack toothpaste and a phone cord. I don’t have to dig through the whole bag or double-check it over and over. I can just check my list over and over. And as I add things to the bag, I add them to the list. Just a helpful tip for anyone as neurotic as I am.

MY BAG

For my bag, I decided to use my Cotopaxi Allpa 28L backpack. I’ve had this bag for a couple of years. I find that it works best for trips lasting 2-4 days, but I have used it for two trips lasting a full week. The pack is divided into several sections that make the bag easy to organize. There is an external pocket as well as a laptop sleeve. I love it. Another reason that this bag appeals to me as the hospital bag is that it is a backpack. Colter can just wear the bag in on our way into and out of the hospital and have his hands free for literally anything else, including the baby when we are leaving. I hate trying to juggle duffel bags and roller bags and nonsense when I’m trying to get home from somewhere.

This bag is not large, don’t get me wrong. It is meant for weekend or overnight trips for one person. But considering I’m trying to pack minimally and most of our family lives within 30 minutes of the hospital if we forget anything, I think it will work fine.

WHAT’S IN MY HOSPITAL BAG: FOR MOM

Clothing:

Something that seems to be a great debate is whether I’ll want clothes of my own to wear after labor and delivery, or if I’ll just want to stay in the hospital gown the entire time. I, honest to goodness, have no idea how I’ll feel. One thing I do know about myself is that I cannot sleep without long pants on. I don’t know what it is, but no matter the season, I have to wear long pants to bed. When considering what clothes to bring, I tried to think of things that I know I typically like while I’m at home, but if I don’t end up wearing anything I bring, that will be fine too.

One pair of sweats – I’ve got these sweats in two colors and I love them. Soft, stretchy, comfortable, and so cheap. Plus they still fit, as long as I wear them under the belly
Grippy socks – I have very, very small feet (I wear a size 2.5 in kids) so the socks the hospital provides are almost guaranteed to be too big on me. I wanted some that I knew would fit me.
Nursing bra – I plan on wearing this only if I change out of the hospital gown, otherwise I’ll just go braless.
Almere Rest Dress – I won this robe/nursing gown in an Instagram drawing a few months ago. I figured I’ll bring it and wear it during postpartum.
Coming Home Outfit – my sweats, nursing bra, a maternity tee, clean socks, a beanie, and my coat (it will still be January after all).
Slippers – my brother-in-law gave me a pair of slippers for Christmas, similar to these. They are very comfortable, have a sole on the bottom. and I plan on wearing them all throughout the hospital stay.

Toiletries:

Chapstick (pretty sure I will die without this)
Hairties
Toothbrush & Toothpaste (ummm…yeah)
Contacts Case & Glasses (oh the joys of bad eyesight)
Mascara & Eyeliner (not sure if I’ll actually use these, but rather not use than wish for!)
Hairbrush
Shampoo & Conditioner (little travel bottles filled up)
TurbieTwist (for pulling my wet hair up if I feel up to showering)

WHAT’S IN MY HOSPITAL BAG: FOR DAD

Can’t forget about dad! At my hospital, mom has to be an inpatient for 24-48 hours after a vaginal delivery or 48-72 hours after a C-section. Meaning, Colter is going to be spending at least one night in the hospital with me. This is what he has packed:

Change of clothes – clean underwear, sweats, t-shirt, and clean socks
Hoodie – hospitals are notoriously chilly, especially at night
Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant – these are as much for me as for him. Especially since he likely won’t shower while we’re there
Chapstick
Advil/Tylenol – Colter often gets headaches when tired or stressed. Both are likely to be in high supply.
Contacts case & Glasses
Headphones
Phone charging cord and power bank – we threw the battery in so that Colter doesn’t have to be tied to the wall when his phone starts to run out of juice.
Snacks
Pillow/Blanket from home – As the mom, I’m likely to have as many pillows and blankets from the hospital as I ask for and I’m not picky. Colter, on the other hand, will likely be sleeping in a chair and will appreciate a little extra comfort.

WHAT’S IN MY HOSPITAL BAG: FOR BABY

Not knowing whether Baby Merrell is a boy or a girl does make packing slightly (and I stress slightly) more difficult, but I’m confident in what I have.

This is all packed in the same bag, and I have a packable backpack slipped in too for supplies the hospital gives us to take home.

Coming Home outfit – I bought this black and white striped gown from a boutique over the summer. I also bought a matching striped hat, a blue hat, and a pink bow. That way I have an option for both baby boy and baby girl.
Socks (3 pair) – even if it’s only for coming home, I don’t want baby’s feet to get cold
Swaddle blanket
White Onesies – I’m bringing 1 newborn sized and 1 sized 0-3 months. Babies on Colter’s side are historically large and I don’t want baby to be naked if he/she is too big for newborn clothing
Burp Cloths – 2 or 3 of them for preparation’s sake
Carseat blanket – I made a simple blanket out of fleece and want baby to be nice an warm when we go outside
Carseat – installed and inspected!

WHAT’S IN MY HOSPITAL BAG: OTHER STUFF

Extra long phone charging cord – this is a no brainer. I’ll be on my phone in bed, so I’d better be able to reach an outlet
Power bank – I don’t want my phone tied to the wall when I’m trying to take pictures and videos of my babe
2 bags of Dove chocolates – one bag for the nurses in L&D and one bag for the nurses on the postpartum floor. Nurses work long, hard hours with smiles on their faces. They deserve a thank you more than once in a while.
Folder – for all of the inevitable paperwork that we’ll be sent home with

COMMON SUGGESTIONS THAT I’VE DECIDED AGAINST BRINGING

Pillow/Blanket from home for me: I’m not picky about pillows, the hospital has many, many pillows and blankets, and it’s just one more thing that we’d have to haul into and back out of the hospital.

Diapers/wipes: the hospital that I will be delivering at provides diapers and wipes for the new babies delivered there. And if needed, Walmart is very, very close by.

Nursing Pillow: I was divided on this one, but I’ve decided to make do with hospital pillows until I get home, and then use my nursing pillow at home.

Towel: I know that having a nice, fluffy towel can make a real difference when you’re drying off after a shower, but I have showered and dried off with a thin hand towel more than once in my life, so I’m sure hospital towels will be fine.

Camera: I am perfectly happy with the pictures that will be taken on my iPhone XR. I don’t need to worry about my camera and its battery and the settings and actually using it so its worth the hassle.

Giant Underwear/Thick pads/Tucks pads/Dermoplast: the hospital provides mesh underwear and pads for days. I’ll definitely have these on hand for when I arrive home, but I won’t be bringing them to the hospital with me. I plan to take advantage of every dollar they charge me.

Well that’s it! That’s what I have got packed in my hospital bags at the moment. After I actually give birth and spend a couple of days in the hospital, I’ll write a follow up post on what I actually used and what I wished that I had brought with me on this adventure!