Hospital Bag Essentials

I got lots of requests for a hospital bag blog and I was totally down to share this. However, I wanted to wait until after our hospital stay to publish it because I wanted to see what I/we actually used because I’m definitely an over-packer!

I turned to you all on Instagram and asked for recommendations because you all have been nothing less than amazing with advice during my entire pregnancy! So I packed a lot of what you all suggested and then stuff that I thought I would need also! You all had 99% of it covered though! So below is a full list of everything I packed!

I put “yes” and “no” next to what we used and didn’t use and an explanation for each! The hospital we delivered at was VERY nice, as lots of people explain it like a 5-star hotel, so keep in mind the hospital you’re staying at and what they provide! I delivered at Ochsner Baptist in New Orleans so this will be a super beneficial guide for any of my locals delivering there but it should still be pretty accurate for anyone!

The Luggage

I really wanted to pack my stuff and Charli’s in one suitcase but, again, I’m an overpacker so I couldn’t fit it.  I used my Rockland Luggage medium size suitcase for me; and, for Charli, I used the Sole Society Elfie Weekender bag that I bought for her a while back.  This was going to be her travel bag but Dean gets tired of carrying it because I stuff it so we’re going to get her a rolling suitcase.  For now, I have her styling with it though.  But, honesty, I LOVE this bag because it’s affordable and such great quality.  The inside leopard print is so cute and the lips opens up so you can see everything in the bag!  It has definitely become one of my favorites!

Mom’s Packing List

• Snacks/food (yes – if you’ve been around for a while, you know I’m a health nut so I wanted some healthy options because I figured hospitals would have much as far as organic options! I didn’t pack all meals but definitely had some snacks in hand so I didn’t have to depend 100% on hospital food!)
• Blanket for me & Dean (yes – I highly recommend bringing two extra blankets. Hubby definitely needed one and the other can be for him or visitors. I thought I would need one but the hospital blankets were great so I didn’t but I was glad we had it because my hormones were so crazy that I was hot so I had the room pretty chill so Dean was able to use both!)
• Pillow for me & Dean (yes – same as the blankets but I actually used one occasionally so I was glad we had two. The hospital did have more than enough though and would bring more when we requested them.)
• Slippers (yes – I actually didn’t use mine because the hospital had some super warm slipper socks with grips but this varies per person and hospital so I wanted to leave it on here.)
• Face wash, creams, and wipes (yes – washing my face felt so amazing after delivery lol.)
• Sneakers (yes – comfy sneakers to go to and from the hospital. Trust me, I thought about dressing cute but you won’t care, comfort will be key!)
• Phone charger (yes – obvious reasons!)
• External charger (yes – I had an outlet close enough to my bed to reach but liked having this just in case so I would suggest bringing it.)
• Toothpaste/Toothbrush (yes – obvious reasons, although the first day or two is a little rough recovering so you might not use immediately but, when you do, it feels so good lol.)
• Brush (yes – honestly, I only brushed my hair once because, after labor, I put it in a ponytail the rest of the time but bring one just in case!)
• Deodorant (yes – must have! You’re not going to feel up to showering right away so deodorant is a must!)
• Essential oil diffuser (travel size) and oils for labor and relaxation – lemon, orange, lavender, clary sage, gentle baby (yes – I don’t think we turned ours off while we were in the hospital. Must have! Make sure you know the appropriate oils for pregnancy, labor, and baby! Side note, the staff loved coming in our room because it smelled so great!)
• Postpartum underwear, pads, and perineal pads (yes – the hospital will supply the underwear and pads but I brought extra just in case and glad I did because I ran out of theirs and had mine as a back up while requesting more. My favs were the Frida Mom undies! Also, the perineal cold packs are amazing because you crack them and it like an ice pack, which (trust me), is a necessity!)
• Socks (yes – I brought some warm socks but the hospital provided very warm slipper socks so I didn’t use them. I left them as a “yes” in case your hospital doesn’t provide any! You will want them!)
• Meds (yes – this was kind of silly but not lol. I packed my pregnancy meds out of habit because during pregnancy I didn’t travel without them. Then, I was like “you’re going to a hospital, goober!”  However, at the hospital, I told the nurse about it and she was glad I did so they knew what I was taking. Side note, obviously don’t take any additional meds in the hospital without letting your nurses or doc know first, as they will provide them or have to document it because meds can counteract with each other.)
• Nipple cream (yes – if you’re breastfeeding, I would start using these before even going to the hospital to start prepping. I started with an organic one, earth mama nipple butter, but I ended up needing to go with the lanolin nipple cream because it got too painful at one point!)
• Nursing bras (yes – skin to skin was my favorite, esp in the beginning, so I didn’t wear it all the time but it’s still a must because nursing bra support is beneficial for milk production!)
• Nursing pillow (yes – I didn’t bring mine and, once I got home and used it, I was like where was this in the hospital so I recommend bringing it for convenience!  Charli was tiny so she was easy to hold or use a regular pillow but the nursing pillow still would have been way more convenient.)
• Nipple pads (no – I didn’t need them because my milk flow hasn’t been over the top leaking but you can bring a pair or two if need be. Better to be safe than sorry because this is different for everyone.)
• Computer bag and planner (no – Since it was Cyber Weekend, I thought I’d try to be productive and get work done while waiting … Yeah right 😂)
• Belly balms (no – I brought mine but didn’t use them at all!  If you’re breasts show stretch marks, you can bring them for that though because they will get bigger in the hospital once your milk comes in.  I used a combo of Honest Organic belly balm <has been discontinued> and this stretch mark massage oil.)
• Nursing tanks/tops (no – I stayed in my hospital gown the whole time so my nursing bra was all I used.)
• Curling iron (no – who was I kidding?! Props to those who do hair and makeup in the hospital after baby.  I was not up for that lol.)
• Makeup (no – again, who was I kidding!)
• Breast pump (no – I only brought this because I didn’t know if the lactation consultants would help me learn it or use it but didn’t need it.  They probably would have but I didn’t think to ask so you can bring it if you want to ask them.)
• Face towels/cloths (no – brought these incase I needed warm or cold rags during labor but the hospital provided everything. I will chat more about warm compresses during labor in the birth story blog coming soon).
• Comfy pj’s (no – I wanted to have cute and cozy pj’s for pics but, honesty, I felt so gross I didn’t want to mess up my cute clothes so I didn’t even wear them.  Even after delivery, it’s still kind of messy so I just stayed in the hospital gown.)
• Robe (no – same as above, didn’t want to mess it up.)
• Comfy undies (no – just bring the postpartum undies but, again your hospital should provide these and they’re all you’ll need!)
• Pink teddy coat (no – I brought this in case I got cold but I didn’t need it.  If you’re in colder states, you may need it to go to and from the hospital though.)
• Dry shampoo (no – I went with my hair down because it was still done from Thanksgiving Day festivities but, after that, it was in a ponytail for the remainder and I didn’t use my hair products. Side note, there’s nothing like your first shower after labor and delivery lol.)
• Shower shoes (no – I actually forgot these but didn’t need them because our hospital was very clean! But I didn’t even shower at the hospital. I showered the moment I got home and it was glorious!
• Going home outfit (no – keep in mind all the healing and comfort. I went home in the sweats and sneakers that I threw on to go to the hospital lol, nothing groundbreaking or fancy.)

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Baby’s Packing List

• Car seat (yes – obvious reasons!)
• Sound machine (yes – we love the baby susher and it worked great for the hospital to have that white noise in the background.  We also love this owl white noise sound machine, as well!)
• Going home outfit (yes – I put her in a cute outfit to go home. Charli is officially always dressed better than me now!)
• Car seat cover (yes – I brought this just in case of weather so I suggest bringing it to be safe. We ended up using a heavier blanket because it was colder than we expected.)
• Blanket (yes – we used this as the car seat cover and as a cute background in her hospital pic.)
• Bows, socks, mittens, hats (yes – we used mittens the most to avoid her scratching herself from her nails. The hospital provided lots of hats so your hospital should have that! Didn’t really need socks because she was always swaddled. And only used bows for a pic!)
• Pj’s (yes – I dressed her in her clothes for pics)
• Outfits (gowns) (yes – we love the gowns because they made diaper changing so easy!  We still use those mostly at home.  Side note, we ended up needing preemie size for Charli and she wasn’t even preemie weight so if you have a small baby, I recommend grabbing some preemie stuff. She was 6lbs 6oz and they always drop weight the first day in the hospital so she went down to 5lbs 11oz.)
• Going home outfit (yes – we would have used this but it ended up being too big and colder than we thought so we just used a cute fleece onesie … so bring options!)
• Arrival outfit (yes – this was a must for pics! Loooove this outfit!  Was supposed to be her going home outfit above!)
• Diapers (no – hospital provides lots of them but if you have a preference on type, bring some.  Ours provided Pampers. We just used the hospital ones.)
• Pacifier (no – some people use early on but we waited a few weeks, as recommended, to introduce so there was no confusion with breastfeeding.  Honestly, she hasn’t been a fan of any of them yet!)
• Wipes (no – hospital provides lots of them but if you have a preference on type, bring some. We just used the hospital ones.)
• Baby book (no – I brought it but didn’t get to it! If you have a spot for guests to sign, I recommend bringing it. I didn’t notice that till later lol)
• Swaddles (no – we had some cute ones for pics but ended up using her outfits instead. The hospital provides loads of swaddles!)

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I hope this helps you prepare for one of the most important days of your life and congrats on meetings your new love of your life!  If you already experienced this, I would love it if you shared and of your must have essentials below in the comments for all the new mamas in case it’s something I didn’t have!  Stay tuned for Charli’s birth story coming soon!

XOXO,

Michelle

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