Deciding what to pack in your hospital bag can be a little overwhelming. The first time around, I was thinking I needed to pack everything I could think of. I learned the hard way, so this time I’m keeping things simple. Check out what I’m packing in my minimalist hospital bag.
I’m sure by now you’re tired of the checklists, or you’re an OCD Mama like myself – therefore I welcome you with open arms. 😛
Keeping things simple is my motto lately. My days can sometimes feel endless between swollen pregnancy feet and trying to win disagreements with a two year old. Having a routine and keeping our schedules simple, helps with my anxiety, stress and overall wellness.
One thing I did not want to stress about was packing my hospital bag. I remember using about 1/3rd of the items from the first time around. A lot of what I have packed mimics my postpartum essentials. These items helped me the most for recovering from a C section and keeping me comfortable in the hospital.
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For Mama
The bag. This Vera Bradley Tote has been taken everywhere. It is SO worth the investment and I love it! Everything fits perfect in here!
Comfort is everything. The hospital will provide you wish mesh underwear, I found them extremely uncomfortable and itchy so I had my mom grab the highest pair of underwear she could find. These worked great and came up higher than my incision, childbirth isn’t sexy and neither is the postpartum. I also recommend drawstring pants. As far as I know for a C section, the nurses will be checking on your incision ALOT, so it’s best if you are wearing loose pants to pull on and off.
Nursing tanks, pajamas and flip flops are also must-haves for your hospital stay. Head over to Old Navy and grab the $2 pairs for the shower! And while you’re at Old Navy, they have a great selection of loose fitting dresses. These are perfect for a going home outfit. I can imagine it will be about 95 degrees when we leave the hospital, so throwing on a flow dress to go from the hospital to the car to home, will be perfect. This one is non-maternity and this one is a favorite I have packed (nursing friendly!).
Toiletries: Shampoo, conditioner, face wash, moisturizer, body wash, body lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste, q tips, dry shampoo, hair brush etc.
For Baby
The little bundle of joy is the easy part! I bought a 3-pack of these bodysuits for our hospital stay. They’re inexpensive and very simple. I like to swaddle often, so I bought my favorite pack of Aden + Anais swaddles for baby boy. They’re so soft and breathable and I love how large they are, the hospital blankets never seem large enough!
I grabbed one cute outfit for going home and that’s about it! The boppy pillow was nice for nursing, but a little secret for C section mamas; use it for yourself as a neck pillow! Sleeping will be so difficult the first few days, my Boppy was a god send!
A few extra essentials: Phone charger, hands free pumping bra (just in case!) and a very large water bottle. Gotta stay hydrated Mama!
See?! Simple. I really only tried to grab the necessities. Anything you can think of that worked best for you?
My ninth baby will be joining the family this fall, and I still remember overpacking for the first! Great tips. I also throw in a bottle of ContractEase to make afterpains bearable (they get worse with each baby), and since we don’t find out the gender before birth I bring an outfit for each to put over neutral onesies.
Ninth baby?! Mama you are a ROCKSTAR!!
Thanks for these reminders! I’m about to start packing mine too! Last time I def forgot the phone charger and that was a disaster! Luckily I remembered PJ’s and those def came in handy!!!