First and foremost, you should know that I’m not planning to pack a hospital bag until I pretty much go into labor. Everything I want in the hospital is stuff I use all of the time at home, so I’m keeping a list on the fridge of things to pack and then I’m going to pack it (or Tim will pack it) when the time comes to leave for the hospital. I know some women pack this thing at like 30 weeks, but I am not one of them.
(This wait-until-the-last-minute method worked especially well with Clara because I ended up being induced, so we had lots of time to pack our bag on the day of the big ‘event’.)
Anyway, I share this to let you know that this is not something you need to overthink. This is just a bag you’re going to pack for a hopefully brief hospital visit and no one expects you to look great. Plus, if you forget something, a family member can grab it when they come visit.
Here’s a list of what I’m putting in my hospital bag (the second time around!):
- Birth plan to give to nurses/doula/midwife/etc.
- Insurance cards & IDs
- Comfy socks
- Slippers (or flip flops)
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Hairbrush
- Hair dryer / straightener (in case I’m feeling REALLY ambitious)
- Makeup
- Contact solution and contact case
- Eye glasses
- Hair brush
- Deoderant
- Face wash / shower gel / shampoo & conditioner / etc.
- Ponytail holder
- Any other toiletries that I normally pack to go somewhere overnight (for both me and Tim)
- Snacks (especially for during labor)
- A water bottle for Tim (they’ll give me a huge water bottle, so I don’t need to pack one for myself)
- Pajamas
- Underwear
- A sports bra (to labor in)
- Leggings (to labor in, for a while)
- Yoga ball (once again, for labor)
- Music / playlist
- Phone & phone charger
- Laptop & computer charger
- A few outfits so I can look presentable for visitors
- Extra pillow & blanket (for Tim or for me)
- Camera / memory card / batteries
- Bows (in case Baby Beni is a girl)
- Coming home outfit for Baby Beni
- Installed carseat (although honestly, if you go into labor super early and you haven’t gotten around to installing it ahead of time, it will take 2 minutes for a family member to do this for you when you’re in the hospital. Just make sure it’s in your car!)
- Nursing bra
- Chapstick
- Extra bag for the things that the hospital will give me during my stay
Did I forget anything essential?! What would you add to my list?
