What was in my hospital bag?

I was over packing. I KNEW I was over packing. Did that stop me? No. Packing my hospital bag became a form of relief for my anxiety. I packed and unpacked at least 3 times. The house was spotless and the nursery was completely ready; there was nowhere else for my nesting urges to go. I scoured Pinterest and Mommy blogs looking at dozens of checklists to create my own. I wanted to be overly prepared regardless of the fact that every new mom told me they used basically nothing they brought with them. So, I’m going to share what I brought with me to give birth. I’m here to tell y’all, I overpacked.

My Checklist

• 2 nursing bras Amazon
• 2 nursing tanks Amazon
• 1 cute outfit (robe and nightgown from Zulily)
• 1 comfort outfit (worn out t-shirt and maternity yoga shorts)
• 3 pairs of nonslip socks Amazon
• Afterbirth waist trainer Amazon
• 2 pairs of full coverage underwear (Target)
• A going home Maxi Dress LaRue Chic Boutique
• Breast pads Bamboobies
• Slippers

Now, lets pause and take a moment to laugh at the volume of clothing I brought. The length of your hospital stay depends on your birth and how the baby is doing, but I was there a total of 48 hours. I was in labor for 27 of those hours and I had to wear their hospital issued gown during that time. I also wore a gown for the majority of my postpartum stay. So, I needed one outfit. ONE. I went home in my comfort outfit. The last thing I wanted to put on my body after birth was the waist trainer, that puppy is still in the packaging.  The mesh underwear the hospital gives you is GOLD, so I didn’t need my own. Surprisingly, I wish I had brought more socks. One pair was soaked when they broke my water, one pair got bloody afterward, and I was left with one pair. I never wore the slippers; the nonslip socks were way more convenient. I used both nursing bras and 1 nursing tank! The breast pads were a great buy! 10/10 would recommend getting the reusable Bamboobie brand ones.

Toiletries

• Toothbrush/paste
• Extra hair ties
• Face cleansing wipes
• Moisturizer
• Lotion
• Deodorant Lume
• Chapstick
• Shampoo/Conditioner
• Brush
• Plexus (of course)
• Nipple Balm Honest Brand
• Headband The Be Brand
• Essential oils/Diffuser
• Makeup

I’m so thankful I brought my toiletries. Nothing makes you feel human again quite like washing your face and brushing your teeth. I didn’t end up taking a shower there, but I’m glad I had shampoo and conditioner in case I needed them.  I would recommend getting travel sizes of everything you can, that way you won’t weigh down your bag. The Honest Brand nipple balm is AMAZING. LOL at the makeup. That bag was never touched. I could see bringing it if we had planned to have photos taken during our stay at the hospital, though. I didn’t end up using my diffuser but I did use some oils! My amazing nurse put some lavender on her palms and rubbed my temples during contraction breaks and the peppermint oil helped with my nausea.

Comfort Items

• My own pillow
• My own blanket
• MULTIPLE 10ft phone chargers
• Bluetooth speakers
  • Birth playlist on Spotify
• Birthing Ball
• Baseball
• Massage Bar Lush

Having some comforts from home was way more helpful than I thought it would be. My pillow and blanket made me so happy!  Bluetooth speakers and your own playlist are a must, in my humble opinion. My playlist was made up of every single song that made me happy, regardless of the genre. We had a little bit of everything playing and it kept everyone’s spirits up. Fun Fact: Winnie was born to “Who Run the World” by Beyonce! The birthing ball wasn’t completely necessary because hospitals have their own. However, I felt the need to have my own for sanitary reasons. Will used the baseball to create counter pressure during my contractions. This helped keep his hands from getting too tired.

For Baby

• 3 outfits
  • different sizes

• Socks
• Mittens
• 2 Burp cloths
• Several Diapers
• Wipes
• Baby Book
• Bow/Hat
• Announcement Swaddle Post Peanut
• Receiving Blanket
• Carseat/Base

We brought 3 different outfits because we didn’t know how big baby would be or the gender! Same with the hat and bow! I bought an adorable swaddle from Posh Peanut and got a matching hat and bow to use for the announcement photo, depending on her gender. The only thing we didn’t use for baby was the diapers and wipes because the hospital had plenty of those!

Extras

• Pump
• Snacks for the nurses and staff
• Letter board for announcement Amazon
• Folder

I brought the folder to put all the papers in! They give you so much information in the form of pamphlets and papers. I needed some place to put it all! I didn’t end up using my pump in the hospital, and hospitals provide amazing ones from what I hear.

I wish I’d brought a nursing pillow! It was really difficult to nurse without one. I had to use a shield and it was just a mess without a stable pillow to put Winifred on. I also wish I would have packed snacks for my family and Will.

*Nurses are actual ANGELS from heaven. I don’t know what I would have done without my nurses! We brought this basket of chips and candy to say thank you!

Truth be told, it’s up to YOU what you bring. I think being over prepared and over packed made me feel more in control of a completely unknown experience. Do your research and read the blogs, but go with your gut. Bring items that bring you joy! No one judged me (to my face) for all the stuff I brought into the room. The birth process is alllllll about bringing your babe into the world in a positive and safe environment. As the momma, you do what you gotta do to make that happen!