How to Pack a Simple Hospital Bag Checklist
My first pregnancy bag packing list included way too many items. I ended up going into the hospital with a suitcase and a carry on. For a 2 night hospital stay! Let that sink in.
For my second pregnancy my prepacked birth bag consisted of half of my carry on. The second half was empty so I can pack all the free hospital goodies. 🙂
In this post I will list hospital bag must haves for moms, what items are best to buy and why, what to pack in hospital bag for dad and what to pack in hospital bag for the baby. Also, I will tell you about a bonus item 90% of the moms don’t bring and it is absolutely essential to pack! Read on!
Table of Contents
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Pregnancy bag packing list
Let me preface this by saying that mom’s prepacked birth bag will depend on the type of birth she will be having. As I never had any experience other than induced and typical hospital birth, this is for any mom who needs a simple hospital bag checklist.
The typical hospital stay after a vaginal delivery is 2 days, and for cesarean delivery 3 – 4 days.
When the big day arrives you want to be well prepared. You should have your pre packed hospital bag ready to go when you are about 35 weeks pregnant.
For the bag itself, you can use a duffle bag but I would highly recommend a carry on bag with wheels. Now that you are going to be a mom, you will need all hands on deck and you will not regret investing in a carry-on that will last you for years to come and you can roll around with minimal effort.
When packing a labor hospital bag, you need to categorize your list first. Perhaps, one of the hidden organizational skills of every mother is her ability to categorize and prioritize.
Here are 4 different checklists you need for your pre packed maternity hospital bag:
- Mommy hospital bag checklist
- Daddy hospital bag checklist
- Baby hospital bag checklist
- Bonus – nurse appreciation gift
Hospital bag must haves for moms
Typical maternity bag checklist pdf that you can find on Pinterest contains way too many items that you do not need.
You can leave behind a diaper bag, lounge pants and pillows!
We live in a post-Covid world, and you most likely won’t get any visitors. Which is a good thing, considering you will want to catch some zzz’s in between feeding the baby, talking to pediatricians about baby check ups, talking with nursing and doctors about your check ups and your own meal times.
Simple hospital bag checklist for mom should be minimalist, yet functional.
- Nursing PJs,
- Nursing bra,
- Slippers,
- Toiletries,
- Going home outfit for mom,
- Long cord charger
- Belly girdle
- Snacks
Going home outfit for mom
Going home outfit for mom should be loose and comfortable.
The uterus will still be the size of a watermelon and there will be extra fluids and swelling from IV and labor. Whatever you wore during the pregnancy – roomy summer dress or comfortable sweatpants will be perfect.
Snacks for hospital bag
As for the hospital bag snacks, think about categorizing them into:
- non-perishable (that will be in the hospital bag) and
- perishable that will be in a bag in the fridge, ready to grab when it’s GO time.
Best hospital snacks for labor are liquid, not solid. You should get most of these at the hospital, so I suggest you ask your OB if they will provide these during labor. Snacks for labor are things like:
- Jello
- Apple Sauce
- Fruit Pouches
- Bone Broth Snack Cups
- Mints
- Cranberry Juice
The hospital I delivered in provided my partner with food. To be on the safe side, think about packing couple of non perishable and perishable hospital bag snacks. Here are the best snacks for hospital bag:
- Trial Mix
- Beef Jerky
- Protein Bars
- Granola Bars
- Yoghurt
- Fruits
- Bento box of crackers, cheese and grapes
I love combining these type of snacks into a solid, well rounded snack, like crumbling granola bar into plain Greek yogurt, or eating trail mix with my fruits.
Best Amazon items to consider and why are they the most practical
Best nursing pajamas
You will spend about 2 weeks in a nursing pj’s, and it will be the most comfortable thing to wear in postpartum weeks to follow.
The most important thing to look for when choosing the best breastfeeding pajama is to choose something without buttons!
First, you will appreciate the convenience of not having to unbutton and button your pjs when you need quick access. Second, buttons are easy to fall off. Once you lose it somewhere in your bed you will start freaking out if you lost it anywhere close to the baby and if she will choke on it.
Here are 2 of my favorite Amazon options.
Nursing bra for large bust
Your sistas will grow 2 – 3 times in size. 🙂 You can finally think of yourself as gifted in that area even if you are typically not.
During the early postpartum period, it’s handy to think about something that you don’t have to clamp and unclamp, and of course something that does not have any wire in it. You will need easy access.
This nursing bra will be a game changer for you if you are breastfeeding and the baby is doing cluster feeding during the first 3 weeks!
It has been dubbed the best maternity bra for large bust and I couldn’t agree more.
Post Pregnancy Girdle
This Amazon postpartum band is my favorite because it comes in 3 parts.
The 3 – 4 days after your delivery you will still look like you are 7 months pregnant, and that’s when you use the first part of this belly band which is girdle for lower stomach.
What to pack in hospital bag for dad
When I gave birth to my first baby, my husband stayed with me for one night. The second night he went home to get everything ready for our arrival home.
First time labor and delivery is long! It can last well over 24 hours. Your support person will also be exhausted by anticipation, eagerness and occasional skin to skin contact with the baby (it is recommended dads have their bonding moments with the babies too).
After the whole shebang, your partner will also need to get refreshed. Here are the items they will need.
- Snacks
- T-Shirt
- Toothbrush
Hospital bag items for the baby
If you see a baby hospital bag checklist that states that you need to bring a diaper bag with you to the hospital, please exit that page. You will not need diapers, diaper creams and baby nail clippers.
The most important thing you absolutely need is a car seat. Consider getting a car seat that will grow with your baby.
Here is what your prepacked birth bag needs to have for the baby:
- Car seat
- Going home outfit
- Hat and mittens
- Swaddle
- Muslin blanket
Bonus Item You Must Pack
Gifts for labor and delivery Nurses
Most moms forget about people who are taking care of them at the hospital – the nurses! They coddle and take care of the new moms, so they deserve to have a little sign of appreciation.
Nurses are a foundation of your care at the hospital. If your nurse likes you, your experience will be so much better. As the old saying goes “you attract more bees with honey than vinegar.”
Keep in mind their shifts are about 12 hours long, so you can expect to go through 6 – 7 nurses during your stay (2 RNs during your labor, and 4 RNs during your post delivery stay).
Here are some examples of gifts for labor and delivery nurses:
- $7 – $15 gift cards for Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts
- Box of chocolates (so they can share them with the nurse stations)
- Individual goodie bags with sweets
- Goodie bags with sample size beauty products like:
- Bath bombs
- Face masks
- Hand creams
- Chapstick
- Labor and delivery nurse gift basket filled with snacks like:
- potato chips,
- oreos,
- trial mixes,
- crackers,
- cookies, etc.
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