Labor and Delivery Hospital Bag

Having a baby is a beautiful time in life, but it can also be chaotic and stressful. Having the right things in your hospital bag can make all the difference in easing your mind and providing comfort. Here is the ultimate list of things that could be found in my hospital bag just a few weeks ago when I had my baby that you should include in yours.

• Pillow & Blanket

  Let’s be honest, hospital beds, pillows, and blankets are not what I would call comfortable. With my first delivery I didn’t take my own pillow or blanket and boy did I regret it the entire hospital stay. Bringing your own provides you with that little piece of home and extra comfort you’ll want.

  I do suggest waiting until after delivery to use your own to avoid any messes and stains.

• Nursing Pajamas

  Nursing pajamas are super comfortable and provide ease of access for your new little bundle of joy to breastfeed if that’s the route you choose to follow. Plus a lot of nursing pajama pants are usually adjustable so you can loosen or tighten them as needed. I brought one set that was pants and a short sleeve and one gown.

• Depends

  I’m not a fan of the mesh underwear that the hospital provides. They don’t fit all that well and so I choose to take my own Depends. I’ve done this with both children. I also like that the Depends have little designs or something on them so it makes me feel better mentally than wearing the provided mesh underwear.

• Diffuser

  I’ve taken my diffuser with me for both deliveries. My second one went so fast that we didn’t have time to set it up during labor but it was still nice to have afterward. I like to use eucalyptus as a calming scent. My diffuser also serves as a nightlight which I like to have for those late-night feedings and bathroom trips without having to turn on a bright light.

  I was induced with my firstborn and having my calming scents made a huge difference in my mental state and the nurses loved it too!

• Towel

  Hospital towels are tiny and scratchy, bring your own from home.

• Toiletries

  I bought the travel-size plastic bottles from the store and filled them with my shampoo, conditioner, and body wash from home. I also packed my own toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant.

• Slip On Shoes

  I packed my fuzzy slippers in my suitcase just in case my feet got cold or I needed to walk around the hospital but I also wore my Crocs to the hospital so I had those with me as well.

• Phone Charger

  Need I say more?

• iPad + Charger

  Hospital television isn’t the best so I brought my iPad and used it to watch Netflix. Being a realtor, I also used it to do a little bit of work from the hospital room.

• Socks

  I love to wear socks, I can’t sleep without them so you wouldn’t catch me without socks in my hospital bag.

• Nursing Bra

  Instead of a regular padded nursing bra, I brought a comfortable nursing bralette to lounge around in.

• Protein Bars

  You may or may not be able to eat during labor, but even if you aren’t it’s nice to have some protein-filled snacks for afterward because labor takes a lot out of you. I ate mine primarily during the night or in between meal times. Protein bars are also a great snack for nursing!

• Newborn Outfits

  I suggest packing various different types of outfits such as a long sleeve onesie, short sleeve onesie, button-up sleeper, and zip-up sleeper. Our son spit up a lot in the hospital and we had to change his clothes pretty often in the 24 hours we were there. Having the various types of clothing will also be nice to have in case the doctors need to have continuous access to your baby’s chest for monitors or arms for an IV, etc.

• Stretchy Swaddle Blanket

  The hospital-provided blankets are nice, but they aren’t stretchy and therefore don’t swaddle very well. The stretchy swaddles also make great keepsakes. My daughter is three and still loves her “blankie’”.

• Burp Cloths

  Like I said above, our son spit up a lot while we were in the hospital from some labor and delivery complications so we desperately needed the burp cloths.

• Cardigan

  You never know how hot or cold a hospital is going to be so I packed a cardigan to wear over my pajamas in case I got cold but I could take it off if I got too warm.

• ID & Insurance Information

  Luckily I was giving birth at a military hospital so my ID also served as my insurance card, but either way make sure you bring both as well as any other important documents you need. Our hospital gave us the birth certificate application to fill out early so we also brought that with us.

Instead of packing in two separate bags, my husband and I packed in one large suitcase. Here are the things I packed for him. We only live 15 minutes from the hospital and we have dogs so he ran home to take care of them and shower but I still packed shower stuff and changes of clothes for him just in case he needed to stay in case of an emergency.

• Long Sleeve and Short Sleeve Shirts

  You never really know how hot or cold a hospital is going to be so I packed a couple of short sleeve shirts and one long sleeve.

• Sweatshirt

  I’m a comfort person, I love to wear sweatshirts and packed one for my husband in case the hospital room was extremely cold or it being late October, we had a cold weather day.

• Sweatpants

  Comfort is key while staying in a hospital and nothing is more comfortable than a good pair of sweatpants which is why I packed them over jeans or cargo shorts.

• Underwear & Socks

• Toiletries

  Like what I packed for myself, I put my husband’s body wash into a travel bottle and also packed his toothbrush and deodorant.

• Towel

  He didn’t end up using this since he ran home but we had it just in case he needed it.

• Phone Charger

• Water Bottle

  Our hospital provided a plastic cup with a straw for me to use but only the styrofoam cup for my husband so I suggest packing a water bottle or cup and straw for your support person as well.

• Pillow & Blanket

  Okay, so full disclosure, we didn’t actually pack this for my hubby. Since I packed one for me, he took the hospital-provided pillow and blanket. He can sleep anywhere and isn’t picky like I am. But if this won’t work for your support person, then I would include this for them too.

There were a few things that I didn’t pack that I realized afterward would’ve made my life a lot easier for the 24 hours we were there but I found ways of making it work without them.

• Boppy Nursing Pillow

  When I was nursing our new little bundle of joy I didn’t have anywhere to support my arms so I would steal my husband’s pillow. Looking back, I wish I would’ve just brought my nursing pillow.

• Face Wash

  The one toiletry I didn’t pack was my face wash and I wish I would have. I felt gross and while I had my body wash, it just wasn’t as satisfying as having my face wash.