Wondering what to put in your hospital bag for delivery? I am sharing the Must Have Hospital Bag Check List for mom, dad, and baby, along with a free printable! This list contains things you will need during and after labor and delivery.
Your due date is approaching, and you are excited to meet the new little family member. You bought all the cute onesies, have the nursery ready, diaper bag packed, and car seat in the vehicle, and all you need to do is pack the hospital bag.
Many people tend to overpack when it comes to their hospital bags. Half the things you pack will stay in the hospital bag. As a mom of three, I tend to keep things very simple!
My goal for this blog post is to make packing your hospital bag simple and efficient!
This blog post is about all the must-have hospital bag checklists!
Before we begin this post, I want to say YOU MADE IT, MAMA! You made it through the morning sickness, the body aches, the exhaustion, and all the other beautiful blessings that come during pregnancy.
You are in the home stretch now and ready to have this baby. If you are looking to double-check to make sure you have everything that is needed for your sweet babe, please check out my blog post on The Ultimate Amazon Baby Registry Must-Haves for First-Time Parents. I made this blog post to help out those first-time parents that are unsure on what to purchase for their baby.
Now…Let’s dive into the good stuff…
For Mama and Baby
- Baby Blanket- It is always nice to have some blankets for the baby at the hospital, for you to swaddle them in, and as well a blanket to cover them up in when you go to take the baby home.
- Blanket for mom- I like to be as comfortable as possible. The blankets at the hospital are not bad but I always like something a little cozier.
- Pillow for mom- Again, the pillows are not bad at the hospital, but I like to feel cozy and comfortable when I am in the hospital so bringing my own pillow is just nice.
- Nursing Bras- I wear a nursing bra going into the hospital. They are just so much more comfortable. Also, they are more convenient when it comes time to nursing your baby!
- Nursing Pads- You will be very engorged when you first start to nurse. You will also be leaking. It is nice to bring along nursing pads to catch the leaking.
- Breast Pump- This is a hit or a miss. When I had my first son, I did not need this because he latched onto me so quickly and we did great with nursing. Whereas my second son didn’t catch onto nursing as quickly. I didn’t have my pump, so we had to hand express and feed him with a spoon. It would have been nice to have my breast pump along with a little bottle for this situation.
- Small Bottle- This is just in case your baby doesn’t latch on to you at the beginning.
- Haakaa- Bring this along to start catching your milk. Breast milk is liquid gold!
- Long Phone Charger- This is a must- Once you use a long phone charger you will never go back.
- Post-Partum Underwear- For as much as we all want to have a vaginal delivery, sometimes, that isn’t the case. I have had a vaginal delivery as well as a c-section. This underwear worked wonders for both!
- Lip Balm- Your lips get very dry during delivery. Lip Balm is the best thing you can add in your bag. Keep it next to you at all times while you are in the hospital. This is my favorite one!
- Sanitizing wipes-sanitizing body wipes are wonderful for when I had my c-section with my second kid. I wasn’t able to shower right away. After having a baby, you just want to wash your body down. These helped me.
- Post-Partum Leggings- The last thing I wanted to wear were normal leggings. These leggings were wonderful for vaginal and c-section deliveries!
- Nursing Pillow-This is a must for nursing.
- Freda Mom Washer- The hospital gives you one, but it is not as good as this one. Trust me on this. Just get the Freda Mom Washer.
- Tucks- These are a game changer for the healing process.
- Pads- Another must have for the healing process.
- Derma-plast- Trust me..another must for the healing process.
- Robe- Normally while I am in the hospital, I wear a robe with a nursing bra. This is just what I am most comfortable in.
- Nursing Gown- This is a new one I am adding to my hospital bag. I love being in my robe so much that I figured I would get good use out of a nursing gown for in the hospital and at home!
- Toiletry Products- The hospital normally provides shampoo, condition, and soap. I always like to bring my own.
- Nipple Cream- The first couple of times nursing can be rough. Nipple cream will help with soothing.
- Make Up- I always like to pack make-up to put on. It always makes me feel a little more put together after labor.
- Socks- Always bring your own!
- Slippers- I always wear slippers walking around the hospital floor. They are just soft and cozy.
- Swaddle- I always bring a swaddle to the hospital so the baby gets used to the swaddle that I have at home.
- Socks for baby- Keep those little piggies warm!
- Bows/ Hats for Baby- a necessity for pictures.
- Car Seat- For when you bring the sweet babe home.
- Car seat cover- Depending on when you deliver either in the summer or winter. It is always good to have a car seat cover. I have attached the two that I use.
- Going home outfit for baby- I had a cute going home outfit for the baby because you know there will be pictures. Also, most the time (at least for me) you are going home to family members who are excited to meet the new baby!
For your partner
Depending on if you have more kids at home or not my husband would go home every night and sleep with the kids. However, if you are planning on him being there the whole time here is a list of things that they may bring.
- Change of clothes
- Blanket
- Pillow
- Long Phone Charger
- Deodorant/ toiletry
- Comfy Lounge Clothes
My husband always brought a laptop as well in case he needed to work while in the hospital!
Some other things to consider
I was always so hungry and thirsty while in the hospital. Also, the hospital always has some extra things for you to take home. If you do not take them home generally, they just throw them away. So, I suggest taking all the goodies they have in the hospital room! Some extra things I will be packing is…
- A bigger water bottle
- Electrolytes
- Granola Bars
- Crackers
- Chop Sticks
- Mixed Nuts
- Extra Bag for take home items.
