If you’re planning on a hospital birth, it can be very overwhelming to pack. I’ll tell y’all right now, we packed way too much. We had 2 large suitcases and 1 small suitcase which was about the same amount of baggage we had for our honeymoon to Hawaii! Please know that there is no need to do that. As first time parents, we wanted to make sure we had everything we needed (and more) at the hospital but I’m here to give you the scoop on what you actually need and what you can leave at home.
I would recommend reading my birth story in my prior blog post so you can get an understanding of what our hospital stay was like and how plans can change!
WHAT YOU DON”T NEED TO BRING…
Baby diapers, peri bottles, sanitary napkins, a tripod, “entertainment”. In my opinion, there wasn’t much time for tv during labor and post labor all I wanted to do was snuggle with my baby, as did my husband. My laptop remained in my suitcase the entire time. We brought a tripod to take a family picture in the room but the L&D nurses are so kind and are happy to take as many pictures as you want as long as they aren’t too busy! The hospital has plenty of baby diapers. They will supply you with every type of post labor goodies that you’ll need (mesh underwear, napkins, peri bottles, hazel witch wipes).
However, I will say that the Frida Mom disposable underwear was much more comfortable and worth buying and bringing to the hospital in my opinion!
WHAT YOU DO NEED TO BRING…
- DOCUMENTS- you’ll need photo IDs for yourself and your partner as well as insurance. If you have a doula coming, they may need to show proof of their doula certification as well. Don’t forget to bring copies of your birth plan and tape as well (see birth story post for template ideas).
- HOSPITAL GOWN- having my own gown was a game changer and my sister who has had 2 babies will agree that they were much softer and easier for breastfeeding and skin to skin versus wearing the traditional hospital gowns. I loved the Kindred Bravely Universal Labor and Delivery Gown. I ordered two colors and used them both during my stay.
3. WHITE NOISE MACHINE- a must for us! We still use one to this day and baby boy is almost 8 months old. This one I am obsessed with because I can control it from my phone and also doubles as a night light for night feeds.
4. COOLER- if you’re planning on keeping your placenta, you’ll need to provide a cooler to store it in. Don’t worry, the hospital has plenty of ice and will store it for you. Just be sure to let your L&D team know that you want to keep it so that you can sign the form to do so and they will take care of the rest! I put masking tape on the outside of the cooler and labeled it with my name and phone number. If you’re in Austin, check out Hill Country Placenta if you are wanting to get yours encapsulated into pills to take during postpartum. This is the cooler that I ordered and it was the perfect size!
5. COZY CLOTHES- It’s important to understand that you’ll be in a hospital. You want nice, soft, cozy clothes but also keep in mind that the few days after labor are…. messy. You want to choose pieces that are easy to wash and not too expensive or fancy in case they get stained. I love the Stars Above lounge clothes from Target. The button down gowns are great for breastfeeding and the robes are soft and thin so you don’t get too hot. I’d also recommend these slides that double as shower shoes.
6. BIG WATER BOTTLE WITH A BENDY STRAW- Hydration during labor and after labor is essential. The bendy silicone straw on this bottle is incredible while you are laboring in all of the positions. I used this water bottle during my entire breastfeeding journey as well! It is okay to hydrate and snack during active labor, despite what the hospital tells most women. Think of it like a marathon, you need to fuel your body. Be sure to pack lots of snacks like dried fruit and granola to help you keep up your energy. I also love coconut water post birth to help replace all of the electrolytes that I lost while sweating in labor. Coconut water can also great to help increase milk supply!
7. BREAST PUMP- this was the one thing that I did not bring to the hospital but I wish I did. My doula brought hers for me to use to help progress labor naturally. Pumping promotes oxytocin which helps your cervix open, the same way a doctor might use a Pitocin drip to speed things up! However, during the post labor stay, it would have been nice to start pumping to help my milk supply come in sooner. I have the Spectra S1 wireless pump that I was able to get for free through insurance. Most insurances cover breast pumps so be sure to look at your plan and order it ahead of time so that you can put it together, sterilize the parts, understand how it works, and pack it if you wish to.
8. PHOTO OPS- these things are not “necessary” but it was a fun idea and I’m glad we did it! We got matching mama and dad sweatshirts to wear for the day we left the hospital. We also got a wooden name sign for baby. Looks so cute in his “birth announcement” photo. Something I’ve learned as a parent is that you can never take enough pictures or make enough memories. If it’s in your budget, these are fun items to get!
9. PACKING CUBES- aside from what to pack, packing WELL and staying organized is so helpful. I had an emergency c section after 19 hours of natural labor so it was imperative that my husband new exactly where everything was if I needed something, since I couldn’t get out of bed. These packing cubes are amazing! I also used masking tape to label and just make it extremely clear what was inside each cube.
I’ll share the remainder of the packing list here:
You might be wondering why “swimsuit” is on there for your partner. This is so your partner can help you labor in the shower if y’all choose to do so. It’s also works so that your partner can shower during the stay in case the hospital shower is exposed.
I hope this helps you as you pack for the most adventurous, life changing trip of you’ve ever been on!
XOXO,
