One of my friends is a couple months away from having her first, and was looking for suggestions for her hospital bag. I tried to pare down my packing list for the hospital before going, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to pack lighter this time. If you’re wondering what to take to the hospital, here’s my list, with “BTDT” comments (“been there, done that”) in square brackets.
For L&D
- Pillows [Meh; hospitals have pillows. Guess I’m not picky.]
- Tennis ball for back massage during labor [Uh, no. Didn’t take it; wouldn’t have used it.]
- Slippers, warm socks, robe [It was February; you might still want the robe and slippers in the summer though.]
- Gum, snacks and hard candy [Meh]
- Water bottle [The hospital provided one. Two, actually. And they wouldn’t let me drink during labor. Ice chips. Yum.]
- Change/singles for vending machines [Oh yeah.]
- Hair brush and hair ties [Definitely.]
- Makeup (for pictures!) [Didn’t take pictures in the delivery room, but we did later.]
- Camera [Ditto.]
- Cell phone/phone card [Of course.]
- Baby book to get baby feet stamped with ink! [The hospital gave me a sheet with footprints.]
- Baby name book [If you’re open to last-minute choices and changes.]
Add to the list: any birthing/coaching materials you need, insurance card (duh).
Toiletries
You know, the bathroom supplies you’d take anywhere else.
- Nail clippers [. . . for hangnails? What on earth?]
- Contact lens case, solution, glasses, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant
- Shampoo, conditioner, soap, dark colored towel [I couldn’t get out of bed long enough to shower due to complications, but I think that hospitals tend to have these things. The dark-colored towel was to make sure it didn’t get mixed up with the hospital’s.]
- Lotion, baby oil [I think I might have used them; it was winter.]
- Nice SOFT toilet paper [Hospitals have TP, but I’m not picky.]
- Hairdryer [Meh]
- Large pads [Keep these at home; the hospital provided plenty.]
- Nursing pads [Probably not necessary in the hospital, but nice to have just in case.]
- Pillow with pillowcase other than white [So you don’t get it mixed up with hospital pillows.]
- Burp cloths [Never used.]
- Baby wipes [The hospital provided wipes and diapers.]
- Card games and entertainment [We watched TV and looked at Hayden.]
Going home
- Outfit for me to wear home [Duh.]
- Nursing bra, underwear
- Dermaplast (skin numbing spray) and Tucks pads [I’d keep those at home.]
- Outfit for baby to wear home including hat, onesie, socks/booties, and blanket [Depends on the weather, of course. You don’t have to worry about any other clothes; the hospital provides onesies, hats and blankets while you’re in there. And they gave us the hat.]
- Car seat [Can’t leave the hospital without one!]
Now, for a lot of these things, the hospital provided (lots of) them. This will, of course, vary, and yes, I suppose I did eventually pay for most of them in one way or another. However, I did look at my hospital bills and they didn’t charge me per baby wipe and sanitary napkin—but some hospitals do nitpick like that.
So, what could you not live without in the hospital?