I’m sitting here writing this as I watch my 4 month old daughter nap, thumb in mouth, soothing herself to sleep. I cannot believe she is already 4 months old! It makes my heart ache in a way I didn’t know was possible, thinking about how quickly the time goes and how much she has already changed and grown. And I think back to the moment my water broke in a coffee shop (yes, it really happened that way) and how much my life would change 26 hours later. I can’t bring myself just yet to sit down and write about my birth story, it feels so personal and every time I think about that day I’m flooded with SO many emotions and feelings. I hope to be able to share my story one day soon, but for now I still want to keep that memory close to my heart.
Leading up to the birth of our daughter, I was literally making “To Do” lists for everything – complete her nursery, wash her clothes, set up changing area downstairs, make sure my step-daughters were taken care of while we were in the hospital, organize the pantry so there was room for her bottles and formula (hello nesting!) order cutie “going home outfit.” I was 3 weeks away from my due date, and I felt fully prepared and ready. That is, until I realized I had nothing packed for myself or my husband, and was overwhelmed after a quick internet search of “what to pack for the hospital.” There are seriously hundreds of posts and lists out there, and I feel like I read them all. I had so many things in my shopping cart because all these posts said I needed it, ready to hit that “checkout” button a few dozen times and shut my eyes when the total showed up on the screen.
Thankfully I had a moment of clarity and I took a minute to think about what our time at the hospital would most likely be like – sitting around a L&D room waiting for Emersen to make her appearance, then spending a day or 2 sitting around a hospital room staring at this brand new baby. I knew we couldn’t have visitors due to COVID restrictions, and we wouldn’t really be able to leave the room. There was no need for the cute outfits, the “light” makeup, the hairdryer so I’d “feel like myself.” And honestly, I was so exhausted once it was all said and done, I had no desire to even attempt any of that!
Here’s a look at what I packed for myself, my husband, and the baby for the 2 days we were in the hospital. I like to think we packed pretty light – one bag for me and the babe, one bag for my husband. I made sure to take bags big enough so we’d have room for supplies given by the hospital, but compact enough that they fit in the corner of the room without getting in the way. I chose to formula feed, so I can’t offer advice on what might be needed for breast feeding mamas.
My Hospital Bag
- Cotton Bathrobe ( I loved this one from Amazon)
- 2 pair joggers
- 2 sports bras
- 2 loose shirts / t-shirts
- Pajamas (really love this set from Target)
- Cardigan / zip-up in case it got cold
- Cozy blanket
- Flip flops (wore these Adidas slides so I could wear them in the room and also in the shower)
- Face wash / moisturizer, deodorant, body lotion, hydrating facial wipes
- Glasses / contacts
- Travel size shower items (shampoo, conditioner body wash)
- Hairbrush and hair ties (really love this set from Anthropologie)
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Tylenol, tums
- Chapstick
- Shower Towel
- Airpods
My Husband’s Bag
- 2 changes of clothes / briefs / socks
- Flip flops
- Sweatpants and one hoodie
- Shorts and t-shirt for bed
- Toothbrush
- Deodorant
- Hairbrush and gel
- Shower Towel
- Shampoo and body wash
- Headphones
For the Babe
- 2 cotton long-sleeve onesies
- 2 newborn hats
- Socks
- Going home outfit
- Packed a newborn and larger size in case newborn didn’t fit
- 2 Muslin blankets (I knew the hospital we delivered at would gift a Halo swaddle so I brought the blankets as backup)
- Car seat
- Car seat cover to keep sun / wind off baby when leaving
General Items
- Snacks (Cliff bars, protein cookies, trail mix, etc)
- Water bottles for both of us – Yeti with straw was lifesaver for labor
- Drinks: Gatorade for labor, bottled water, Red Bull (for Brett)
- 2 extra long iPhone chargers
- Folder for all paperwork / documents
A few other small tips….TAKE ALL THE BABY THINGS YOU CAN. A few friends had told me the same thing, but I felt a little weird about it, almost like I was stealing, and didn’t think I’d end up taking any of it. However, a nurse told me that once they left their supply closet and were put in our room, they couldn’t put them back or give them to other babies. So they’d essentially be going in the trash. AND after seeing our hospital bill… yea I’m glad I took all the things. Our cart was stocked with diapers, wipes, and formula daily, so whatever we didn’t use that day we put in our bag to take home. I also stocked up on the recovery products for myself – mesh panties, feminine pads, witch hazel pads.
The extra long iPhone charger cords were SO crucial for the both of us. I didn’t have an outlet near either bed I was in, and my regular cords would not have reached. It was nice to have my phone at my side so I could keep family and friends updated, and not have to ask someone to bring it to me or deal with getting up out of bed and exposing myself to whoever was in the room. I was also happy to have brought my own Yeti cup. The hospital did provide us both with water bottles, but they didn’t stay cold for too long and I felt bad pinging the nurse for more ice every time (again, we weren’t able to leave our rooms because of COVID to get our own ice). Cold water and cold Gatorade got me through the early hours of labor, so I highly recommend packing your own.
Music during labor was the best thing I could have ever done for myself, and I was so happy to have grabbed my airpods last minute. I think I listened to music for 8 hours straight, so again it was also nice to have the long charger nearby to charge my case. I delivered our girl to Spotify’s “Feel Good Summer” playlist, and now I’ll forever associate so many of those songs with our baby love. In a way, the music helped distract me from the pain of my contractions, as I’d sing out loud or pace my breathing to some of the beats. It helped me get out of my own head and keep calm/focused.
One thing I WISH I purchased/packed for myself was my own hospital gown. At the time, I felt like that was a little “extra” to show up and be like no thanks, I have my own. But the one at the hospital was stiff and hot and itchy, and I really didn’t enjoy being so exposed every time I needed to get up and move. There are some really affordable ones out there that provide a little more coverage and comfort than the one’s at the hospital, and I wish I would have snagged one.
