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Swaddle Set – Pillow – Cup – Disposable Undies – Blanket
I just had my first baby. While perusing Pinterest and Instagram for hospital bag lists, I became overwhelmed and I feel I overpacked a bit. Yes, the hospital has most of what you’ll need. It also kind of depends on your experience. For example, I didn’t bring many of my own postpartum care products, but I also felt okay after my delivery. Someone who feels more uncomfortable may want their own.
Also, I was induced. So, we knew we’d be spending some extra time in the hospital before baby arrived. Therefore, it was imperative that we (my husband and I) were both comfortable leading up to the birth! So, without further ado, allow me to show you my slightly condensed hospital bag list – in hopes it will help someone who would prefer not to overpack! Also, at the end of the post, I’ll go over some items I felt we didn’t need.
If you’re interested in a printable PDF checklist, simply fill out this form and I’ll send one directly to your inbox!
#1. Pillows – one for you, one for dad. We each have and love this one. It’s great because it’s adjustable – you can add or remove stuffing making it great for almost anyone. I actually received so many compliments on this pillow from nurses in the hospital as they adjusted it for me! (While we’re at it, my husband also needed his own sheet for the couch so I highly recommend throwing one in his bag as well).
#2. Cozy Blankets – again, one for you, one for dad. We splurged and brought Barefoot Dreams and I’m so glad we did. We were both very comfy and I love that you can fold it up and it acts as a pillow since it’s so fluffy. I did this and slept with it between my legs our first night. This is really so important because the hospital bed is no more comfortable than whatever dad is sleeping on!
#3. Portable Charger – this makes it easy to charge your phone in bed. Believe me, once you’re connected to what feels like a thousand wires, you won’t want to add in a phone charger cord. Ours is no longer sold, but this one is nearly exact. It’s so nice to have the built in cords and wall plug.
#4. Extra Long Charging Cords – in addition to the portable charger, we also brought these. We used both! You definitely need the long ones in the hospital. The bonus is, we use them at home now too, and they’re also great for traveling because hotel rooms don’t always have the most accessible outlets either.
#5. Water Bottle/Cup – Water actually wasn’t offered to us as much as I thought it would be?? Plus, I love this Stanley cup because not only does it keep water super cold for days, but the flip down straw makes me feel a little more sanitary!
#6. Towels – okay, I actually didn’t see this one on too many other packing lists. But, the hospital towels are TINY and THIN, and you may [read: will definitely] want something larger, more comfortable, and preferably not white. That’s where these towels come in! They are technically bath sheets, so they are the perfect size! I felt a little silly initially for packing these, but in the end I was sooo glad to have them. My husband used one too so, they were worth bringing.
#7. STROLLER FAN!! – If you bring ONE thing – based on my experience, I would say let it be this! Our first night in the hospital, before I was even in labor, I was sooo hot. Having this fan strapped to the bed blowing directly on me was a game changer. It also helped me through nausea, and of course it was so necessary during labor/pushing!! The bonus is, it then becomes baby’s fan! I love this exact fan. It is quiet, rechargable, and so strong! It also has multiple settings so you don’t have to have it on full blast the entire time.
#8. Fridababy Disposable Underwear – This is probably my second favorite item. I didn’t bring any real underwear to the hospital. I wore the mesh undies and brought these to wear home. They are stronger/thicker than the mesh, and they helped make me feel more put together and supported. I kept ordering them actually, and wore them for almost 6 weeks. I wore them to bed as shorts (because, postpartum night sweats!), and during the day as underwear.
#9. This Baby Book – ok this one was a gift but there’s a spot in it for baby’s footprints and the nurses were willing to stamp them for us while they did her footprints. It’s a keepsake I’ll treasure forever! This book has lots of cute pages in the beginning, and then monthly pages that aren’t a huge commitment to fill out which I love!
#10. Swaddle/Announcement Set – Lastly, you may want to bring an announcement sign/set or at the very least a cute swaddle other than the hospital prints for a photo op! We used this one which comes in lots of different prints. I love how soft & stretchy it is, but also not huge. It is a nice little blanket to throw in the diaper bag.
This is just a condensed list of “extras”. Obviously, you’ll still have to pack clothing, toiletries, etc.
NOW – What did I pack that we did not need?
A lot of the lists I found recommended the following items, which I brought but did not touch: Heating pad, burp towels, pacifier*, makeup (besides bare minimum), extra outfits, night light (our room was pretty big and we just always had some lights on, but a tap light like this one was definitely a must have once we got home).
*In the future I will always bring a paci, we just didn’t need it this time.
Don’t forget to type in your email address for a printable PDF version of this packing list!
I hope this post is helpful if you are trying to navigate the long hospital bag packing lists like I was! What was your #1 must have?