One of the most frequently asked questions is what we packed (and USED) for the hospital for Leo’s birth (as a first time mom). When I initially asked my readers over on Instagram about a month before my due date — I was inundated with ideas and overwhelmed with opinions. A lot of you said that you overpacked, under-packed, wished you had certain items, or felt ridiculous for having certain items. I’m one of those people where in a stressful situation — would MUCH RATHER be safe than sorry, so I was planning to pack strategically while also shamelessly overpacking. I was actually the most surprised how people told me I was crazy for even starting to think of what I’m packing because “I had so much time…” about 4 weeks before my due date.
Then, at around 10:30pm one night the same week I asked that question, my water broke… a month early. I had a list on my phone of what I wanted to pack and some items set aside that I wasn’t using daily, but that’s about it. My husband wasn’t even remotely packed. Don’t be like us. I don’t know why it’s EVER a bad thing to be a little more prepared early on. We ended up packing up in a hurry and we were out the door in 30 minutes so my head was SPINNING and it wasn’t organized in the slightest. It all worked out in the end, we survived with what we brought. We were lucky that some of the Covid restrictions at the hospital were lifted and my husband could go in and out (and our moms came to visit). So, we were able to bring in a few more things that we forgot or wanted while we were there to make it as comfortable as possible.
Here’s a list of everything we happily used during our 4 days there.
*Note, we were there for a c-section so this list was for 4 full nights at the hospital and some things I needed for recovery. If you’re looking for c-section recovery tips, you can read that post HERE.
For You
– Purse/Wallet/Phone
– Extra Long (10ft) Phone Charger
– Headphones/Charger
– Sleep Mask (I sleep with one every night so this was a must)
– Toothbrush/Toothpaste
– Travel Toiletries (Face Wash, Shampoo, Conditioner, Deodorant, Moisturizer, Dry Shampoo, etc.)
– Hair Dryer/Brush (I washed my hair 1x)
– Curling Iron/Straightener (I curled my hair for hospital photos)
– Small Makeup Bag (I used CC cream, undereye concealer, tinted brow wax, mascara and lipstick)
– Hair Ties and Hair Clips (easily accessible)
– Lip Balm (easily accessible)
– Nursing Bra (I had them ordered but they didn’t come in so I wore a stretchy bralette)
– Nipple Cream
– Robe (I brought a lightweight one)
– Button Front Pajamas (highly recommend a dress version for c-sections)
– Belly Binder (I started using day 2)
– Blanket/Pillows (was so thankful to have my own blanket and pillow)
– Reusable Water Bottle
– Sound Machine (white noise is amazing for drowning out all-day/night hospital noises, ours had a nightlight too)
– Going Home Outfit
For Partner
– Phone Charger
– Headphones
– Portable Speaker
– Pillow/Blankets (for cot/couch)
– Pajamas/Lounge Outfits
– Socks
– Travel Toiletries
– Reusable Water Bottle
– Snacks
For Baby
– Car Seat (make sure it’s installed prior to arrival, they will check)
– Swaddles (newborn size)
– 1-2 Newborn Onesies (we needed premie size)
– Hats
– Nursing Pillow
– Name Plate/Announcement Outfit
– Baby Blanket (this is ours for Leo)
– Pacifiers
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