What I Actually Used From My Hospital Bag

As I was headed into the hospital to have my baby, I had to go through the COVID screening just outside the doors. There were 3 people sitting outside and asked me what I was there for (as if it wasn’t obvious enough with my huge belly). When I told them that I was there to have a baby, they looked down at my suitcase and said “first time mom?” while laughing. I didn’t think much of it at the moment because there were 8,000 other things running through my brain. Looking back though, I totally understand why they were laughing at me! I WAY overpacked! I looked up EVERYTHING on Pinterest and YouTube so that I could make sure I had everything I might possibly need. On the bright side, there were very, very few things that I wished I would’ve had, but there were soooo many things that I never touched in my hospital bag. Don’t make the same mistake that I did! Read on to find out what I actually used from my hospital bag and what I wished I would’ve had.

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First of all, remember that you are going to the hospital to have a baby. When you come back home, you will be absolutely exhausted and busy with your little newborn. The last thing you’ll want to do is unpack a suitcase full of items (trust me, it took me at least two weeks before I had everything unpacked and put away). Try to pack light and only bring the necessities!

Things to Pack for Mom

Initially, you might think that you need to pack all of your postpartum supplies in your hospital bag, but you definitely don’t! The hospital will provide you with all the pads, icepacks, underwear (you should try and take a bunch of pairs home), peri bottle, etc. If you have room to bring your own peri bottle, definitely pack the one that I recommended in my post 8 Things to Put in Your Postpartum Kit!

1. Robe

I didn’t wear anything in the hospital besides the hospital robes and my own robe. I was so exhausted, and changing my clothes was just really not a priority. The hospital robes have slits everywhere for easy removal, easy check-ups for the nurses, easy breastfeeding access for mom, etc. The hospital robes were great in my room, but when I got up to walk around the halls (they ask you to do that a couple of times a day so that you don’t get blood clots) my skin would show in certain areas that I didn’t want it to and it made me feel uncomfortable. Having my own robe took care of the hallway problem and was overall so much better. It was especially great for skin to skin. It was super easy to open and lay my baby on my chest, or even to breastfeed my baby. I got THIS ROBE from Amazon and I absolutely loved it! I read a lot of reviews on different robes and I’m so glad that I got this one. It’s light-weight and long so it covers everything that you want it to without being too warm. This robe has also been awesome to slip on for late night feedings that involve trips to the kitchen!

2. Zipper Bra

I am SO glad that I brought THESE ZIPPER SPORTS BRAS. This was great to wear during labor because once I delivered, I just unzipped my bra quick to do skin-to-skin. Super easy and convenient! I also loved these bras for nursing at night. I ordered a size up so that they were a little bit more loose and comfortable to wear. You might even like them for day-time feedings as well! I got two so that I always had an extra in case I leaked milk everywhere! I would pack 2 in your hospital bag as well because the one that you use during labor will probably get really dirty after skin-to-skin and you’ll definitely want a clean one!

3. Heating Pad

If you read my post 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Postpartum, then you know that a heating pad is super helpful! After you give birth, your uterus has to go back to normal, so you still experience contractions after giving birth. I especially felt them every time I nursed in the hospital, so I am so glad that I brought a heating pad with me. I don’t even remember where I read to pack one in my hospital bag, but I was unaware that I would want it for crampy contractions post-birth. I used THIS HEATING PAD and loved it! I would plug it in right before I was about to feed my baby and hold it up against my tummy. I used a thick blanket or some pillows to protect my baby from touching the hot heating pad though! Don’t accidentally burn your newborn’s skin!

4. Toiletries/Dry Shampoo/Pills

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be grateful to just brush your teeth and wash your face at the hospital! I packed everything so that I could take a shower at the hospital, but I never ended up taking one. I did bring dry shampoo though and I’m so grateful for that! It felt really good to brush my hair and put it up in a new bun after sitting on my hospital bed all day. Everyone says to bring chap stick and lotion and all of those other little things, but I can honestly tell you that I didn’t even think about those things. I was so focused on my little baby, and also in so much pain everywhere else, that dry lips and skin could’ve bothered me less. Bring the toiletries that you really feel like you need to, but don’t stress it!

I also made sure I included all of my prenatals and other pills that I was taking for the baby’s health in my hospital bag. I didn’t know how long I was going to be in labor, and I wanted to make sure that extra nutrients still got to my baby. Pills don’t take up a lot of extra space, but they sure take time so dump out and put in little baggies. I wish I wouldn’t have packed them. I totally forgot that I even had them. I was taking so many other pills that the nurses brought me, and those were all that I really needed anyway. They made sure that I was getting what I needed for myself and for my baby.

5. Flip Flops or Slippers

I gave birth during the summer months, so I brought flip flops with me to the hospital, but you could bring slippers too (although I wouldn’t recommend bringing both because that just takes un extra space). I kept them right by the side of the bed and it was nice to just slip them on and off when I would get in and out of the bed. I used my flip flops in my room, in the hallways and I would’ve used them in the shower too! If you want some nice cushy flip flops for your sore and swollen feet, check THESE FLIP FLOPS out! THESE SLIPPERS look great too!

6. Sleeping Mask

My husband got me THIS SLEEPING MASK for Christmas one year and I am SO glad that he did! It is memory foam, comfortable, and has a gap on the inside for your eyes so that they aren’t squished against the material. I ended up getting a second one for him just for the hospital bag and I’m glad I packed that for him as well. The hospital rooms aren’t the darkest and people are constantly coming in to check on mom and baby. Those sleeping masks were great to have in the hospital and even once we got back home. We slept with a night light after our son was born so that we could do feedings and diaper changes with a little bit of light. The sleeping masks were really helpful since we were used to sleeping in complete darkness. I seriously think that packing these sleeping masks were one of the best things that I brought in my hospital bag!

7. Going Home Outfit

I added this to the list simply because you can’t go home wearing your amazingly comfortable robe. You have to wear actual clothes! I wore some solid color maternity/nursing pajamas from Motherhood Maternity and loved them! HERE is the top and HERE are the bottoms if you want to check out those specific ones! Otherwise, I would just pack something loose and comfortable. Make sure whatever you pack will still fit a pregnant belly, because you will still leave the hospital looking like you are pregnant!

8. Nursing Pads

I didn’t need nursing pads in the hospital because my milk didn’t come in until after I got home, but I would definitely throw in a pair or two into your hospital bag just in case you are one of those lucky women that get their milk shortly after giving birth! My favorite nursing/breast pads are the Walmart brand, Parent’s Choice! I think that they are the softest and most durable! I tried out a lot of different kinds and those are easily my favorite!

For Baby

I way overpacked for my baby’s portion of the hospital bag. I brought tons of outfits and pajamas, tons of hats and tons of burp cloths/blankets. I didn’t use any of it. The hospital wraps your baby up in the typical pink and blue hospital blanket and gives them the cute little hat to wear. After they take measurements, they give you a little shirt to have the baby wear. My hospital did at least. This was perfect because the shirt didn’t bother the umbilical cord and it didn’t get in the way for the frequent diaper changes either. The hospital also stayed pretty warm, so my baby stayed perfectly warm while wearing a long sleeve shirt, diaper, and swaddled in a blanket. If you are going to pack clothes, I would really only pack one outfit OR one pair of pajamas. It’s pretty unlikely that the baby will get them dirty. The hospital also provides all of the diapers and wipes while you are there. They also have formula if you are planning to bottle feed. In regards to burp cloths, 2 day old newborns aren’t eating a ton, and so they generally aren’t spitting up very much, if at all. My baby didn’t spit up at all while I was in the hospital. If he would’ve, I probably just would’ve used the blanket to clean it up because I’m sure it would have been just a tiny amount. In regards to blankets, I mostly just used the hospital blanket. I brought another blanket that I used for him a little bit, but the hospital blanket was the perfect size and weight, so I just stuck with that. Here are some things that I will definitely be packing in my bag for baby next time though!

1. Mittens

One thing that I didn’t bring but I wished I really would have, were mittens! You can’t clip/file your baby’s nails for the first two weeks because their nails are so brittle and need more time to grow. Babies love to flail their arms around, and therefore they scratch their head/face constantly. My hospital didn’t have mittens, so I wished I would’ve packed some for my baby to wear! THESE are a great deal! You’ll want a lot because you change them every night and every morning, sometimes more often. I also love neutrals and whites because they match with every outfit!

2. Socks

My baby’s feet were turning purple because they were so cold while we were at the hospital. Babies have really bad circulation in their hands and feet when they are first born, so you have to put a lot of effort into keeping them warm! I wished I would’ve brought some socks for him to wear, or something to just cover his feet. Unfortunately, my hospital didn’t have socks for babies, so I just had to try and keep them covered with a blanket the whole time (they were still quite cold when I was doing that though). It wasn’t the end of the world, but baby socks are definitely something I would’ve used and I’ll absolutely be packing them in my hospital bag next time. THESE SOCKS are great! They’re warm and neutral!

3. Going Home Outfit

The shirt that my son wore the whole time at the hospital, wasn’t warm enough to go home in the car, so I put him in a cute little outfit to bring him home in. You could put your baby in whatever you want though! I remember debating between the outfit I chose, and a fleece pair of pajamas!

4. Props for Photos

I wanted to take some birth announcement photos while we were in the hospital, so I brought a cute swaddle/hat set and a letter board. I’m glad I brought those things because they made for some really cute pictures! If you have any other props that you want to bring for some cute hospital photos, I would highly recommend packing those in your bag!

5. Car-Seat and Possibly a Diaper Bag

These aren’t things to put into your hospital bag, but they are things to have ready. The hospital won’t let you leave with your baby if you don’t have a car-seat. Be sure to properly install your car-seat before heading to the hospital! You can get that checked at a local fire station. I brought my diaper bag to the hospital too, but I definitely didn’t need to. I didn’t even touch it in the hospital, and our car ride was a whole 5 minute drive home, so I didn’t use it then either. If you have more than a 20 minute drive home, I might pack your diaper bag, but leave it in the car. Don’t worry about taking it into the hospital.

For Dad

Dad is pretty simple. Dad needs what he would in any other overnight situation (toiletries, clothes, etc). It’s important to note that dad needs some snacks though haha. Don’t forget to add some snacks to your hospital bag for dad! Like I mentioned before, I also packed a sleeping mask for my hubby. It might’ve even been more useful for him at the hospital than it was for me. That’s about it for dad haha.

IF YOU HAVE ROOM…

I would pack pillows for mom and dad too. I had packed my pillow and it was heaven sent. I loved having my own pillow in the hospital because their pillows were not great. By bringing my own pillow, I risked getting blood on it, but I still thought it was worth it!

I would pack a small mesh laundry bag for any dirty clothes. That just makes it easier for when you get home and have to put everything away. It’s a simple way to keep things a little more organized and you’ll appreciate that when you are back home!

Bring a Nursing Pillow/Boppy Pillow if you can! If you can’t, you can just use pillow at the hospital, but by bringing a nursing pillow, you’ll save your arms and save the hospital some time trying to stack pillows under your arms.

Bring a washcloth and some lavender essential oil for labor. Right before I started pushing, my husband held a warm washcloth with lavender essential oil on my forehead and it helped me to calm down a lot and to feel a more relaxed!

Your OB Records/Birth Plan are good to bring if you can. The hospital should have all of your records anyway (if you have registered at your hospital, or if your OB office goes to that hospital), but it isn’t bad to bring it just in case. Everyone also talks a lot about making your birth plan. I’m glad that I had it, but if I would’ve had to rush to the hospital to have my baby, it wouldn’t have been the end of the world if I forgot it! I also took a picture of my birth plan so that I would have it on my phone- not a bad idea!

I will definitely be packing my hospital bag differently next time around. I WAY overpacked and looked silly walking around in the hospital with my giant suitcase, diaper bag, pillows, and my husband’s backpack. You would’ve thought that we were staying in the hospital for 2 weeks! All of these items that I have listed above are what I personally wished I would’ve focused on bringing, but make sure you pack whatever you feel is necessary! As a first time mom, I felt really comforted by having everything that I might possibly need. If you are that way, then do what you need to do! Don’t add any extra stress to your life! If you are a minimalist and wish you just had a simple list, I’m totally here for you! Good luck mama! You’ll do great! 😉

Do you have anything that you wished you would’ve put in your hospital bag? Tell me in the comments!