The must-have items to pack for your delivery. Everything to pack for mom, dad, and the baby!
Hospital Packing List for mom, baby, and dad. Know what to pack to take to the hospital when it is time to deliver your baby!
I was ready. When I research something, I don’t turn to one source only. Oh no. I was taught better than that. You need multiple sources to verify what is true.
My hospital packing list was no different.
I wasn’t going to read one person’s list and leave it at that.
Nope. I would look at many. I would find out what was common. I would carefully consider things that only made it to one list. I would read books. I would be as prepared as possible because that is how I roll and there was no way I was rolling into labor with a nagging “what if I forgot something” in the back of my head.
I was over-prepared, and that was okay. I prefer that to the opposite.
But I amended my list over the years and through my deliveries. I want to be prepared, but there is no reason to pack things I would never use just to have to unpack them when I got home. Simplify.
This list has been vetted.
With any good list comes some caveats.
There are some things that will depend on your circumstances and delivery center.
Brayden and Kaitlyn both had short labors. I didn’t need anything “to do” with me because I didn’t have time for it.
McKenna’s was twice as long, and we would have liked some things we had packed with Brayden but since banished from our list. Now, this was waaaayyy back in the day before we carried around computers in our pockets, so “entertainment” probably doesn’t even need to be packed like it was then.
Nevertheless, the takeaway is that your perfect list will vary based on how long your labor is. And unless you are having a planned cesarean, you don’t have much way of knowing how long you will be in that hospital room before the baby arrives. Just like every pregnancy is different, every delivery is different.
Another important point is that your list will vary based on what your hospital offers. What my hospital automatically provides won’t necessarily be true of your hospital. So ask around; crowd-source with people who have recently delivered at your hospital.
My hospital seems to provide a lot of what is found on many lists, so I don’t need to worry about it. If you are delivering in a hospital you have never delivered in, it would be a good idea to ask the hospital or a friend who has delivered there what to expect for your stay.
>>>Read: How To Create a Birth Plan (with Printable)
Post Contents
Hospital Bag Essentials For Mom
Here are things to consider packing for mom. First are things that will come in handy both in delivery and post-delivery:
- Scriptures
- Phone
- Phone charger
- iPad
- Charging bank
- Book / Kindle
- Notebook and pen
- Journal
- Pillow
- Earplugs
- Hair tie or scrunchie
- Lip balm
- Socks
- Hard candies
Post-delivery items for mom:
- Toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, soap, face wash, lotion…)
- Hairbrush and/or comb
- Glasses, contacts, contact lens case, contact solution
- Underwear
- PJ pants
- Robe
- Slippers
- Going home outfit
- Flip flops (your feet will likely be swollen when you go home)
- Boppy
- Nursing bra
- Lansinoh
- Pump
- Nursing pads
- Sanitary pads for postpartum bleeding (many hospitals will provide these)
I have my entertainment items. My phone along with my scriptures and a good book or two are more than enough to keep my mind entertained.
My husband and I typically spend a lot of the time visiting with each other anyway, so I don’t really need much. My notebook and pen are so I can keep notes of things that come to my mind. When I sit still, my mind starts planning.
I love having my own pillow with me no matter where I am sleeping. I even took my own pillow to Hawaii. I sleep best with my own pillow, so it comes along.
I also sleep best at the hospital with earplugs to block out any hospital noise. There is a LOT of noise.
With Brayden, I didn’t have my own PJ pants or a nursing bra. It was okay–I survived without it all, but by McKenna, I had those things with me and just liked it so much more. I like my hospital’s gown just fine, but I like to have some pants on underneath and a robe is nice if you want to get up and wander about.
I have always had a boppy for each child, and I love it.
The lansinoh and nursing pads are not necessary–the hospital has them–but I bring mine along “just in case.” In case of what? I am not sure. I just do.
The pump is something I bring because my pump hooks up to the hospital’s several-thousand-dollar electronic pumps. I can use those for free, but it will cost my insurance about 100-150 dollars if I don’t bring my own pump along.
The camera and going home outfit are obvious. You only need an additional camera if you want something fancier than your cell phone.
Oh, and let me just say, I shower every day at the hospital. I can never tell you enough how much I love to shower. Showering makes me happy.
Get a printable version of this document here.
Hospital Bag Essentials For Dads
- Scriptures
- Phone
- Book
- Pillow
- Toiletries
- Clothes
- Underwear
- Socks
- PJs
- Snacks
My husband is obviously a little less maintenance than I am, but hey, I am the one who just gave birth right? He has no breastfeeding issues going on (among other things).
Hospital Bag Essentials For Baby
- Car seat
- Going home outfit
- Blanket
- Diaper bag
- Fingernail clippers
- Bulb syringe
- Socks
- Baby book and pen
- Wipes if your hospital does not provide them
- Diapers if your hospital does not provide them
- Onesies if your hospital does not provide them
This is really an area the hospital pretty much covers. I basically only need what I need for the drive home.
If you are having twins, see what else you might need to pack for twins!
That is my list. What is on your list?
Related Posts
- Perspectives on Different Types of Delivery
- How To Prepare for the Birth of Your Babywise Baby
- Creative Ways to Choose the Perfect Baby Name
- How To Choose An Amazing Midwife
- Necessary Newborn Items
This post originally appeared on this blog in July 2012
