We just had our baby boy Owen on Valentine’s Day 2024 and I read all of my favorite bloggers’ “what’s in my hospital bag” posts. I had a master list of what I thought were the “must haves” and the “nice to haves”. Now that I’ve gone through the labor, delivery, and hospital recovery experience, my master list went from about 50 items to just a fraction of that.
Our main focus was to 1) safely deliver our baby boy (duh) and 2) be as comfortable as possible for our stay. We were planning for a vaginal delivery (which I did have) but you never know what could happen, so I wanted to be prepared as possible for all options. Thankfully we had most of these items packed and ready to go before leaving for the hospital but we could have cut this list in half (if not more).
So instead of doing a “what’s in my hospital bag” post, here is my list of hospital bag must-haves (and some nice-to-haves and things I packed that I did not need).
Must-Haves
Essentials
- Wallet & ID
- Insurance card
- Pediatrician contact information – the hospital may require you to schedule an appointment with the pediatrician for the day after discharge before you leave the hospital
- Suitcase & duffel
- Birth plan
- Phone
- Extra-long phone charger
Clothing
This is an area where I severely overpacked, thinking I would want to change outfits every day to be comfortable. WRONG. I honestly was so tired and felt gross and didn’t want to get any of my personal clothes dirty, so I ended up wearing all things hospital (including the hospital gown and postpartum underwear). We also only ended up staying one night so maybe if we stayed for two or more nights I would have used my extra outfits.
- Light robe
- Going home outfit – I wore an oversized sweatshirt and stretchy maternity joggers that went over my belly
- Fuzzy socks (preferably with grips on the bottom)
- Nursing bra
- Cloud slippers – These were great for walking around the room and were easy to clean
Toiletries
Another area where I overpacked thinking I would do a full skincare routine, but postpartum recovery made leaving the bed very uncomfortable so I didn’t do much self-care while at the hospital (I didn’t even shower until we got home).
- Toothbrush + toothpaste
- Hairbrush
- Hair ties – I would recommend hair ties over hair clips just because you’ll likely be lying down for most of the time
- Silicone loofah
- Shampoo/conditioner
- Body wash
- Face wash
- Moisturizer
Comfort Items
- Portable fan + charger
- Pillow + colored pillowcase – I used at least 3 pillows at all times to support my head, arms, and the baby (especially when I started breastfeeding). The hospital pillows were very flat so it was nice to have plush pillows from home.
Baby Items
- Car seat + base (pre-installed)
- Baby blanket
- Pacifier
- Going home outfit – I’d recommend a kimono-style top due to the baby’s umbilical cord
Other
- Simple Modern cup
- Extra duffel/tote bags – You will need this to take home all of the baby and postpartum items!
- Snacks
Items for Drew
- Phone + extra-long charger
- Pillow + colored pillowcase
- PJs – For Drew, this was just a fresh hoodie and basketball shorts
- Change of clothes
- Toiletries
- Ear plugs
- Eye mask
Nice-To-Haves
- Nightgown
- Maternity underwear
- Portable noise machine
- Speaker
- Nursing pillow
- FridaMom peri bottle – The hospital provides one for you, but I loved the angle of the FridaMom one
- FridaMom disposable boy shorts – The hospital also provides disposable mesh underwear for you, but they were SO short and did not feel secure
- Name sign for baby – We didn’t do the classic announcement photos so didn’t end up needing this
- Velcro swaddle – We used the baby blankets the hospital provided
- Ink pad
Did Not Need
- Makeup
- Hair styling products (including blow dryer, straightener, curling iron)
- Bath towel
- Breast pump – You can get a free or subsidized breast pump through your insurance!
- Nursing items (nursing pads, silver nursing shields, nipple butter) – Your milk may not come in on the first day so you probably won’t need these until you go home
- Belly lotion or oil
- Postpartum care items (ice pads, witch hazel pads, Dermaplast) – The hospital will have all of those items for you and extra; I had this FridaMom postpartum recovery kit and loved it!
- Emory nail file
- Too many extra clothing items for mom (including extra shoes, PJs, changes of clothes)
- Too many extra baby clothes (including mittens, socks, hats, going home outfit options/onesies)
- Notebook/pen
- Book/Kindle
I overpacked even more than what was on the list above, but I would have been just fine packing the must-haves. If we had an emergency C-section or stayed more days, the nice-to-haves would have been, well, nice-to-have. At the end of the day, the hospital provides pretty much everything you need so you can focus on you and your baby!
Happy packing!
Vivian
