What to Pack for the Hospital
I've recently seen and received requests for a "what to pack" list when having a baby. The fact that I got about 32 women pregnant last year means I've seen this a lot. I'm tired of sending individual emails so here's my list of things that you should pack for the hospital/birthing center.
Documents:
- Insurance information and any paperwork you will need
- Copies of your birth plan
For Mami & Daddy:
- Robe and slippers - if you wear them
- Clothes for delivery, if you don't want to wear the hospital gown - I labored in a sari
- A nightgown that opens in the front, for nursing after the baby gets here
- A sleep nursing bra
- Several pairs of socks, if you don’t want hospital socks
- Birthing ball - if the hospital doesn't provide them
- A focal point, good luck charm, or some other "security" item
- Snacks for after delivery - I had the frog princess at 10:43 p.m. and although they served dinner til late into the night, by the time I got up to my room, they weren't. Though I got lucky and had an awesome nurse that made a turkey sandwich magically appear
- If you're at a birthing center, you'll want to bring food for during labor as they normally don't restrict eating and encourage it to give you energy while you labor
- A cup if you don’t want to drink out of the disposable cups at the hospital and anything you want to drink
- A change of clothes for Papi
- Going home clothes for mami - elastic waist, nursing bra, roomy top. Whatever you wore while pregnant that wasn’t restrictive
- A Girdle or some sort of post partum support belt - hear me out on this one. I felt like ripe fruit after I had the baby. Though I felt fine after the labor, I would get queasy at the feel of my tummy and the ripeness of it. I can't explain it, maybe one of my readers can
- Undies: okay so I should tell you that when I was pregnant and planning on a birthing center delivery, my girlfriend who is an OB nurse told me I had to buy "mesh underwear". I had no idea what she was talking about. When I gave birth at the hospital (long story) I got some of them and let me tell you, I took some home. For real. The hospital has them, take advantage. They were comfy and once I took them off I didn't have to worry about what was on them and just pitched
For the Baby
- Car seat for baby
- A special blanket for the "official" first hospital picture
- Going home clothes for baby
Toiletries & Such:
- Hair accessories (scrunchy, headband, etc)
- Toiletries - don’t forget a comb and a little lip gloss for the official hospital pics. You may not feel like it but trust me, take them
- Oil or lotion for massage
- Lip balm
- Eyeglasses and/or contacts and supplies
- Nursing pads - though you’ll probably only use this for when you leave. I don’t think I wore a bra while in the hospital. Enjoy the freedom, it will be short lived
- If you're in a birthing center, you might need to bring:
- sanitary napkins - although I bought some King Kong sized pads to take with me, I ended up using the hospital ones. Yes they were more like a pillow but it was comforting to wear as it made me feel like my uterus wouldn't fall out of my body.
- disposable underpads
Electronics & Accessories:
- Cell phone
- Camera supplies (don't forget the charger, film and/or extra batteries!)
- Music/playlist and speakers
- Your baby book, for footprints or anything you want his footprints on, like a shirt
- List of phone numbers, to call and announce the birth - phone tree. you can assign someone this task other than you and Papi
That's all I can think of for now. Did I miss anything?