Been There, Done That :: Packing a Hospital Bag

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We have the most awesome calendar in our kitchen. We bought two dry erase calendars when they were on clearance at Target, and my husband built a frame for them. The actual calendars themselves are held in place by Velcro strips. So when we finish a month, I swap the months and fill out the next month. And with this last switch, I (finally) wrote in the date of my fourth child’s birth! The time is getting so close, I suppose it’s time to think about packing my hospital bag.

Prior Experiences

My prior births happened under varying circumstances, and thus, I had varying experiences with the hospital bag.

I was teaching school when I had my first, and considering I was on summer break (with nothing. to. do.), my bag was packed and repacked countless times. My water broke two days before my due date, and although my husband and I rushed around trying to find batteries before we left for the hospital, at least we just had to throw my bag in the back of our car. When it was discharge time, my husband made several trips to the car with our stuff before we were able to leave the hospital with our new baby.

Baby #2 arrived unexpectedly; five weeks early! At 35 weeks pregnant, I woke up in the middle of the night, sat up and my water broke. I woke my husband and we rushed frantically around the house making phone calls and throwing stuff into a bag. I have no idea what I brought to the hospital; that entire morning was a complete blur.

When I was expecting baby #3, I had to go to my doctor several days in a row because my blood pressure kept rising. After four or five days with no improvement, I was determined that I wasn’t going to go home until I was bringing my baby home with me. So I packed a small bag, and convinced my husband to come with me to my appointment. My blood pressure was still high, I was 38.5 weeks along, and my doctor agreed to go ahead and deliver my child that day.

Armed with several prior experiences under my belt, I’ve got a list in my head of items I plan to bring with me to the hospital for the arrival of baby #4.

Hospital Bag Must-Haves

First off, I don’t plan to pack until a few days ahead of my scheduled delivery date, because there are two things that I have learned: 1) all of my and the baby’s needs can be taken care of by the hospital, and 2) less is definitely more when it comes to bringing personal items along.

Here’s my list of must-haves for the hospital: (This is in addition to normal personal hygiene items such as toothbrush/toothpaste and deodorant.)

1. Lotion and Lip Balm

Morphine makes me itch, and I plan to bring along a soothing lotion to try to calm it down. And I’m a lip balm addict.

2. iPad and Magazines

I will be delivering at the end of October so I am collecting magazines to read while I’m in the hospital. We have three small children, and my husband and friends and family will be busy watching them, so I anticipate lots of quiet time in the hospital with my newborn (and I say this from experience.)

3. Face Wipes

These things are a miracle, I tell you. I’m too lazy to wash my face at night and so I know I won’t be washing my face at the hospital. My two favorite brands are Yes to Blueberries and Pacifica Coconut Water wipes. Whoever invented facial cleansing wipes is a genius.

4. Makeup Bag

BB cream, highlighter pencil and bronzer are all I need to look presentable.

5. Going home outfits (for me and for the baby)

I will pack some loose fitting yoga pants to slip on while I walk around the halls of the hospital, but I see no need to bring a lot of clothing for me or for the baby. I had so many cute outfits at the hospital for my first son that were ruined with blood around the umbilical cord area that I would prefer for baby #4 to just be dressed in hospital garb. (And this mama will be too, who wants to do laundry when they first arrive home from the hospital?)

All of these items will presumably fit into one medium sized bag. And this blog post serves as my promise to myself that I will NOT add to this list. I’ve done the too much, the last minute scramble and just the right amount. This time I know I’m going to get it right!

What did you pack in your hospital bag? What could you have lived without?

3 COMMENTS

  1. My hospital bag was enormous and well-stocked when I had my daughter a few weeks ago. Next time, at a minimum, I would want: an extra-long phone charger cord; fragrance – free shampoo, conditioner, and body wash (if the hospital had shampoo, it was not in the room); comfy clothes for walking the halls (per the OB); a razor (I hate unshaven legs, even right after a c-section); an eye mask; nursing tanks; hair ties; and easy snacks.

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