What Items Do I Need to Pack in my Hospital Bag for Delivery of Baby

Top 15 Must Haves to Pack into Mom’s Hospital Bag During Pregnancy

  • Insurance Cards – Always bring a copy of your insurance card with you.  You never know if you will need them or not.  If there is an emergency, you might not be able to make it to the hospital that you planned on delivering at.  
  • Drivers License or ID– You should always have a copy of your drivers license with you.  Most hospitals need a copy of your id when they ask for your insurance information.  Having an id on you can also prove who you are.
  • Referral or Pre-Authorization – If your insurance requires a referral or pre-authorization make sure that you bring any required paper work with you to the hospital, in case, they need a copy of your referral or pre-authorization paperwork.
  • Nursing Bra – If you plan on breastfeeding, having a nursing bra makes it easier to nurse your baby.  A nursing bra is designed to hold your growing breasts.  When your milk starts coming in your breasts often times fill up with milk and can easily expand one or two cup sizes bigger than normal.  Even if you don’t plan on breastfeeding your baby, you will need a snug fitting bra to hold your expanding breasts.
  • Nursing Pads –  If you plan on breastfeeding, you will need nursing pads to catch any of the colostrum or milk that may leak from your breast.  For the first few days it is possible that you may not need them, it all depends on how your body reacts and how quickly your milk comes in.  The hospital staff never provided nursing pads when I had all three of my babies.  With my third baby, I stuffed a few into a zip lock baggie and kept some in my babies diaper bag so that I didn’t have to carry a huge box of them where ever I went.
  • Robe or Nursing Gown – If you have ever tried breastfeeding your baby with a hospital gown on, you will discover that you basically have to undress yourself in order to feed your baby.  I always took an old or cheap robe to wear that buttoned in the front.  This allowed me to breastfeed my baby while remaining mostly covered up.
  • Socks – Take a few pair of socks with you preferably ones that you don’t mind if they get dirty while you roam the hall ways during labor or during the delivery process.  It is cold in most hospitals and during your hospital stay your feet tend to get cold.
  • Chap-stick or Lip-gloss – During labor, often times you are busy concentrating on breathing through your contractions, often times  a mom may not realize that they are licking their lips or possibly end up biting their lip.  The lip gloss will come in handy if your lips are dry while you are in labor.
  • Cell Phone, Charger, and Headphones – If you plan on bringing your cell phone with you to the hospital, don’t forget to grab a charger.  A cell phone is a great way to let your friends and family know when you are in labor, how things are going, and letting everyone know when the baby arrives.  If you have a smart phone, you can even load a playlist of music to play while you are in labor.
  • Camera and Batteries – If you plan on taking photos of your new baby and don’t have a great camera on your cell phone, you should pack your digital camera and extra batteries.
  • Personal Hygiene Items – You will need to pack a few personal hygiene items because the hospital only provides your basic needs.  Items that you will need to pack are: hair spray, hair brush, scrunchie or something to tie up your hair, tooth brush and tooth paste, deodorant, shaver, and make up.
  • Underwear – The hospital usually provides you with mesh underwear while you are in the hospital and most women love them; however, some women don’t.  I would pack a few pairs of underwear in case you are one of those women who don’t love the mesh under wear.  Make sure that you choose loose fitting under wear that you don’t mind getting soiled.
  • Going Home Outfit – When you are discharged from the hospital, more than likely you will still look like you are pregnant.  It takes a while for your belly to go down.  It is important that you pick a going home outfit that is comfortable and has plenty of room.  If you plan on having a c-section, make sure that you pick an outfit that doesn’t have a low waste band.
  • Change – Spare change can come in handy during the evening hours when the cafeteria is closed.  Your labor coach can use the changed to get something to snack on or to drink.
  • Snacks – Packing a few snacks might be a good idea, if you happen to give birth in the middle of the night it is possible that you won’t be able to get anything to eat.  If you have labored all day and haven’t eaten in a few hours you will be hungry.  The snacks will be able to hold you over until the next more when the hospital can bring you some food.

After being in the hospital for a few days, it always seems as if you go home with more stuff than you initially brought to the hospital.  Remember to only pack the items that you think that you might need after delivery and if you forget something, you can always have your spouse or family member to bring you items that you forgot.

Remember it is best to have you and your baby’s hospital bag packed before you are 36 weeks gestation.  It is never too early to be prepared because you never know when you might go into labor.  Once you are in labor, the last thing you want to do while having your contractions is trying to pack you and your baby’s hospital bag.  Once you have your bags ready to go, you can either leave them in your car or some where in your house so that you can easily grab them on your way out the door to go to the hospital.

Congratulation on the arrival of your new baby.   I hope that everything goes smoothly and that you have a safe delivery.

What was your favorite item at the hospital when you were in labor?

Comments

22 responses to “Top 15 Must Haves to Pack into Mom’s Hospital Bag During Pregnancy”

  1. Rebel Sweetheart Avatar

    This list pretty much sums everything a mom would need. 🙂

    1. Christy Avatar

      Thank you for sharing Rebel. 🙂

  2. Felicia Avatar

    I will have to bookmark this list so that I have it when I’m ready to have children. This is one thing I’m always concerned about; that I’m going to forget to bring something when I go into labor.

    I have plenty of time to plan though considering I’m not even pregnant yet, haha!

    1. Christy Avatar

      Yes, always a great idea to plan ahead. 🙂

  3. Dominique Goh@Dominique's Desk Avatar

    Great list of items to take not to bring to the hospital. A must for all moms who are delivering soon.

    1. Christy Avatar

      Thank you for stopping by. 😉

  4. eileen at FamiliesGo! Avatar

    I would add that while pajamas with a button down top make nursing easy, the elastic waist band on the pants might not be comfy, so buying a nursing night gown is worth the expense. Also, pack a pair of roomy slippers. If you have a long labor or are induced you will take in a lot of IV fluid. i had to wear flip flops home in the middle of winter because i couldnt get my bloated feet into any shoes.

    1. Christy Avatar

      Great advice. I forgot about that shoe issue. I had to leave mine untied with my oldest son because my feet were swollen.

  5. DelSheree Avatar

    I think I forgot half of these things my first time around 🙂 The second time, I was just glad we made it to the hospital in time. This is a great list. I’ll have to pass it on to my niece who is getting close to delivering. Thanks!

    1. Christy Avatar

      I hope she finds this list helpful DelSheree. 🙂 Thank you for sharing.

  6. Andrea Avatar

    Great tips! Wish I had read this before having my kids as I probably forgot about half of these items!

    1. Christy Avatar

      I wish I blogged while I was pregnant, but I didn’t get started until after I already had my baby. I would love to share my journey with others but my factory is now closed. 😉

  7. Alexandra McAllister Avatar

    WOW! This is an excellent list! I know this will be so helpful for soon to be moms.

    1. Christy Avatar

      Thank you for stopping by Alexandra.

  8. Sharon Avatar

    And be sure to take some of those adult diaper/pad things with ya!

    1. Christy Avatar

      My hospital always provided these. But you will need to have a stock of them for the house.

  9. Columba Lisa Smith Avatar

    I don’t remember what my best item was in my hospital bag. I DO remember that I got a bag of M&M’s after delivering my second son! 🙂

    1. Christy Avatar

      Yummy! Those make a great snack. I remember that I was starving after I had all of my kids.

  10. Meire Weishaupt Avatar
    Meire Weishaupt

    Very good tips, they are so important! When the time to go to the hospital comes it is an excellent idea to have all the paperwork filled up, to avoid the stress, isn't it?

    1. Christy Avatar

      Yes, they give you a bunch of paper work to fill out before you go home. Including the birth certificate.

  11. Katrina Avatar

    Fantastic! I know have a resource for when I get to this stage in my life. Thank you for sharing!

  12. Rosey Avatar

    So many great tips. With my first one I was so not prepared. I actually took my pre-maternity jeans to the hospital thinking I’d fit into them, hahaha. That’s painful to admit out loud. 🙂