What I ACTUALLY packed in my hospital bag for labor
If you’re like me, you may have felt super overwhelmed by the pretty intense hospital bag checklist that’s circling in the interwebs. Like, they do make sense to a certain point but especially right now in the midst of COVID-19 where I know I have to wait in triage solo (I’ll talk more about this when it happens to let you know how the experience went) my instinct is to have a minimal and practical packing list. Besides, I’ve been practicing a minimalist packing list for my vacations anyway, so it makes sense to adopt this for my labor and delivery bag too.
When should I pack the bag?
Before we get to the what, let’s talk about when to pack your hospital bag for labor. The official advice that I’ve seen most is at around 37 weeks which is when you’re technically full-term, and as early as 35 weeks for high-risk pregnancies… or if you’re like me and you had your first one early, so you’re feeling anxious and paranoid that you’re going to have this second baby in the car. Luckily most things that you have to pack are things you’re not using on a daily basis, so it’s fine to have it packed away and ready.
What to pack in the hospital bag for labor
So this is my second time around the rodeo. This list is much shorter than what I brought the first time around, eliminating some things I didn’t end up using and still leaving out things that I thought I didn’t need the first time. There is literally only three new things on here—again, this is a very minimal, pragmatic list because I don’t want to bring a rolling suitcase with me while in labor.
This list literally only has 20 items. You could almost go to the express checkout line with it!
But one caveat is it doesn’t list the holy trinity of what to bring to the hospital that we don’t need a reminder for: phone, wallet, car seat. Honestly if you have those three then you will at least be able to get admitted and leave with the baby.
Everything fits in my favorite weekender, the Lo & Sons Catalina Deluxe Tote. It is just the perfect size, super sturdy, and love this Thistle color. I got it as a bridesmaid gift from my sister and love it.
Clothes and things
Comfortable sandals to go home in it doesn’t matter if you have shoes because they usually wheel you out of there and you just go from wheelchair to car. My favorite is the APL Women’s Big Logo TechLoom Slides (another gift from my sister!)
Long phone charger cable & wall socket you just never know where the outlet is going to be, so if you have a long one bring that. I’m also a super nice wife so I’m packing an extra one for my husband in case he forgets. I personally love these ones from Anker (affiliate link)
Water bottle because water is always life. Mine are from Contigo (affiliate link), I like that they’re glass
Nursing bra this is a new one on the list—last time I was just bra-less under my hospital gown, I’m going to see if I ever want this because I’m feeling modest. Honestly after having my vagina on full display I didn’t really care that my visitors got a peek of my boob, and this time there won’t be any visitors anyway so I honestly don’t think it matters but I MIGHT wear it to go home in? Kindred Bravely’s nursing/pumping bra is super comfy.
Going home clothes let’s be honest, it’s just my usual Ekouaer PJ dress that I already wear every day in various formats, taking this t-shirt dress version (affiliate link). No one cares. And it’s black so it’ll look polished (no it won’t and I don’t care)
Warm socks with grippies so if it’s cold I just wear this as a slipper/sock combo (affiliate link) and no I don’t care that I sleep in bed with hospital floor socks I was just covered in blood
Extra scrunchie and headband to keep my hair out of my face
Wet bag because… well, things may get disgusting so I might need to pack something away in here
Toiletries
Mascara one of my favorite at the moment is Jones Road Beauty
Lip balm because hospitals are pretty dry. The iconic Rosebud Smith’s comes in a mandarin flavor (affiliate link) and it’s so yummy
Nautral lip color in a my lips but better shade, in case I want to primp for a photo. I really like this Glossier Generation G in Like (I like, totally like, like Like). I would pack the Nars Afterglow Lip Balm in Dolce Vita if I had another tube of it, but I can’t bear to not have this on hand so Glossier it is.
Sheet mask in case I feel like treating myself. This is a new one on the list only because I found this SK-II one lying around and I want to feel fancy.
Face spray because hospitals are pretty dry (did I say that already?) Mario Badescu (affiliate) smells nice too which is a great bonus
Eyeshadow palette just in case I feel like looking pretty
For Baby
I mean I just gave birth to her, she really doesn’t need much. Literally two things in a pouch just to keep it separate from my stuff:
Swaddle to double as a blanket when going home
Baby going home outfit in two sizes since you never know how big they’re going to be. With Lu he was a Premie size at first so I’ve packed Premie and Newborn. Nothing too fussy, just a simple sleeper so I don’t have to pack socks or anything
Miscellaneous
Hello My Name is Card with pen ha! shameless plug for this free printable. Because we can’t have visitors this time around, I’m planning to do a cute (ish) photo to send to friends and family. I can’t decide between the two sizes so I’m bringing two copies of each.
Inkless footprint kit we’re with Kaiser and they do their own footprint thing for you too, but I wanted one for myself too so I brought these last time (affiliate link) and they worked great, doing the same with baby girl.
Extra packable tote to bring home the swag which sounds more exciting than it is but they will HOOK YOU UP with some diapers, mom diapers, witch hazel, etc. so having a tote to stash all that is going to be super helpful.
Malachite Egg okay so this one is kind of a woo-woo one, but I’m totally excited for it. It’s the last of the three new things on the list. I got this as a gift from my sister-in-laws, and apparently, doulas often have Malachite to ease the pains of childbirth and promote healthy delivery. I like the idea of using it almost like a prayer stone or just something to fidget with while I’m writhing in pain.
What I told my husband to pack for his Dad hospital bag
I don’t know if he’s going to listen, but the only thing I told him he should really pack is a sleeping bag. We know from the first time that he is going to be sleeping on a lounger, so having a sleeping bag will definitely make his night comfier. He’s also going to be lounging on that chair all day, so I might suggest a pillow too but that’s his prerogative.
