Tomorrow I’m 37 weeks pregnant, which has me realizing how unprepared I am for this baby compared to when I was pregnant with Bastian. And although we are planning on doing a home birth this time around as well, I always pack a hospital bag as well, just in case we end up needing to be transported to the hospital! Earlier last week we were in the hospital with pre term labor, and it reminded me that I reeeaally needed to pack my hospital bag.
Hospital Bag Essentials
I try to keep my hospital bag pretty minimal! I don’t think that a lot is needed. And maybe I’m in the minority here, but I would rather slightly underpack than overpack? We live so close to the hospital, and since I don’t plan on actually going to the hospital anyway, it’s just less for me to unpack later!
- Diapers. Obviously. We’ve always loved Huggies little snugglers for our babies. But I’m also planning to place an order with Parasol Co because I’ve heard such great things!
- Wipes. I’ve never been super picky about wipes, but wouldn’t be caught dead without a pack in my hospital bag. Especially with that super fun first baby poop, haha.
- Pacifier. We are pro-pacifier in our house. We’ve found that round nipple pacifiers are best for when you’re trying to breast feed, so I have this Natursutten one as well as this one from Ryan and Rose, so we have a few different options.
- Baby’s first outfit. Nothing fancy necessary, I just make sure to have a pair of pajamas, socks, and a hat.
- Pajamas for me. Chances are that I’ll be showing up to the hospital in pajamas or leggings already, and I don’t mind going home in sweats. So all I feel like I need is a nursing bra, comfy sweats, and a t shirt or tank top. This way, there also isn’t any pressure to fit into any cute pre-pregnancy clothes right away.
- Nipple cream. I remember wanting this riiiight away after having Bastian, so I had to throw a tube in my bag!
- Toiletries. Last time I was in the hospital, I remember desperately wanting chapstick. Things like chapstick, toothbrush, and glasses/contacts will be thrown in last minute as we are leaving!
- Phone chargers. This is another thing that we will just be throwing in last minute as we get ready to walk out the door! It’s also been recommended to me that you get a few that have extra long charging cords specifically for your hospital stay.
- Car seat. Technically not in your hospital bag, but an essential nonetheless. We usually install the carseat at 37 weeks to make sure we are good to go and don’t have to stress about it last minute. We love the Click Connect from Graco, it’s what we used for Bastian! Instead of installing it this weekend(at 37 weeks), we are going to wait an extra week to install it since we will be going on a short road trip this weekend and want the extra seat space haha.
What did I miss?? As someone who probably won’t be using their hospital bag, I’ve never been too concerned about what I’m packing. But I would also hate to be stuck really wanting something essential while at the hospital! Let me know what essentials I should/shouldn’t pack, and what you usually bring!