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Congratulations! You are about to give birth. :) As you are getting ready to go into labor you may be wondering “What do I bring with me to the hospital?” or “What do I need in the delivery room?” (Especially if you are a first-time Mom). With my first baby, I ended up in the hospital for about a week due to pregnancy complications, so there were things that I brought that made my life easier. Subsequently, I have had three kids (my littlest is one) and these are the items that I bring to the hospital every time. 😊
A Suitcase with Wheels – This is helpful because when you are checking out of the hospital you will have a lot of things to manage, having a suitcase with wheels helped us a lot. We saw a lot of other couples with several items in duffle bags, grocery bags, pillows under their arms, etc. and all of that could easily fit in a suitcase with wheels. It just made things easier for us. We have one similar to this one:
Fluffy Robe – Hospitals are cold places and I was so thankful to have my fluffy robe. Several nurses have come into my room and told me I am smart for bringing it. The hospital has thin sheets but if you are somebody who gets cold easily you will be so grateful for a warm robe. If you want something lightweight these lightweight waffle spa robes are nice to have, too.
Hair Ties – This is a must-have; it helps to keep the hair out of your eyes for labor and delivery. I love these velvet scrunchies because they don’t pull on your hair as much.
Socks with Grips – Ideally at least 4-5 pairs you would be OK with tossing afterwards. I’m just saying…
A Large Cup for Water with a Lid - You will be going through a lot of water and this saves trips down the hall to fill up. :) This one is 30 ounces and has a straw and a lid and is very affordable.
Snacks for Dad and Food for You After Labor (Usually you can’t eat when you are in active labor, but it’s nice to have something for after you give birth, and sometimes the hospital cafeteria is not open at 3:00 AM or whenever you finish delivering and you are hungry. The hospital sometimes has some cold sandwiches in the fridge but that’s not guaranteed and is dependent on the hospital).
Comfortable pillow or a Travel Pillow – I like having my own pillow when I go places, so this was a must have for me. At the hospital I went to, the pillows at the hospital were disposable so they were not the best quality…
Car Seat – If you make sure it is installed ahead of time it makes things easy for when it’s time to leave the hospital, normally they do not let you leave the hospital without making sure it is installed correctly. Here are a few different options.
Microfiber Blanket – This was one of my favorite items that I brought, it is so nice to have. The sheets were super thin at the hospital so it was nice to bundle up in this.
Toiletries (Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Deodorant, Lotion, Shampoo, Conditioner) Some hospitals provide these items but many do not. It’s also nice to have your own items that you are familiar with the quality and brand – having your favorite body wash and shampoo helps make you feel more like yourself after you give birth. Labor and Delivery can be exhausting.
Phone, Charger and Extension Cord – the first two are self-explanatory, but the extension cord is nice because sometimes you are not near an outlet.
Makeup – For after-birth photos
Mints / Gum – For you and/or your husband
(If you have one) a Retainer or Mouthguard – With my first I hurt my teeth clenching down so hard, the second two deliveries went much better because I brought a mouthguard.
Camera / Phone for Taking Pictures – You can take some very good photos with your phone and that would be all you would need, but some people like to take photos with a higher quality, if that’s what you want this is an entry level Canon DSLR that takes really nice pictures.
Baby Blanket – The nurses used one of my microfiber blankets to keep the baby warm when he was in the bilirubin light machine, they loved how soft mine were.
Comfy Clothing (Large Pants, Easy to Open in the Front Shirts, Dresses, etc.)
Clothing for Dad
Small Fan (if you run hot this is nice to have)
Nursing Bra + Breast Pads + Lanolin Cream (If applicable)
Nursing Pillow (if applicable)
Laptop/Tablet: In case you want to watch movies or listen to music while you are waiting for things to ramp up (it can take several hours if you are being induced, with one of my kids I checked into the hospital at 8:30 AM for inducement and delivered at around 1:30 AM).
Cute Clothes for Hospital Pictures (for you, baby’s father and the baby)
Diapers, Wipes and Diaper RashCream (possibly) – The hospital may provide these, mine did. But you will need them for after you come home. My favorite Diaper Rash Cremes are Aquifer and Boudreaux’s Baby Butt Cream. One is petroleum based and one is zinc oxide based, if one does not work on the rash the other one usually does.
After Delivery:
After your labor, the hospital will provide you with pads, a perinatal bottle, pain killers, etc. But these were items that I realized I needed after giving birth:
Perinatal bottle: Frida Mom Upside Down Peri Bottle (the one they provide you is OK, but it is cheaply made and it doesn’t clean out down there as well as THIS ONE does. It feels amazing (with warm water) and helps to more effectively dissolve your stitches than the other one you get - trust me on this one. I loved mine.
Adorable Baby Clothes for Coming Home
Large Granny Panties OR Adult Diapers – Don’t laugh at the adult diapers, these are really nice for postpartum. It’s nice throwing them away and they provide better coverage than those pads which can move in the middle of the night… if the pads move you will be throwing your underwear away and possibly staining your sheets and bedspread. My first I refused to buy adult diapers, but my second two I did and it was so nice not to ruin my clothes and just be able to toss them.
Nose Frida / Syringe Bulb and a Humidifier - Something I did not initially realize is newborns very easily get congested. A humidifier really helps with the congestion, and a Nose Frida helps to clear their airways. If you are going to go with a syringe bulb you should consider getting one like this one that can be taken apart and cleaned out, it’s much more sanitary.
Anyways, I hope this list helped! You’ve got this 😊 Wishing you a happy, safe and magical delivery.
Take care,
Charlotte