Tuesday, April 23, 2013

What's In My Hospital Bag(s)

I consider myself to border between being Type A- / Type B+. Basically, I'm usually prepared, I'm a big list-maker, but I'm not completely neurotic and at least attempt to be somewhat laissez-faire in how I go about things.

With that said, my bag(s) for the hospital have been semi-packed for weeks now. (And yet when I was pregnant with Sammy, I was probably packed two months ahead of time - this is an improvement!) I always enjoy seeing what other moms-to-be put together for their hospital visits, so I thought I'd show you what I've got going on.

To make things easier on myself, I've got three bags here - one with items that are specific to me, one with those that will be needed by Baby Sister, and one with a few goodies for Big Brother Sammy.



 My bag contains many of the same items I packed when I went to the hospital to have Sammy. 
  • New pajama pants and tees: I'm not sure if I'll wear these, but at the very least, I'm sure I'll wear them when I get home. If anything, it's nice to have the option of putting on something new and soft.
  • Socks and slippers: The hospital rooms are cold! Which reminds me that I need to pack a cardigan as well.
  • Pretty pillow cases and my own pillow: God forbid photos are taken of Baby Sister and me in front of a blah white pillow case. Also, the hospital likely doesn't understand my three-pillow-minimum rule.
  • Boppy: Imperative for nursing and holding the baby for lengthy periods of time.
  • Toiletry bag
  • Blow dryer
  • Make-up remover pads: These came in handy during my 16-hour labor with Sammy, when I wasn't able to leave my bed.
  • Nice shampoo, conditioner and body wash: It's not often that I splurge on my beloved Aveda products these days, but they made me feel at least half human during my first shower post-Sammy, and thus were a non-negotiable this time around.
  • Snacks and Gatorade: The hospital does supply Gatorade, but still - I'm not taking any chances.
  • Magazine: I actually don't remember doing any reading when in the hospital with Sammy, but you never know....
  • Not pictured: Special hospital gown (not a necessity, but it's nice to have something other than the hospital-issued gown to throw on, especially if I'm not in the mood to put on pants), outfit to wear home (I figure I'll throw whatever is clean into my bag), nursing bras and breast pads (um, yeah, there's no need for you to see these items), electronics (e.g. laptop, iPhone) and chargers.
Things I will not be packing:
  • Underwear: I loved the hospital-issued stuff. Most comfortable grandma-like garments ever.
  • Feminine products: Again, I was totally fine with what the hospital gave me. I have my own stuff for at home, but for those three days in the hospital, my "lady parts" were not all that particular.
  • Baby products (e.g. diapers, wipes, etc.): The hospital supplied everything and anything we could have needed.
  • Pump: I just didn't find this to be a necessity those first few days.
  • Camera: I haven't used a real camera in ages, and instead rely on my iPhone and the photography skills of others.



Baby Sister probably doesn't necessarily need her own bag, but I figured I could use the extra space after we hoard the hospital's supply of baby products.
  • Swaddle blankets: With Sammy, we used the hospital-issued blankets for the most part. However, I believe most hospitals have a newborn photographer who comes around and takes pictures, so I like to have the baby pictured with a different (cuter) blanket. Also, Baby will need one for the ride home.
  • Coming home outfits: I didn't change Sammy out of the hospital-issued kimono when he was born, and probably will do the same with Baby Sister, but she obviously needs to come home in something cute. I have no idea what size she'll be, so I'm packing along a newborn-sized outfit as well as something a bit larger.
  • Notebook: This notebook was given to me at my baby shower when I was pregnant with Sammy. To this day, I still love reading all the notes of encouragement and advice from my friends and family who attended my shower. James and I used the same notebook to document the times that Sammy went to the bathroom and was fed, and I'll also use it to document Baby Sister's information.



Sammy obviously will not be accompanying us to the hospital, but I've been picking up a few treats for him here and there. Clear as day, I still remember the gifts - and the paper they were wrapped in - that my mom gave to me when my sisters were born. Sammy is too young to understand any of this (nor does he yet appreciate wrapping paper), but at the very least, I figured some of this stuff would keep him busy while he is being watched by family members. As pictured, he's got a new outfit toting his new title to wear when he visits us in the hospital, a couple books, a puzzle (he is obsessed with puzzles these days), and a noisy truck toy (hopefully the batteries will wear out by the time we get home from the hospital).

(Side note: Can you tell I have a thing for L.L. Bean tote bags? [A staple in every New Englander's closet.] And if only you knew how much restraint I've had to exercise in not purchasing new bags monogrammed with my offsprings' initials!)

(Second side note: James is the world's fastest bag packer, and thus we don't have anything pre-packed for him, nor do I worry about it. Guys have it so easy!)

What do you think? Am I missing anything?

1 comment:

  1. You are missing the kitchen sink. :) I think you've got it covered! Although, with my previous two, my sweet tooth carried over into the hospital, so I had a little supply of candy for those days afterwards. M has that same pink lovey...except hers has turned gray and smells like pee at this point. And I can't believe you enjoy the hospital undies...ours are made out of paper - wait, make that mesh cardboard - and are insanely uncomfortable.

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