Britt Raborn

Hospital Bag Checklist and Free Printable from brittany at SouthernMamaGuide.com

After doing this one time already, I feel like I can really talk about what is needed when packing your hospital bag. There were tons of things that I packed the first time that I really did not need. But, it’s okay, it’s better to be over prepared than un prepared. This time around I am 34 ish weeks pregnant and pretty much already have my bag packed. Last time, I didn’t have it packed until maybe 2 weeks before. This time is a whole new ball game because I know babies come early and it seems like mine is already trying to escape a little early- thank you painful Braxton Hicks contractions! I purchased this weekend tote (sign up for their email list and get 20% off your first purchase, fyi) and I love it so far! It is so roomy and is a classic leather design. Believe it or not, I had never owned a ‘weekend tote’ until now. Here is the tote in black, too! I packed all my toiletries in a clear plastic bag so everything would be accessible and would not leak anywhere. I also bought our baby boy an adorable monogrammed seersucker duffle to keep his stuff in. Last time I stuffed everything into a diaper bag and it was pretty tight. These duffles are so handy anyway and I knew I would use it for him later on when we travel so I figured it’d be perfect to put his stuff in. So glad I did get it because everything fits perfectly with some extra room too! Below is a list with links to the products I purchased already for any interested in what exactly I packed. Plus, there is a free printable below as well that you can print off and use as a checklist when packing!

Hospital Bag Checklist and Free Printable from brittany at SouthernMamaGuide.com

|  Download the Free Printable HERE  |

Hospital Bag Checklist:

For Mama:

Nursing Tanks

Yoga/Stretchy Pants

Pajamas

Robe

Slippers

Nursing bras

Nipple Cream (non Lanolin)

Bottom Spray

Lanolin

Gel Soothies.

I liked having the Nipple Cream AND Lanolin option at the hospital because you never know how your baby will react to certain tastes/smells. The Bottom Spray was by far my favorite item for post baby. That spray was magical for my bottom! I highly recommend it! Heck, I swore by every single Earth Mama Angel Baby product when I was pregnant with Scarlett. I lived in stretchy/yoga pants, a robe, slippers, and pajamas while staying in the hospital. Comfort first for this occasion! I even threw my “going home” outfit back in my bag last time because I was not feeling as confident as Kate Middleton post baby, and I opted to leave the hospital in yoga pants and a nursing tank. No shame here. I suggest packing brighter colored shirts/tanks if you have them. That is what I regretted the first time around because I felt like everything I wore was dark and not flattering for whenever I was in pictures. This time around I have a brighter robe, pajamas, and tanks. Undergarments… you will want to pack granny panty style undies or even your boys boxer brief styled underwear. Some love the mesh panties from the hospital and some hate them. I was indifferent, but by the last day, I just wanted to feel more human and put on some practical under garments that felt less bulky. Don’t forget to pack a few snacks for post delivery and just throughout your stay at the hospital. You will realize that hospital food is not that great and you don’t want to wait on family or friends to bring you something if you are starving. Hair Ties and chapstick are essential for laboring. You will realize very quickly how much you strain your lips while pushing, so don’t forget that! A phone charger with a longer cord is also really nice in case you cannot reach your phone while it’s charging.  If you are staying in a hospital geared towards women and infants then they will most likely have everything would ever need in case you weren’t ready or didn’t remember to pack something specific.

For Daddy:

 Thankfully, my husband seemed to have everything already and so I just had to organize it and throw it into a bag!
One thing is, don’t forget to pack extra snacks and maybe a water bottle for him during the laboring hours. Hospitals don’t feed you while your in labor and they definitely won’t be tending to your husband either.

For Baby:

 Bag

 Swaddle Blankets

 Sleep Sack/Swaddler

 Car seat

 baby gowns

 keepsake blanket

 hat

 mittens

 boppy

 and pacifiers: mam // natursutten // wubbanub.

The hospital will more than likely have everything on hand for baby that you will need. I preferred having more options though. I packed two types of swaddles and sleep sacks just in case one worked better than the other. For pictures, I packed a little brother gown and another monogram gown for during the day and such. I also had a keepsake blanket monogrammed for pictures as well. Last time, we had a lady come take some in-hospital pictures for us and so it was nice to have something other than the typical bed sheet for the back drop. Since I’ll be taking his pictures this time, I wanted something nice to photograph him with- this is totally optional! Hats and mittens are great or those gowns with the fold over are perfect for keeping baby from scratching their face and keeping them warm. When you are in pain and sitting in an already uncomfortable hospital bed, having a boppy to help support you breastfeeding is really nice. That was handy to have! We packed several types of paci’s just in case he prefers one over the other. I am not sure I want to give a paci right away, but last time I was un prepared and didn’t have one when I changed my mind in the hospital. The hospital gave us an advent soothie which was great, but I know now to have more options on hand. Be sure the car seat base is installed before so you are not doing that the day you go home. We kept the actual car seat at home the weeks prior just in case anything happened. It’s easier to replace a base over an actual car seat.

What was on your hospital bag checklist that I missed? Let me know in the comments below!

Shop The Entire Hospital Bag Checklist Here: