The countdown is on to Baby Z’s arrival – either next weekend or sooner. In order to be prepared, I’ve been spending lots of time over the last month looking into what I should bring and what I should leave at home. Some folks say bring the Boppy. Others say don’t do that – Boppy abuse! Leave at home, since it’ll just get ruined. I’ve ready the same for your personal pillow. How do you know what to bring?
Here’s the rundown of some of the items I decided I had to pack. I’ve had the bag out now for almost a month, and the contents have continued to grow over the weeks. Just for fun, I’ll be revisiting this post-delivery to let you know what, if any, of these items I decided was unnecessary!
1) Car seat.This one is the absolute must-have. Even in NYC, unless you live a short walk away from the hospital, you must have the car seat with you to get your baby back home. Lately I’ve even seen a number of newborns leaving the hospital complete with the car seat canopy, just to make sure they’re comfy for the trip home.
2) Birth plan. I created mine through the Baby Bump app. It’s super simple and you can just check your response to key options like who you want in the room, whether or not photo/video is okay during the delivery process, your preference regarding anesthesia/pain relief, among other things.
3) Comfy clothes for the hospital stay. This isn’t a necessity for everyone, but the idea of going through the birth experience followed by a hospital gown for 2 or more days sounds awful. I’ve also been warned you will likely stain whatever you wear, so I made sure to order things in dark grays and black only. I’ve elected to buy a simple nursing friendly nightgown from Motherhood Maternity, a simple robe from Ekouaer, and this pair of Mamajamas I found on Poshmark.
4) Two nursing bras. I bought both off of Amazon rather than shopping around. So far, very pleased with both.
5) Slipper socks. I’m not sure if my pre-pregnancy temperature norm will return post-delivery. If so, I want to make sure my feet aren’t ice cold in the hospital. These are my favorite in the wintertime so definitely are going in my bag for the big delivery. Most of mine come from Target, but Amazon also has a bunch.
When your dog is dramatic, you hold out on moving this into the real suitcase as long as possible. But time is running out!
6) Nursing supplies. I am bringing nursing pads. I’ve also read that hospitals can be pretty dry, so I’m bringing a small jar of this cream, just in case, since everyone seems to rave about it.
7) Various “mom supplies.” I’ve got my essential chapstick. Know that will come in handy as always. I also purchased this spray from Earth Mama Angel Baby. They were so kind when I met them at Big City Moms and raved about this particular product. Decided I would rather have it and not need it than wish I’d tracked it down pre-labor!
8) Make-up. I know I’m going to want some post-delivery photos and no, I don’t want to be a ghost against all these practical black clothes! I have yet to read a post from a mom who wished they had left it at home.
9) Leaving hospital outfit – for me and Baby Z. I’ve elected to go comfy for me – nice longer shirt and black leggings. It will be early fall so I want something that will keep me warm enough, but that is forgiving enough to accommodate a big several days beforehand. For Baby Z, we have a super cute outfit from Babies ‘R Us we picked out months ago. We are only hoping that it fits him! We are packing a second option, just in case.
10) Extra long cell phone charger. This one is a necessity for me. I’ve read enough about the upside of the cord. You’ll likely need to contact a number of people during your stay, and I’ve read many people play music during the hours you’re there – especially those beginning ones. Know your own personality here. I wanted to make sure I had this ready should the room configuration require it because I know this is something I will want.
11) Snacks. I was extremely excited to learn that the hospital where I am delivering will allow you to eat once contractions start. I have a box of some granola bars in from Trader Joe’s. I also have a bag of around $28 in change for the hospital vending machine. Keeping our options open.
12) Contact list. Just so it’s handy, I am compiling the list of phone numbers and names of those we will need to contact either en route or while at the hospital. What if one of our cell phones is not working? It’s kind of scary how little we know about how to reach out to people without our phone! I’m including our personal contacts, transportation options (ah the joys of NYC – we will need a few car service options in the mix should cab/Uber not be an option at the time) and the photographer’s info (have to set up that newborn shoot!).
13) Shower supplies. I want to make sure I’m prepared to take advantage of this when I’m able to. The big thing I’ve read about is flip flops. I have some of those, a hair brush, and some shampoo/conditioner.
What else was on your list? Anything you found out you didn’t need or really wished you had?
~~~~
So, a quick update now that Baby Z made his arrival. What did I actually end up using? It’s a pretty short list.
- Car seat
- Nursing bra
- MotherLove nipple cream
- Vaseline
- Extra long phone cord
- Going home clothes (for me + Baby Z)
- Hair brush
Depends. The diapers, but in the panty form. Just a few in your bag. The pads the hospital uses are huge. A sleek depends panty will be much more comfortable. Ask the nurses for all the ice packs you need. They will gladly bring them, after baby Z is born.
Thanks for the tips! I was wondering if the hospital ones were as amazing as everyone says they are. Good ideas!