I find it rather comedic that even though I had a baby 2-years ago, I feel as though I’ve already forgotten 100% of the things I did to prepare for her.
What did I pack in my hospital bag?
What did I LOVE having at the hospital?
What did I never use while I was there?
What did I do to get her nursery ready for her?
I’m forgetting something, aren’t I?
What in the heck am I forgetting??
Oh goodness…I could seriously go on & on! So how am I preparing for my second delivery…easy, I asked my friends on Instagram! 🙂
It was so helpful & honestly jogged my memory quite a bit. So, let’s recap together what the TOP 10 things I’ll be bringing to the hospital with me are & a handful of things I’ll be leaving at home.
DO PACK
1. A robe. I know I’ve talked about this before, but I lived in my robe most of the time I was in the hospital. Easy to nurse in, easy to quickly cover up, comfortable & looked cute in pictures. What more could you REALLY ask for in a robe? This one is similar to what I wore with Quincy’s birth & I’m eyeing either this one or this one for baby boy.
2. Dry Shampoo. Dry Shampoo. Dry freakin’ shampoo. I don’t think this one needs much more explanation. If you use dry shampoo in your everyday life, you’re definitely going to want it at the hospital.
3. Lip balm & other misc. makeup items. With Quincy, I brought my entire makeup bag. I do remember having my sister “touch-up” my makeup before I started pushing…now I look back & laugh hysterically at the memory. Because like, who freaking cares what your makeup looks like when you’re about to push a human being out of your body. But FOR SURE chapstick, because the air in hospitals always seems to be overly dry.
4. Comfy clothes. Last time I packed two nursing gowns that I wore under my robe & they were great ways to “feel” a little more put together, even though it couldn’t have been further from the truth. This time, I think I’ll just pack some joggers, tanks & this sleep set. It’s so hard to know if I’ll be super hot when I’m sleeping or super cold. #firstworldproblems The key to packing clothes for the hospital- comfortable, easy to nurse in, comfortable & dark colors (insert thumbs up emoji).
5. My own pillow. I did not do this last time with Quincy, but I’m going to give it a shot for this baby. I think it’ll help me just feel a little more comfortable & at home in a place that is very much NOT like home.
6. Boppy. This is another thing I didn’t bring with Quincy & I’m seriously racking my brain trying to figure out how I ever nursed her without one. My only cause for concern with the boppy…it’s kind of large & it could potentially be a waste of space. But we’ll see!
7. Phone charger & laptop. I probably took 500 photos within the two days I was at the hospital, so a phone charger is a must. I haven’t heard of a ton of other people bringing their laptops but I’ve been working on a Spotify playlist for the day. I did this with Quincy & it was so much fun to have it on in the background. Hers was a mix of pump up, worship music & relaxing beats. With baby boy, I’m taking more of a worship approach, with a little bit of Lizzo sprinkled in there 🙂
8. Slippers. I didn’t bring any with Quincy, but I’ve rediscovered a love for slippers recently, so I’m making sure to pack a pair to wear around the room or when walking through the halls. Just a little creature comfort.
9. Cute baby outfits. This is such a duh for me & also where I tend to overpack (classic). I can’t remember how much I packed for Quincy, but I knew for sure I’d want to snag a handful of photos of her in some cute clothes, and with baby boy, not much has changed. I’ve packed his “going home” outfit, which Jordan picked out, and a handful of other sleepers and onesies that will be comfortable & easy to get him in & out of.
10. Last but not least, an obsession I’ve experienced with both of my pregnancies. Essential oils. I will start off by saying, I am NOT an essential oil guru & I really don’t know the benefits of them, except that I can’t get enough of the eucalyptus one. I will diffuse it all day long & if I wasn’t afraid it would harm me or the baby, I would bath in straight eucalyptus oil. So a bottle of this bad boy will definitely be coming with me to the hospital.
DON’T BOTHER PACKING
1. Anything that isn’t dark colored. Especially when it comes to pants or leggings. I don’t think I need to explain why, but if you’re not sure what I mean…we can talk later.
2. A plethora of hair product. I’m 99% sure with Quincy I just packed my hairbrush & dry shampoo. I know some moms like to blowdry & style their hair & while I totally support that, it’s also not me. I’d much rather catch some zzz’s or baby snuggles than do my hair…in the hospital bathroom with those harsh fluorescent lightbulbs.
3. Diapers or wipes. I should include the caveat that I’m not sure if EVERY hospital is like this, but the one that I use provides ALL the diapers & wipes you could imagine needing, which ends up being a lot those first few months.
4. Your breast pump. If you’re planning to breastfeed, I don’t know when you’ll have time to use your breast pump. Between changing diapers, swaddling your newborn, visiting with family & friends, changing diapers, sleeping when possible & changing, you guessed it, more diapers…you will not have time to pump. Keep it at home!
Added bonus tip: This one doesn’t revolve around what to pack as much as it about WHO you let come visit. By the time we were allowed visitors the night Quincy was born, it was pretty late. Which meant we really only had one night for visitors. And of course, everyone came at the same time & I won’t lie – while I love my family I the one I married into – it can be incredibly overwhelming. If possible, I’m going to have Jordan stagger our visitors so it’s not everyone all at once.
As bub’s due date is quickly approaching & I’m progressing much quicker than I ever did with Quincy, it feels good to have the hospital bag packed & ready to go. Now, we just wait until he’s ready to join the rest of us!
Thanks for stopping by, friends!
Grit & Grace Blog 