What I Packed in My Hospital Bag for Baby! May 8, 2017 | Good Morning Friends! I’m kicking off a super fun week on the blog with a very highly requested post…what I packed in my hospital bag for baby! Next, there’s a huge giveaway at the end of this post. How’s that for a great Monday morning?! When I delivered Landry, I brought all but the kitchen sink with me to the hospital and this time I swore I’d pack lighter. I am happy to report that I achieved my goal and even still had more than I probably needed. See how I scaled back and what I feel are true hospital necessities below… My Monogrammed Duffel | Diaper Bag | Bag Similar to Hubby’s Duffel We will start with Dad, because he’s the easiest. Truly Dads don’t need much to begin with and really don’t need anything out of the ordinary for an overnight stay somewhere. Dan packed comfortable clothes, basic shower supplies + toothbrush, tennis shoes, a pillow, and his wallet with ID, etc. One thing that I’d wished he’d packed was a bluetooth speaker, but we both forgot. I think that the speakers are good to have on during labor. We played one of my favorite Spotify stations as I labored and although it was fine coming through his phone, it would have been better through our little speaker. Oh well, not a big deal… I would say that you should spend the majority of the time focused on YOUR OWN bag (even more so than baby’s) because you want to make sure that you’re comfortable and have everything you need to make your stay as easy and enjoyable as possible. Here’s what my bag consisted of: Hospital Gown | I bought this cute one because I love it for photos and let’s be honest the hospital ones have seen one too many births for my comfort level. I put this cutie on as soon as I got to triage and wore it through birth. They have tons of adorable patterns and the price is great…they make adorable gifts, too! Underwear | I’m not much of a granny panty girl, so I had to buy new ones for the occasion…lol. Most hospitals do give you mesh panties (that will scare any husband straight out of the room), but by day 2 I’m ready for something more normal. Make sure that they are full coverage and breathable cotton. I really liked THESE. Nursing Supplies | I brought Gel Soothies and Lanolin cream just in case nursing got off to a rough start for us…as it did with Landry. Thankfully, little Lawson was a pro from the beginning so I didn’t need any of it. Always good to have on hand, though. Nursing Bra | I would bring at least 2 with you to the hospital. I’m SO obsessed with THESE that I’m actually going to write a full post declaring my love for them! Vaseline for Lips | This is my go to for lips and I applied it about 100 times during labor. Your lips dry out super quickly as you breath through contractions and pushing. I feel like this particular kind stays on longer than others. Toiletries | I brought travel size everything so that I wasn’t lugging around my full size bottles. Here’s what I found necessary: Face wash + Moisturizer Toothpaste + Toothbrush Contact case + Solution + Glasses Body Lotion Dry Shampoo Hairbrush + ponytail holders Bare essentials makeup for a fresh face (foundation, concealer, mascara, bronzer & lipgloss) …the hospital provides you with towels, soap, + hairdryer. The hospital also gives you pads, a cleansing squirt bottle and healing spray for “down there.” Pajamas | I feel pretty cruddy after birth and I am always asking the nurse when I can finally shower and put my own pajamas on. They make me feel human again and I always make sure that they are both comfortable and pretty. Here are the pajamas that I brought and wore to the hospital and all were super functional. Gorgeous + Luxe Robe | Pink Floral Set | Robe + Nursing Top + Bottoms SNACKS! | Let’s me honest, hospital food is pretty gross and couple that with fierce hunger after birth and you have one very hungry and potentially han-gry mama! This time around we learned our lesson and brought easy to transport snacks like trail mix, granola bars, and bananas. We went through all of the snacks, so they were definitely a necessity. Electronics | This is another big one that you need to get right. Here’s what we brought: i-phones XL phone charger (the distance from the wall outlet to the hospital bed almost ALWAYS requires a extra long charger, so bring at least one of these to be safe. Camera (Make you have a charged batters + free space on your memory card. Also, make sure that you and your partner understand the settings that are best for the hospital room. White balance adjusted to the florescent lighting is a big deal on DSLR cameras if you are shooting outside of Auto). Portable Charger Laptop (I brought mine just in case, but never opened it) Now for the baby bag… Diaper Bag Nursing Pillow | I’m always so thankful to have this in the hospital. It really makes the initial latching MUCH easier) Swaddles | These are not necessary because the hospital provides blankets, but I much prefer cuter ones since there are so many photos being taken of the baby. Personalized Llama Swaddle | Personalized Floral Swaddle | Floral Swaddle + Headband Set (this is SOOOO soft…best gift ever!) Gowns | I always pack newborn gowns for the baby to wear to make diaper changes easy, while still having something cute on. Monogrammed Gown | Basic Gowns Coming Home Outfit | Honestly, just for the photo opp…but worth it in my opinion 😉 Wipes | While the hospital provides diapers, they only give napkins that you can dampen with water to wipe the baby. While I understand that it’s to protect sensitive skin, they are also very inefficient at wiping the yucky first poops. I always bring my own wet wipes and they get the job done wonderfully. Burp Cloths | I use these for so many things and made sure to pack 2-3 in my hospital diaper bag. Pacis | If you’re nursing, most lactation specialists will encourage you to evaluate your babies’ latch before giving them a pacifier…Lawson thankfully had a great latch so I gave her a pacifier to soothe herself almost right away. So, there you have it…every thing that was in our hospital bags. The only other necessity to remember is the carseat! Do you have anything else that you would add?? Now…it’s time for a fabulous giveaway! I’ve teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers to give YOU a chance to win: a $500 Nordstrom Gift Card, just in time for some spring shopping! Simply enter below by completing the rafflecopter. You’ll receive one entry per completion. This giveaway is open internationally and runs until 5/22. Winner will be announced here. Good Luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway