Before Judah was born, I was absolutely OBSESSED with making sure my hospital bag was packed to perfection. Everything was folded as best I could - and I would often unpack it and refold it. Um. Daily. But, no matter how many lists I read online of what I should bring, I was definitely left wanting.
So, just add one. more. list. to the bajillions out there, I've compiled what I consider to be THE absolute essentials of hospital bag packing. It is not everything I will pack, but the stuff I definitely do NOT want to go without.
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Slippers. They don't have to be nice. I definitely did not want to put shoes on, and socks were just too thin and got too dirty.
A bath robe. Giving birth made me feel so... exposed. I wanted to wrap up in a big blanket at all times, except I had to be constantly available to establish nursing with Judah. I'm pretty sure a robe would make me feel more human & presentable should visitors come with little warning.
Towels. Ladies, the first shower you take after all of that hard work will be The Best shower of your life. Having to dry off with a starchy hospital hand towel will lessen the glory of that moment. I bet your husband will also thank you if he ends up staying at the hospital for more than a couple days! And, while you're at it, make sure you bring some nice shampoos and soap.
A sleep mask. I definitely regret not taking more time to rest while in the hospital. Granted, it's terribly hard to sleep with the excitement of having a new baby. I suffered from my lack of attention to my needs terribly in the first couple of weeks of Judah's life. Our particular hospital room could not get dark enough for me to sleep. I'm thinking having a sleep mask this time around will help with that. I know you hear it over and over again, but GET SLEEP - even if it turns out to be nothing more than a solid 15 minutes. Whatever. Take it.
My own pillows. I cannot tell you how uncomfortable my stay in the hospital was. I felt like I was sleeping on a bed of plywood. The pillows in particular were very difficult to sleep on. Having your everything hurt doesn't help with the comfort factor, but by bringing your own pillows, you'll at least spare yourself the pain of a wrecked neck.
A blanket for my husband. Although he wasn't the one who gave birth, the whole process was almost just as exhausting for Joey as it was for me. Our hospital provided enough blankets for one person staying in the room - not two. Why not make the effort to give your husband a few comforts for those long nights? It doesn't have to be a full sized comforter - a warm throw will do the trick
My camera. Seriously. You won't want to be without it! Take as many pictures as you can justify taking!
Headbands, hair ties, and other sundry hair taming devices. Giving birth is hard work. Hard, sweaty work. You'll want that hair out of your eyes. Make sure that whatever you choose to bring is comfortable. (duh!)
Toilet paper. No joke. Get the cushiest roll you can find for your poor, overworked under parts. It's unfair to treat them to hospital sandpaper. Again, your husband will probably thank you.
Lanolin. Ever heard of it? It's like miracle balm for anything chapped. ANYTHING. Read into that. And don't go to the hospital without it!
Receiving blankets for baby. The hospital's blankets were kind of scratchy when we were there. Also, one was pink. PINK. We had a boy. You'll also want them to bundle up your sweet little bundle when you go home!
A music playing device. I kind of thought this would have been going "over the top", but I've changed my mind. While I was labouring in the hospital (which, thankfully, wasn't very long), I found it, at times, way too quiet and way too loud for comfort. The noises I heard outside my room were foreign. The intercom was invasive. I was hesitant to make noise for fear of people down the hall hearing me (trust me, you NEED to make noise!). There were very few pleasing sounds to listen to. Having your favourite music to distract (or normalize) you could greatly help your sanity!
Feminine hygiene products. Ladies. The hospital will give you mattresses. That is all I will say.
Whatever key beauty tools you need to make yourself feel human again. For me, it was a straightener (for my unruly bangs) and a bit of powder foundation. I've read other lists that say, "forget the makeup! You won't want it!", but after three days of sweat, pj's, and bedhead, I craved normalcy. Every woman will have different "necessities". Bring them!
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There you have it! Like I said, the list is far from complete (hello, change of clothes, cash for parking, and other basic hygiene products). These are just things that may not necessarily come to your mind right off the hop. I hope someone out there found it useful... or even slightly amusing.
I chuckled at this post, especially regarding the 'mattresses' :). Been there, and have learned. Have fun packing your bag in the coming weeks!
ReplyDeleteI also laughed at this post. Thanks for the tips, Andrea - by the way, by how many weeks did you/will you have your hospital bag packed?
ReplyDeleteOh, sheesh, I had it packed WAY ahead of time. I made sure I had a general idea of what to bring should I go into early labour by probably about 28 weeks, packed an "emergency" bag near the beginning of the third trimester, and made sure almost everything I needed (except for the stuff I used regularly) was packed by the time 37 weeks (full term) hit - which turned out to be 5 weeks early. :) I'm not going to worry about it until the 37 week mark this time, except for setting aside things I definitely don't want to forget but don't use regularly, such as the "coming home" outfit.
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