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Deciding what to bring to the hospital is actually really fun, in my opinion. I always save packing until the last month or so because my babies come at the very last second on the due date, or late. I always envied the mamas that got to deliver a healthy baby early.

The last few months of pregnancy, I’m totally over it.

Like, don’t want to be pregnant and looking for any sign of early labor. I try to leave packing the hospital bag for this time period. To help me through the long, last few weeks. I think packing the hospital bag is super fun, and there are some items I’ve brought with me every single time because they are important, and you don’t want to be without them!

I’m also reading all about labor in various books and courses. If you are wanting to go natural, I wish I would’ve taken this course! My friend and labor and delivery nurse put it together. She is amazing, and everyone should take her natural birth course because my last two births were basically natural – and I was NOT prepared! The epidural didn’t work, or it was too late. If you want an epidural, like me, she also has a course on that, which will help you know exactly what to do!

Here’s my hospital bag list of items I’ve brought all three times!

A Brand New Athleisure Outfit: 

Every single time, I’ve packed a new outfit to wear home (no, I do not wear a crop top like the girl above, but I wear high-wasted pants like hers.). I think it is so important because it symbolizes your new life with the baby, and your new body without the baby. Its also fun to put something new on after birth, but I honestly don’t want it to be fancy. You don’t feel fancy, you feel kinda yucky and excited all at the same time. So, I opt for a fun Athleisure outfit that is comfortable and cute. I think I realized this was a better way to go after my first birth. I brought a cute dress and a fun, pink sweat suit. I never touched the dress. I put my new sweat suit on, and I felt so comfy, and that was more important than strutting out the door in a dress.

Here’s what my outfits comprised of:


Cozy sweat pants or leggings. You need some spandex for your belly, so this is super important. This way, you are super comfortable, yet the outfit is new, so you feel great. These are some of the pants I’ve gotten or similar to the ones I’ve found and packed. I also liked an easy cardigan or wrap top. I just found out and reviewed the Cardimom, which I think is a great invention as well, but not a nursing cover/cardigan combo I knew about until just a few weeks ago. I really like a cute trucker hat to throw on too, which I did this last time. My favorite hat, that I wear a lot is my leopard print one from Aldo. I can’t find that one anymore, but this one is close and cheaper. If you want to go a little fancier, I like a maternity dress like the one below. Simple and chic for the ride home!

Second, a new pajama set or robe: 

This is great for the second day at the hospital. I actually liked being in the hospital gown for the first 24 hours because that way any messes aren’t on your new clothes. Then, when you do feel up to showering, a new cozy pajama set is so worth it. These are also great for photos, which you want to take lots of obviously. But, I actually got some great ones in my hospital gown this last time.



I prefer a weekender bag!

I had the best weekender that was all black and sparkly sequins. It finally broke, after tons of use and three births. It was just like the ones below, but sparkly and black. I preferred sparkle on my bag. I’ve looked all over to link to it, and this one is the closest I can find. What I loved about it was it was big and sparkly, so I could back a lot in it. I also felt like it was good luck and good vibes, so despite some tattering, I used it for all three of my hospital births. Because I couldn’t find the exact one I used, I thought these ones were some worth purchasing as well.





Snacks for Milk Supply:

Hospital room service was one of my favorite parts of the hospital birth. I looked forward to some of the goodies, but there were some snacks I like to have on hand that are super important to helping your milk come in. I actually bring my favorite protein powder to drink right after birth because it increases milk supply, and it is specifically made for postpartum mamas. It has all the nutrients you need, and it will help your milk come in! These lactation bites are awesome snacks to have in your hospital bag too!

If you are worried about milk supply, I go over the tips and tricks both my sister and I use, as well as five foods to increase your supply. Both will give you lots of info on making sure you get lots of milk to come in. L

My snacks include:

You might notice I don’t mention a water bottle, and you don’t really need one. The hospitals have these large ice water containers with straws they keep full for you. I also make sure someone will deliver a coffee to me. Hospital coffee is not the best, and I’ve drank some coffee while nursing for all three of my babies, just my personal preference. I also just found this super awesome labor and delivery kit at Nordstrom! What a cute idea, and it may or may not be on my list to send to my sister, who is due with her third baby in October. This would be something I would bring next time, but I haven’t decided if there will be a next time yet. Three kids is a lot. The fourth might put me over the edge, but I’ll save that for another post!

If you are struggling with staying healthy in the last few weeks of pregnancy, I highly recommend grabbing this cookbook, or this pregnancy diet program. You will be feeling so much better!!

Toiletries:

I have a small travel set of my skin care regimen in my hospital bag. Some of my brands, like the Cetaphil Face Lotion you can find in travel size. For other items like my face wash, I usually get a bar container for my bar, or a travel-sized container to poor some in. I also bring my contacts, contact solution, a great smelling body wash, shampoo and conditioner. I always bring my hair dryer and round brush. I am so mad I just found this compact hair dryer, which I am so buying for traveling, and I think it would be great in a hospital bag! I do not bring scented lotion. I like a good smell in the shower, but I don’t want the scent of a lotion on my skin. I believe in keeping smells and hormones as natural as possible while you are working on getting your milk to come in. I also use the body wash more on my lower areas, and keep my chest soap free for a while.

Makeup, yes I like to bring makeup!:

You may not want to wear make up the first day, but for photos or on your way home, I think it feels nice to arrive home showered and put together just a bit. Not a full face, just a bit to help you walk in the door feeling like you are ready to take on the newborn life. I’m also so full of joy with each new baby, that I have lots of energy, despite how exhausted I am, so putting on makeup doesn’t seem like that much of a chore. All I bring and wear is, a tinted Moisturizer, Concealer. Mascara and Bronzer. It doesn’t take long to put on, and I feel like a normal human being.


For the baby, I bring my diaper bag stocked with my newborn things.

I’ll do another post on what I like to bring to the hospital for the new baby, but you can read about some items I’ve forgotten to bring in my adventures with these three rascals. I can’t tell you the predicaments I’ve been in. I also wrote a post on the items I missed on my first baby registry , which I ended up buying, so that my save you some time. You can sign up for your registry through Amazon, and they give you $100 dollars towards diapers and wipes when your registry reaches $1,000 in purchases. Put a stroller and some big items on there, at that number will be reached fast!

Or, just go for this Pre-packed hospital bag! 

 

 

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3 Comments

  1. I also brought makeup with me and my skincare products. It made me feel so much better to get a shower and get my face cleaned and made up albeit just a bit. Any little thing to add a little comfort is what I was going for. I like the idea of a new outfit with high waisted leggings. That makes me want to be sure to do that for our next!

    • Katie Pickett Reply

      High wasted leggings are the best! And showering after the whole ordeal, with a fresh face and a little makeup just helps me start feeling like a person again haha!

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