Having A Baby! See What's In My Hospital Bag
We are down to the wire now waiting for baby number three! She is due on 11/28 and that is exactly two weeks from today! Last month was all about nailing down everything for work so during November I could just relax and nest around the house. It has been nice laying low, but man I’ve been feeling antsy. I’ve cleaned our whole house and even labeled the inside of our cabinets. I purged my closet, re-organized all our storage bins we keep under the beds. The nursery is all set and ready. Our refrigerator is clean, the baby’s swing is set up. Now, we just wait for baby! Of course, we are all too familiar with waiting. Mila took her time arriving as well. Mila was born four days after her due date at a whopping 9lbs 12oz. She was cozy and it looks like her little sister might be the same.
One thing that has kept me real busy though are our bi-weekly NSTs (Non-Stress Tests) that our doctor is having me do. Last month I developed a small amount of extra fluid around the baby and after seeing a high risk OB, herself and my doctor decided that it would be best to monitor the baby twice a week with an NST until she arrives. Our doctors have ruled out any harmful/scary outcomes from the extra fluid as baby looks healthy on all her scans and tests read normal. We are positive and grateful it isn’t more than a small amount of extra fluid. Praying that everything goes just fine. Though no matter what you are told, when you are pregnant and something is off just in the slightest, you worry.
This week I thought about what I’ve taken to the hospital when giving birth to my first two children. I wrote out a long list, narrowed it down, and then added a few things I wish I had brought along. For anyone who is pregnant or knows someone who is, I’ve put together a list of what I think comes in handy at the hospital. Of course these items are personal and people have their own opinions on what is necessary or not. Take a look and let me know in the comments what you were happy to bring along and something you wish you had!
This time around I thought packing cubes would be SO helpful. Last time we tossed everything into a bag which was fine. But this time everything is organized by when I’ll be needing the items. For example, I have a packing cube dedicated to labor, recovery, baby, etc. Even Dan has his own cube. Also, if I need someone to grab something for me I can easily say I need my lip balm from my labor bag, or my nipple cream from my recovery bag haha! These packing cubes are from the Oh Joy for CalPack collection and you can find them HERE. I have two sets and they are so handy when packing for actual travel ;) Who new they’d work for a labor + delivery hospital bag?!
Here is a list of all the times I’ve packed …
Labor; water bottle with a straw top, travel diffuser with essential oils, socks with a stocky bottom, phone charger, lip balm, air pods, deodorant, glasses + contacts, soft nursing bra, and belly oil. For me, I’ve always given birth while wearing a nursing bra just because I don’t like having my boobs just out. I always take off the hospital gown because I can’t stand wearing it while in pain etc. I also like having belly oil close by to keep my belly nice and soft. Once the baby + placenta comes out the belly doesn’t go away but it definitely goes down and I like the belly oil to keep the skin from getting dry while it fluctuates in size. Last time when having Mila brought a travel diffuser and it came in handy. It made the room smell nice. I’d like to say it helped relax me and made for a calming environment. I’m sure it did on some level. But really, I just remember it smelling nice. I’ve never brought along a water bottle and I tossed one in this time. The other things are just normal, like the lip balm in case my lips get dry from screaming (just kidding ;)
Dan + Snacks; A few change of clothes for my husband and his toiletries + snack bars for him. Snack bars for me too after the baby comes.
Recovery; high waisted leggings, comfy sweatshirt, loose shirts, nursing tank, tummy control underwear (even though I’ll be wearing the fancy mesh undies), socks with sticky bottoms, robe, comfortable pj’s, toiletry bag, towel, blanket, pillow, nipple cream, and nursing pillow. I have always LOVED taking a shower right after giving birth so I packed all my stuff for that. I’m always cold in hospitals so this time I’m bringing my own blanket and pillow. Something I’ve never done before. I also bought high waisted leggings (+ undies) to help support my belly and back, since those are always so sore after the baby comes out. I have brought in the past a belt thing that velcros around your waist but it was so uncomfortable I skipped it this time.
Baby; two outfits, two long sleeve onsies, 2 swaddle blankets, hat, shoes, and my favorite diaper/baby cream.
MAMA Sweatshirt is from Ingrid & Isabel. Baby Outfit + Hat are from June & January. Baby Shoes are from Freshly Picked. Nipple Cream + Diaper Cream are from Tubby Todd. Belly Oil is from Zoe Organics.
It might look like a whole bunch but it all fits nicely in my weekender bag. Dan packed his things, the camera and wireless speaker in his backpack. The blanket and pillows we’ll probably leave in the car until after the baby comes. I know the hospital has literally everything you actually need to labor and deliver your baby. However, these things make it a bit more comfortable ;) Again, let me know in the comments what you brought or wish you had when having your baby!