Welcome Baby KC is so very happy to have a guest blogger this week! Everyone, please meet Abigail Wagner, a doula, with A Loving Welcome Doula Services.
Do you have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to what to pack in your hospital bag? I did too! Until I attended my first birth.
Let’s get real – you won’t have the time to finish knitting that sweater you started the moment you found out the sex of your baby. Those fashion and celeb magazines that you love so much, they may just get thrown across the room if someone tries to hand them to you at the wrong time (saw it happen once – hilarious). I consider myself a minimalist with very loose standards. So here is my recommendation for a loosely minimalist hospital bag:
For the Birthing Person:
- 2 changes of clothes & underwear (whatever you’re most comfortable in. For me, this is
a few pairs of leggings, loose tee shirts, and granny panties)
- 2 nursing bras/tanks
- Toiletry bag with your essentials (For me, this would have chapstick, face towelettes,
mascara, mints, deodorant, toothbrush & toothpaste)
- Water bottle
- Easy to eat snacks
For Partner:
- Change of clothes and underwear
- Comfortable shoes (they will be on their feet, by your side for a lot of your stay)
- Toiletry bag (separate from yours) for their essentials (For my husband, this would have been deodorant, more chapstick, mustache wax, pomade, cologne, toothbrush & toothpaste)
- Snacks
- Drinks
For Baby:
- 2-3 sleepers (I prefer newborn gowns, no zippers or snaps to mess with while you’re both learning how to change diapers)
- Swaddle blanket (I’m obsessed with bamboo, so soft on new baby’s skin)
Miscellaneous Extras:
- Phone chargers (at least two! Your phones may run low at the same time)
- Coconut oil (great for nipple cream, and an excellent poop repellent for that sticky meconium)
- Car Seat (properly installed into your car)
Optional/Less minimalist
- Birth Preferences
- “Going Home” outfit
- Hats/mittens for baby
- Nursing pillow (great for use at home, less essential in the hospital)
- Camera (other than your phone)
- Slippers
- iPad/laptop
- Nursing pads
This list may not be perfect for everyone, some will have more “essentials” and some will have even less! (Will I use the mascara? Probably not. But it’s important for me to have it.)