What is (going to be) in my Hospital Bag

We are 34 weeks along today!  Five weeks left to go until our scheduled delivery day!  We are so very ready to meet little Avery!


I won't be packing my hospital bag until next week or the week after, but I've already made my list of things to pack.  I'm a list-maker and I like to "know the plan" so it was helpful and stress-relieving for me to go ahead and write down what I wanted to pack in the hospital bag.  Now, some of this stuff I obviously won't be adding to the bag until the last minute-- like my phone charger and medication, but the other things I can probably get by with packing sooner rather than later.


Am I an over-packer? Yes.  Do I forget some of the things I've packed? Yes.  Most times, while I'm unpacking at home, I'll pull out an item from my bag and think "Gosh, this would have been really helpful if I had remembered that I packed this."  It happens more often than not. However, I've been on the "didn't pack enough" side and that's no fun.


So, here's my current list:

• phone charger (won't be packing until the day we go to the hospital)
• medication (thyroid and gestational diabetes meds) (won't be packing until the day we go to the hospital)
• Vera Bradley duffel (this is the actual bag I'll be placing these items into)
• maternity/nursing PJ set w/cardigan
• nursing nightgown
• black maternity yoga pants
• gray pj pants
• belly band (won't be packing til the day we go to the hospital-- I use it too much to pack it away too early!)
• nursing tank
• nursing top- blue stripe
• gray or black maternity cotton shorts
• underwear
• nursing bra
• couple nursing pads
• makeup bag and deodorant (won't be packing til the day we go to the hospital)
• shampoo/conditioner in tiny bottles
• dry shampoo
• brush & straightener (won't be packing til the day we go to hospital)
• toothbrush/ toothpaste (obviously won't be packing til day we go to hospital)
• hair ties
• Reese's cups
• cookies
• granola bars
• notepad & pen (very helpful when writing notes of things the pediatrician says for the baby)
• going-home outfit for Avery (to include a blanket to cover her legs in the carseat)
• carseat (which should already be in our car by the time I pack)

I've never purchased one of those special pretty labor hospital gowns that people promote.  I really wanted one when I was pregnant with my first, but I couldn't justify the price or the "one time use" thing-- once you have the baby, when do you wear it again?  Also, labor is messy.  I didn't want to ruin a pretty dress/gown that I just spent a lot of money on.  So, alas, I never bought one and I also never cared that I was wearing a normal hospital gown when I gave birth.


However, after I have my baby, I like to put on my own clothes.  So, since we're looking at a 3-day stay (the day the baby is born, the following day, and then coming home the next day), I pack enough of my own clothes to last this amount of time.  I also make sure these are "public appropriate" clothes so that I can have visitors and also use one of these outfits to go home in.


I don't really expect my milk to come in while I'm in the hospital, but sometimes this happens faster than I've planned, so bringing a couple nursing pads is a good idea.


Depending on how long labor takes, my hair might not look so great at the end of it all.  So, dry shampoo is a special treat.  Aaron can help me spray this in my hair and brush it through, and I'll feel even a tiny bit refreshed, which is just great.


Hair ties are essential because during labor, you never know what's going to annoy you!  Having hair in my face would totally annoy me, so bringing hair ties is a good idea.


Once Avery comes out and the cord is cut, gestational diabetes is officially over (although I'll have to check my blood sugar occasionally during my post-partum 6 week recovery so I can show the doctor that my numbers are normal again).  After having to be super diet cautious for the preceding three months, it's nice to have a cookie or some Reese's cups as a reward-- after all, a baby human just came out of me and I deserve a pat on the back (or a cookie!).


As much planning as we do for delivery (ie, choosing a day, going in the night before to start the process, etc), we really don't know at what time the baby will be born.  Fortunately, when both of my boys were born, the cafeteria in the hospital was still open and I could have food.  But, there's no telling if Avery is going to show up in the middle of the night.  If she does, it'll be nice to have some food with substance (and not just cookies and candy).  Packing granola bars takes care of this.  Also, it gives Aaron something quick he can eat in the mornings if he doesn't want to go down to the cafeteria or out to a restaurant.  Finally, it's a good snack to munch on in the middle of the night when feeding a baby. 


A notepad and pen are just smart to have.  My mom brought me a little notepad when I was in the hospital with my first.  This was great because Michael had to be in the Extended Care Nursery during our whole time in the hospital.  The pediatrician would come into my room and give me her report on Michael's condition each day and I'd write down notes on what she said.  Then when she was explaining some things we'd have to do for Michael when we got home, it was nice to have the notepad to write those things down on. 


Packing a going-home outfit for baby is essential.  I don't pack outfits for my babies to wear each day they're in the hospital-- although some people do, and this is totally fine.  It's just not how I do things.  I also don't bring baby diapers.  The hospital provides baby diapers and diaper cream, and blankets, etc, so I'll just change her into her own clothes and put on a fresh diaper before we leave and we'll be good enough to make it home. 


I might think of more things as time goes on but I've pretty much stuck with these items for both prior deliveries and it works for us. 


I can't believe we're close enough to be thinking about the hospital bag! 


Until Next Time,
Much love, Reba