FTM, hospital bag help!

[Anonymous]

Starting to get ready to prepare my hospital bag and I’m feeling overwhelmed by all the “Pinterest lists” of what to pack! It all just seems like a crazy amount of stuff.

Can anyone tell me if this sounds good or if anything is unnecessary?

Baby:
-Knot gown & hat for announcement photo
-Name sign for announcement photo
-Swaddle
-2 sleepers (newborn & 0-3 months)
-Pacifier & Pacifier clip
-Wipes (1 package)


Me:
-10 foot charger
-Chapstick
-Travel items (shampoo/conditioner, tooth brush & tooth paste, razor & shaving cream, body wash, deodorant, dry shampoo, hair brush & elastics)
-Always discreet diapers
-Frida mom peri bottle
-Nursing bra
-2 nursing tanks
-Maxi skirt & tank top (to go home in)
-Comfy pants & T shirt
-Flip flops (for shower)
-Grip socks ?
-Handheld fan
- Boppy pillow
- snacks (trail mix, granola bars)

[Anonymous]

Looks good!!! Although you may want to bring an extra empty bag to take home extra supplies from the hospital. After my first 3, the nurses give me so many diapers, I don't need to buy diapers for at least 3 weeks to a month lol

[Anonymous]

You shouldn’t need wipes in the hospital, and honestly don’t start with the pacifier for the two days you will be in there. I personally would do the announcement photos when I got home, but you do you. (Clearly you have been looking at too much pimterest 😁)

The hospital should also give you a peri bottle, and they used to give out grip socks. Honestly, you will be in the gowns a lot, so I wanted a hoodie to throw over the gown. You won’t be shaving anything. I wouldn’t bring the boppy, either. Think minimal, stuff you won’t mind getting lost or bled on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You shouldn’t need wipes in the hospital, and honestly don’t start with the pacifier for the two days you will be in there. I personally would do the announcement photos when I got home, but you do you. (Clearly you have been looking at too much pimterest 😁)

The hospital should also give you a peri bottle, and they used to give out grip socks. Honestly, you will be in the gowns a lot, so I wanted a hoodie to throw over the gown. You won’t be shaving anything. I wouldn’t bring the boppy, either. Think minimal, stuff you won’t mind getting lost or bled on.

Op here: I posted in a local mom group and everyone said to bring wipes as the hospital I’ll be delivering at apparently has the weird dry ones that you have to wet for every use so bringing your own package was easier. I was also told the frida moms peri bottle is a must due to the angle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks good!!! Although you may want to bring an extra empty bag to take home extra supplies from the hospital. After my first 3, the nurses give me so many diapers, I don't need to buy diapers for at least 3 weeks to a month lol

Op here: yes, thank you! I’ll throw in a reusable bag for that stuff!

[Anonymous]

You don’t need to take anything for the baby, the hospital provides everything for the baby. For that matter, it provides everything for you too. Just pack the things for yourself that will make your stay more comfortable. The list for yourself looks good. But you don’t need discrete diapers, you’ll just want to use the mesh undies and pads they provide. They’ll send you home with extras that you’ll want to wear for a bit until your ready for your own undies and a regular pad. The hospital will also have grip socks if you decide you need them.

[Anonymous]

You're going to get differing opinions on all of these things, but I think pack everything you think you'll want and don't obsess too much about being minimal. I didn't take a ton of stuff, but was happy to have everything I could have wanted. I took a Boppy and an extra pillow to sleep on. I was really, really happy to have both. The hospital pillow smelled really weird to me and I found the Boppy very useful for nursing at the hospital. The hospital supplied everything for baby, including pacifier and wipes, so you don't need those (but I see your note about weird wipes at your hospital). I wished I had a velcro swaddle for the baby because we were terrible at getting baby back in the swaddle with just a blanket. I also was happy that I had brought my own gown for post-delivery, as well as a hoodie. I never wore the robe I brought, which some people swear by. Some people also suggest bringing my own blanket, which I would not have used. The hospital supplied non-slip socks. I've noticed people have very strong and different opinions on the hospital mesh underwear plus pad vs. disposable underwear. I hated the hospital underwear plus pad and wore the disposable underwear as soon as I got home. That said, it would have felt like overkill to bring the disposable underwear with. Same with the Frida peri bottle. Yes, it is a superior peri bottle, but the one at the hospital is totally fine. You might also consider a water bottle. The cups at the hospital don't hold much water. I could not be bothered to shave, but I was happy to have my toiletries to wash my hair. If you want to dry your hair, check and see if your hospital has hair dryers. VHC does not.

[Anonymous]

I brought nice grippy socks (nice meaning like, $15 for a 3 pack off of Amazon). All the nurses complimented me since the hospital provided ones were thin and less grippy. The only other stuff I would bring would be one outfit for baby (do the IG photos at home), couple of t shirts / baggy sweats for me (hated the nightgown), adult diapers, and toiletries. Oh and of course a long phone charger but you’re on top of that. I had an unexpected CS so half my bag was crap I didn’t need and since I had opened it, couldn’t return it.

[Anonymous]

I brought nothing for the baby. Just the going home outfit.

[Anonymous]

Bedding for your partner.

Definitely flip flops (for the shower but also I couldn't fit my feet back in my sneakers after all the fluid they pumped me with in labor).

I wore no clothes besides the hospital gowns. There is stuff coming out of you or your baby everywhere...

I was induced and in the hospital 5 days, so we needed things to do. My husband and I played a lot of cribbage/card games and watched TV on our laptop.

Any forms your doctor needs to sign for your medical leave/free breast pump.

[Anonymous]

Check for birth certificate

[Anonymous]

Take the photos at home.
Lol to shaving in the hospital hahaha.
I have 3 kids - I silent the whole recovery time in the hospital either naked or in a gown. You just need an outfit to go home in.
Don’t do pacifier in the hospital - if you are breastfeeding, you need to spend basically your entire time in the hospital breastfeeding. I am not kidding. You need your boob to be your baby’s pacifier for at least the first week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take the photos at home.
Lol to shaving in the hospital hahaha.
I have 3 kids - I silent the whole recovery time in the hospital either naked or in a gown. You just need an outfit to go home in.
Don’t do pacifier in the hospital - if you are breastfeeding, you need to spend basically your entire time in the hospital breastfeeding. I am not kidding. You need your boob to be your baby’s pacifier for at least the first week.

No one shaves their arm pits in the hospital? That seems so odd to me…I did?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check for birth certificate

+1. We did not have a check book and it was an annoying process to get the birth certificate after the fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take the photos at home.
Lol to shaving in the hospital hahaha.
I have 3 kids - I silent the whole recovery time in the hospital either naked or in a gown. You just need an outfit to go home in.
Don’t do pacifier in the hospital - if you are breastfeeding, you need to spend basically your entire time in the hospital breastfeeding. I am not kidding. You need your boob to be your baby’s pacifier for at least the first week.

No one shaves their arm pits in the hospital? That seems so odd to me…I did?

You’re there for 2 days. You can’t go 2 days? Who cares?