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If you saw my recent Instagram posts, you may have seen me mention that we just got back from the hospital, again! Long story short, I ended up having an infection at the incision site from my c-section. It was the worst! Thank goodness for heavy duty meds and a lot of rest, I’m finally on the mend!
Anywho I wanted to share with you all my must haves for your hospital stay when welcoming a new baby! And now that I’ve had two visits in two weeks, I’m kinda feeling like a pro at this one. I’m rounding up what I couldn’t live without, what I overpacked and absolutely did not need, and a few fun extras that you totally don’t have to pack, but they make a longer stay at the hospital SO much better.
About a month before Annie’s due date, Patrick and I had our Mark & Graham monogrammed duffel bags all packed and ready to go. They were just the right size to hold all of our hospital bag essentials for our stay. A Christmas gift to each other, these stylish bags will also make great carry-on bags for all of our future travels too!
By the time Annie did arrive, I’d unpacked & repacked our bags twice! (Mostly because I forgot what I put in there in the first place!) 😉
Hospital Bag Essentials – The Packing List:
- Robe: I switched my hospital gown out with my floral robe immediately after delivery. Family will be popping in right away to see you and trust me, they’re all going to want to take photos no matter how you look!
- Button Down Pajamas: great for nursing!
- Nursing Tank: to wear under robe or pajama top for support.
- Nursing Bras: As soon as you deliver & your milk comes in, you will realize that you will no longer be able to get away without wearing a bra. I love this one and these comfortable ones for sleeping.
- Toiletries: you know, the toiletries you’d bring on any trip. But make sure to pack dry shampoo! If you have a c-section, unfortunately, you don’t get to hop in the shower right away. Brushing your hair & a spritz (or seven) of dry shampoo will make you feel like a new woman!
- Boppy: the c-shaped pillow that holds your baby up while you nurse. Since I had my c-section, this pillow has been a lifesaver! And pretty much never leaves my side. (PS: Love this cute cover from Suite Baby.)
- Extra Pillow & 2 Extra Blankets: Patrick slept on the couch in our room every night and never complained about how uncomfortable he was. (Which I’m sure he was.) Love him! The pillow and blanket from home definitely helped. And we ended up bringing an extra throw blanket for me because the blanket from the hospital was super thin and just not enough, I thought.
- Snacks: Spending three days and 2 nights in a tiny little room, there’s a lot of down time and you will get hungry. We packed a bunch of snacks that we all munched on throughout our stay. Plus, they don’t let you eat while you’re in labor and as soon as it’s over you’re going to be ravenous!
- Water Bottle: The hospital provided us with one. But in case yours doesn’t, having a big water bottle is key! I probably asked Patrick to refill mine 10,000 times during our stay. For one, it’s important to stay hydrated in general (and after surgery) plus – it’s unreal how thirsty breastfeeding makes you too!
- Belly Wrap & C-section Recovery Underwear: If you’re planning on having a c-section, I can’t recommend these two pieces from Belly Bandit enough! They’re both basically saving my life right now.
- Going Home Outfit: Pack something loose, comfortable and that will make you feel good too. After everything you just went through, feeling somewhat cute/decent on your way out of the hospital makes such a big difference. I wore slouchy sweatpants with a flowy knit top & moccasins.
- Extra Long Phone Charger Cord: this way the cord will reach up to your hospital bed. Oh and be sure to have enough room on your phone to snap about a million photos of your little one!
- Empty Tote Bag: You’ll be leaving with a whole lot more than you came in with! From all of the supplies that the nurses give you, to all of the extras the hospital provides for baby, and the gifts friends & family bring to the hospital- having the extra tote was a must have!
- Christmas Lights: You’re probably thinking, “What on earth!?” But this was one of my favorite things we packed! We strung them up in our room the first night and would keep them on all day & night long. A much better (and more festive) alternative to the harsh hospital lights.
What I did NOT end up using:
- My Book:. Why I thought I might find time to read a chapter my book is beyond me. Might as well have left it at home.
- Makeup: While I thought about having my photographer friend stop by and take photos of our big happy fam at the hospital, I ended up canceling on her the day she was supposed to stop by. I felt so rough after my c-section that even the thought of putting on my makeup was intense! The bags under my eyes were out in full force and I didn’t event care a bit.
- My Fancy Camera: We used it for a second when we first got to the hospital. Patrick and I snapped a bunch of photos (in between my contractions) while I was still feeling great and we both had a lot of energy. After that, it was iPhone photos all the way. And hey, they turned out just as great!
- Slippers & Socks: Because I had a c-section, I couldn’t really get out of bed to do much walking around. And when I did, I wore the grippy socks that the hospital provided. My fancy slippers and cozy socks stayed packed away in my duffel.
OR Let Someone Else Do the Packing
For those of you who prefer the easier route to rounding up all of the necessities needed for your hospital stay, there is always Duckworth NYC! Duckworth NYC offers pre-bundled packed and ready to go hospital bags filled with luxury goodies that will help to make your stay as comfortable and stress-free as possible.
Let’s face it, prepping for baby is a full-time job in itself and having one less thing to check off of your to-do list can be amazing!
I had the opportunity to try one of Duckworth NYC’s Bundle Bag’s during our stay and it was seriously wonderful! Having a set of fresh toiletries {with spa-like goodies included} was just what I needed to make my first shower after surgery that much more bearable. (I could hardly walk at this point due to my c-section, so showering was not the piece of cake that it usually is!)
The nursing tank, pajama pants & robe that came with the bundle were as soft-as-can-be and I felt chic {messy hair, no makeup and all} all while I was hanging out with family and my new baby girl.
The bundle bag also came with a set of towels and washcloths that we didn’t realize we would need, until we NEEDED them. Hospital towels, we’ve discovered, are a bit scratchy. So having these was just another comfort that made the experience feel more like home.
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I ended up packing all of the goodies from Duckworth NYC and the few extras I mentioned above into my overnighter and was more than prepared for our three-night stay at the hospital.
A five-night stay, now that I wasn’t prepared for! We were so bummed to have to return to the hospital just one week after our first visit. The silver lining of the whole thing was that Patrick AND Annie were both able to join me for round two. The nursing staff even brought in a little bassinet for her. After quite a bit of heavy duty antibiotics through an IV, I’m finally back home with my feet up and feeling better than ever! And a BIG thank you to all of you for the get well wishes! Seriously, it means so much!!
And as always, thanks for stopping by the blog!
Loving these Hospital Bag Essentials? Click here now for more baby fun!
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xo, alice
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photos by Lauren Rathbun Photography
