Oh, your due date is still months away so you have plenty of time to pack your hospital bag?
If you’re having a singleton, this might be true, but you never know.
If you’re having twins, triplets, or more, I hate to break this to you, but your babies don’t care. Maybe they will wait patiently for that date, but maybe they won’t! With multiples, things can change VERY quickly.
I was admitted to the hospital at 26 weeks and did not have a bag packed.
Take it from me, you do NOT want to be stuck in that hospital with shampoo that smells like vinegar and chapstick that creates cracks in your lips the size of the Grand Canyon. I won’t even go into the leg hair situation, but let me just say the nurses will soon start calling you Chewbacca and you’ll convince yourself that it’s just phase you’re calling “70’s chic”.
If you’re having multiples, it would be a good idea to take a bag with you to every doctor’s appointment starting at 24 weeks — and honestly, if you’re having a singleton, you’re going to be packing your bag fairly soon after!
Everything looks great? Yay! You can stroll home to your couch. But if things take a turn, you’ll be prepared.
15 essential items you should pack in your hospital bag:
- Phone charger with extension cord
- Toiletries: Shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush/paste, lotion (good-smelling!), brush, and nail clippers.
- Razors. This could have been listed in the toiletries… but it’s too important.
- Hair-ties
- Eye mask and ear plugs. The lights and beeps at night will drive you mad! Any eye mask will do, but I like this one because it’s comfortable on the nose and has compartments for the eyes as well.
- Headphones
- Chapstick
- Comfortable robe and slippers/flip-flops (one size up!)
- Kindle/books/magazines
- A change of clothes and underwear/pads for when you’re discharged. I used disposable Depends!
- Your favorite snacks. I lost weight on hospital bedrest because, well, hospital food.
- Makeup. Sometimes you just need to feel more human.
- Pillow
- Cleansing cloths
- Extra bags: you will have lots of gifts you weren’t expecting!
Additional Items You Might Also Want:
- Clothes for the babies – If you’re having a singleton, you will really just need one or two outfits. If you’re having multiples and delivering early, you will have plenty of time when you are discharged to get them clothes from home to bring to the NICU. It also may be a while before they will be wearing clothes.
- Pajamas – The hospital will most likely want you in their gowns with their mesh panties, and it’s easier to wear these after having a baby (or babies) anyway! But, a robe that is comfortable and still allows you to slip an arm out every 3 hours for a blood pressure reading is a must! It’s up to you, but you might like to have one set of comfy clothes with you for visitors.
- Underwear – take advantage of the hospital mesh panties. You don’t want to have your own undies there because there’s no way to wash them. Ew. But you might want one pair of normal underwear when you get ready to leave.
- Nursing pads/equipment – At least for me, my milk didn’t come in fully until way after I was discharged, so I didn’t need nursing pads or a bra. The hospital also provided a pump to use while I was there and kept in their NICU room after I was discharged. If you’re having a singleton and you don’t expect NICU time, go ahead and pack a few nursing bras with comfortable tanks and sweaters to throw on over it because you’ll need that if you plan to breastfeed.
Just these few simple things will make your hospital stay much more comfortable. So pack your bags, ladies! You won’t regret it!
The original version of this post was published on The Secret Life Of Threes.
