Throughout my entire pregnancy, I relied on my favorite blogs to help answer any questions that I had about everything and anything. I’m fully aware that one of a mother-to-be’s major sources of stress is “what the hell do I pack in my hospital bag?” If it’s your first pregnancy, you’re probably inclined to pack your entire home, but resist the urge! I packed a ton of crap, but here are the things I actually used:

Pillows:

A friend of mine recommended that we bring our own pillows since the hospital ones are crap! Having our own made the hospital stay so much more comfortable and it felt nice to have a piece of our bed with us.

My Brest Friend:

If you’re planning to nurse, I highly recommend owning the My Brest Friend pillow! I packed mine for the hospital and found it so helpful, more than using a bunch of pillows (what some recommend), in supporting the baby for feedings.

Your favorite skincare products (in travel size):

Some might call me crazy, but I made sure to pack travel sized containers of all of my favorites . Let me tell you guys, after 30 hours of labor, my skin felt gross. It felt so good to be able to take a few minutes and do my skincare routine. I realize that for some people, it might be an excessive thing to pack, but definitely high on the list for me! To this list, I also have to include a bar of soap! The hospital soap is a joke, so I liked having my own.

Lotion, Lip balm, Hair Bands, Shampoo & Conditioner:

After taking a warm shower, I loved being able to slather my body with some rich lotion and use a quality shampoo and conditioner. It was a quick way to be able to pamper myself after what my body just went through. Also, the hospital is so dry that having both lip balm and body lotion was a must.

Makeup:

This might sound shallow and probably not important for everyone, but for me, it was nice to be able to put on some makeup once Nate arrived. I didn’t do much, but a little under eye concealer, lipgloss and blush went a long way, especially since so many photos were being taken. I also go a  manicure/pedicure before I went into labor, which I’m so thankful for! There are so many unclose hand photos, I’m happy that I had manicured fingernails. Like I said, might sound superficial, but just being real!

Music:

Throughout the labor and then the two days after, we loved being able to play our music! Especially when friends and family visited, having something playing in the background made the hospital room seem a little more lively. We packed our bose speaker (cannot live without this in my life) and used our phones with our Spotify playlists. Just make sure they’re downloaded before in case there’s no wifi!

Disposable Underwear

This is probably the #1 item on my list if you have a vaginal birth. I really cannot stress it enough! So much better than what the hospital gives you and trust me, you’ll need them in the hospital and for a few weeks after.

A Change of Comfy Clothes

… and underwear for you and your partner. After the actual birth, I stayed in sweat pants, a long sleeved tee, socks and a nursing bra. Same for Keith, minus the bra. Also, flip flops: for walking around the hospital, walking to the bathroom, etc.

Towel

My friend warned me that the towel the hospital provided was small and flimsy and she was right! Felt so nice to be able to dry off using a normal sized, plush towel.

Lollipops:

Before I got to the hospital, my #1 concern was “what am I going to do when I get hungry?!” Since you’re not allowed to eat once you’re in the delivery room, I was afraid of my blood sugar dropping and not being able to power through the labor and delivery. Having lollipops was a lifesaver!

Lots of snacks:

The hospital food is nasty and thank goodness for our amazing friends who came bearing outside food! BUT, in between those moments, having some of our favorite snacks was a must. Keith was able to have something to nibble on throughout the labor and then they came in handy for the days to follow. Things I packed: granola bars, licorice, almonds, miso soup packets, a ton of fruit  (apples, grapes and bananas), pretzels and popcorn.

Chargers:

You’ll be on your phone a lot updating family and friends and of course, checking social media in your downtime. I made sure to pack my mophi as well!

Important Documents:

Last but certainly not least, make sure you have your paperwork. Insurance info, hospital forms, ID’s.

For the Baby

Outfit(s):

I packed way too many outfits for him, but probably could have gotten away with two. Nordstrom, Ralph Lauren and H&M have some of my favorites for a newborn. I was also going to suggest swaddling blankets (these and these are my favorite), but we ended up using the ones the hospital provided for the first few weeks (and in the hospital), so I’d leave those home. If you’re giving birth during the colder months, you’ll probably need a thicker one for the car ride home. Also, don’t forget the baby mittens so they don’t scratch their cute little face.

Car Seat

For obvious reasons!

To other mamas, was there a must item(s) on your list that I missed? Would love to hear!

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And in case you missed it, I did a post on my New Mom Essentials.