Today is my due date. I honestly didn't think I'd make it to this day, but here I am! And I feel no closer to delivery than I did on Monday. I think back to last year when I was seeing posts from a friend who also thought she'd go early but had reached her due date. She was complaining the night before that the baby wasn't here yet and how "over it" she was. I remember thinking...you could still have several days! Why are you already complaining? You're not even "late" yet.
But I totally get it now. It feels like AA Step 1 where you admit you're powerless.
So with the extra time, a friend suggested I share what I packed in my hospital bag since I have several other pregnant friends right now!
For baby:
What to bring
- Going home outfit. I brought a newborn outfit for Grace and it was HUGE on her. So this time I'm bringing the same outfit we brought Grace home in (since doc say this baby is for sure bigger) + a preemie size onesie just in case
- Pretty swaddle and a cute hat if you don't want to use the hospital issued ones.
- Baby book if you want to get the baby's footprints stamped in it
- Blanket/car seat cover just in case it's cold or raining
- Socks and mittens
What not to bring
- Diapers and wipes. The hospital will provide these. Bring home alllll of them!
- Baby wash. Some parents choose to wait til they're home so they can give baby his or her first bath. I thought I wanted to do this too, but you may be more exhausted than you expect and the nurses at the hospital will do this for you. But if you have your own special wash that's not Johnson & Johnson, I'd bring it
- Pacifier. Again, hospital will provide, but we chose not to give a paci until Grace was a few weeks old. Nipple confusion and whatnot. It was even written in the birth plan not to give her a paci til she'd latched.
For myself:
What to bring
- Insurance card and ID: Have it easily accessible so you're not fumbling for it or someone else has to retrieve it for you. It's probably going to be the first thing they ask for when you arrive at the hospital.
- Birth plan: Make sure your doctor, anyone who will be present at birth, and all nurses read it so everyone's on the same page.
- Car seat
- Stress ball/aromatherapy rollerballs....anything that will make you feel comfortable and alleviate stress while in labor. I'll say more about this in a minute!
- Pretty robe: It feels so nice to put on something that makes you feel a little more human than the hospital gown once baby is here!
- Nursing bra
- Nipple cream: This one is my favorite! You don't have to wipe it off before baby nurses
- Basic toiletries: Travel size shampoo & conditioner, body wash, face wash or face wipes you can use in bed, Chapstick, lotion, deodorant, toothbrush & toothpaste, contact case & solution
- Towel and wash cloth: The hospital has these but they are smaller than a hotel towel and rougher than sandpaper!
- Mints or gum
- Phone charger
- Bluetooth speaker: I didn't make a playlist, but I put on my favorite Pandora station, "Hipster Cocktail party." It's got a good mix of old and new and even some of the nurses asked me for the station before I left the hospital!
- Fuzzy socks or bedroom slippers
- Cheap flip flops for the shower
- Loose yoga/lounge pants to wear home: Or, if you're having a c-section, a loose dress
- Button up shirt or loose nursing shirt to wear home
- Boppy or nursing pillow: I actually used mine during labor to turn around and stick my face in hahaha
- Hair ties & hair brush
What not to bring
- Underwear. Unless you really want to. The hospital will provide the mesh ones with pads (bring allll of them home, more than you think you'll need) but if you want a nice alternative, these Depends are amazing and will help you feel a little more human.
- Oil diffuser. As mentioned above, aromatherapy is a great thing to have to alleviate stress, headaches, nausea, etc. Rollerballs or small personal inhalers are a good option, or these lavender infused stress balls. They smell amazing and gives you something to focus on.
Funny story: On Day 1 of 3 days of labor, my friend CJ came over to the house and gave me this little stress ball infused with lavender. It was a gift someone had given to him, and he thought it might help me. And boy did it! I don't think it left my hands til Grace arrived. It even stayed in my purse (not on purpose, that's just how long I hoard things) until I was getting ready to pack my hospital bag again. I fully believe it got me through labor and I've carried it with me every day of Grace's life. So naturally, it has sentimental value. I left it where Grace couldn't reach it to remind myself to put it in my "bug out bag" but it wasn't quite out of reach of our friend's 3 yr old who lives down the street. She came over for a playdate and when I came home, my stress ball was gone! I knew the little girl must've found it so I searched and searched for it, eventually assuming she had taken it home with her. When I told Mathias what happened, he said he'd given her a little red ball last time she came over and he told her she could take it with her. OK, that explains it. She must've assumed since she was given that ball she could take the stress ball too. Don't panic, she's 3, she'll remember where she put it.
◉_◉
Not. If anyone has ever lost a thing in the house, a toddler is the last person you want to include in your search party. I called her dad and asked him to take a peak around their house to see if she'd brought it home. He said it wasn't there and she told him she didn't take it.
At this point, this 3 yr old innocent angel is a thief and a liar. I go into a rage-induced search. It's not here. She has it. I know she has it. And she's gonna tell me where she put it.
"Ask her where she last saw it at my house."
Too much to ask of a toddler? Probably, but I'm desperate. I can't possibly deliver a baby without it.
"She says it's in the ball pit."
OK. I hop online and order these in case I never find it again because I have searched the ball pit. It's not there. But, I haven't searched inside the balls in the ball pit. Some of the balls snap together. And maybe the stress ball is small enough it can fit inside one that snaps....
So for my pregnant friends reading this, you're in luck. I now have 3 extra lavender stress balls to help you in labor!!
What I'm not bringing but you might want to
- Hairdryer: I let my hair air dry and haven't used a dryer in maybe 2 years, so I've left this out but you may want to bring one
- Makeup: There will be pictures and who wants to look like they just gave birth to a baby?!
- Magazines or a book: Between labor and having a new baby to stare at, I wouldn't have found time for reading material, but it might help some in labor!
- Underwear: As stated above, the hospital will provide the mesh ones with pads (bring allll of them home, more than you think you'll need) but if you want a nice alternative, these Depends are amazing and will help you feel a little more human.
- Nursing pads: My milk didn't come in for a few days, so I personally didn't need these at the hospital
- Belly band or this one: These help the postpartum body get back to normal
For Mathias:
Mathias made his own little "bug out bag" so here's what he brought:
- Snacks: The hospital will feed mom, but they won't feed dad!
- Advil & Tums: The hospital has these for patients only unless you want to purchase them at the gift shop!
- Pillow: The hospital has plenty, but it's nice to have your own
- Clothes/socks/flip flops
- A copy of the birth plan
- Basic toiletries: Deodorant, toothbrush & toothpaste, contact case & solution
- Phone charger
- Nice camera if you don't want to use a phone
