I’m so excited to be down to the last few weeks before our newest little one comes, but I’m also realizing how much I still have to do before he gets here. I do like to be on top of having a hospital bag packed. It’s nice to have one less thing to worry about when I’m having to orchestrate childcare and everything else for the time I’ll be gone, while in labor. I don’t pack a ton of stuff for the hospital, but there are some things I definitely don’t want to forget. So here is what I pack in my hospital bag for baby.
My Essentials: Hospital Bag for Baby
For starters, I like to pack a bag for myself and a separate diaper bag for baby. It keeps everything well-organized and easy to find, when we’re living out of bags for a day or two. I’m looking forward to using my Lily Jade diaper bag backpack, because it’s big and spacious, plus it has so many pockets.
I also like to pack the following for my little one:
- 10-20 newborn diapers (for some reason, hospitals only have size 1 diapers, that are huge on newborns; I put those diapers in my bag to take home and use the newborn sizes that are way cheaper and fit them better).
- muslin burp clothes, these ones by Comfy Cubs are incredible! They’re huge, super absorbent, and just what you needs when you’re burping baby after each feeding.
- a nursing cover that doubles as a car seat cover; I love the styles that KeaBabies has, plus they’re only $10!! This is probably the most used baby item for me. Between nursing for a year, and covering their car seat when we’re out and about, this would be the one baby thing I could not live without.
- baby socks that actually stay on their tiny feet like these by Squid Socks; keeping newborns warm is so important, but it’s also hard to keep socks on them. These ones are great!
- a going home outfit for my little one; I haven’t picked one yet, but have been eyeing some of these cute ones from Milk Monster.
Items to Pack for Hospital Photos
I like to pack a few items for taking newborn pictures at the hospital. It gives me something to do at the hospital, I’m not distracted by 3 other kids needing my attention, and babies don’t keep. They change so much even in the first few days, so I love to capture at least a few good photos while we’re still at the hospital.
For photos, I like to pack:
- a few swaddles to wrap baby in, like this darling set from Parker Baby Co.
- a newborn onesie like this sweet “Brand New” one from New Genes Maternity
- a few newborn beanies (one for pictures, and others for wearing while we’re at the hospital, or to bring baby home)
- wooden milestone cards, like these from Studio Noel; I’m packing the “Hello World” card for a few pictures
Whether this is your first baby, or you’re looking for good baby shower gift ideas, I hope this helps you out. Did I miss anything that is a must on your list? Let me know, because I still have time to add it to mine! I try not to overpack, especially for baby, but these are the items that I find the most useful during our hospital stay.
Sincerely,
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[…] As a fourth time mom, I’ve got a pretty specific hospital bag checklist. I’ll also share some of the things I don’t recommend packing. For me, it’s important to have everything I need to be comfortable and recover well, for the day or two that I’ll be at the hospital, without overpacking. I also recommend packing a bag separately for Baby. Everything is easier to find and well-organized that way. You’ll be moving rooms soon after Baby is born, and it’s nice to have separate bags to avoid digging through everything while living out of bags in a hospital room. Here’s what I recommend packing for Baby’s bag. […]