What I actually used in my hospital bag

I think one of the most exciting things I did during my pregnancy was prepare my hospital bag. That, and preparing my son’s nursery. As a nurse that’s had the chance to care for laboring and postpartum moms, I kind of already had an idea on what to bring with me to the hospital and what would be a waste of space. So hopefully this little list can help you decide on what to keep and what to leave at home. We had three bags packed for our time there: mine, Maverick’s, and my husband’s.

Mental note: If I had to give birth during COVID-19, I wouldn’t bring more than I needed. I wouldn’t want to bring my own clothes (in addition to going home outfit) because I’d have to bring that into my home to be washed. I’d rather use the hospital’s supplies, and limit what had to come back into the house. Just food for though.

Momma’s bag

Your postpartum attire | I kind of regret packing so many clothes because I ended up living in that hospital gown to make it easier to nurse Maverick. I brought a few pairs of pajamas that were nice because I thought we would be able to do a Fresh 48 session, but since Maverick ended up in the NICU, that outfit didn’t get taken out. The things I do recommend bringing are your nursing bras, some warm fuzzy socks for when you’re chillin’ in bed, and a comfortable going home outfit. A good going home outfit would probably be sweats or supportive leggings and a comfortable shirt/sweater. If you haven’t already, I’d also invest in a pair of compression socks because you will swell up after delivery. It’s only for a few days, but it gets really uncomfortable when you get up to walk.

Slippers for the shower & walking | I know how dirty hospital floors can get. I’ve had patients vomit and poop on the floor on the same day, and that’s different patients. So whatever you do, don’t walk around the hospital barefoot, even if it’s in your room. Bring a pair of slippers (flip flops *rolls eyes) to wear in the shower, and then maybe a comfy pair of slippers to walk around in. I was lucky enough to be gifted a “spa” set for my secret Santa, so I brought those slippers with me. I don’t like wearing flip flops, so that’s why I brought two pairs.

Hygiene Kit | It’s always smart to bring your own hygiene kit with you when you travel, so the hospital is no different. The soap at the hospital isn’t the best, and neither is the shampoo. So I packed travel-sized shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant and toothpaste with me. Then I packed (of course!) my skin care kit. Shout out to Janine and Joey for sending us a hedgie and shiba travel toothbrush! Don’t forget your hairbrush and extra hair ties. Those things will go missing so quickly. Oh, and bring your own towel from home because hospital towels are the size of… baby towels, literally towels big enough for your baby. My hospital towel couldn’t even hold all of my hair.

Depends | Like I said in my postpartum must haves, DON’T KNOCK THE DIAPER UNTIL YOU TRY IT. It was extremely annoying having to try and build a diaper using the Asian pear undies and a chux. Using a diaper was super easy cause I could just change it every time I went to the restroom.

Baby’s Bag

Going home outfit | I didn’t bother bringing baby too many clothes for the hospital because he spent most of it naked anyways. I’ve always swaddled newborn babies naked (just in a diaper) because it’s so much easier for us as nurses to come in and do our assessments. I don’t even like messing with onesies at home, let alone at work when you’re trying to be quiet in the room. So I just brought a couple of outfits to choose from for him to go home in.

Baby Blanket | We brought one because even though it was a little warm here in El Paso, the wind would still be cold. Depending on where you’re at and what season it is, you may not need it.

Boppy | If you plan on breastfeeding, it’s just so nice to have a boppy to give you extra support while you nurse. Babies can get so heavy after a while, even if they’re only 6 pounds like Maverick. What’s nice is you can ask your nurse to help you with all the different ways you can position the boppy to give you the most comfortable position to nurse in.

Breast pump | If you’ve never used a breast pump before, it’s a good idea to clean and sanitize your breast pump and bring it with you. You’ll most likely be seen by a Lactation Consultant before you leave the hospital. This is important if you plan on exclusively breastfeeding since we don’t want our babies to lose>10% of their weight before they go home. Knowing how to work your breast pump is important because you want to make sure you’re using the correct flange sizes, and that you know how to work the settings. I personally like the Spectra S1 because you can charge it, unlike the S2 which requires an outlet. I also recommend the Freemie Liberty as a hands-free pump.

Other things

Car Seat | I’m not sure if it was only a policy at the previous hospitals I worked at, but it could be the case at your facility: baby is supposed to be checked in the car seat to make sure it’s the proper fit for them. At my old facilities, we would conduct an oxygenation test on them if they were small for gestational age (SGA). This is personally my preferred method of how baby should be discharged so I know (as a nurse, not as a mom) that baby is safe on their car ride home. You would be surprised how many people do not bring their car seat TO THE HOSPITAL IN THE CAR… People have really tried to ride home carrying their baby in their arms. DO NOT BE THIS PERSON, CAUSE I WOULD NOT LET YOU LEAVE.

Distraction Items | When you aren’t writhing in pain before delivery, you can pass the time reading a book or watching a movie on a laptop. When your baby is sleeping and you’re wide awake, it’s always nice to have something to fill the time. So make sure you bring something to do for those lulls during the day.

Camera | This is obvious, for photos, duh! Or if you’re willing to dish out the money for someone else to do it, invest in a birth photographer like we did! We do not regret the decision at all!

Snacks | Hospital food can take awhile to get to you, and sometimes it’s not that great. This is not just for you! Make sure your partner has snackies to eat while you’re laboring down. The more snacks you have in the room, the less they’ll have to leave the room. Just make sure that if you’re grumpy because you’re hungry, that they hide so you don’t want to punch them in the face.

Things you’ll most likely get at the hospital

Most people want to pack these because everyone says they’re useful, but you most likely won’t need them until. It’s probably a good idea to buy an extra of the medical supplies for home when you run out of what they give you at the hospital. And remember, whatever they give you in the hospital has to be thrown away when you leave, so make sure you just bring everything they give you in your room (not the equipment, obvi.) But things like diapers, wipes, and personal care items will have to be thrown out after your discharge due to infection control. Bring it home with you! And don’t be afraid to ask for things before you leave like extra bottles of formula if they tell you to supplement while waiting for your milk to come in, or syringes if you plan on expressing breast milk.

• Baby diapers and wipes

• Baby blankets and beanies

• Pacifier

• Premixed formula and nipples

• Gowns

• Tucks pads, Proctofoam, Dermoplast, ice packs, pads/chux, peribottle

Hopefully this helps narrow down your list of things to pack. It can be stressful trying to choose what to bring and what to leave at home. It’s so hard lugging all the extra stuff around. Plus, when your baby comes, you’ll be too busy admiring the little peanut to worry about anything that you may have forgotten!

A halfway there scare & our trip to the hospital

  I was ecstatic to be over the halfway hump because you could start seeing my halfway bump.  It didn’t last for very long though before I was scared something was wrong.  At 21 weeks, I started having severe sharp right flank pain followed by diffuse abdominal pain.  I was able to withstand it for one day at home.  I went to work the next day thinking that it was just gas pain, constipation, or simply baby trying to make room in my small torso for it to grow.  I did the most mom thing a girl could do, and I went to Facebook for Facebook answers from women who had gone through pregnancy.  They all agreed that it could be gas or constipation, but many still said to go get checked out.

  I said I’d wait.  I’m a nurse, and if you don’t already know, we make the worst patients.  We often wait too long to be seen, and when we are seen, we demand our care to be nothing less than stellar.  As I was driving home from work that night, I barely made it home without tears in my eyes.  I barely lifted myself out of the car and into the house.  I thought a shower and Tylenol would make a difference.  I tried simethicone and docusate to see if it would help kickstart things.  I knew it would take a few hours before I felt any different, so I told my husband we’d try to make it through the night.

  I got out of the shower and couldn’t stand up straight.  I cried, and I cried hard. The pain had become so unbearable that I had my husband stop everything he was doing so we could go to the hospital.  I was running through all the things it could be, right lower quadrant pain, guarding, tenderness… Appendicitis? Cholecystitis?  Where were my organs anyway now that my uterus was an inch above my navel? Do these normal signs and symptoms still apply to a pregnant lady?!  (You can see how nurses think, I guess.  Our minds are basically our own WebMD.)

If you have anything in your gut telling you to go get checked to make sure baby is okay, GO GET CHECKED. Don’t try to be strong because that’s how you were before you got pregnant. You’re not just thinking about you anymore, you have to think about baby. Follow your intuition as a mother and be safe!

  When I got to the Labor & Delivery unit, I was seen by an OBGYN and general surgery.  They wanted to rule out the two things I thought it could be.  They admitted me for observation and further testing.   They tried to get an MRI on me, but I couldn’t stand the procedure due to the pain.  I was so afraid of what the outcome could be, especially since I’m pregnant.  The worst possible scenarios kept playing through my mind.  Until we came to a conclusion after seeing an ultrasound showing that I have hydronephrosis.  Totally normal in pregnancy around this time due to the growth of the uterus and displacement of the ureters.  Unluckily for me, I had a little sprinkle of kidney stones.

  I’ve had kidney stones before.  They’re awful.  There’s some belief that passing kidney stones is just as painful as giving birth, just not as rewarding at the end.  I spent four days in the hospital for pain management and hydration to try and flush out the stones.  Nothing.  Just sediment accompanied by a lot of pain.  I asked to be discharged because I didn’t want to do the invasive procedures they were talking about, especially with baby on board.  So I’ve been on convalescent leave and I’ve been struggling with managing pain at home.  Being on oral pain medications, I’ve had to maintain a very strict schedule so I don’t become overwhelmed with pain.  I thought that I could wean myself off of my discharge medications, and that was the worst idea.  I didn’t sleep and neither did my husband.  The pain is still hard to control.  I can’t walk very far without my right flank feeling like I’m being shanked from the inside.

  As long as there’s nothing else wrong with me, I’ll power through this for baby.  We’re exhausted all of the time.  My movements throughout the house are very short and always take the breath out of me.  As if pregnancy wasn’t already getting harder with my growing belly.  But hey, I’m just taking it one pain pill at a time.