5 Things You Need To Pack In Your Hospital Bag (beyond basics)

Before you head to the delivery room, check out these 5 things you need to pack in your hospital bag beyond the basics! You'll be happy you did!

You are at the end of your pregnancy and so excited and nervous and probably packing your hospital bag.  It is the unofficial start to the end of your pregnancy, the act of packing that sacred bag.  Other than the no-brainers of baby’s going home outfit, diapers (of which the hospital provides by the way) and an outfit for you to go home in, what do you pack in your hospital bag?  One of our mom readers asked us this same question.  Assuming she wasn’t the only one wondering what else should go to the hospital when the time comes, here are a few of my personal suggestions from my own experiences.

Related: Dad’s Guide to Packing a Diaper Bag

What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag (Beyond the Basics!)

Blanket: I have an obsession with blankets.  It may not be healthy.  Hospitals, no matter how nice and homey they try to make it, are just not home.  I loved having my cheetah print blanket with me. I didn’t even use the hospital blanket (well I rolled it up and used it to make me comfortable).  It felt so nice to have my son skin to skin and under a familiar blanket, as if we were at home.

Pillow: I regret both times not bringing my own.  Hospital pillows are made of a plastic material (for sanitary reasons) and tend to be a bit over stuffed for my liking.  If you bring nothing else to the hospital for comfort, bring your own pillow.  You will come back and thank me later.  So I will just say you’re welcome now.

Tablet, iPad, Kindle: You don’t need all of them, one will do the job.  I love my iPhone 6 and I am on it all the time.  Everything is on it, including my books.  For the hospital stay though, I opted to bring a Kindle simply because it was a bit bigger and easier to read (and I had to leave the iPad home with my daughter, kids these days).  I actually did read.  You may be thinking you will just spend all the time loving on your new little addition, or sleeping, or watching TV, and while I did all of that, I also read (you can only watch so much trashy TV).

Chapstick or lipgloss: Hospitals can be dry.  Your lips might end up the same way after planting all those kisses on your new baby!  I know I don’t leave the house without some sort of chapstick or lip moisturizer (I don’t wear lipstick).  I also don’t leave the house without mascara, but I did save that for once I showered and felt better (I mean you are going to be taking pictures, so if that matters to you, don’t forget that either).

Snacks: Yes you can bring your own food and you might actually want it.  You will get all your meals (mine were pretty good by the way!  Fish and cheesecake…)  but you might get a bit hungry in between and you don’t want to be sending your guests out to the vending machines, or making your hubby run back home to grab those gluten free pretzels. You can prepare them ahead of time like this Honey Roasted Chick Pea Snack Mix or these peanut butter no bake snack bites. They will sure fill you in.


5 Things You Need To Pack In Your Hospital Bags (beyond basics): Snacks like these honey roasted chick peas and peanut butter bites!

Personally, I left my own nightgown home and also realized with my second baby that skin to skin is much better, so I didn’t bring many outfits for him either, he was bundled up like baby burrito most of the time anyway.  Although you won’t be there long, depending on your own situation, bringing comfort items from home and things you normally wouldn’t leave home without will make your stay and your time with your new tiny bundle of joy all the more comfortable.

What did you bring to the hospital to make your stay more comfortable?  Leave your suggestions in the comment section below!

18 thoughts on “5 Things You Need To Pack In Your Hospital Bag (beyond basics)”

  1. Those are all great items to bring! One item that I always have to have with me regardless of what type of stay I have at the hospital, is my slippers!

  2. My husband is the tech guy so he made sure we packed the portable sound machine and mini speakers for the MP3 player. It was a great way to set a calming atmosphere for our room and time together as a family.

  3. All great tips. I remember bringing a magazine to read, but I was so exhausted, I honestly don’t remember touching it! Oh, and slippers. Those were much better than the ones the hospital gave out.

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