I can’t even count how many “what to pack in a hospital bag” blog posts I must have read, and gosh, they sure run the gamut–people recommend everything from just the basic toiletries, to everything you, your husband, and your baby could possibly need for an entire week! As with most information about pregnancy and parenting, my philosophy when reading these posts was this: it’s helpful to learn ideas and options, but there’s almost never one perfect answer to anything. We ended up packing more than we needed at the hospital, BUT, I was happy knowing some things were in my bag in case I did want them. Here’s the breakdown!

What we used:

• Burt’s Bees wipes in grapefruit: these felt SO refreshing after Charlie was born when I wanted to freshen up, but couldn’t stand up to wash my face yet (I had an epidural). Dave and I both ended up using them the whole time we were at the hospital.
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste
• Contact solution and cases (we both wore our glasses to the hospital since we went at 5 A.M.)
• A sleep nursing bra (I wore this one the whole time we were in the postpartum room)
• A headband
• Chapstick
• Clothes, slippers, and sneakers for Dave
• A pillow for each of us (in colored pillowcases)
• Going home clothes for me: a Walk in Love shirt and maternity leggings
• Going home clothes for Charlie
• Swaddle: for Charlie’s birth announcement and as a blanket in his car seat on the way home
• Snacks (though we brought way more than we needed, since our hospital food was actually really good)
• Phones and chargers
• A camera
• Button down pajamas for me (though technically, I only used them when we took a walk around the unit–otherwise, I wore the hospital gown)
• Basic makeup (for going home)

Heading home! Charlie was not this mad the whole way, and we fixed his car seat headrest before going anywhere :)

What we didn’t use, but I was glad we had:

• Shampoo, conditioner, soap, a towel each, and my hair dryer (we didn’t end up showering while at the hospital, but had we been there longer for some reason, we definitely would have needed these things!)
• My face wash and moisturizer

What we packed, but didn’t need:

• My robe
• Our Amazon Tap (when I wanted to listen to the worship playlist I had made, we just used a phone)
• A heating pack
• A nursing tank top

One little tip: we put everything we wanted during labor in one bag, and everything else that we wouldn’t need till later in another. That way, when we arrived at the hospital, Dave could just grab one bag and a pillow, and then he went to the car to get everything else once we were settled into the postpartum room. This organization system worked out great!