I’m 37 weeks pregnant today (!) and I feel like I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to wrap up various work and house projects before this little one decides to make his debut! We made good progress this past weekend between getting my hospital bag packed and moving Teddy into his new bedroom and I feel a little more prepared with every item that gets checked off the to do list. I wanted to share my updated hospital bag packing list — my hospital bag for Teddy’s birth admittedly included some unnecessary extras and I shared what I used and what I could have skipped in this post about postpartum recovery, but I wanted to have all the information in one updated list for my own future pregnancies and for any moms-to-be who have “pack hospital bag” on their own to do lists right now. Happy to answer any questions in the comments!
I packed items for myself in a large L.L. Bean boat tote with my monogram and items for the baby in a medium tote with his name (turned around for the photo as we’ll share his name once he’s born!). This is the same system I used when we went to the hospital to have Teddy and it worked well for us so not reinventing the wheel this time. The baby’s medium tote will ultimately become his diaper bag — you can see what we pack in Teddy’s diaper bag in this post.
*sneak peek of Teddy’s new curtains and dresser!
WHAT’S IN MY HOSPITAL BAG FOR ME
- My favorite shearling blanket (the best, whether you’re expecting or not!)
- Two of our own bed pillows (one for me and one for Will — I used both while breastfeeding in the hospital bed in lieu of a nursing pillow)
- A comfy robe (nice to wear something besides a hospital gown that’s still easy access for nurses and doctors)
- A going home outfit (packing both this dress and this one)
- Nursing camis (lived in these both in hospital and at home)
- Grippy socks
- Slippers
- Rubber flip flops
- Toiletry case
- Camera with charger
- Extra long iPhone chargers (one for me and one for Will)
- Protein bars (not sure how much Will will be able to leave the room to pick up food so want to have a back-up option I like just in case!)
WHAT’S IN MY HOSPITAL BAG FOR BABY
- A few newborn and 0-3 month outfit options (this, this, and this)
- Our favorite newborn swaddle
- Baby blanket
In my experience, the hospital provided plenty of postpartum underwear, but I stocked up on these for once I get home. You can read more about why I packed and skipped certain things in this post but I hope this will provide a helpful framework for any of you counting down the days or weeks until your own due date!
P.S. My ultimate baby registry guide and all my postpartum recovery essentials.
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So exciting! Wishing you a smooth, easy, and safe delivery (and a better experience than your first delivery)! You’ve got this!
Congrats on your second! I just had my second boy and not sure about your hospital, but ours required everyone to wear masks when a nurse or doctor was in the room. I packed a few extras for myself and husband which worked out because I didn’t want to use them new that accidentally fell on the floor
Oh yes, great call! We keep a bunch in our car so we’re ready to go on that front. Congratulations on your new little one!!!
Do you like extra long handles for your large bag? I’ve ordered the extra long on the smaller ones but can’t decide if it would be too much for the large. So excited for you to meet baby #2!
I get the regular handles on both sizes — I’m 5’1″ so the extra long handles make the bigger sized bags hit too low when they’re packed full of stuff!
Thank you- that’s exactly what I was wondering. Short girls unite!
Gah! So so so exciting!