My first delivery was an attempted home birth that ended up being a hospital transfer. (Read about my chaotic delivery story here so you know what NOT to do.) Basically, labor was going great until it wasn’t – because baby just wouldn’t budge.

I was in active labor and had completed 5 hours of pushing before we rolled up to the hospital. Considering that I was contracting every other minute, a hospital bag wasn’t exactly on my mind so I showed up to my hospital room with literally nothing but the clothes on my back.

A packed hospital bag just in case home birth went south would’ve been a great idea…but I thought it was be a bad omen so I didn’t pack one. Ugh.

When baby was finally born (after 5 more hours of pushing, btw), my sister went to our house to pick up what we needed since we were completely empty-handed. I only asked her to bring 14 things, which ended up being exactly what we needed for our 48 hour hospital stay – without feeling like we were moving in.

Hospital Bag for Mom

1. Clothes (including warm socks)

Bring labor/delivery/recovery dresses with you! Invest in these before delivery so you have them to wear in the hospital and around the house during the weeks after birth. I cannot stress enough how essential these are. They’re cute, stretchy, comfy, and have super easy nursing access which is just *chef’s kiss*. Trust me, you WILL thank yourself.

Do yourself a favor and invest in this dress or this dress that comes with a matching robe. You’ll be so glad you did.

Hospital rooms are chilly which makes warm socks a MUST. I wore these in the hospital because I’m a big fan of thick wool socks. They helped keep me much more warm and comfortable.

2. Peri bottle

Hospitals will usually provide a little squirt bottle to use to help rinse off blood every time you use the toilet, and it’ll *technically* do the same job as the Peri bottle. But here’s the thing…the Peri bottle has a unique head that allows the water to come out in little streams like a shower head while a standard bottle works more like a garden hose. So you can imagine which one is more comfortable and gets the job done better (the Peri bottle all the way!). I highly recommend this one from Frida.

3. Boppy/Breastfriend

For a nursing mom, this is a must for your hospital stay. Nursing sessions can be long when you’re trying to get the hang of it with a newborn AND I found that I was exhausted after labor and the Boppy helped me hold my baby with a little added support.

4. Pillow + extra blanket

Hospital pillows and blankets are subpar so just make sure to bring your own. Your odds of getting good sleep in a hospital are already slim but bringing your own pillow and a blanket so you can stay warm will help your odds of sleeping.

5. Toiletries

Hospitals will supply shampoo, conditioner, and soap but if you want to bring your own, do it! It feels way better to use your own products – the familiarity of using your own things while being in an unfamiliar place can bring a lot of comfort.

6. Slip on shoes for shower

Bring flip-flops or slides for your shower time so you don’t end up with athlete’s foot or fungus from the bacteria in the shower.

Hospital Bag for Dad

1. Clothes (including sweatshirt or hoodie)

2. Pillow + extra blanket

3. Toiletries

4. Slip on shoes for shower

Hospital Bag for Baby

1. Clothes (especially footed sleepers + long sleeve onesies)

Our first few hours with a newborn were rough because baby was cold. He was just swaddled in a thin blanket provided by the hospital and as brand new parents, it took us a few hours to realize that he was cold. As soon as we realized it, we immediately dressed baby in a long sleeve onesie (we stocked up on these in several sizes before he was born), then a footed sleeper (these are GREAT), and then a swaddle (this swaddle is so easy – perfect for exhausted new parents). We used this chart that I’d saved before delivery to estimate the room temperature and his clothing needs based on that temp.

2. Paci w/ clip

If you’re planning to use a pacifier, don’t forget to bring it to the hospital with you, especially with a little clip to keep it on their clothing. You don’t want a paci to repeatedly end up on the hospital floor and require cleaning over and over. That gets old so make sure you bring a clip, like this one.

3. Carseat

You must have baby secured in a carseat in order to leave the hospital so this is obviously extremely CRUCIAL.

***BONUS ITEMS! Awesome but not essential.***

Eye mask

I didn’t bring this item and it would’ve been GREAT. You’re trying to get little bits of sleep in a bright room in the middle of the day and in the middle of the night when a bunch of little lights shining in your eyes and an eye mask would eliminate a lot of the visual noise to make it easier for you to nap.

Earplugs

Hospitals can be loud and it helps to muffle that noise when you’re trying to get a little shut-eye. Definitely something to consider bringing to the hospital with you.