The Mommy Bag: Hospital Edition

I was the girl that Googled birth horror stories before I had my daughter. Call me crazy, but I needed to know what was possibly about to happen down there. I wanted to at least feel prepared, and what better way to do just that than listening to overly dramatic women share their nearly normal birthing experiences? I can appreciate some dramatic birth stories. I mean I’ll be honest, I’m dramatic too, and if it wasn’t for these women would I have known I needed to pack some Kotex along with my pajamas for my hospital stay? I don’t know that I would have. I was definitely naive, and possibly in complete denial of what was actually about to happen to my body. Don’t judge. I mean come on, who really sits around and thinks about birthing a baby before they’re pregnant, and avoiding the inevitable at 38 weeks makes perfect sense, right? Well I’m here to tell you you’re going to need a few things. Hence all the videos and blogs telling you what YOU might need in YOUR hospital bag. I’m not saying it was all rainbows and butterflies, but within a week I was pretty well back to normal. So, don’t freak out. The thought of it is much scarier than it actually is, and the amazing women of the world have developed some pretty awesome products to help you along the way. That’s where I come in. So, if you want to know a little bit more about my experiences with these products and what I packed in my hospital bag follow along. 

Loungewear/Pajamas – I bought myself some new pajamas just for the hospital. I had my daughter during winter, so I opted for flannel pj’s with a cardigan to match. I only stayed in the hospital one night with Mia, but some women have to stay multiple depending on the health of their babies. I like to be prepared for all situations, so I packed two pairs of pajamas just in case I had to stay more than one night. It’s also a good idea to have a spare comfy outfit in case of an accident, because things are messy down there. Girl’s, it’s the little things. I loved being able to pull out a brand new pair of pajamas to put on at the hospital. I did not feel my best directly after giving birth (lol who does?), so having clean, fresh, new clothes to put on was the little pick me up I didn’t know I needed. Treat yourself, you won’t regret it.

Nursing Tanks – I chose to breastfeed Mia, so nursing tanks were a must. I ordered a three pack of nursing tanks from Amazon and I’m still wearing them. They’re super comfy, and the fit was amazing for me. The babydoll style didn’t hug my post baby bump, and the length gave me plenty of coverage.

Nursing Bras – I touched on this in my breastfeeding 101 blog post. I highly recommend nursing bras if you plan on breastfeeding. They are hands down the comfiest bras I own, and it made things a whole lot easier while trying to nurse a newborn. You will need some support for your tatas and traditional underwire bras will not deliver. Trust me.

Socks – The hospital will probably provide some socks for you to wear during your stay, but I find them kind of rough and just not my top choice of footwear if you catch my drift. Along with my new pajamas I purchased some coordinating socks to keep my toes cozy during my hospital stay. If you do decide to pack some socks remember to grab a pair with grips on the bottom.

House Shoes – I’ve always considered hospitals dirty. I worked in a hospital for a while and I witnessed some of the things that fall on those floors. I’m here to tell you, do not walk on that floor with bare feet and get back into your bed. Honestly, I wish I would have taken a picture of the bottom of my house shoes after ONE night. Maybe I’m a bit of a clean freak, but I was not about to cover my bed with everything that had been left behind on that floor in days past.

Granny Panties – Forget your cute underwear. Bring your least favorite pair because they might just be ruined after this shindig. I actually found some underwear on Amazon that were more than perfect. I knew I wanted some that were a little on the tight side, because what’s worse than a pad that’s sliding around everywhere? On top of trying to keep a pad in place, there were a number of other things I would be layering down there that I needed to stay put. Along with being the perfect amount of tightness I needed, my choice of underwear was also on the high waisted side of things which helped support my post baby bump.

Going Home Outfit – You’ve probably had your newborns “going home outfit” ordered and packed since you hit 36 weeks, but don’t forget about yourself. I’m not telling you you need to look your Sunday best, but something other than the pajamas you’ve packed might make you feel a little more put together as you head home with your new addition. Again, it’s the little things.

The Good Goods

Frida mom Postpartum Essentials Kit – Y’all this was my holy grail, my number one postpartum recovery recommendation, I could rave all day long about how great these products were for me. I loved it so much that I gift it to all my friends who are expecting. I used every single thing in this set completely. It’s amazing. The kit comes with disposable underwear which are perfect for those first few days after delivery, perineal healing foam, perineal cooling pad liners and instant ice maxi pads. Here’s my advice, take it or leave it, grab those undies and line it with an ice maxi pad, then layer some perineal cooling pad liners followed by a squirt or two of the healing foam. This will work miracles for the burning/itching/pulling sensation going on downstairs. If you’re not willing to invest in the entire kit, you can purchase the instant ice maxi pads separately, and you can thank me later.

Pads – If diaper sized pads aren’t your thing consider picking up a box of pads to bring along with you. The hospital will provide some pads for you, but they’re pretty much the yellow starburst of pads. So, be your own judge, I’m just saying I packed my own pads.

Dermaplast – You may or may not need to bring this along with you. The hospital I delivered at actually provided this for me. Apply a quick spray to your stitches to calm the storm.

Irrigation Bottle – Another great thing the hospital provided for me was an irrigation bottle. I used this every single time I peed. I would just fill it with warm water and squirt as I was peeing to help avoid the burn.

Tucks Pads – You may be worrying a lot about what is about to happen to your lady parts, but something you might not realize is that your bum isn’t exempt from the damage. Some women have better luck than others when it comes to this issue. Personally, I used tucks pads before I delivered and for quite some time after delivery.

Toiletries – Personal hygiene is crucial y’all, and thats all I’m going to say.

So, there you have it everything that I packed in my hospital bag. I feel like I should note that I did deliver my daughter naturally, and these were the things that I found helped me. Birthing a baby may seem very scary for many of you expecting mothers out there, but I’m here to tell you it’s not as bad as you imagine it to be. Don’t be scared. If you are nearing your due date, congratulations! Your life is about to change in the best possible way. Until next time.

XO

-KP