what all mamas need in their hospital bag

When a pregnant mama is getting close to her due date, it's easy for her to start worrying about forgetting important items she will need. We wanted to make a simple guide so you don't end up overpacking, or worse, forgetting anything essential. It's such an exciting bag to pack, and you may want to start getting the basics together late in your third trimester so you can rest easy when you're ready for delivery. We've compiled a simple list for you to use as a guide when you're busy packing that bag -with feelings full of excitement, anxiety, and wonder!

mama

• Birth Plan -This is important to remember for mamas who have specific wants & needs. For example, during my pregnancy, I got tested to see if I was a carrier of the Hemophilia disease that runs in my family, but by the time we were in the hospital getting ready to meet Rhett, we still didn't know. This meant that if Rhett had Hemophilia, there were certain precautions that needed to take place. Having a birth plan was important for the Doctors and nurses because it gave them guidelines to follow. Many mamas bring birth plans with them, outlining the things that they want during birth as well as the things they do and don't want for their babies. -Shelby
• Insurance Information
• Drivers License/Identification
• Robe -I completely forgot about bringing a robe, and I totally regretted it. For the time we stayed in the hospital, my wardrobe consisted of hospital gowns, and that's it. Whenever people came to visit, I felt like I was exposed and showing off my very new postpartum self! I wished I could wear a big snuggly robe, to make nursing and feeling comfortable easier. -Megan

          I went searching for the perfect robe weeks before my delivery, and thankfully found one just before we met our baby boy! It was so nice to have a comfortable robe to wear after that first shower post-birth. I suggest finding the best robe, whether you like them soft & fluffy, or if you're more like me, rough and towel like -bring it with you. You won't regret it! -Shelby

• Nursing Bra -If you are going to breastfeed, it is so important that you find a good nursing bra that is going to make it easy for you while you are learning! The nursing bra to the left is the one I use and I absolutely LOVE it! I found it at Motherhood Maternity and have about 4 that I wear every day. I tried other ones before this and they made it so much more difficult. I definitely suggest bringing a nursing bra like this one with you to the hospital in order to start off your breastfeeding journey comfortably. -Shelby
• Nursing Pads -Nursing pads are a necessity when breastfeeding! You can find nursing pads that are either reusable cotton pads or disposable ones. They keep you comfortable and dry. - Megan
• Nipple Cream -Ben latched pretty quickly, and he was constantly nursing when we were in the hospital. I was learning how to have him properly latched, which meant lots of discomfort when he was latched incorrectly and some very raw areas that were pretty painful. Lanolin cream helped me so much in the hospital and when we got home. It's also natural and safe for when the baby is nursing. -Megan
• Nightgown -I wore nightgowns the whole time I was in the hospital, and even came home in one! Depending on your delivery, wearing pants can be painful. The nightgown also made it easier to use the ginormous maxi pads the hospital gives you -because there is A LOT of blood involved after birth. I suggest bringing a good nightgown with you so that you don't have to worry about pants, and you feel comfortable while staying in the hospital. -Shelby
• Slippers -Slippers and socks are so important! I was gifted a really cute pair of socks that read, "If you can read this, I'm in labor!" on the bottoms! I loved them! You will probably be walking around the hospital wing a bit preparing for active labor, and it's nice to have something cozy on your toes. - Megan
• Snacks & Cash for the Vending Machine -Having a pregnancy where I couldn't ever eat without throwing up made me so excited for food post birth! I brought all the food that sounded good, and was so excited when I finally didn't throw it up after eating what I wanted! Packing a healthy snack for you and your partner is so smart. You'll definitely want to have some good, clean fuel food for those first few hours after delivery. -Shelby
• Phone Charger
• Chapstick
• Scrunchy/Hair Tie & Brush -You most likely won't want your hair down while giving birth. It gets hot & sweaty! -Shelby
• Pillow & Blanket -This is so important! You are going to be so exhausted after giving birth that you'll want nothing more than your own pillow and blanket from home to cuddle up with and get some rest. -Shelby
• Large, comfortable underwear -The hospital may provide you with plenty of pairs of big, stretchy, hospital-grade undies. These are wonderful because you won't ruin your own underwear when dealing with afterbirth. My hospital even gave me a pack to take home to use! Just in case, feel free to bring a few inexpensive pairs. - Megan
• Toiletries -shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, toothbrush, face wash, lufa, deodorant, etc.
• Makeup -There are a lot of pictures that are going to take place! If you are someone who has to have makeup on for pictures, make sure you pack your makeup bag! -Shelby
• Notebooks/Journal -I love writing things down so I can remember exact details - I have the whole morning of Ben's birth written out on my laptop! I was sitting in the labor room, Chris napping next to me, waiting for Ben's arrival, and typing away the details of the morning because I wanted to remember it. I think it's also a great idea to bring a notebook for visitors to write notes for baby to read later on in life! - Megan
• Camera -It's convenient that we all have cameras on our phones now! They take some amazing photos and that may be all you need. Sometimes it's nice to bring in a camera to take special photos of baby and family. Make sure to get some photos of you snuggling with your little one - there's something really special about those raw, brand new baby photos. - Megan
• Going Home Outfit -Bring something really comfortable, like soft maternity sweatpants and a cozy tee shirt or sweatshirt. You will most likely look about 6 months pregnant after giving birth (it takes a little while for things to find their places again!) and you will be sore, so don't bring your pre-pregnancy jeans! - Megan

daddy

• Contacts/Glasses -Michael forgot these when we were at the hospital and his eyes got so dry! We had to have my mom come up at 4 am to bring his glasses so that he could take his contacts out. You don't want to forget day-to-day items like these! -Shelby
• Shower Items
• Extra Clothing -Sweatpants and comfortable clothes for sleeping and lounging as well as a going home outfit! - Megan
• Pillow and Blanket -When you see the extremely comfortable and cozy (complete sarcasm here!) couch thing that your partner has to sleep on during the stay, you will feel very bad for them. Chris would curl up on the hard little plastic bench couch thing to get sleep and use hospital blankets. I wish we had brought a cozy pillow and blanket for him to use! Now we will know for next time. -Megan
• Phone Charger
• Cash 
• Snacks or Drinks

baby

• Outfits -The hospital will probably provide you with little things for baby to wear, but it's nice to bring a few pajama sets of your own. Bring some soft zipper pajamas so they're easy to put on and take off for those first few diaper changes! - Megan | Make sure you bring enough outfits just in case of a blowout or spit up incident. We brought about five different outfits. It's so fun to dress them up in those tiny clothes at first! Also, don't forget socks for the baby. If you are having a winter baby, bring a hoodie, pants, and a hat. A snowsuit isn't really necessary as babies aren't supposed to be put in a car seat while wearing a snowsuit. -Shelby
• Carseat
• Receiving Blanket -If you don't have a specific one(s) that you want to bring, then just make sure to bring a nice blanket for baby to use on the ride home. Michael and I brought several receiving blankets home from the hospital. We used them so often during the first few weeks. Now I have even used a few to make homemade wipes! I suggest taking as much as you can from the hospital; diapers, wipes, bulb syringe, etc. -Shelby
• Nail File -I wasn't expecting Ben to have such sharp little nails! I felt so bad for his newborn skin because he kept scratching it. My nurse told me that the best way to file a baby's nails is when they're sleeping. I would bring one! - Megan
• Feeding items -For breastfeeding, you don't need many extra items for the hospital besides the cream and nursing pads. If you've decided on formula for your baby, bring the kind you would like to use and some bottles! - Megan
• Nursing Pillow -During my first few days of breastfeeding, my neck was constantly craned and my back really ached because of my poor posture and clumsy positioning. The nurses and lactation consultant explained to me that it's good to rest baby on some pillow or a nursing pillow and to make it as comfortable for you as possible. Bring your nursing pillow so you can focus on getting the latch right and your back is comfortable! - Megan
• Diapers -If doing cloth diapers, make sure you bring a lot! They poop so much those first few days, weeks really! -Shelby
• Wipes
• Pacifier -If there is a certain type of pacifier you want your baby to use, make sure you bring it to the hospital. Personally, we didn't really use pacifiers and the hospital didn't hand them out to us, (if they did I can't remember). So if that' something you're interested in, make sure to bring one or two! -Shelby

And that concludes our list! We included a printable checklist below, feel free to use it! There will most likely be a few personal items that you and your partner will want to bring. Don't forget to talk with your partner about what else you should add to the list in order to make sure nothing important is forgotten! Spend your last couple of weeks or days before your baby is born resting, caring for yourself (go ahead and get a pedicure, they actually say that pedicures help kickstart labor!) and soaking up those last one-on-one moments with your partner. What's ahead is amazing, and now you will be prepared for this exciting new transition! We hope that delivery is as amazing for you and your family as it was for us. Make sure you soak it all in and enjoy every second of your new precious love. Welcome to mamahood.

With love, 

the mamas ♡