It’s hard to believe that baby #2 is almost here! I am 31 weeks (almost 32) and it seems like time is flying by. Even though I’m waddling a bit more lately and really exhausted, I’m still trying to do all that I can to prepare for baby’s arrival. With Levi, one thing that I did early on was pack our hospital bags. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, so I had our bags packed by 31 weeks. This time, I haven’t packed a thing! My goal for this week is to purchase everything we need for our bags and get them as ready as possible. With Levi, I purchased most of the items that were going in our bag new, so that if I did go into labor, we wouldn’t be scrambling trying to find soap and toothbrushes. I plan to do the same thing this time! Last time, I packed way TOO much. I packed so much stuff that we never used, and since we stayed in the hospital with him for 14 days, it was really annoying to have to dig through our bags to find the items we really needed. This time, my motto is simple and easy: pack what we NEED and will USE, nothing more. If this is your first rodeo and you aren’t sure what you really need, you’ve come to the right place! I also even have a free printable version of the list at the bottom of this post.
The Ultimate Hospital Bag Checklist (Full Of Things You REALLY Need)
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- CHARGER (WITH EXTRA LONG CORD) FOR PHONE – inevitably your bed will be 15 feet away from an outlet. Purchase an extra long charging cord and go ahead and pack it (trust me, this is one of those things you don’t want to try to remember if your water breaks at 2 a.m.)
- DIGITAL CAMERA + CHARGER
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- EMPTY TOTE BAG (FOR GIFTS, PAPERWORK, ETC. YOU’LL RECEIVE IN THE HOSPITAL)
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- SOUND MACHINE (FOR YOU & BABY)- hospitals are noisy. Seriously, the first night we were in the hospital, there was a woman a few doors down that screamed allnightlong. It was horrible. After Levi was born, the only thing that would help him sleep was white noise. This is our favorite sound machine and I plan to purchase one to take with us this time as well!
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- HOMECOMING OUTFIT FOR YOU & BABY
- IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS (I.E. DRIVER’S LICENSE, INSURANCE CARD, LIVING WILL, ETC.)
- SLEEPWEAR FOR YOU AND YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER
- TOILETRIES FOR YOU & YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER- last time I didn’t take any makeup because I thought I wouldn’t use it. This time, I plan to take the basics (mascara, foundation, eyeliner, etc.) – if you feel up to it and want to do your makeup, it will make you feel a bit more normal!
- SNACKS – hospital cafeteria food is EXPENSIVE! Pack your own snacks and save a few dollars!
- NURSING BRAS
- HAIRDRYER
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- MAGAZINES/LIGHT READING
- PILLOW FOR YOU & SIGNIFICANT OTHER – USE A BRIGHT COLORED PILLOWCASE SO THEY DON’T GET MIXED IN WITH THE HOSPITAL’S PILLOWS- the hospital pillows are SO uncomfortable. Having my own pillow helped me to get a bit more rest than I would have if I hadn’t brought it.
- CAR SEAT (INSTALL BEFORE GOING INTO HOSPITAL)
- PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE FOR YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER
- CONTACT LIST THAT YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER TO CONTACT ONCE BABY ARRIVES (OPTIONAL OF COURSE)- this is something we did with Levi, we had a ‘phone tree’ basically. My parents called their immediate family, my hubby called his and my co-workers, etc. This just helps you to remember who to notify -especially your employers, church, etc.
- NOTEBOOK AND PEN (FOR WRITING DOWN ALL OF THE INFORMATION THROWN AT YOU DURING THIS TIME)
- MITTENS FOR BABY (IN CASE HIS/HER FINGER NAILS ARE SHARP)
- PACIFIERS (IF YOU PLAN TO USE THEM FOR BABY)
What else would you add to the list?
To download your own hospital bag checklist, click on the image below!
