298: Hospital Bag

When I was packing my hospital bag, I watched several YouTube videos about what to pack. What I can do is share my packing list and then share *what I actually used.*

In a Binder (which never came out of the bag)

Birth plan / advance directives / will
Prenatal lab results (blood type, HIV, Hep B, rubella, measles, syphilis, group B strep)
Bradley class cheat sheets
First stage labor positions / mantras
Hospital Pre-Registration Form
First 5 LA Registration Form (postcards)

In the car

Puke bucket (1 Gal ziploc bag)
*Car seat (for baby)
Trash bags
Deodorant for dad
Wet wipes

Red hospital bag

Back massager (red claw)
*Ice pack
*Phone charger
Deodorant for mom 

*Chapstick
Toothpaste / toothbrush
*Shampoo / conditioner

*Comb
*Face wash / moisturizer

Bar soap
Massage oil
*Fan (folding)
Nursing pads

Nipple cream
Pedialyte
Nut snacks 

Protein bars
Beef jerky
Baby diapers & wipes

Diaper bag
Witch hazel solution 

Overnight pads
Adult diapers

Blue hospital bag

Back massager (blue turtle)
Washcloths
Swimsuit for dad
*Noise generator 

*Music
*Nursing bra
Slippers / socks
*Flip flops
*“Going home” outfit for mom
*“Going home” outfit for baby
Change of clothes for dad
Puppy pads

Pack at the last minute

*Headband / Hair clips
*Headphones / earplugs
Birth ball + pump
Orange juice
*7-Up 

Popsicles 

*Insulated cold bag
*Straw / cup for water
Pillows / 2 old towels, large, clean

*Breast pump

The items with a star are things that we actually used during labor and throughout our 4-day hospital stay. An unexpected MVP of the ordeal was "Sparky" my pillow pet. It was a great thing to snuggle with, to stay grounded, to have something familiar and colorful and fun, to prop up my neck during contractions and to prop up my elbow while learning to breastfeed. 

A second MVP was an eye mask that could double as a headband. One of my windows was missing a shade so if I hadn't have had that eye mask, I would have seen lights from ambulances all night long. It was also great for taking naps during the day.

A fun surprise was that I had come in to L&D wearing Ugg-type boots that I describe in more detail here. When I was released from the hospital, I tried to fit my sausage-feet into them and NOPE, they would not fit. Luckily I had packed some flip-flops that barely fit, but at least I had something to walk out in. It was cold and rainy that day and the nurses were kind of surprised that I didn't have any more appropriate footwear, but what can I say? I also left the hospital in a sweet polyester muumuu that was all rainbow colored. I had no pants underneath! I will say that the ride I took in the wheelchair with my baby in a carseat on my lap was just about the sweetest ride of my life.

I had brought my own drink cup with a straw, but I didn't need to. The hospital provided something like it with a handle. Although they told me I wasn't allowed a straw after my surgery. Something about taking in too much air by drinking through a straw. I was also told that I wasn't allowed to drink orange juice right after the baby was born, so that sweet freshly squeezed OJ from Riverside-grown oranges had to be dumped down the drain. It was something significant to me because it was recommended to prevent tremors (shaking) after a drug-free vaginal birth and I felt like dumping it out was like taking all my expectations and flushing them down the toilet. Which we pretty much did.

All the doctors and nurses made sure to tell us that women who come in with a long birth plan often have everything go wrong, which made me kind of happy that I never showed that document to any of my care providers. I will be making a list of all the items provided by the hospital in a separate post.