Hospital Bag

For those of you pregnant, nearing your last month...the anticipation stinks, and you'll probably get anxiety about when you're gonna go and how your labor story is going to be. As you are trying to pack your hospital bag, you think to yourself what do I bring to make myself feel comfortable? Well, nothing about delivery is comfortable...but I did the typical, goggled Hospital Bag Checklist and thought to myself, I am going to look retarded walking in with 5 bags of crap! Haha! So I then asked around to friends who just recently had babies about what they brought, used or wished they had. I packed a little each week, starting at week 35, and when my water broke at 38 weeks 2 days, I still had time to finish packing. So don't worry about it too much. Here's my list after I experienced it...

Typical stuff already in your purse:
· Wallet, ID & insurance card · Cell phone & charger · Glasses & eye drops · Chapstick · Makeup bag (at least your compact, eyelash curler & mascara - to look alive) · Digital camera & charger · Change for vending machines (when café is closed)

For Momma:
· Sweatpants & zip up (you can wear home the same thing you wore in, if you didn’t dirty it, because you change into hospital gown the second you get there) · Tennis shoes/crocs/slippers/flip flops (whatever is easiest, you really don’t get out of bed much) · Comfy T-shirt or tank top (to wear home) · Shorts/Capris (to get ready in after you bath) · Socks (however, they gave me a grippe pair that I really liked) · Dove bar of soap (because hospital soap is dry) · Shampoo & Conditioner · Toothbrush & Toothpaste · Deodorant · Hair Brush (ahhh its amazing to brush through your hair after labor) · Ponytail holders/headband · Lotion (for after your bath, its real dry in hospitals)

Other:
· Birthing plan (the nurse will ask about your preferences) · Snacks (cheez-its, granola bars, animal crackers, raisinets) · DVD movie (there isn’t anything on daytime TV) · iPod docking station (if you want to play your own music - I didn't) · Pillow & blanket (for husband to sleep with or just bring your own pillow case) · Comfy cloths for husband to sleep in, and or T-shirt, shorts & boxers for husband to change on day 2 (although, Kevin went home quick to shower and came back)

For Baby:
· I brought this stuff in the diaper bag · A couple newborn onesies or T-shirts (careful around belly button) · Mittens (they scratch their face!) · Newborn hat (they’ll put one on right when he/she comes out, but if you want a cuter one) · Receiving blanket (you’ll use theirs but we brought one home for the dog to smell) · Baby blankey (to snuggle up in car seat to go home) · Outfit for baby to wear home (think of what size they'll truly be, and they will be cold no matter what the season is) · Baby book (if you want the nurse to stamp their feets on page) · Notepad & pen (to record labor story and gifts people bring) · Car seat (leave in car until time to go home)

You Don’t Need:
· Robe (they gave me a nice warm soft robe to keep) · Large underwear (you’ll wear the large hospital shorts-undies they provide you with, along with their “diaper” pads and ice packs, and they'll give you some to go home with) · Nursing bra or tank top (you’ll wear the hospital gown the whole time, easier for skin-to-skin) · Shower Towel (I took a bath once right before going home and their towels were fine) · Nipple cream (your nipples won’t be dry & cracked yet) · Maxipads (have medium and light flow ones for when you get home) · Diapers & wipes (they give you all you need and you take home what you don’t use) · A bottle (you’ll only be nursing the first 2 days, or they’ll give you what you need) · Burp cloths (she never really spit up yet) · A pacifier (we brought our own, the soothie ones were too big for her) · Breast pump (if you need to pump in the hospital they will provide one)

**A friend of mine that delivered at the same hospital a month before me said, "You really don't need to bring anything. They have it all there for you!" Which I was like, "Yeah right, I need my own stuff." But really, they do have everything. They took care of me very well :)