What a New Mom to Be Will Need to Pack for the Hospital Stay

When I gave birth to my son just over 2 years ago I thought I was prepared. Prepared with my clothes I mean. I don't think I packed my suitcase until the weekend before I gave birth. I went into labor 10 days earlier than I was supposed to. My last day of work was a Friday and by 7:30 that night my water broke. Hold on for the ride. My sister helped me pack my suitcase. She gave me some great ideas. She has three daughters so she is what I would consider an expert in the area. This is what she told me to pack:

A robe - the hospital can get chilly at night especially if you are up and walking the halls. I couldn't sleep so I would just walk up and down the halls looking for someone to talk to.

Slippers - my suggestion would be to buy a really cheap pair of slippers that you aren't attached to. You are going to want to throw them out after your hospital stay because they are going to filthy from the hospital floor. You don't want to bring them into your home.

Comfortable clothing - now is not the time to be fashionable. If you end up needing a C-Section than you are going to want to have something not form fitting around your incision. If you have a vaginal birth then you are going to be sore down there so you want something loose fitting.

Extra underwear - you might find yourself changing your underwear frequently, make sure you have extra and they are comfortable.

Hair clip - you aren't going to want to deal with doing your hair. If you have long hair like I do the best thing is to keep it up and away from your face.

Showering - Bring a pair of flip flops that you don't mind throwing away. You don't want your feet to touch the floor of the shower. Also bring a shower cap so you don't have to deal with washing your hair. Bring travel size sample shampoo, soap, etc...

Over-packing - do not over-pack. Family and friends are going to be bringing presents for baby and you aren't going to have enough room to store everything.

Outfit for baby - make sure you bring an easy outfit to take the baby home in. I made the mistake of bringing an outfit that had to put over my son's head with snaps on the back. I panicked when I had to put this on him to take him home. Make sure the outfit has baby hands and feet out so they fit in the car seat correctly. Hospitals will not let you take baby home if they aren't snapped in car seat correctly.

Phone Numbers - bring any important phone numbers that you will need. Especially if you need to contact your employer to add baby to your medical insurance.

Good luck and congratulations!