Well, it is officially almost baby time again over in the Harris household. I truly can’t believe we are about to welcome a baby boy into this world. I feel like I was just writing this post for Ansley’s delivery and now here we are almost 3 years later!
One year ago was also the start of a journey we never expected. The beginning of not one but two pregnancies and two losses. We are so thankful for another chance, and that God blessed us with a 3rd pregnancy in a row last year. Hard to believe it will have been about a full year of being pregnant by the time this double rainbow baby arrives!
If you are also going through a tough season, hold firm to God’s promises and know you are prayed for and loved and not alone!
Where to Begin Packing
I decided to round up what I packed in my hospital bag again for any other expecting mamas out there that are looking for a little guidance. I will admit, I tend to overpack, but I would personally prefer to have options and enough stuff rather than not have enough. In this instance, the hospital will literally have everything you need, so don’t stress if you forget something or go into fast labor and don’t have much with you. It is nice though to have a handful of your own personal items to feel more comfortable during and after delivery.
Below I’m sharing most of what I have packed with links to each item. (I’ve linked similar options for items I wasn’t able to link up).
Just click the images or links below to shop.
For Mom
Soma Nursing Friendly PJs: I definitely recommend bringing button down pjs for the hospital. They are very helpful when it comes to nursing. I actually already had leopard pj shorts from Soma (similar pair linked here) and then saw this matching top, so grabbed it for nursing. Soma pjs are buttery soft and just SO comfy!
Target Nursing Friendly PJs: If you’re looking for a great nursing friendly PJ set that is super affordable, snag these from Target. I had these in gray with Ansley, and they’re super soft too. These come in handy at the hospital and at home after you deliver!
Robe: I’m not always a huge robe person, but it is nice to have this as an option in the hospital as well. This one from Pink Blush is super soft and comfortable. It also makes nursing easy while you’re in the hospital bed.
Soma Embliss Nursing Bra: I snagged this super soft t-shirt nursing bra from Soma mostly to have after we get back home, but it is a great option for the hospital as well. I have this same bra in the non-nursing style and love it so much, so knew it would be a great comfortable option for nursing!
Auden Nursing Bra: These are the bras I lived in while nursing Ansley. They are great for day or night. They work super well with t-shirts and also comfortable enough to sleep in. I definitely recommend getting a few of these for the hospital and nursing afterwards.
Aerie Nursing Friendly Long Sleeve Henley: I love love love these tops! They are great for nursing or not. I wear them to lounge around the house or to go out and about. They are oversized (I go down to a small), nursing friendly, have thumb holes and just very comfy. I packed one for the hospital for comfort and nursing just to have as an extra shirt.
Nursing Friendly Night Gown: This gown is a similar option to one that I have since mine is no longer available. I love having a comfy night gown while pregnant and post partum that works for nursing. Makes things easier in the hospital too, especially with frequent checks by the nurses.
Grippy Socks: I remember the hospital provided grip socks when we arrived, since I would be getting in and out of the bed. So this time, I decided to just purchase my own for comfort. This 4 pack is as soft as a barefoot dreams blanket and super comfy. Easy to walk without slipping!
Black Maxi Dress: I packed this dress as an option for when we leave to hospital. It would totally work for an extra outfit while you’re in the hospital as well, if needed. It’s non maternity but super stretchy and comfy! I wore this with both pregnancies to full term, and I loved having this comfy black option to go home post baby!
Grippy Slippers: Slippers are also a must in my opinion, especially in the recovery room. These are a great, comfortable option and also have the grips on the bottom to prevent slipping!
Nursing Tanks: These tanks were my to go nursing tanks. They are buttery soft and work well to wear alone or under a robe. Great for the hospital and afterwards as well!
Towel: One of my top recommendations for the hospital is to bring your own towel (and a dark one if you have one). Not only does it make you feel even more clean to have your own towel, but it gives you a sense of comfort from home too. Plus, a dark one is nice to have with the mess that comes along with having a baby;).
Shower Shoes: Also, something I had to have while showering in a hospital. Not everyone cares about this, but I personally am too much of a germaphobe to not have shower shoes in a hospital.
Extra Essentials
Pillow: I highly recommend bringing your own pillow for comfort and to give yourself a little bit of “home” feeling. These are some of my favorite pillows!
Blanket: A blanket is also one of those items that you don’t need but makes you feel more at home. I highly recommend bringing your own! Barefoot Dreams is always a good option.
Speaker: I actually didn’t bring a speaker for Ansley’s delivery, but I’ve heard a lot of people say they enjoyed having one for a labor & delivery playlist. So I decided to throw in our Kove speaker which can be separated into 2 to place in different parts of the room or kept together as one.
Sleep Mask: Yes, yes, yes! I sleep with this every single night at home and highly recommend for the hospital. Nurses are coming in and out of your room, and you’ll be sleeping on and off during the day and night, so this makes it a lot easier to get some shut eye at any time of day! This mask also comes with ear buds too if you or hubs wants those.
Nursing Pads: You probably won’t necessarily need these in the hospital, but they are a must in my opinion for when your milk comes in. I threw in a few for the hospital just in case. These are my favorite because they stick to your bra and you can throw them away instead of having to wash them like some other nursing pads.
Fan: I grabbed an extra fan that can be used for the hospital bed and then also as a stroller fan later! This isn’t 100% necessary, but we sleep with a fan every night at home, so I know this will allow me to sleep better in the hospital. It’s also great for delivery and post partum sweats!
Extra Long Phone Chargers: You never know how far away the outlets will be in your room, so I always bring a long 10ft phone charger and extension cords, so I can have my phone in the bed without having to get up a bunch!
Haaka: This is another item that you may not necessarily need until you get home or until your milk comes in, but once it does, this is a must in my opinion! I used this all the time with Ansley. It allows you to save so much extra milk while nursing (and even not while nursing). Just stick it on the opposite breast of nursing, and you’ll be able to save more milk and relieve some pressure when needed too!
Make Up Mirror: I didn’t bring this with Ansley and honestly didn’t do my make up other than one time, but I figured this would be nice to have just in case. You can use this mirror in the bed, it stands up on its own, and has 3 light settings making it easy to get ready anywhere. This is a great option if you plan to get ready before going home, so you don’t have to stand up to do your make up in the hospital.
Honey Pot Cooling Wipes: I have used these a lot, and I know they will be great post delivery as well. They are very cooling and all clean ingredients.
Charging Base: I mentioned we will bring extension cords, but I figured this would also be nice to have for any extra chargers I need plugged in that don’t have their own wall base.
Earth Mama Spray and Balm: I used this spray post partum with Ansley, and it is so cooling and helps treat your painful area down low after vaginal delivery. I haven’t tried the balm, but I also heard it’s nice and cooling and allows you to heal well.
Earth Mama Nipple Butter: I used this a lot after having Ansley in the beginning stages of nursing. It keeps your nipples from cracking and bleeding, so I recommend using it after nursing (not before) early on to help prevent pain.
Frida Mom Wipes: I haven’t actually tried these but have heard great things, so I threw these in my bag as well to have as another post delivery recovery option.
Frida Mom Foam: I also have not tried this foam but threw it in as another option for post delivery recovery. The hospital will have everything you need, but it’s nice to have your own options as well! This is also a good option for keeping at home for after birth.
Peri Bottle: Another post birth recovery must have item. The hospital will actually give you one of theirs, but I’ve heard this one is way better and easier to use, since it is angled.
For Baby
Boppy Pillow: You don’t necessarily need this at the hospital, but it definitely makes nursing and holding your baby a lot easier in the early days. You can add any cover you want too. I got mine when I had Ansley, so here is a similar option. Both are easy to machine wash.
Baby Socks: I threw in a few pairs of socks to keep those new baby toes warm, but footie pjs are great too!
Burp Cloths: These are my favorite burp cloths! I used this brand with Ansley too, and they are so soft and not overly big. They come in a pack of 6 and a handful of patterns. I definitely recommend bringing a few of your own burp clothes to have on a hand at the hospital.
Baby Gown: This is a similar option to one I had with Ansley. It is a gown that also snaps into pants, which we enjoyed using with her to go from night to day. These make diaper changes super easy, so I threw in a few gowns for the hospital to make things easy and comfortable.
Velcro Swaddles: These are the same ones we used with Ansley, and I highly recommend. We found these way easier to use than the blanket swaddles, so I made sure to throw these in my bag this time around to make things as easy as possible. They also unzip at the bottom making diaper changes super easy!
Onesies: The hospital will have a few outfits and swaddles for your baby, but it’s nice to have your own options. I threw in one of these onesies to have as an option in newborn size.
Name Announcement Sign: I didn’t have one of these with Ansley, so it’s definitely an “extra” item for fun announcement pictures. This is a similar option for the name sign I ordered from Caden Lane.
Maam Pacis: You may not need these early on and the hospital actually provided us with a paci for Ansley, but it’s nice to bring your own too. Ansley wasn’t into the pacis much, but the only ones she really took were these MAAMs, so I threw in a few for baby boy too.
Caden Lane Gown and Hat: These are the sweetest and most comfortable bamboo knotted gowns. Again, super easy for diaper changes. I am bringing a couple of these not only for night time but mostly for pictures.
Monogram Footie Pjs: Since I threw in a lot of gowns, I figured it would be nice to have some footie pjs too. These are darling, and I love the monogram diaper cover on the back. It’s always nice to have a few extra baby outfits for any messes too!
Hatch Sound Machine: Ansley uses this in her room, and we plan to use one for baby boy too. I figured this would be perfect to bring to the hospital not only for sleeping but also the night light for nursing in the dark.
Ollie Swaddle: I wanted this swaddle with Ansley but never got it until now. I threw this in for baby at the hospital too. Velcro swaddles are way easier in my opinion to use than a lot of the wrap swaddles, especially if you’re a first time parent, so this is a great option.
Beaufort Bonnet Gown: This is also one of those “extra” items, but I saw this and couldn’t pass it up. We had a similar one for Ansley and I wanted to have a more neutral option for pictures and another back up outfit. Plus, the newborn hat is precious too!
I hope you have found this helpful if you are also having a baby soon. Feel free to reference back to this post as needed. Drop a comment below if you have a favorite item you brought to the hospital.
