Hospital Bag: Second Time Mama
I cannot believe it, but here we are packing for the hospital in anticipation of welcoming our second baby already! I shared what we included in our hospital bag for our first baby, and took a few notes of what I thought were must haves vs. fine to leave behind. Read more here. Overall, I am pretty minimalistic when it comes to packing for the hospital, and take advantage of what the hospital provides as far as post partum care goes, but there are definitely a few must have items that I will share below.
To start, I finally caved and got packing cubes, and I feel like my life is changed forever. I am honestly not sure what took me so long. I got this variety pack, and the tan color is perfect for my neutral loving self.
Mama:
Delivery Gown: this is a must have in my opinion. If you have ever been in the hospital before then you know, the gowns are huge and very stiff. I got this frida baby one size delivery gown Lillian’s delivery, and it was so comfortable to labor in. I love that it is washable and reusable because my sister has since been able to borrow, and I am able to use again now. It is every bit worth the $30.
Robe: this is the only thing that I wore post partum in the hospital after having Lillian. I did want to feel restricted with clothing after delivery so this robe allowed me to feel covered up but easily able to nurse. I had one robe for years from target, and of course I cannot find it now, so I purchased this new version because it is a hospital bag must have. It is so soft too.
Comfy Jammies: I am packing these just in case I want to feel a little bit more dressed if we have visitors and when Lillian comes to meet her baby brother. I have these jammies in another color/pattern and they are so soft and comfortable. I know that I will be living in these post partum as well because the buttons make them easy to nurse in. I opted to get the pants in addition to the short set too, and the baby blue color is perfect for welcoming baby boy.
Nursing Bra: it is a must to have a nursing bra. I am excited to try a new nursing bra this time without uncomfortable clips/holes. I will report back what I think, but first impression is it is very soft, and more similar to a tank/bralette.
Postpartum Undies: I often wear the hospital provided undies, but I wanted to bring a pair of post partum undies to see what was more comfortable. Full transparency, these will likely be better once I am home and bleeding has subsided, but easy enough to pack just in case. I also had some left over pairs of FridaMom disposable undies from when I had Lillian that I am throwing in as well- these are more supportive than the hospital provided mesh undies that I preferred previously.
Going Home Outfit: I enjoyed having a comfortable dress to go home in with Lily because it allowed me to feel somewhat put together but it was actually comfortable and non restrictive. I recently found this dress at Target, and it is perfect.
Toiletries:
Bath Towel: the hospital provides towels, but just trust me, you’re going to want your own. The towels are tiny, stiff, and scratchy. We bring one towel, and both share it. It is worth packing.
Diffuser: I absolutely love this diffuser for travel because it is plastic, compact in size, has a relaxing candle flicker setting, and has an intermittent mode.
Essential Oils: I do not pack a ton, but there are a few oils that I cannot be without. Lavender to diffuse because it helps to promote a calm and relaxed environment. Peppermint for nausea and/or headaches, and it is also energizing. Deep relief roller, the name says it all. Valor roller, the most incredible smelling oil but also has some pretty incredible properties to instill bravery. & lastly, helichrysum, is incredible to apply to the abdomen post partum to help control bleeding.
Long Charger: this is more of a convenience, but the hospital beds are large, and therefore the nearest outlets are rather far away. A 10ft long charger allows for ease of phone charging if needed while still being able to utilize your phone.
Personal Care: Travel size shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Two pack of throw away toothbrushes for convenience and toothpaste (this also allows you to pack this ahead of time without worrying about remembering to throw it in your bag at the last minute). Face wash and moisturizer. Lip balm.
Claraderm: this is a must have, my friends. This product is specifically designed for perineal care before and after delivery, and it is the best cooling/soothing spray there is. It is also formulated with clean ingredients for that very sensitive area.
Ningxia Red: our antioxidant supplement that we drink every day. It is refreshing, but also incredible for gut health so I will not miss a day, especially when my body is under additional stress with labor & delivery.
Comfortone: This is a new to me supplement in the past few weeks, and let me tell you, it is a game changer for digestion. As a second time mom now, I know how important it is to go into labor regular because the very sudden shift of hormones is going to cause constipation regardless which is why the hospital always recommends starting a stool softener. I am going to use Comfortone instead because I have noticed such an improvement to regularity in my digestion since starting.
Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any supplements when pregnant/breastfeeding, but this is one that I have been comfortable taking.
Nursing Pads: probably unpopular opinion, but I prefer disposable nursing pads vs washing them. I honestly feel like I lose so many washable nursing pads in the wash during my breastfeeding journey, and I find it easy and comfortable to use disposable. I love these momcozy nursing pads, and they use very clean, natural materials. My milk surprisingly came in very quickly with Lily so I want to be prepared with a few of these at the hospital just in case.
Rose Ointment: I love this healing ointment as a nipple balm. It is very soothing, and very clean ingredients for that sensitive area.
Baby Boy:
Baby Blanket: A patient of mine had this blanket at a newborn visit, and I was shocked to hear it was from Amazon when I asked her about it. I see a lot of baby blankets and clothes in the office, and the quality of this blanket really stood out to me. Organic cotton, beautiful blue color option but comes in neutrals, thick and soft, washes well.
Going Home Outfit: We bought this sweet newborn set for Lillian, and I am happy to be able to use the same outfit to bring Henry home too.
Extra Outfit: I am just being honest, I likely will not use this, but I am bringing an extra newborn size outfit to the hospital as well.
Personalized Hat: I think any little personalized touches are sweet, and I loved the simplicity but functionality of this sweet personalized hat for a baby boy.
Lovie: We brought this lovie to the hospital with Lillian, and it has since become her “gee”, and her favorite thing ever. She picked out the lion for baby brother as a big sister gift to him.
Pacifier: Lillian never took a pacifier, but I wanted to have one on hand.
Birth Markers: Cute additions to hospital photos.
Diapers/Wipes: The hospital provides diapers, but we opt to use a cleaner option for diaper management. We used the hospital provided diapers when Lillian was born, but I decided to bring our own this time around. We have always used honest brand diapers/wipes with Lillian, and they have worked really well for us.
Baby Wash: it is important to us to use clean and non toxic products on our babies, especially that brand new baby skin with that first bath. We absolutely love this baby wash, and it is the only one we have used on Lillian as well.
Other things to consider:
Baby Book: do not forget your baby book! The sweet nurses can add their little foot prints for you after birth.
Sibling Gift(s): We got a sweet necklace from GLDN for big sis from her new baby brother with a Lily on it, symbolic for our Lily but also the birth flower for May for our boy. I love that you can customize the chain length for little necks as well. I think she is going to love it. Lillian is gifting a lion lovie for baby brother when he is here. We brought a bunny lovie to the hospital for her when she was born, and she sleeps with it every night.
Birthday candle: Lillian has loved singing “happy birthday”, so we have been telling her that she can sing happy birthday to baby brother when he comes.
Snacks: the hospital always has a few snacks, but having a few snacks you love on hand is nice too.
Daddy
Oh, and do not forget about dad: a going home outfit, shorts, t- shirt, sweatpants, & sweatshirt. B was freezing in the hospital, and did not think to bring a sweatshirt/sweatpants, so you better believe he was not forgetting this time around.
I hope you find this post helpful as you navigate packing for the hospital! Remember that you technically need nothing to bring a beautiful baby into this world, but there are some things that make it a little easier/extra sweet.
Kelly
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