What I Packed in My Hospital Bag with Baby #2 BY TMOM TEAM MEMBER ANNA KELLER
I just had my second baby on February 19, so since the hospital stay is fresh in my mind, I thought I’d share a peek into what I packed this time around. When my first baby was born, I remember doing tons of research to try to figure out what to pack. This time around, I had the benefit of that past experience, and I knew the things I definitely used last time, the things I DIDN’T use, and the things I wished I’d brought along. The list wasn’t necessarily shorter this time (I still felt like we were moving into the hospital with so many things!), but I used just about everything I brought. Here’s what I packed: For Me: • Baby book (I had them put his footprints directly into the book after delivery) • Birth goals (print these out and bring them with you so the nurses can easily reference your goals) • Pillow with non-white case (bringing your favorite pillow from home makes a big difference, and the colored pillowcase makes it much less likely that you’ll leave it at the hospital!) • Snacks (I had a loooong induction this time, so the snacks were incredibly necessary for both my husband and me during the birth as well as in mother/baby)
undies after giving birth; and was glad I had these to wear home. It feels much less messy to just toss the disposable underwear. I love the “Always Discreet Underwear”! I even ended up using some during labor when I was bleeding a bit and didn’t want to make a mess everywhere.) • Slippers (these make things much comfier in mother/baby) • Glasses, contact case, and solution • Brush • Dry Shampoo (washing my hair and blowing it dry in the hospital wasn’t something I was interested in, so dry shampoo was the perfect solve)
• Portable phone charger and cord
• Going home outfit (For me this consisted of high-waisted yoga pants, a nursing cami, and a comfy sweater. You’ll notice I didn’t pack any other clothes for myself, because while I’m in the hospital I prefer just wearing their gowns. They get gross and often bloodstained, and I’d rather leave those there than worry about my own clothes getting stained, bringing them home, etc.)
• Mask (I was able to take my mask off after testing negative for COVID, but you’ll need it for entering and leaving the hospital)
• Minimal toiletries (toothbrush and toothpaste, makeup-remover wipes, face moisturizer, travel loofah, body wash—that’s about it!)
• Disposable underwear (I MUCH prefer using disposable underwear to putting huge pads in my own
• Makeup (I brought a few key makeup items and used them before heading home)
• Water bottle and Liquid IV (I love mixing Liquid IV into my water for extra electrolytes, and they were certainly needed during labor!) • Scrunchie (you’ll definitely want to pull your hair back at some point) • Lip balm
80 / FORSYTHFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM
For The Baby: • Car seat • Going-home clothes • 1-2 other outfits • Diaper bag (although they have all the essentials—diapers, wipes, blankets, etc.—at the hospital!) • Gift for him to “give” his big sister
For more articles like this, log on to www.TriadMomsOnMain.com
