Our stay at the hospital was great. We were well taken care of. The staff knew what they were doing and when they were doing it. They made our adjustment to life with a newborn easier. However, that’s a story for a different post!
Today, I share with you items we were provided with from the hospital that made an impact in our experience. I also include a list of things we used from our hospital bags. See what we packed in our hospital bags here! Not to mention, I include how these products were used and how they helped!
Provided by the hospital (for mama)
- Gown – I received a gown to wear after labor and delivery. The gown made it easy to use the restroom and to move around. Not to mention, it was convenient for breastfeeding because it had two holes near the breast area that could be covered.
- 1x pack Depend underwear – These were more comfortable than the mesh underwear I was given first. They felt secure. I didn’t have to use any of the ones I packed and brought the rest of the provided ones home with me.
- x2 Dermoplast – I packed my own dermoplast, but hadn’t used it during our hospital stay. I didn’t use dermoplast much, but it did provide relief when I applied it.
- Perineal cleansing bottle – Although I packed my Frida Mom Upside Down Peri Bottle, I used the cleansing bottle provided by the hospital. It wasn’t until I got home that I used my own peri bottle. It was soothing and felt clean.
- Cold packs (upon request) – The first time my partner and I went to the hospital, thinking we were in labor, we packed our padsicles. However, we weren’t in labor. We weren’t even dilated yet! We decided to go home because things weren’t progressing. We unpacked our padsicles and stored them in our freezer to keep them frozen. When we were ready to go to the hospital again, we forgot them! I wish I had brought them. The cold packs were such a game changer for me. I enjoyed using them because it was not only cooling for the area, it was soothing. It felt relieving and I could tell the difference when I didn’t have one on. Once we got home, I started using the padsicles we made. These had aloe vera and witch hazel in them while the hospital cold packs were only made with water. I can tell that the cold packs and my own padsicles helped with my healing process. I will use these again in the future!
- Inflatable donut seat – This felt amazing to sit on! It helped with any lower pain that I felt.
- x2 packs Breast gel pads – I received two packs of breast gel pads. While I used one pair, I had another ready to swap in the fridge. These helped soothe my breasts after feedings so they didn’t feel sore. I continued to use these for a week.
- x1 Nipple shields – The first few times we tried to breastfeed, it was difficult. That was because my nipples were flat. Our lactation consultants advised me to use a nipple shield to help. It made a huge difference! My baby was feeding better afterwards. Although I’m no longer nursing and exclusively pumping, I would use these again!
- Shampoo / Conditioner / Body Wash – I used my own toiletries, but it was good to know that there were some if we needed any.
- Towels – There were many towels provided for us and they were always stocked. I loved it because I only prepared one, which is probably more than enough, but I liked having more to use.
Provided by the hospital (for baby)
- x2 Swaddle blankets – These are the typical hospital swaddle blankets designed with hands and feet. Our baby loved these! She enjoyed being wrapped up and snuggled. We prepared our own, but didn’t feel the need to take any of them out since we already had these to work with.
- Knitted blanket – This is the cutest blanket! Some of the nurses knit blankets and caps for babies born at the hospital.
- x3 Caps – The original caps we received didn’t fit our baby because they were too small, so we received replacements. It was great because they were the only ones that fit. The caps we packed were too big.
- x3 Burp cloths – We loved using these cloths during our stay and we still do today. We didn’t have to use any of the ones we packed.
- Diapers
- Baby wipes
- Baby clothes (x1 onesie, x3 buttoned tops, x1 pair of socks)
- Shampoo / Body Wash
- Nasal aspirator – We used the nasal aspirator provided to remove any mucus our baby had. It’s the typical bulb syringe. We still use it everyday since it’s quicker than our electronic one. This way we wouldn’t have to clean so many parts.
- Books / Handouts
- String backpack – We used this to pack all of the provided baby items.
- Wash basin – We didn’t use this during our hospital stay. However, we did use it when we got home for the first two weeks for baths and washing her up during the day.
Below are items we packed in our hospital bags that we used. Here is a full list of what we packed for reference!
For Baby
- 1x Newborn Zipper Footies (Going home outfit) – We’ve been dressing our baby up in zipper footies since she was born. Although we’d love to try the outfits or the onesies and pants, zipper footies are a time saver. There’s also less laundry to do!
- 1x Newborn Nightgown – My partner and I enjoyed using this for our second night at the hospital! It made changing diapers a lot easier, while keeping our baby warm and cozy. We still use these now.
- 2x Socks
- 1x Blanket
- 1x Wet Bag – Any old clothes or wet items that we had during our hospital stay went inside this wet bag!
- Hatch Rest Sound Machine, Night Light & Time-to-Rise – Our baby likes white noise, so we’d have the Hatch on at certain times during our hospital stay. It worked as a nightlight as well since we placed it in the corner that didn’t have much light. That corner was also where the rocking chair was, so the nightlight feature was convenient. We’ve been using the Hatch at home since!
- Boppy Pillow – This was great to help support our baby while we breastfed or held her.
- Documents (birth plan, pediatrician information, etc.)
For Mama
- 1x Nightgown – I watched videos on what to pack in a hospital bag and a gown was a popular item. I wore this on the second day of our hospital stay. It’s dark colored so breast milk or blood stains wouldn’t be noticeable. It has buttons which makes breastfeeding easy. I didn’t care to wear pants or shorts with it. It also allowed for my nurses and doctor to do what they needed to do like check on my stomach from time to time. I can’t forget to mention how soft it is too!
- 1x Going Home Outfit (tank top and shorts)
- 2x Nursing Bras – These nursing bras are so comfortable and help with any breast milk leakage (when wearing a nursing pad with it). Not to mention, I wore cooling gel pads to soothe my breasts. These nursing bras did a great job supporting that and for supporting my breasts overall.
- 1x Fuzzy Socks
- Mandles
- Shampoo / Conditioner / Body Wash
- Tooth Brush / Tooth Paste / Floss
- Deodorant
- Comb / Brush
- Towel
- 2x Scrunchie Hair Ties – I prepared two scrunchies so that I could use one in my hair while wearing one on my wrist. I saw a tip online that it helps to keep track of which breast to feed with first by switching what wrist the scrunchie is on. I didn’t do that though. I wrote down every feeding and which one I started with.
- Nipple Butter – I enjoyed using nipple butter to help keep my nipples from drying or feeling sore.
- Nursing Pads – My breasts were leaking so much. I prepared Haakaa silicone breast pumps, but I didn’t think to use them while I was in the hospital. It slipped my mind. I wish I did because it was a lot of milk that was lost. However, these nursing pads helped to keep milk from staining on my clothes.
- Carmex Lip Balm – My lips felt dry after giving birth and especially after each feeding! I saw videos to prepare a lip balm and I’m glad I did.
- Phone Charger
- iPad
- Face Masks
- Sea-Band Acupressure Wristband – I used these early in my pregnancy to help with nausea and I saw a video that they could help during labor and delivery. I wore them the moment I started experiencing contractions and continued to wear them until a few hours after giving birth. I believe these helped me and I would definitely use them again in the future!
- Documents (birth plan, insurance information, etc.)
For Daddy
- x2 Outfits (shirt and shorts)
- Flip Flops (use to shower)
- Shampoo / Conditioner / Body Wash
- Tooth Brush / Tooth Paste / Floss
- Deodorant
- Comb / Brush
- Towel
- Phone Charger
- Pillow / Blanket
- Food / Snacks
- Hydroflask Water Bottle
