Stress Free Packing Guide for your First Baby’s Birth - Whether you are already registered at Baptist Health Boca Regional Hospital or plan to have your baby in any of the local hospitals in Broward/Palm Beach County.
Preparing for the birth of your baby is an exciting time while also often, if we’re honest, can be overwhelming and stressful too! As a birth photographer, I see many of my clients preparing for their births at hospitals and sometimes they pack really efficiently, but other times they have a hard time finding their essentials or feel like they over-packed.
I want to take packaging your hospital bag step by step.
In this moment while we’re focusing on your packing list, don’t worry about anything else.
Make a checklist in a “pregnancy notebook” of all your todo’s and then grab a set of highlighters. Green for easiest things to do, orange for urgent, pink for fun but maybe only if you have time and energy only after you finish time sensitive to do’s.
Organizing your list or plan for what needs to get done and prioritizing what’s most urgent and needed can be AS important as actually doing the tasks! If you focus 75% of your time and energy on all the fun and exciting things, you won’t have time or energy left for the things you’re actually stressing about. And while its important to have downtime to do the fun things, make sure they account for more like 25-50% of your time and energy and not more. Energy is the highest “currency” in pregnancy and there’s very little of it - a LIMITED resource, so use it wisely!
This list I hope goes through what the absolute essentials are that you just shouldn’t leave your house without, but also compares the things that are nice to have (but maybe not as essential).
I hope this helps! Whether you’re a first time mom or this is your 2nd, 3rd or hey even 6th baby!
And don’t forget to scroll to the very bottom for the list of postpartum necessities.
For a list of easy to add to cart items check out my Amazon Storefront
First Things First, Your Hospital Bag
I’ll be honest! And don’t cringe! A rolling carry on suitcase is by far the easiest solution for packing for your hospital stay when you’re having your baby!
It may seem like overdoing it, but it BY FAR when paired with clear pliable zipper compartment bags, keeps essentials well organized.
You can either pack two separate carry-ons, one for you and the baby and one for your partner/spouse, or if you want to bring 1 larger suitcase, store all your and baby’s things on the side with the zipper cover so none of it falls out when you open it, and your partner/spouses things on the other side along with a pillow and blanket for him as hospitals usually don’t provide great pillow/blankets. If there is space for both of you to have your own pillow and blankets, I HIGHLY recommend it. Anything you can bring that you can easily squeeze into a tight fit in the suitcase while it also stays light weight from home is a big plus to make you feel more at home in the medical environment of the hospital.
Separate from the carry-on you will want to have a smaller bag or belt bag that has the bare necessities for leaving home: your wallet with ID, cards, cash, coins, chapstick, mints, car keys, house keys, cell phone charger.
You’ll also want a bag that you can either bring in your carry-on then take out (ideal) or hold separately - that has all your toiletries. Whether you have a short or long birth experience, you’ll also be in postpartum for at least 24 hours if not 48 or 72 (if not longer for medical matters). You’ll want to package a separate well organized compartment that has all the necessities to be refreshed.
Labor and Delivery Essentials:
Comfortable Clothing:
Loose-fitting, comfortable clothes for labor such as a gown, dress, oversized tshirt, sports bra or bralette, although I am a big fan of the smooth bralettes that don’t have a built in wire. Pants are not great for labor because you have to take them off whenever there is a need for access to your cervix or birth canal. Make sure to have several changes in case you want a refresh, but especially if you have a long labor, plan to labor in a birth pool or shower. Make sure you’re okay with any of it getting dirty and unwashable, make sure you’re okay if it needs to be thrown out or cut. Yes the hospital will provide you with a labor gown, but over 95% of my birth photography clients have worn their own clothes after realizing how uncomfortable and irritating the hospital gown fabric feels against their skin.
A cozy robe for walking around, especially if you are walking the halls to get labor going.
Snacks and Hydration:
Energy-boosting snacks for both you and your partner. You can speak with local doulas or midwives for advice, but I will say that most of my clients say that the snacks that are easiest to eat during labor (because sometimes you don’t have an appetite or are grossed out by certain foods) are honey sticks, plain crackers, rice cakes, applesauce packets, grapes, popsicles, clear broth.
A reusable water bottle to stay hydrated during labor. A lot of my birth photography clients like to mix in 1/2 a packet of Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier. I personally love the lemon-lime flavor myself.
Essential Oil Diffuser and your favorite oils: Let’s be honest, there are lots of smells in hospitals. Your smells, hospital smells, all the smells! Sometimes it can feel yucky for laboring moms and they just want refreshing scents that are not overpowering. Essential oils are the way to go. I recommend buying a small diffuser like the InnoGear Essential Oil Diffuser because its so easy to bring with you and lightweight to fit in your hospital bag, and its perfect for your needs, set it up next to your hospital bed, add water and 10 drops of your favorite essential oil and you’re good to go! Favorite oils for my birth photography clients are, clary sage to get labor going, lavandar to calm, lemon to energize (or even orange/citrus).
Toiletries I recommend packing:
Toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash.
Face wipes/small face wash gel/soap
Hair ties or clips, whatever is your go to at home. If you often wear stretchy headbands in general, bringing one for either labor or the birthing moment can help keep your hair out of your face.
Your preferred shampoo and conditioner. If you can bring small sample containers that helps to take up less space.
Lip balm is a must! I recommend bringing your favorite one and keeping it near you all of labor. Its wild how quickly your lips can feel dry in a hospital setting that aims to reduce germs by having low humidity levels, the air is so dry it often aggravates my asthma!
Entertainment:
If you have to be induced or get an epidural earlier in labor, I personally enjoy the cheapest Magazines next to the cashier in publix since they are dramatic (haha) and take up time easily, but if you really get into books, e-books, or want to watch netflix the entire time, those are good options too to help pass the time.
Your favorite calming music playlist - to keep your mind distracted. But sometimes its nice to have something energizing planned in a separate music playlist as well.
Hospital Paperwork:
As mentioned before - have a belt bag or tiny bag with your ID, insurance information, and any required hospital paperwork.
Do not forget your phone and charger. If you can get one with a VERY long cord that would be ideal! But make sure you bring multiple chargers for you and your partner/spouse’s phones, additional chargers for other devices like laptops or tablets, and chargers for any friends or family members who may be staying with you through your labor.
Camera or phone for capturing some special moments during labor and birth and after. Usually your nurse will be happy to take photos of the moment your baby is here if you ask, unless you have a birth photographer :)
Comfort Items:
A comfortable pillow and/or blanket for yourself and your partner/spouse (not a necessity but can really make a difference in bringing a cozier/home-like environment into the hospital room).
Birth Plan - also known as a list of birth preferences. I highly recommend writing at the top “As long as mom and baby are both healthy and safe, here a a few of our preferences”
Keep the list to 1 page. Be clear in the fewest words possible. Know your nurse has limited time so shorter is best. I also like to do 3 separate pages - 1 for your labor nurse, a separate one with ONLY baby related preferences for the baby nurse who you won’t meet until its time for your baby to be born, and a 3rd page in case of c-section for you to keep in your hospital bag and pull out only in the event of a c-section being needed. Make sure you have at least 3 copies in case the hospital staff shift changes and you get all new nurses. Usually shift change happens around 7am and 7pm (these can vary to 6am and 6pm or 8am and 8pm etc)
Postpartum Necessities:
Comfortable Nursing Bras are completely optional. I personally needed them as I was leaking colostrum and felt more comfortable wearing a comfy bra, but I went with a ‘sleep’ nursing bra, because I did not want to mess with the clips that nursing bras often have especially at 3am. I put pads in my nursing bras to catch the leaking. However, this really will depend on how quickly your milk comes in and how much colostrum you leak. Not every mom will need pads.
Tops:
Comfortable tops for breastfeeding - basically anything you can pull down or lift up and comfortably nurse in.
Hygiene Products:
Some people say to bring maxi pads and disposable underwear - this is really up to you. the hospital will provide bulky pads and yes if you are having a c-section you’ll need them too as everyone who gives birth has vaginal bleeding. The hospital will also provide mesh underwear and I personally found that the easiest solution after both of my c-sections. But there are also a lot of women who say disposable underwear are the best way to go. Maybe test some out in pregnancy to see your personal comfort and preference.
So when it comes to perineal spray or soothing wipes - I am a big advocate for frozen pre-frozen pads, also known as “padsicles” and the hospital sometimes provides these, I’d recommend asking your provider and on a hospital tour to know if you need to bring them. But note, there is no freezer in your hospital room - often just a refrigerator, so you may be better off asking the hospital if they supply them. The hospital does supply a squeeze bottle (a perineal spray bottle) but amazon sells one with a longer curved spout that a lot of moms say works way better. If you are only needing the upside down peri bottle, you can get it here, but Frida Mom sells an entire Labor, Delivery and Postpartum Kit that comes with disposable underwear, padiscles you can use at home when you return from the hospital, and it even includes a gown. But be careful when buying a gown for labor and delivery because it needs snaps to unsnap the entire front off to breastfeed as well as snaps to open the entire back for an epidural or spinal if needed in an emergency.
Toiletries:
It is not necessary but I feel greatly beneficial to bring either a travel container or sample size of a favorite bath / shower gel or soap for post-birth showers. So at least you know your skin will feel how you want it after that first shower.
Deodorant - it is often forgotten and while it isn’t a necessity sometimes it’s nice to just feel refreshed during an intense experience. If you are worried about deodorant and breastfeeding, I recommend Native and even my 11 year old loves the line of pleasant but not overpowering smells.
Hairbrush and hair ties and scrunchies are a necessity. Bring a mirror or use your phone to do your hair from bed.
Going-Home Outfit:
I think Pajamas is really the most ideal going home outfit. You’re not comfortable after birth and you’re not going to be publicly seen by anyone other than nurses so you want to be sure you feel as comfortable as possible in a loose outfit for leaving the hospital.
Postpartum Items:
These items are very personal decisions but some moms swear by them and find them utterly essential whereas other moms don’t even own them!
Nipple cream for breastfeeding moms. Airing your breasts as often as possible is recommended, but for me I used lanolin and many moms use earth mama nipple butter. This is to create a barrier on your skin in between breastfeeding sessions to help your skin heal.
Postpartum belly wrap for added support is often recommended by I would warn to not dive into this so quickly. I recommend to have your 1 week postpartum follow up and also just ask your Midwife or OBGYN about this one. See a pregnancy and postpartum therapist that is WELL RECOMMENDED and ask them for recommendations as well as WHEN to start wearing it. I just don’t think the first 72 hours are it unless you have medical backing from YOUR provider.
Snacks and Refreshments:
Healthy snacks to keep your energy up during those first few days. The hospital usually provides crackers and jelly and peanut butter, but you can also use UBER eats to your advantage!
A refillable water bottle is key! You can send your partner/spouse out to keep refilling often. Have one for him as well.
Baby Things:
The hospital absolutely will provide the correct onesies/little kimono shirts that cover your babys hands so she/he does not scratch her face with what babies are often born with - long nails.
But if you want to bring your own baby clothes for going home or wearing in the hospital you absolutely can. I recommend magnetic buttons or zippers, as the snaps can be frustrating at night especially.
If you plan to bring formula, bring the RIGHT water for your formula. Some and many hospitals won’t allow you to feed formula you bring from home unless you have the correct water to make it with you.
If you are bringing your placenta home with you or having someone pick it up for encapsulating, you must have TWO large ziplock bags and a cooler large enough to fit a dinner plate!
The hospital will provide blankets and a hat for your baby but you can absolutely bring your own!
Comfortable Shoes/Slides :
Slippers or cozy socks for walking around the hospital and ones that easily fit your feet even with socks on.
Don’t forget, every mom’s birth experience is completely different and unique, so feel free to change this list to your specific needs and preferences.
Wishing you all my love and best of luck on this incredible journey!
