Preparing yourself for the big day to greet your new baby can bring you a lot of different emotions such as excitement, fear, nervousness and joy. I found that by having my hospital bags prepared in advance helped ease some of the fear and nervousness as I knew I was as prepared as I could possibly be.
At around the 7-month mark, I started to pack my bags to ensure that I did not forget anything for me, my husband and for my baby. I read many checklists from different resources and there were so many different ones. So I took the items that were the most important and relevant to me and created my own list.
Here is a list that I created that helped me prepare for the big day.
I divided the list into three sections: mom, coach and baby. Here is the breakdown:
For Mother
– Sleepwear / Bathrobe
– Maternity Vitamins
– Socks (Ankle & Dark socks would be best)
– Maternity Underwear (at least 3 pairs)
– Nursing Bra & Breast Pads
– Breastfeeding Pillow, if applicable
– Change of clothes and comfortable shoes to wear home
– Toiletries (including toothbrush, soap, shampoo, etc)
– Hair band
– Lip moisturizer
– Sanitary Napkins (I recommend the extra long pads that are made by Always)
– Massage oils or lotions, if applicable
– Snacks and any relaxation material you may need such as books, music or magazines
– Cleansing Bottle
– Cell phone and charger
For Coach
– Camera/Video Camera
– Toiletries (including toothbrush)
– Change of Clothes
– Snacks and reading material
– Dollar bills or change for vending machines
– Cell phone
– List of important numbers
For Baby
– Newborn diapers (10 to 15 as it depends on your hospital stay)
– Receiving blankets (2)
– Newborn Clothes (newborn size and 0 to 3 months, depending on the baby’s size)
– Socks or booties
– Infant hat
– Infant Car Seat (Hospitals do not allow you to leave without one)
– Outfit and Jacket for baby to go home in
– Formula (2 or 3) as back up and in case you do not want to or can’t breastfeed
– Lots of love 🙂
Of course pack the items that you feel you personally need as everyone can be different. One item that I recommend as a must have at home for your return is, Epsom Salt. A bath in Epsom salt helps you heal much faster.
With your bags all packed, you can rest easy and wait for the arrival of your new baby. All the best!
– Momma Braga
