Hospital Bag Must Haves

WHAT A WEEK! If you are a blog only follower, we have lots to catch up on… Dane David Forsberg arrived 7 weeks early on June 8th surprising us all! He is in NICU not only for being premature but for his condition Gastroschisis. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about you can read all about his diagnosis here.

I had planned on sharing my hospital bag blog post last week, but Mr. Dane had his own plan! To be honest, I much prefer reading blog posts where people share what they took in their hospital bags and what they actually used. So thanks for throwing my original plan out the window , Bub I’m sure this will be the first of many times you do this, lucky you are so stinkin’ cute!

I will share my full birth story soon but for now I will just give you the short version- I went into labour Saturday morning and had a c section on Tuesday afternoon… yes, it was a long process but well worth it that is for sure!

So, let’s get into it! Here is what I took to the hospital in three parts: what I used, what I didn’t use and what I wish I would have brought.

What I used:

1 sweat suit- we ended up being in hospital for 5 days so one was clearly not enough.
1 pair of leggings + a baggy t shirt.
2 rompers -these were great for post birth but not so good for labouring. I was hooked up to the non stress test (I think that’s what it’s called) so they could monitor Bub’s heartbeat and my contractions. So the rompers were not ideal for that. But post birth… PERFECTION. Use code HOLLY15 for 15% off if you decide to order!
Bose noise cancelling headphones. I am SO happy I brought these. There is constantly sirens, announcements, babies crying (this was really tough when I wasn’t with my baby) and just disruptions in general. I put these on during the night and turned on the noise cancellation to drown out the noise, worked like a charm.
Robe – pretty much lived in this when I was in my room post birth.
Lipchap
Long iPhone charging cord – LONG being the key word. The plug in is far from your bed typically so having the long one allows you to reach it without getting up.
water bottle
Rubber Birkenstock sandals – these are great for in the shower… hospitals are gross. Need I say more?
Scrunchie
Face wipes – I like the Aveeno ones best. I have sensitive skin and I don’t have any issues with this brand. Not sponsored, just genuinely like them.
Pajamas (nighty button up style)
Breast pump bustier. You likely won’t need this but I am exclusively pumping due to our situation. Having the bustier allowed me to pump hands free. It worked with the hospital pump so I didn’t have to bring my pump from home.
Overnight kit – face wash, moisturizer, lip chap, wipes, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.
Towel- again, the hospital stuff is just nothing of the sort
Pillow
Blanket- I took the one my friend Jess knitted for me. It was honestly my favourite thing. It comforted me through my entire labor and postpartum- such a beautiful gift!!
Gum
Laptop- I was in labour for 2 full days and so we used this A LOT. I am pretty sure we watched 4 full seasons of Friends, lol
Kleenex- the hospital Kleenex is essentially sand paper so I highly suggest bringing your own.
Freida Mom Peri Bottle – they have peri bottles at the hospital but this one is 100 times better. Trust me. C section or vaginal delivery you will want this.
Freida Mom Disposable Postpartum Underwear– these are maybe not necessary at the hospital per say as they have some for you to use that are actually quite nice. But I used these the last day and then the first couple of days at home and I really like them. Highly recommend these!
Snacks LOTS OF SNACKS! We took a pretty decent amount and still ran out. Obviously, most births aren’t a 3 day affair lol but it does happen. Luckily we have the best friends and family who came to the rescue when we ran out but I cannot stress this one… bring lots!
G2- the purple kind to be exact. It overtop of the hospital ice tasted better than a marg on a hot summer day… okay, maybe not that good but damn near close.
Bose Speaker- We used this pretty much the whole time I was in labour and even took it into the operating room for the c section! Loved having our fav music playing, it really set the mood!

Items I took and didn’t use:

Poloroid camera- cute intentions but honestly just use your phone.
Kindle – I have really been into reading lately but I much preferred to watch Friends to get my mind off things.
Adult diapers- maybe it was because I had a c section but my flow was and still has been very light. I took these but definitely did not need them. This might be different for you!
Make-Up- I was in hospital for 5 days and I don’t think I put makeup on once. Maybe mascara if anything.
Soother for Bub- he was too premature and just wasn’t quite ready for one.
Toilet paper- this was a highly suggested item but I didn’t use it. Maybe it was because I had a c section… again, this may be different for you.
Fuzzy socks- I had a lot of people recommend these but I really forgot they were in my bag.

Items I wish I would have brought:

MORE clothes- again, my mom to the rescue. I obviously wasn’t planning on being in hospital for that long so I ran out of clothes pretty quick. Again, this is hard to predict.
More snacks… haha
Lee wishes he would have brought a foam or something to put on the chair / bed to make it more comfortable.

I think that’s it!!! I hope you find it helpful!