Who else procrastinated packing for the hospital for baby number 2? I sure did. When I got around to actually making my list, I was blanking on what I had packed for myself for baby number 1, so to Google I went. I wanted to make this blog post to remind myself what I packed in case I get asked and to help others.
Lets dive right into it. This is what I packed in my hospital bag for myself for the labor and delivery of baby number 2:
- Kindred Bravely:
- the Everyday Maternity Joggers/Lounge pants for Women from Kindred Bravely were and still are my favorite pants to lounge in and wear to bed! They are so comfortable. Wash and dry well. Do not pill. Feel cool and soft against your skin. True to size. Trust me!
- Bras:
- Hands down my favorite bra for bustier gals that provides all day support and allows the convenience of nursing and pumping: Sublime Hands Free Sports Pumping and Nursing Bra. Very comfortable and holds up to washing and drying! It doesn’t offer enough support for me to workout in, but enough to wear all day, and I love the sports bra backing on it so you don’t have to worry about straps falling down. Use their measurement guide to find the best size! Kindred Bravely Sublime Hands Free Sports Pumping Bra | Patented All-in-One Pumping & Nursing Sports Bra
- As an update on this post, by the middle/end of year 1 with this bra, I did find that I was spilling out from the bottom of the bra, which was very annoying and uncomfortable at times. I probably could have ordered a new one, but I stuck it out.
- The sublime nursing sports bras were my go-to for bed. They are a nice comfy light-weight bra. With a larger chest I wore these mainly for bed, as they provided just enough support to sleep but not enough for me to workout in. Kindred Bravely Sublime Sports Nursing Bra | Seamless Maternity & Nursing Sports Bras
- As an update, I still wear these to bed, post nursing. For some reason, I cannot get down with wearing no bra even to sleep, and this bra is still so comfortable.
- Hands down my favorite bra for bustier gals that provides all day support and allows the convenience of nursing and pumping: Sublime Hands Free Sports Pumping and Nursing Bra. Very comfortable and holds up to washing and drying! It doesn’t offer enough support for me to workout in, but enough to wear all day, and I love the sports bra backing on it so you don’t have to worry about straps falling down. Use their measurement guide to find the best size! Kindred Bravely Sublime Hands Free Sports Pumping Bra | Patented All-in-One Pumping & Nursing Sports Bra
- Pajamas:
- These pajamas were comfortable and were perfect to wear in the hospital. The button down allowed me to easily do skin to skin with my son and nurse him. The pants are nice and loose, which is what you want during post-birth recovery. Kindred Bravely Clea Bamboo Classic Long Sleeve Maternity & Nursing Pajama Set
- Toiletries:
- Body wash/lotion/shampoo – I felt so much better after my first shower and having fragrant body wash and shampoo, made me feel clean and more like myself.
- Hair ties, headband, brush
- Face wipes – depending on how low your labor is you may not be able to wash your face. Highly recommend face wipes for a quick and easy way to clean your face.
- Contacts/glasses
- Some makeup to feel like yourself
- Chapstick
- Peppermint essential oil: if you are afraid or think you might experience nausea, some peppermint essential oils are great! This is the one I got from Amazon
- Airpods/headphones
- If you have a significant other who snores—get yourself some headphones.
- Airpods are my go-to, but curious what others prefer
- If you have a significant other who snores—get yourself some headphones.
- Personal fan
- This fan was great to attach to my hospital bed during labor and also is convenient to use in the summer by attaching to the stroller or car seat. AMACOOL Battery Operated Stroller Fan Flexible Tripod Clip On Fan with 3 Speeds and Rotatable Handheld Personal Fan for Car Seat Crib Bike Treadmill (Black)
- Nursing pillow – I recommend bringing your nursing pillow to the hospital especially if it’s your first time breastfeeding. The lactation consultants can help show you how to position it and your baby for the best nursing positions, that you can then do at home. The hospital does typically have nursing pillows in the room, but they may not be the same style as the one you have at home. I wish I had done this the first time around. I was lucky and found one in my hospital room for baby number 2. It was different than the Boppy, but I mainly used it to help support my arm while nursing my son. It was so handy the second time around and allowed me to comfortably nurse, I wish I would have done this with my first (live and learn! 🙂
- I used the Boppy Nursing Pillow for both of my boys. You can find a bunch of different covers on Amazon. It’s nice to have at least two so you can use one while washing the other.
- I’ve washed the boppy pillow itself before my second son was born and it held up great in a delicate wash and dryer.
- Sandals for shower or walking around hospital – Personally prefer these over packing slippers; because you can wear them in the shower, they dry quickly and you can wear them around the hospital room (add socks if you want warmth). Super affordable.
Recovery:
Heating pad. I did not expect the amount of cramping pain I experienced while nursing baby number 2 in the hospital as your uterus starts shrinking; apparently it is worse with each baby? YAY! Heating pad would have been amazing! I did not have one, but if I were to have another baby, I would probably go with this one: Great reviews and portable. Not all hospital beds are close enough to outlets, so I would go with a portable one to be safe!
Always Discreet Underwear for Women – for me these were so much more comfortable than the hospital underwear and I felt like I had enough coverage/protection to wear pants. I wore these throughout my whole post-partem recovery. Everyone’s recovery is different, but I did not want to chance wearing a big long pad and regular underwear. These disposable underwear are great!
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