Packing your hospital bag that first time feels like a rite of passage into motherhood. We remember sitting down to prepare our bag and just feeling so overwhelmed: we didn’t want to leave anything behind but also didn’t want to overpack! After four babies combined, we’ve got our packing list down to just the essentials, with everything you and your baby might need.
Written by: Jessica Diamond, MPH, RDN and Hayley Hubbard
Packing your hospital bag that first time feels like a rite of passage into motherhood. We remember sitting down to prepare our bag and just feeling so overwhelmed: we didn’t want to leave anything behind but also didn’t want to overpack! After four babies combined, we’ve got our packing list down to just the essentials, with everything you and your baby might need.
Disclaimer: Always clear these recommendations with your healthcare team because every situation is different! Also, this article contains affiliate links, which means that a percentage of your purchase goes to support Meaning Full Living at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting us!
Birth Room Essentials: Check out our article, 5 Ways to Transform your Delivery Room for a Better Birth Experience, for how to make your birth room cozy and serene and you can shop our essentials here. For the birth itself, you’ll want:
Postpartum Essentials:
Breastfeeding Essentials: If you are planning on breastfeeding, being prepared to breastfeed is key. Grab our freebie download, The Ultimate Breastfeeding & Pumping Guide, with over 15 pages of all the tips, tricks, and products you need for your breastfeeding and pumping journey! You won’t want to bring all of these items to the hospital, but you’ll definitely want to pack these:
Essentials for Baby:
And let’s not forget your support system! Your partner will want to have these things handy for the birth: