9 Things for Your Hospital Bag That Just Make Sense
All births are different and what one person needs for labor is going to be different than what someone else needs. Packing for a c-section is going to look different than preparing for a home birth. This list is just a few staples I find the most helpful for a planned vaginal birth in the hospital. C-section and home birth lists will be future blog topics!
Chapstick
This one might be a no-brainer, especially if you’re someone who already carries lip balm with them everywhere (I see your car chapstick and your bathroom chapstick and your kitchen chapstick and your junk drawer chapstick 😂). But, while it might be an item you just assume you’ll have somewhere in your bag or purse, this is one thing to be intentional about. Hospital room air tends to be DRY. Couple that with all the long, slow mouth breathing you’ll likely be doing during labor, that’s a recipe for chapped lips in a hurry! So it’s worth it to grab a few extra tubes (in case one gets lost, duh) and put them in a place you won’t have to dig for them.
Snacks
Would you run a marathon without nourishment? Or sit in any other room for 12+ hours without snacks? Now, clearly, if you’re in the hospital, there will likely be a variety of approved snacking and hydration options. Italian ices, fruit juice, crackers, broth right on the L&D floor, and then whatever’s available when the kitchen is open. But not all hospitals have 24-hour kitchens and when you have your baby at 2 AM, you’ll be FAMISHED, because giving birth is hard work. So it’s always a good idea to pack a few of your favorite snacks, not only for after your baby is born, but eating lightly during labor is encouraged to keep up your strength. Even if you’re hooked up to IV fluids, that’s not quite the same as actual sustenance in your stomach.
Some good labor snacks are things like bananas and other fruit, yogurt, nut butters, string cheese, protein drinks, smoothies, honey sticks. All things that are nutrient-dense, that you can take a few bites of between contractions and then put away- most laboring people don’t want to eat more than few bites of anything at a time anyways.
Your own pillow and blanket
There’s nothing like your own pillow. And if you’re anything like me and need the weight of a thick, cozy blanket to sleep well, your favorite blanket is a MUST because the blankets on hospital beds are thin and sometimes hospitals at night are absolutely FRIGID.
Swimsuit for your partner!
Laboring in water, either the bath or shower, is a super effective method of pain relief and if your partner comes prepared, you don’t have to labor in there alone! Ok, ok, showering together probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about labor, but hear me out: holding onto and being held by your partner triggers the release of oxytocin, which is the hormone of love, as well as the hormone that drives your body’s labor process. The more oxytocin that your body is able to release, the better your labor will be! So then add all of that snuggly oxytocin to being cradled by your partner in the bath or slow dancing in the shower, where the warm water and privacy is helping your body release even MORE oxytocin- well, it’s an great recipe for labor PROGRESS! So have your partner pack their swimsuit so they can support you in this way while keeping their regular clothes dry.
Ok, I wish I had a better photo, but I don’t have ANY images showing my very fancy (hint: it’s not) twinkle light set-up in a hospital bathroom. But you get the idea. AMBIENCE. Quiet, dark, calm.
Fairy lights
THIS. This right here is the most consistently used tool in my doula bag. Maybe that sounds strange, but remember what I said about the shower/bath above? Wanna know what else helps promotes oxytocin release? Darkness. Keeping the lights low. Coziness. Quite honestly, the energy and the mood that made the baby will also help the baby come out. So turn off those fluorescent overhead lights and hang some string lights. Add some battery-operated flameless candles and voila, the mood is set for some beautiful waves of oxytocin.
Often, the place I most often use my string lights is in the bathroom, while mom is laboring in water. We turn off the harsh hospital lights and I hang the twinkle lights around the mirror and place my flameless candles around the edges of the bathtub. Warm water + privacy + dimness + ambience = fantastic setting for productive laboring.
Be aware that when it comes time for baby to be born, there will most likely be a spotlight turned on to help your care provider see, so that might interrupt your bit of ambience, but those fairy lights can still make your labor feel so magical.
Playlist and bluetooth speaker
Ok, so we have the lights, let’s add some mood music! Putting together a specific playlist for your birth can be a really beautiful way to visualize and prepare for the entire experience. And add the kind of music YOU want! I’ve seen clients using anything from soft instrumentals to cranking out Caribbean tunes!
Music can be an intensely personal preference that can bring deep emotions to the surface. I can’t tell you the goosebump moments I’ve had as I’ve witnessed a woman deeply in laboring, connecting with a deeply spiritual part of herself through meaningful music.
Card games
Especially if you’re being induced. Especially if it’s your first baby. Simply being in the hospital isn’t a magic wand for getting your baby out in a matter of hours. First time inductions can take days and you’re often not really feeling anything for the first few hours while the medication takes effect. If you’re not a card game person, bring a device to stream your favorite shows. Podcasts. Audiobooks. Something to take your mind off the process for as long as possible (until the intensity of labor requires more of your focus).
Maternity clothes
Yup. For most of us, it takes a few weeks for the baby bump to go down. So pack some comfy stretchy pants or your favorite pair of maternity jeans for going home.
Adult diapers
Ok, so I know so many people will tell you that the mesh postpartum undies they give you at the hospital are so comfy, but I’m here to tell you that it’s all LIES. Those mesh undies do not come with with a definite front and back and they’re one-size-fits-all.
It’s a bit of a story, but after I had my first baby at home (and used Depends during my postpartum healing stage), my second baby was born in a hospital and I was so looking forward to these mesh underwear that other moms raved about. WHAT?! To say I was let down is a massive understatement. 😂 I’ve never been so happy to get home to my high-waisted, cushy Depends with an actual front and back. So much more comfortable and no need to worry about dealing with giant postpartum pads for the first week or so of heavy postpartum bleeding.