What to Pack in Your Bag

Just some ideas for packing your bags!

The following lists are primarily for women who are planning a hospital birth, but if you're planning a home birth, you may want to read over the list and make sure you have some of these things as home.

For Labor:

• Health insurance information
• Hospital pre-registration forms (if you're in a prenatal class, sometimes you fill those out and give them to your instructor and they take care of the rest).
• Copies of your birth plan (if you've decided to make one)
• A tennis ball or rolling pin (the balls can be helpful with back pain; you can also purchase rolling pins that you can fill with hot or cold water and use them as hot/cold therapy).
• Massage oils or lotions
• Lip balm
• A camera and/or video camera
• CD's or your iPod  (check to see if the hospital has anything for music to play in)
• Movies (check to see if the hospital has anything for you to play movies in)
• Quarters for the vending machine
• Your cell phone
• A list of people to call when the baby arrives (you may want to think about a "phone tree")
• Snacks and drinks for yourself while in labor (don't bring anything that will be too heavy on the stomach - think cereal bars, Gatorade, soups, etc)
• A bathing suit for you and your partner (if you want to use water during labor)
• A change of clothes for your partner
• Books, magazines, cards, etc. (you may want them for distraction during labor. I brought books and never used them, but if you get an epidural, you may have a lot of time to use them). 
• Anything comfortable from home (blanket, pillow, etc)

For After Delivery:

• Toothbrush and toothpaste(it felt so good to finally brush my teeth after labor!)
• Hairbrush
• Shampoo and conditioner (the hospital doesn't exactly have outstanding options here...)
• Body wash (once again, hospital choices are limited and you'll want something that makes you feel really good when you finally get to shower after all of your hard work).
• Deodarant
• Heavy sanitary pads (your hospital might provide them...you'll feel like you're wearing a diaper...but that's because you kind of need to). 
• If you have other children, you might consider getting them a gift and giving it to them when they arrive at the hospital.
• A bathrobe
• Two or more nursing bras (if you're planning to breastfeed)
• Some t-shirts, sweatpants, shorts, or nightgowns
• Lots of underwear (cheap ones!) - 5 or more pairs.
• Socks (the ones with the no-skid on the bottom)
• Slippers
• A going-home outfit for you (something that fit you around 6 months pregnant)
• A going-home outfit for the baby
• A baby blanket
• A diaper for baby to wear home (you may be provided with these)
• An extra bag (you tend to leave with more than you came with)