Some of the links below are affiliate links. Thank you for using these in support of Southern & Style at no additional cost to you!
It's so weird to look back at that picture, especially since Charlie has been on the outside now for over 7 months!
I've had this post on my to-do list for a while & just haven't been able to get caught up, though now I'm finally getting some more inspiration and a little more free time to devote to blogging, so hopefully I'll be caught up on all of these posts, soon.
When I was about six months pregnant with Charlie, so many people started the whole you better get your bag packed, just in case! and of course, I wanted to not be taken by surprise since we delivered Charlie almost two hours away from home.
And while there was a Target about five minutes from my hospital room I still didn't want to forget anything, so I thought I would probably be overpacked.
Except for, I didn't take into account that I would be induced and brought in on Wednesday night & we wouldn't be able to leave until Sunday afternoon. So there are things I'll add into the end of this post that I wish I had done differently (like bring my husband more undies & socks-sorry Christopher!)
What I Packed & Brought:
-Pillow & Pillow Case
-Your Own Blanket
-Your Own Blanket
-Large Towel (Dark Colored)
-Laptop & Case
-DSLR Camera
-Chargers (phone, camera, laptop)
*Toiletries*
-Hairbrush
-Comb
-Shampoo
-Conditioner
-Body Wash
-Toothbrush & Toothpaste
-Deodorant
-Contacts & Solution
-Glasses
-Makeup Bag & Contents
The Down-Low (What I Would've Done Differently):
I loved having a robe to cover up with when we had visitors, it helped me feel a little bit more put together over my pjs. However, one thing I failed to consider was just how hot I would be. The rooms temp was higher than I was used to for Charlie's sake & I guess hormones played into me being warm too. So I would've brought more shorts/short sleeve shirts and maybe a loose short sleeve robe instead of a long-sleeved robe.
I also would've prepped for an extended stay; we arrived on Wednesday evening to start our induction & had Charlie late Thursday night. Because of that we were supposed to be discharged Saturday morning, but because of his slight jaundice (& the fact that the next day was Sunday) they waited and discharged us Sunday. Neither Chris or I had enough clothes, fortunately Chris was able to make a Target run for himself and I was able to re-wear what few things I needed, but I realized then it was better to overpack than under pack.
I wish I had brought more than two nursing bras. If you're planning to try to nurse your babe, then you'll quickly realize that it's messy and you just need to be able to change these out in the beginning.
I wish I had left my laptop & large camera at home. I had lofty plans of feeling up to working on my computer before the induction really hit, but really Chris & I just tried to sleep as much as we could.
And I also really wanted to do a lot more pictures of us and Charlie in the hospital, but I just didn't feel up to it. It would've been better to not have had to worry about all those things.
I also go back & forth about whether or not I should've left my makeup at home.
I ended up not wearing any at all, pretty much the entire time we were at the hospital. I just didn't feel like it was that important to spend my time putting it all on & then having to take it off at night. I may have felt better if I had done it, but it just wasn't the most important thing to me at the time.
I didn't pack my own personal fan & I was so thankful that my hospital provided me with one (& let me keep it after my stay...I'm sure I paid for that lol), but it would've been something I would've packed for sure.
I was very hot while in labor and it was awesome to clip onto the bed and I also used it to sleep with later in the room. So if you're hospital doesn't provide one, then definitely consider bringing your own!
What I'm Glad I Brought & Why:
I am SO glad I brought both slippers and flip flops.
I didn't like the idea of walking around on the hospital floor with bare feet or even with the grippy-socks they give you, so I just bought a cheap pair of slippers from Target that I could toss if they got gross & a pair of cheap Old Navy flip flops for the same reason.
They were awesome for just getting around the room and the flip flops made good makeshift shower shoes.
My Yeti Cup was a great move on my part. I've seen a lot of women get nice plastic cups with straws and handles, but Brookwood (in Birmingham, AL) just had big styrofoam cups with lids and straws.
They tended to buckle a little when you held them, so I much preferred just pouring my drinks into my Yeti and using a straw with it. Plus, it kept things much colder than the hospital cup.
Simple things like the extra-long phone charger cord (the plug was SO far away from the bed), hair ties, and multiple tubes of lip balm were all necessities that I wouldn't want to forget. Bring multiples of each if possible.
Your own pillow and case are a must (at least for me) because I like my pillow to be a certain way, especially the night we came in and started the induction. I was uncomfortable trying to sleep with an IV, blood pressure cuff, and fetal monitors and having my own pillow and blanket was a small pleasure.
Bringing your own towel is also a good move. The towels at my hospital were small and scratchy. I had read on Pinterest to bring your own, so I brought a large bath sheet that was super soft and comfy. It was also a dark brown, just so there was no mistaking it for hospital white and no staining issues.
Of course, Chris had his own bag with his own stuff (which we should've packed more for him, too) and Charlie had some things that we brought as well; two outfits (one gown and then a going home outfit), a swaddle blanket, a wubbanub (thankfully we had this to give him while he was under the bili-lights), and his door hanger that we wrote his birth stats on, and his boppy.
We didn't have to bring much for Charlie because the hospital supplied diapers, etc.
Overall, I felt like we were mostly prepared & didn't overpack too much.
Next time I would do a few things differently though!
I hope this post was helpful to some of you!
If you've had babies, please comment below and leave your must-haves in the comments for hospital bags.
Until next time. . .
xoxo,
I also would've prepped for an extended stay; we arrived on Wednesday evening to start our induction & had Charlie late Thursday night. Because of that we were supposed to be discharged Saturday morning, but because of his slight jaundice (& the fact that the next day was Sunday) they waited and discharged us Sunday. Neither Chris or I had enough clothes, fortunately Chris was able to make a Target run for himself and I was able to re-wear what few things I needed, but I realized then it was better to overpack than under pack.
I wish I had brought more than two nursing bras. If you're planning to try to nurse your babe, then you'll quickly realize that it's messy and you just need to be able to change these out in the beginning.
I wish I had left my laptop & large camera at home. I had lofty plans of feeling up to working on my computer before the induction really hit, but really Chris & I just tried to sleep as much as we could.
And I also really wanted to do a lot more pictures of us and Charlie in the hospital, but I just didn't feel up to it. It would've been better to not have had to worry about all those things.
I also go back & forth about whether or not I should've left my makeup at home.
I ended up not wearing any at all, pretty much the entire time we were at the hospital. I just didn't feel like it was that important to spend my time putting it all on & then having to take it off at night. I may have felt better if I had done it, but it just wasn't the most important thing to me at the time.
I didn't pack my own personal fan & I was so thankful that my hospital provided me with one (& let me keep it after my stay...I'm sure I paid for that lol), but it would've been something I would've packed for sure.
I was very hot while in labor and it was awesome to clip onto the bed and I also used it to sleep with later in the room. So if you're hospital doesn't provide one, then definitely consider bringing your own!
What I'm Glad I Brought & Why:
I am SO glad I brought both slippers and flip flops.
I didn't like the idea of walking around on the hospital floor with bare feet or even with the grippy-socks they give you, so I just bought a cheap pair of slippers from Target that I could toss if they got gross & a pair of cheap Old Navy flip flops for the same reason.
They were awesome for just getting around the room and the flip flops made good makeshift shower shoes.
My Yeti Cup was a great move on my part. I've seen a lot of women get nice plastic cups with straws and handles, but Brookwood (in Birmingham, AL) just had big styrofoam cups with lids and straws.
They tended to buckle a little when you held them, so I much preferred just pouring my drinks into my Yeti and using a straw with it. Plus, it kept things much colder than the hospital cup.
Simple things like the extra-long phone charger cord (the plug was SO far away from the bed), hair ties, and multiple tubes of lip balm were all necessities that I wouldn't want to forget. Bring multiples of each if possible.
Your own pillow and case are a must (at least for me) because I like my pillow to be a certain way, especially the night we came in and started the induction. I was uncomfortable trying to sleep with an IV, blood pressure cuff, and fetal monitors and having my own pillow and blanket was a small pleasure.
Bringing your own towel is also a good move. The towels at my hospital were small and scratchy. I had read on Pinterest to bring your own, so I brought a large bath sheet that was super soft and comfy. It was also a dark brown, just so there was no mistaking it for hospital white and no staining issues.
We didn't have to bring much for Charlie because the hospital supplied diapers, etc.
Overall, I felt like we were mostly prepared & didn't overpack too much.
Next time I would do a few things differently though!
I hope this post was helpful to some of you!
If you've had babies, please comment below and leave your must-haves in the comments for hospital bags.
Until next time. . .
xoxo,
good tips! it's so overwhelming to think about! :)
ReplyDelete