Packing a bag for the hospital can be a little harder than it sounds. Especially if you aren’t sure what to pack. It’s not exactly like packing for a vacation, but it will be the best trip of your life! Here is some of my advice and best tips for getting ready for the big day.

~ First, pack early! Everybody says that with your first baby you will go right up until your due date or you will go late. I was told on a Monday that I was no doubt going to my due date (which was 3 weeks from then), and 6 days later, Joey was born (two weeks early). I had just happened to pack my bag 3 days prior to that. And I had thought I was packing it too early!

~ Do yourself a favor and go buy a cheap pillow that you can just leave at the hospital when you are going home. Hospital beds are hard and hospital pillows are like pancakes. It doesn’t make for a comfortable recovery bed, especially when family is there to watch the baby and you get a chance to get some sleep. It’s the one thing I wished I had with me when I had Joey and I will bring one with me this time around.

~ I personally DON’T recommend bringing your own pajamas. Not to sound disgusting or to freak you out, but you will be in your first days of healing after having a baby. If you deliver naturally, it is much worse than that time of the month. You may be changing constantly. I liked that when I ruined my gown, it went to them to wash and I got a brand new one. I definitely would not have wanted to cart those dirty pajamas back home to wash myself. And how many pairs would you have to bring if you keep staining them? But if you do decide to bring your own pajamas, I suggest you go with a nightgown so you don’t have to wear pants the first few days. And if you plan on breastfeeding, bring a nightgown that buttons down the front so you can easily feed the baby without completely disrobing.

~ Pack very comfortable clothes to go home in. If you deliver naturally you won’t want to put on anything too tight or abrasive like jeans. Bring something light and airy like looser fitting leggings. I did not have a cesarean so I can’t vouch for how that feels, but I would imagine you wouldn’t want pants that fit too tightly over your belly. Or maybe you want to think about the maternity pants that don’t have the band and sit just under your stomach. And if you give birth during the summer months or in an area with a warmer climate in general, opt for a loose fitting, comfortable, cotton dress.

~ Pack a coming home outfit for baby in two sizes, newborn, and 0-3 (or 3 months). This way no matter what size baby is, you will have an outfit you like as their first outfit to wear. If you only bring newborn size and your baby ends up being bigger, do you really want to send someone else to go pick out their first outfit for them?

~ Before you are nearing your due date, check to see if your hospital has a photographer that comes around for a mini photo shoot during your time there. The day after having Joey, a photographer walked into the room to take his pictures (for purchase, of course) and I had nothing cute for him to take pictures with. No hats, blankets, stuffed animals, etc. Now of course you don’t want to cart a million things with you to the hospital, but if they give you the opportunity for professional photos as soon as baby is born, you might want to bring something special. And for us, they included the family in the pictures which is good to know if you want them to wear anything in particular.

And lastly, don’t forget to bring all the things you use daily. The best way to make sure you don’t miss anything is as you are getting ready for bed at night, and for the day in the morning, make a list of everything you use, and use that list to pack your travel sizes in your bag. Good luck, mama!!