What's In My Hospital Bag? - Round 2!

It was SO much easier and quicker to pack my bag this time around!! After the experience with Vincent in the hospital, I got an idea of what things were necessary and which things weren't so necessary. It of course depends on your hospital as well and what they provide, so I highly recommend checking with them first. Luckily, a friend of mine delivered at the same hospital where I'll be delivering Samantha, so I was able to make a list and get everything I need into a single bag. I'll be able to gather a little more information during the tour, but with this baby being my second, I wanted to have the bag packed by 35 weeks! :)
I purchased this bag at Target several months back with the hospital stay in mind! Last time, I actually regretted packing several smaller bags, because it ended up just making more to keep track of and carry. 

For Samantha, the hospital will provide diapers, wipes, a hat and a booger sucker. So for her, I've packed her going home outfit (onesie, pants, bow, socks & shoes), two newborn sized onesies, one pair of pants, two pairs of socks, two pairs of scratch mittens, both a newborn and 0-3 month sized hat, a newborn sleeper and a pair of baby clippers (which I totally forgot to include in the photo lol!). It's not pictured, since it's not purchased yet, but I'll also be packing a SwaddlePod, which is basically knock-off Woombie. This hospital won't send us home with a receiving blanket, so I wanted to have this on hand. The minky blanket I made her was also a must, since it may be a little chilly and I'd like to cover her with it once she's strapped into her car seat. 

For myself, I packed two nursing tanks, a pair of comfy yoga pants, a pair of boxers, two pairs of socks, two pairs of mesh underwear (not sure if this hospital provides them), slipper socks, a hairbrush, straightener and a cosmetic bag. Then of course a box of thin mints, because...well I shouldn't have to explain why. ;D 

In my cosmetic bag, I've got mini shampoo, conditioner and body wash, two small hair care products, moisturizer, nursing pads, gum, hair ties and bobby pins. I've also got a small makeup bag. In it, I've got face wipes, deodorant, Q-tips, a toothbrush and toothpaste, dry shampoo, hand cream, lip balm, powder, concealer, blush, mascara, eyeliner and a couple of brushes. As I did last time, I won't actually add this to the bag until we're about to head that way. 

As far as extras go, I'll also be bringing my phone charger cable, iPod, earbuds, Samantha's binder for all of her paperwork (pictured above with the rest of her things), two copies of my birth plan, my DSLR, the Boppy pillow and a plush Tiger. The tiger will actually be for Vincent from Samantha; we figured that might be a nice gesture to Vincent when he meets her for the first time. :) I also got an idea from a couple of mommy friends to make little gifts for the nursing staff at the hospital, so I'll be bringing those as well once I have them finished! 

I'll be using some twine to tie these around peanut M&M baggies!

I'll go ahead and add a list of the things that I packed last time around and didn't end up needing:

- The birthing ball. I got to the hospital and immediately labored in the tub for a bit and was in transition pretty much straight after. I was too busy screaming to even think about the ball. Hahaha
- The baby medical kit, vaseline and diaper rash cream. The hospital provided all the vaseline we really ever needed with Vince and never really needed diaper rash cream until he started solids! The only thing in the medical kit that I'll be bringing this time around is the pair of baby clippers. I didn't use them in the hospital with Vincent, because I was TERRIFIED, so I bit them to trim them instead. This time around, I'm much more confident in my infant nail trimming skills. And those baby nails are LONG when they're born!! - The sleeping gown. I actually never ended up liking them at all! Mike picked up a sleeper from home instead when he went back to get cleaned up and that was much more useful. So I packed a sleeper this time instead. - Maxi pads. The hospital not only provided a better version of those, but also a squirt bottle, TUCKS pads and dermoplast.
- Regular underwear. The mesh underwear are a million times more practical and comfortable after delivery and the hospital will likely provide some on top of the pairs I packed.  - A nursing bra. I ended up not being a huge fan of them - I preferred the nursing tanks, so I made sure to pack a second one of those instead of the bra.
- My Medela pump. The only reason I brought it last time, was because by bringing it, the hospital was able to provide me with a free new set of pump accessories. Since my pump was handed down by a friend, that was important, but unnecessary this time around.

On the flipside, here are the things I'm bringing this time that I didn't bring last time:
- The Boppy. I was told by several people that I would not need it in the hospital. Well, Mike ended up having to bring it back to the hospital with him after he went home to get cleaned up! I swear by that Boppy. - A 0-3 month hat. Vincent ended up having such a large noggin, that the newborn hats never fit him! It's hard to say how big Samantha's head will be, but I figured it would be a good idea to pack a second larger hat just in case. - A SwaddlePod. I ended up liking this type of swaddle a million times more than a traditional one or the velcro SwaddleMe, because it keeps baby so much more snug without being too warm or bunchy. It's also lightweight and not much bigger than a sleeper.
(These three things were all things Mike ended up having to grab when he went home!)
That's it! It's so crazy to think that almost exactly two years ago, I was starting to pack my first hospital bag! (You can check that post out here) :D I'm so incredibly excited to meet this little Miss! 

What's in my Hospital Bag?

I've been looking forward to making this blog entry for a while! I've spent a TON of time in the past several months reading other mommy blogs for ideas, asking family members, friends and fellow March mommies for advice and asking my hospital how long a typical stay is, what is permitted and what they provide during that time. Hopefully this list will provide those of you, who will be packing your own bags soon, with some ideas and inspiration! :)
It seemed like it would be better to pack everything in a large bag, but this works best for me! This way, I can keep my things and baby's things separate, so that I can grab whatever I need quickly without having to rummage through a suitcase.
I packed pretty lightly, because I plan on having a natural birth and don't expect to be in the hospital much longer than 24 hours after giving birth. I tend to be one to "overpack" and really wanted to avoid doing so for this occasion. However, I'm aware that some things are beyond my control and I could end up in the hospital for several days if I needed a c-section. So I plan to leave a few outfits out on my bed, in case someone needs to swing by the house and pick them up. Thankfully, we are only 5 minutes from the hospital. 
I'll start off with Vincent's diaper bag. I got the bag (which is actually a purse) from my sister in law for Christmas and I LOVE it. It's very roomy and I think it will serve well as a diaper bag! 

Since Mike was just over 6lbs when he was born and I was just under 10lbs, I have NO idea how big this boy is going to be. So I packed both a newborn and a 0-3 month sized onesie with one little pair of pants each. I also packed one sleeper, a hat, two pairs of scratch mittens, two pairs of socks and his going home outfit. My mother in law and I embroidered Vincent's long-sleeved onesie and I painted the little shoes, which we plan to use as his going home outfit. They are newborn sized and I hope sooo much that he fits in them! :) I am also bringing the swaddling blanket my grandmother made. It's super soft and I desperately want to take a few pictures of him swaddled in it to send to her. 

I bought this medical kit at Walmart for just under $20 and it has EVERYTHING: a digital thermometer with covers, bottle medicine dispenser, nasal aspirator, brush and comb set, cradle cap comb, nail clippers with 5 emery boards, toddler toothbrush, 5 alcohol wipes and it all came in this really nice clutch case. I added a bottle of hand sanitizer, a tube of lanolin and about six breast pads, since they fit in there so nicely. I also got a pacifier thermometer and medicine dispenser that I added to the kit, just to keep everything together in one place.

A fellow mommy blogger made the suggestion to use Vaseline to cover baby's bum after diaper changes, so that especially those first meconium poops will wipe right off. It sounded like a good idea to me! So I added the little green mesh bag containing vaseline, diaper cream, a couple cotton rounds for application and baby lotion.

On to my hospital bag. I figured a backpack would work great, since it's roomy enough and won't have to be carried by hand. I will warn you - there are girly things in this bag. But, they are too important not to mention. ;)

I will be bringing my iPod, because I NEED music. It has helped me through depression, panic attacks and I am beyond certain that it will help me get through contractions. I've even created playlists specifically for delivery. (And I totally forgot to add it to the picture, because pregnancy brain. Derp.)
My great aunt got me the awesome blue fuzzy slipper socks, which are super comfy and will be perfect for the hospital!
The white square looking piece of fabric under the hairbrush and straightener are two copies of my birth plan and my post delivery belt. With my abdominal muscles being split, it was recommended that I use one after delivery to assist in everything going back to where it needs to be.
I also have a pack of my favorite flavor gum and my favorite pen, to fill out all the important paperwork. 

I love little travel sized toiletries! I have deodorant (not pictured), toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body cream and even some body mist. I happened to have an unopened toothbrush in a container under my sink and figured it would be perfect to pack in the bag, because I have a feeling I'd forget it otherwise. In the little pink q-tips container are q-tips, a few hair ties and some bobby pins. I packed my second hair brush and my extra hair straightener. Yes, yes, I know. But after drying my hair (especially at this length), I have to at least straighten my bangs to avoid looking like Bozo the clown. I saw they actually have hair dryers in the bathrooms of the hospital, so that's one less thing I have to take! I also wanted to pack my mirror, so can "take care of my appearance" in bed. Haha :P The maxi pads are pretty self explanatory.

I won't actually put these in my bag until we leave, but these are the two little makeup bags I'm taking. I tend to feel better in general once I've put on a little makeup and know it will be nice to do so for pictures once baby boy has arrived! I am keeping it pretty basic: lip balm, concealer, powder, blush, mascara and an eyelash curler. In the longer pouch, I have a few brushes, eyeliner, an eyebrow pencil, an emery board and nail clippers.

As far as clothes go, I am not bringing much. I have a pair of shorts, jogging pants, a tank top and both a nursing bra and nursing tank to wear once I am out of my hospital gown. Also two pairs of socks and granny panties (the uglier the undies, the less upset I'll be when they're ruined! Haha). I am just bringing a loose, comfy shirt and a pair of black yoga pants to wear home from the hospital.

Here is everything together that we will be bringing with us to the hospital: 

As extreme as the birthing ball may seem, it was actually recommended by my midwife, lamaze instructor and First Born counselor that I bring my own. Apparently our hospital only has one and it's first come, first serve. I really want to have one during labor and I don't want to take the chance of it being in use when I need it.  Since I was given my breast pump by a friend, who used it slightly before me, the lactation consultant at the hospital told me that they will replace all of my old breast pump parts (hoses, membranes, valves etc.) for free; all I have to do is bring my pump! So I definitely want to have it with me. I'll leave it and Vincent's car seat in the car until I need them later on.  The little black and red plaid blanket inside the car seat is the one my sister in law made for Vince. It's adorable and I thought it would be perfect to cover him up with once we have him strapped in the car seat, since it will probably be cold when we leave the hospital! Another important thing is the blue binder, which will eventually contain all of Vince's important documents and has all the paperwork from my pregnancy. I figured it would be a good idea to bring along to put all of his paperwork in.
My camera is in the other black DAKINE bag, which actually fits into my hospital bag (if it were empty).
And last but not least: this is the post-it note on our front door, reminding me of the last minute things to grab, since I use those items on a daily basis and can't pack them yet.