Preparing for Baby: Must-Have Items for Your Hospital Bag
With a newborn on the way, let’s pack your hospital bag with essentials from Birdie Bean. We’ve created this guide to help you have a comfortable trip to and from the hospital with your newborn. Whether it’s your first baby or your third, this list of hospital bag must-haves will ensure that you don’t forget a thing.
We know you’ve spent the past few months preparing for your newborns' arrival. You’ve already designed their nursery, filled their bookshelf with favorite stories from your childhood and shopped adorable outfits for every season and holiday. But you also have one more third trimester to do before your baby arrives.
You have to pack your hospital bag! It can be overwhelming to pack your hospital bag because you don’t want to forget anything. What you bring with you to the hospital can ensure you have a comfortable stay and an adorable return home (we’re big fans of cute ‘going home from the hospital’ outfits!)
When should you pack your hospital bag?
Of course this is going to vary from woman to woman! If your doctor has advised you that you might go into labor early, you might want to start packing around 35 weeks. But for most women, packing your hospital bag around 36-37 weeks is usually recommended.
However, it’s always up to you! You can start packing your hospital bag as early as you’d like. We just recommend not waiting until after 38 weeks, because baby could decide they’re coming and you probably won’t have everything you need!
Hospital Bag Must-Haves
On average, moms usually stay in the hospital for anywhere from 2-4 days depending on how they give birth. Keep this timeline in mind when you’re packing, to ensure you’ll have everything you need.
- Photo ID, Insurance Info, Hospital Forms And Birth Plan
- Phone charger (and potentially an external power bank)
- Lip balm
- Nursing pads and maternity bras
- Toiletries (we recommend travel size everything! You’ll want to make sure you have a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, face wash, shampoo and conditioner. Plus anything else that you know will help you feel fresh and clean)
- Hard candies or lozenges (these are a must-have! Sugary sweets will make you more thirsty, so make sure to stick with sugar free)
- A big water bottle (that keeps your water cold!) You are not going to want to get up for water, so having a big bottle to keep by your bed postpartum is essential.
- Postpartum Recovery Kit (we love this essential kit from Frida Mom) If you want to put together your own postpartum recovery kit, we recommend including:
- Warm socks and a comfy robe
Hospital Bag Baby Must-Haves
The good thing is that when you’re little, you don’t need much! It’s likely that your hospital will have diapers and wipes for you, but having some in your hospital bag is always helpful for the journey home. Otherwise, we mostly recommend a cute going home outfit, warm blanket and approved car seat.
- Approved Car Seat
- Cute going home outfit
- Warm blanket
- Diapers and wipes
Thank You Basket for Your Nurses
Lastly, we love to include a small basket of thank you items for the nurses. It’s always nice to say thank you with a few items for them as well. Usually, we’ll just put together a basket to keep in our room, and they can take what they’d like.
- Cute pens
- Energy or Coffee Drinks
- Hair Ties or Clips
- Granola Bars
- Flavored Water or Gatorade
- Gum
- Chapstick
We also want to include some items from Birdie Bean that will make your hospital stay more comfortable.
These items might be considered less ‘essential’ but around here, we know the importance of being comfortable and having something to wear that helps you feel a little bit more ‘put together’, even though it’s still loungewear!
The Perfect Loungewear for New Mothers
You’ll never find a hospital that’s managed to get the temperature just right. Guaranteed you will either be too hot or too cold all of the time. That’s why we recommend bamboo!
We already love bamboo because it’s safe on sensitive skin and better for the planet. But did you know that it’s also incredibly soft and comfortable?!
Bamboo fabric is designed to help keep you cool. All of our loungewear is lightweight and loose fitting, which is exactly what you need in your hospital bag. Plus with our new designs and styles, you could have a precious matching moment with your newborn.
Shop the perfect loungewear for new mommas here.
Matching Hospital Outfits (or going home outfits!)
As we mentioned, this is your first chance to have an adorable and memorable matching moment with your newborn. We love matching sets, we think they make for the sweetest moments. We’ve designed each of our collections with that in mind.
So whether you want a classic look or something seasonal and fun, we have prints and styles for every momma!
A Pillow from Home (with a Bamboo Pillowcase)
Trust us, you do not want to rely on hospital pillows! If you take one thing away from this checklist, let it be this. Bring a pillow from home and make sure it has a bamboo pillowcase. Like we mentioned, hospitals tend to run warm.
A bamboo pillowcase will help keep your pillow feeling cool, which is one of the easiest ways to stay comfortable. No more flipping your pillow to the cool side, your pillow will always stay cool and soft for you.
Warm Blankets for the Ride Home
Along with the perfect outfit to go home in, you also want to make sure that you have warm blankets for the ride home. We recommend our Birdie Blankets, because they’re made with the same bamboo viscose that you love, and they’re also perfect for swaddling.
You could also get a blanket that matches their going home outfit!
The Perfect Blanket for Snuggles at Home
For extra warmth and comfort once you get home, consider our new microfiber blankets or bestselling plush blankets. They’re so soft and snuggly, perfect for mom, dad and little one to cuddle up at home.
This blanket will be your new go-to when you need to curl up on the couch and rest or put your feet up together and watch a movie. All of our blankets and pillows are perfect for mom and dad (as well as your little ones).
Once you have everything packed, make sure to keep your hospital bag in the car or by the front door so you can grab it and go when the time comes!
Creating beautiful, comfortable and safe clothing has always been our goal here at Birdie Bean. Our founder chose bamboo because it’s designed without harmful chemicals, which means it’s safe for your little one's skin (especially a newborn baby’s sensitive skin).
We also know that it's incredibly soft, cooling and comfortable. We’ve taken a fabric that you can know and trust, and used it to design adorable prints in styles for the whole family. Shop sets for mom here and make sure to grab something for your first matching moment.
If you’d like to learn more about why we love bamboo, you can read this post.
Whether it’s your first baby or your a seasoned pro, congratulations and thank you for trusting us to be on this beautiful journey with you. We hope our ranges of matching family pajamas and sets can feature in your family’s memories and traditions for years to come.
