No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth! I have just been a little preoccupied with getting ready for this baby to make an entrance! This whole nesting thing is out of control! But, we are now just a few short weeks away from meeting our newest little one. To say I’m excited is an understatement!
So, what have I been up to for the last few weeks? A lot. A whole lot. My house hasn’t been this organized in a very long time! I have been cleaning, purging, and organizing EVERYTHING. Nothing has escaped my nesting. I’m not 100% sure the kids are overly impressed with all of it since some of their stuff has found its way to the dumpster as well, but I feel better about the whole situation!
One of my main projects, though, has been getting everything ready for the baby and getting a hospital bag packed. As of right now, I think I have the necessities ready to bring the baby home. I’m sure I will realize I forgot something once we get home, but for now, I’m not concentrating on that stuff. All I’m trying to do now, is make sure I have everything we need for when we go to the hospital. This post is going to be all about the things that are packed into my “go bag” as my husband calls it.
The first thing that always goes into my bag is some comfy pajamas. There is nothing worse than being in uncomfortable clothes after having your baby. I try to make sure the pajama pants are dark colored because, let’s face it, the first day or two after birth are not the easiest and things can get a little messy. Dark colors hide stains better than light colors.
The second thing that goes into the bag is my bag of toiletries. I managed to forget this stuff with one of my kids. I hope I never do that again! Thankfully the nurses were able to get me a toothbrush and some deodorant!
One of the main things to remember is baby clothes! These are the fun things to pick out for the hospital bag. Just make sure to pack a few outfits for baby. I was very thankful to have a few extra outfits when we had our first son. We had gotten him into his infant seat and had taken his “going home” picture when he filled his diaper and had a major blow out. It was everywhere! And we hadn’t even left the hospital yet. We had to take him back out of his seat, wipe down the cushion on the inside, give him a quick bath, and change his clothes. This was all after he had managed to spit up on a couple outfits already. Moral of the story, bring three to four outfits for baby. I doubt you will regret it!
Another thing that is on my must-have list for bringing baby home is a blanket. A car seat cover is also quite beneficial if you are bringing a baby home in the winter. This baby is our first summer baby, so I’m just bringing a light blanket to put on baby when we leave the hospital. With the weather we have been having lately, we may not even need the blanket, but I will bring at least one just in case.
We are trying something new this time as well. My husband and I are sharing one duffle bag to cut down on the number of things that need to be carried back out of the hospital. I don’t really know how it happens, but it seems like things manage to multiply while at the hospital. Having only one bag of personal items to carry out definitely lightens the load. So, my husband’s clothes and personal items are also on the list of things that need to go into the hospital bag. But I didn’t pack those! That’s all on him!
A couple other things that probably aren’t complete necessities, but major conveniences, are the computer and chargers for it and our phones. I say it’s not a complete necessity, but I don’t really want to be without them either! I want to be able to communicate with people, especially since my other children will be staying with someone else while we are at the hospital.
This next thing maybe won’t be in your bag with all your clothes and personal items, but don’t forget your insurance card and phone number for your insurance company! You will need to call your insurance company after the baby is born to get he or she added to your insurance policy. This is a very important part! Don’t forget to do it!
There are a few other things on my list that maybe wouldn’t be on someone else’s list, but I like to bring thank you cards to write out for the nurses, doctor, and anyone else who would play a part in bringing our little one into the world. We also try to pack some snacks. The hospital vending machine gets expensive! It’s way more affordable to bring your own snacks.
And last, but by far not the least, don’t forget the car seat! The hospital will not let you leave unless you have the baby properly strapped into an infant seat. No, I have not learned this by personal experience (thankfully!), but I have heard it second hand. I would not want to be stuck in the hospital for longer just because we forgot to bring the car seat for the baby!
I know this list is not going to cover every single thing that everyone could possibly want to remember for their joyous trip to the labor and delivery department, but it’s a starting point. For me, I have learned that I would rather pack light and have fewer things to take home than pack everything I could possibly think of and not use 90% of it. I’ve been there. This is my sixth baby. I’m over the whole “perfection” thing that seems to be overtaking the baby birthing process. I have learned that I don’t need all the stuff. Once that baby is born, all you want to do is hold the baby and look at that little face. You’d be surprised how much time flies by with just those two activities. You really won’t need much else.
So, for all you mommas out there getting ready for your own trip to the hospital, don’t stress about what to bring. The baby really doesn’t need much. All baby will need is your care. If it’s an actual necessity for baby, the hospital will have whatever it is that you forgot to pack. Just enjoy the process of the delivery and the experience of holding your baby for the first time. Those are the priceless things you will remember. You probably won’t remember most of the things you managed to leave at home in your preparations. Soak up all those baby snuggles while you can! They don’t last nearly long enough!
Have a great week everyone!
P.S. Don’t forget to put the hospital bag in your car!!!
Imperfection At Its Finest 