Prepping for Baby: Packing my hospital bags

Around week 30, I got a huge burst of energy. Nesting was in full force. One of the tasks I was slightly obsessed with was packing my hospital bags. Prior to researching what to pack, my knowledge of hospital bags was limited to Father of the Bride II. Annie had one little suitcase, waiting at the front door.

I started googling what I should be packing. Here are some of the websites and blogs that I referenced:

My Hospital Bag
Blue Eyed Bride: Pack Your Bags!
The Bump: Packing a Hospital Bag

My actual list was a combination of my research results. I actually had 2 hospital bags. During our child birth class, our nurse educator recommended having a "Labor Bag" and a "Recovery Bag". I found this advice extremely helpful. For one, when we checked into the hospital, we only brought the Labor Bag in and left the Recovery Bag in the car for later. Second, it was a lot of easier to tell J where to find something I needed during labor since I had a bag dedicated to it.

My Labor Bag was a Vera Bradley Tote in Slate Blooms. The contents are listed below. The items in italics are ones I actually used.

• Pack of Hair Ties
• Headband
• Pack of face wipes
• Hairbrush
• Sour Candy (to keep mouth from drying out)
• Rolling Pin (recommended by nurse educator to help apply counter pressure during contractions)
• Camera and Battery charger
• Cell phone charger
• Notebook and pen
• Footprint Sheet from baby book - Ended up doing footprint on 3rd day
• Wallet with Insurance card etc
• Gownie - Wore on 2nd day instead of during labor.
• Back Scratcher (okay, you can laugh)
• Assorted clothes for Jack (various sizes, including sleeping clothes)
• Mittens for Jack
• Socks
• Pillow
• Snacks for J

My Recovery Bag was a Vera Bradley Get Carried Away bag in Slate Blooms. The contents are listed below. The items in italics are ones I actually used.

• Nursing tanks and yoga shorts to sleep in - Because I was on antibiotics via IV plus other stuff from the C Section, it was more practical to sleep in my Gownie. 
• Going home outfit: nursing tank and maternity denim shorts
• Old Navy Rubber Flip Flops - Ended up being too tight so I wore the flip flops I came to hospital in.
• Lanolin cream for nipples - I breastfed in the hospital but my nipples did not get sore.
• Toiletry Bag (same stuff I would bring on overnight trip)
• Nursing Pads
• Bath Towel
• Robe
• Underwear - I wore the magical mesh underwear from the hospital
• Boppy (not in the bag, but you get it)
• Nursing Bras

I also packed a bag for J, which included:

• Pillow
• Fleece Blanket (Hospitals are chilly!)
• Clothes
• PJ's
• Toiletry Bag
• Phone/iPad Charger

Things we did not bring but thanks for family, we got them brought to us.

• Bottled Water
• House Slippers for J
• Food, Food, Food
• Beer (for J)

Things the hospital provided for which I'm grateful:

• Mesh Underwear
• Binder (abdominal support for post C Section)
• Pads (the diaper size ones and more)
• Amazing nurses, anesthesiologists, and more
• The best ice chips in the city
• Meds. Lots of them.

Hope this helps some of my preggo friends in packing their own bags!