After having her first baby, Luna, Chrissy Teigen tweeted: “No one told me I would be coming home in diapers too.” For first-time moms, just about everything is strange, new, wonderful, and sometimes a bit bewildering. It’s nine months of prenatal vitamins, navigating cravings, agonizing over which infant nail clipper is just right for your baby, slathering all manner of creams on an endlessly growing stomach, counting kicks, being inundated with “friendly” (and often completely confusing) advice, and, of course, loving the little one growing inside of you. (Oh, and that “nine months” timeframe is a common misconception. It’s actually more like 10. 39 to 40 weeks is considered “term.") But before you rush off to deliver, do heed one piece of time-tested advice and pack a thoughtful hospital bag. You know, it’s the big bag that the frantic husband in just about every romantic comedy seems to forget as he rushes out of the door.
So what do you really need to pack in yours? Candice Miller and Jenna Crespi, the sisters behind cool new mom blog Mama Tata, share their exhaustive list:
Blanket for you
Blanket for your partner
Pillow for you
Pillow for your partner
1 twin bed sheet for you (hospital linens can be stained and dirty)
2 towels
2 washcloths
1 pair of rubber flip-flops (to wear in the hospital shower)
1 pair of cozy slippers
1 robe
2 pairs of pajamas
1 baby take-home outfit (a kimono-style outfit is best because of baby’s umbilical cord)
1 take-home outfit for you (something comfortable, but that also looks nice for photo ops)
Car seat (the hospital will not let you leave without one)
Colace
Extra-strength Motrin
Prenatal vitamins
Liquid soap
Shampoo
Conditioner
Razor
Shower cap
Face wash
1 roll of preferred toilet paper (for those who visit you)
1 jar of Tucks witch hazel pads (to be stored in the refrigerator in your room)
4 pairs of large underwear (that you don’t care about)
2 cans of Dermoplast pain-relieving spray
2 toothbrushes and toothpaste
2 nursing bras (if you plan on breast-feeding)
2 pairs of socks
Medela nipple cream (if you plan on breast-feeding)
Warm blanket and hat to wrap baby
Hairbrush
Moisturizer
Phone/charger
CBR stem cell kit (if you plan on banking cord blood)
Identification