Preparing your hospital bag
What do you pack in your hospital bag? This is a question that most women start to ask themselves almost as soon as they realize they are pregnant. As an expectant mother, you know that giving birth brings out a wide range of emotions. You are excited to see your baby, you are nervous about the labor process, and you are stressed about making sure that the house is ready to bring your new baby home. Asking the question of what do you pack in your hospital bag is the last thing you need. Unlike some of the other things that come with pregnancy, packing your hospital bag is a stress that you can easily avoid.
First, you should remember that you aren’t just asking what do you pack in your hospital bag for you, you also need to ask yourself what should be in your bag for your baby. If the baby’s father is staying at the hospital, it is also a good idea to start asking him to think about what he should pack in his hospital bag. After all, the last thing a new father wants is to be forced to leave his newborn baby at the hospital to run home because he forgot something.
When you are asking yourself what do you pack in your hospital bag as the mother, then you need to remember that you will be going through labor and a night or two in the hospital after labor. So for the labor process, you will want things that will soothe your pain and help you to relax. But if you are feeling better the day after you deliver, you might be looking for something to keep you occupied while you are stuck in the hospital. Bringing a book, a CD, or anything else that you enjoy will really help you to pass the time at the hospital.
When asking yourself what do you pack in your hospital bag, you should also remember that you will need toiletries for yourself while you are at the hospital. Most hospitals have basic toiletries if you need them, but sometimes it is comforting to have your things from home with you. So you might want to bring travel sizes of your favorite lotion, shampoo, and toothpaste. Your baby will also be well taken care of at the hospital, but if there is a lotion, clothing, blanket, cap or special diapers that you want for your baby you will want to bring those with you.
Lastly, when asking yourself what do you pack in your hospital bag, you should remember that there will be many people wanting to take pictures and video of you and your new little one. You might want to bring your hairbrush, a nice nightgown, and some makeup from home. Also, you will want to remember to bring your own camera and video camera to capture those special bonding moments.
So what do you pack in your hospital bag? The real answer is that it is up to you. These things are just the basics to give you something to think about. You may find things that you want to bring with you that are not on this list. Remember, the main thing you should remember when packing your bag is that you and your baby need to be as comfortable as possible.