Written by Ann Metz
I was on the phone the other day with my mom when the topic turned to childbirth. “When I had you, Daddy wasn’t even allowed in the delivery room. And I stayed in the hospital for a week,” she said.
We talked a bit about how times have changed, how my husband was by my side at the hospital through 18 hours of labor, how I was so glad I remembered to pack his bathing suit and my favorite lip balm, and how I will always love “Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major” because that was the relaxation tape I listened to (over and over again) in the childbirth suite when I had my first son.
My second son came much faster via C-section, so I didn’t have any time for Pachelbel… or hot showers… or strolls around the nurses’ station. [But even without the chamber music, it was an awe-inspiring experience.]
Well, all this talk about “must-haves” for the hospital got me thinking about what you really need to pack for labor and delivery—and what you should leave at home. I called Nancy Lantz, RN and certified childbirth educator at Tennova Healthcare, to find out what expectant moms today should pack in their bags in preparation for the big day. Here are the essentials:
For Mom
- Your own pillow (and a pillow for your partner)
- Your favorite music and something to play it on
- Bathrobe and nightgowns (be sure they open in the front for breastfeeding)
- Something to wear in the shower or tub during labor (Nancy suggests packing a t-shirt or halter top.)
- Socks, slippers and/or flip-flops (they can double as shower shoes)
- Headband or ponytail holder
- Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, makeup, hairbrush, shampoo, soap, etc.)
- Massage oil and/or lotion (Nancy suggests packing lotion with a lavender or citrus smell instead of one that is sweet/flowery, which can increase nausea.)
- Hard candy or lozenges
- Healthy snacks (nuts, granola bars, honey sticks, etc.)
- Comfortable clothes to wear during your stay in lieu of the hospital gown (Nancy recommends two-piece loungewear, especially if you are going to breastfeed your newborn)
- Maternity bras and maternity underwear
- Breast pump, if you plan to use one
- Cell phone and charger
- Camera with extra memory card, battery and charger
- Gym bag packed with a change of clothes and basic hygiene products for your partner
- Comfortable going-home outfit
For Baby
- Newborn diapers (only if you are using cloth diapers)
- Infant car seat (properly installed)
- Going-home outfit (Nancy says to make sure it is “car seat compatible”)
- Receiving blanket (to tuck around your baby in the car seat)
What Not to Pack
It makes sense to leave jewelry and lots of cash at home. You can also forget that novel you picked up at the bookstore recently because you won’t have much down time. (Magazines are okay.) Nancy also encourages expectant moms to leave the “thank you” cards at home. You’ll be too busy—both during labor and after delivery—to take care of things like that. Instead, enjoy this early bonding time with your baby. You’ll have plenty of time for reading and writing notes and assembling that baby book after you get home from the hospital.
Tennova Healthcare offers childbirth services at Physicians Regional Medical Center, Turkey Creek Medical Center and Newport Medical Center. To learn more, call 1-855-TENNOVA (836-6682) or visit Tennova.com.
I hate calling lists like these “essential.” That puts pressure on moms to bring things that they may already realize they don’t care about. Instead, moms should see these lists as jumping off points for ideas about the things THEY would want to have.
As for me, I’m sort of minimalist. Six births and six hospital stays, and I would never have used most of that stuff. Last time I packed:
* Front button nightgown for laboring
* Pajamas, socks, and dark underwear for each day of post-partum (just regular briefs underwear, and no bras except the one for going home)
* Clothes to go home in
* A couple of days of clothes for my husband
* Going home outfit for baby
* Toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, and deodorant for my husband and me, plus the standard makeup bag type stuff that is always in my purse anyway (hair tie, chapstick, hand lotion)
* Cell phones, laptop and chargers
* Car seat
And then we ended up going home early the morning after she was born (it was Christmas and we were anxious to get back!), so I didn’t even use most of the clothes that I packed!
Oh, and I brought my yoga ball. Loved it while I was pregnant, and for rocking the baby when she was tiny, but I didn’t use it at all in labor. Oh well.