Hospital Bag: What to Bring for your Birth
- Courtney
- Aug 27
- 3 min read
Here in the US, most births occur in a place that is not our home. Hospitals, specifically, tend to be where people will bring their baby into this world. Because of this, many families do wonder on what makes sense to bring with them into this space. Let me you in on some ideas on what to bring to help you and your support people.
First and foremost, it is important to figure out what your plan is for your birth experience. Are you planning for certain interventions like an induction or c-section. Do you plan to try to go unmedicated. These are things that will change what items you may need more than others. For example, if you have a scheduled c-section, you may not want to waste space on a diffuser for essential oils and opt for a abdominal binder. If you are planning to get an epidural, you may not want to bring all different kinds of massage tool and settle on one or two to help you till you get your epidural. Your expectations for birth can help guide you on what makes the most sense to bring versus others.
Now that we have figured what our goals are in birth, lets talk about different categories of things to bring. They will fall into :
Clothing
Physical Care
Physical Comfort Tools
Tools Effecting Senses
After Birth Care
Baby Items
Clothing: What do you need for labor and birth for you: This could include a robe, slippers, a labor gown, socks, nursing bras, etc. Things that can help you feel comfortable and covered during the labor if that is something that helps you feel better. Make sure to have clothes that are comfortable and won't cause irritation after you give birth.
Physical Care Tools: This is your deodorants, toothbrush and paste, hairbrush, and etc. Things that help keep you feeling fresh and clean especially in situations like inductions, were you may be in the hospital for multiple days before baby is here.
Physical Comfort Tools: These are things like massage tools, massage lotion, TENS units, Labor Ball or stool, Blankets, Pillows, Peanut ball, etc. These are things that help with Physical comfort techniques, position changes, and relaxation.
Tools Effecting Sense: These are your Bluetooth speakers, diffusers, twinkle lights, affirmation cards, Essential oils, etc. These are the things that will help create a safe and comforting space using your sense to help in labor.
After Birth Care: Things here would include ice packs, stretchy underwear, pads, numbing spray, witch-hazel pads, peri bottle, nipple cream, nipple pads, nursing bras, abdominal binders, and so on and so forth.
Baby items: This would include diapers and wipes, a couple of pairs of newborn clothes (appropriate for the season), mittens, nail clippers, hats, pacifiers
(if you would like to have some available), Baby book (for footprints), etc.
Some people wonder why we would want to bring these things into the labor room. The hospital will have some of this stuff available for you like the baby items and postpartum care. Beside the bare essential, why bother packing all of these things in with you when you don't need them to have a baby. The truth is, you are right, you won't need all of these things. You may not even end up using half of what you brought. All these things are there to help you in labor, birth, and postpartum. When things get overwhelming, having something to help ground you like a diffuser or low lighting can change the mood. Using massage tools to give comfort can change an experience that is creating suffering to something that is painful but manageable.
Being prepared may not make everything go according to plan but having options and tools to help you in your birth can change things from feeling traumatic to something the is empowering and help guide you into parenthood. The little things count. When packing your birth bag, remember that you might not be able to control everything that happens but we can stack the cards in your favor (thank you Lindsay McCoy from Body Ready Method for that). Use your birth bag to help empower for your experience ahead.
Love,
Courtney
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