What to Pack for the Hospital

I've recently seen and received requests for a "what to pack" list when having a baby. The fact that I got about 32 women pregnant last year means I've seen this a lot. I'm tired of sending individual emails so here's my list of things that you should pack for the hospital/birthing center.

Documents:

• Insurance information and any paperwork you will need
• Copies of your birth plan

For Mami & Daddy:

• Robe and slippers - if you wear them
• Clothes for delivery, if you don't want to wear the hospital gown - I labored in a sari
• A nightgown that opens in the front, for nursing after the baby gets here
• A sleep nursing bra
• Several pairs of socks, if you don’t want hospital socks
• Birthing ball - if the hospital doesn't provide them
• A focal point, good luck charm, or some other "security" item
• Snacks for after delivery - I had the frog princess at 10:43 p.m. and although they served dinner til late into the night, by the time I got up to my room, they weren't. Though I got lucky and had an awesome nurse that made a turkey sandwich magically appear
• If you're at a birthing center, you'll want to bring food for during labor as they normally don't restrict eating and encourage it to give you energy while you labor
• A cup if you don’t want to drink out of the disposable cups at the hospital and anything you want to drink
• A change of clothes for Papi
• Going home clothes for mami - elastic waist, nursing bra, roomy top. Whatever you wore while pregnant that wasn’t restrictive
• A Girdle or some sort of post partum support belt - hear me out on this one. I felt like ripe fruit after I had the baby. Though I felt fine after the labor, I would get queasy at the feel of my tummy and the ripeness of it. I can't explain it, maybe one of my readers can
• Undies: okay so I should tell you that when I was pregnant and planning on a birthing center delivery, my girlfriend who is an OB nurse told me I had to buy "mesh underwear". I had no idea what she was talking about. When I gave birth at the hospital (long story) I got some of them and let me tell you, I took some home. For real. The hospital has them, take advantage. They were comfy and once I took them off I didn't have to worry about what was on them and just pitched

For the Baby

• Car seat for baby
• A special blanket for the "official" first hospital picture
• Going home clothes for baby

Toiletries & Such:

• Hair accessories (scrunchy, headband, etc)
• Toiletries - don’t forget a comb and a little lip gloss for the official hospital pics. You may not feel like it but trust me, take them
• Oil or lotion for massage
• Lip balm
• Eyeglasses and/or contacts and supplies
• Nursing pads - though you’ll probably only use this for when you leave. I don’t think I wore a bra while in the hospital. Enjoy the freedom, it will be short lived
• If you're in a birthing center, you might need to bring:
  • sanitary napkins - although I bought some King Kong sized pads to take with me, I ended up using the hospital ones. Yes they were more like a pillow but it was comforting to wear as it made me feel like my uterus wouldn't fall out of my body.
  • disposable underpads

Electronics & Accessories:

• Cell phone
• Camera supplies (don't forget the charger, film and/or extra batteries!)
• Music/playlist and speakers
• Your baby book, for footprints or anything you want his footprints on, like a shirt
• List of phone numbers, to call and announce the birth - phone tree. you can assign someone this task other than you and Papi

That's all I can think of for now. Did I miss anything?