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When to Pack Your Minimalist Hospital Bag?

Feel free to pack as early as you want, I didn’t pack my bag until I was 38 weeks but there was no real reason to believe that I’d be giving birth any earlier than my expected due date. I’m also known for procrastinating… So feel free to pack whenever it feels best for you!

When preparing my bag, I kept a separate list near the hospital bag of items that I wasn’t going to pack until I was sure I’d be heading to the hospital soon, such as my toothbrush or contact case. Most births are not as you see in the movies, where you are rushing out of the door without a moment to spare. While this is possible, it is not likely in normal and healthy births. Even though you will be preparing for The Postpartum Period and buying your Postpartum Care Items, it may give you something to do while in early labor!

Minimalist Hospital Bag Items

Disclaimer: I only recommend products that I truly love and use. With that being said, this blog post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, these links allow me to receive a small commission to continue providing free content to my readers. I am grateful for your support!

For Yourself

• ID, Insurance Card, and any other necessary hospital paperwork
• Birth plan (if you have one)
• Nursing Robe/Gown
• 2 nursing bras – I love these cute and comfortable ones from Lively. Use my code AMB-breazieboo to receive $10 off of your first purchase.
• Nipple cream
• Nipple pads 
• Soothing Gel Pads for Breastfeeding
• Chapstick
  Trust me, you’ll want this during labor. This is my absolute favorite chapstick, it feels luxurious.
• Makeup Remover Towel
• Scrunchies/Headbands/Hair ties
• 2 pregnancy sized outfits (spoiler alert: you won’t be fitting into pre-pregnancy clothes immediately!)
• Prenatal Vitamins (and any other supplements or medications)
• Donut Cushion to sit on for the drive home (you’ll thank me for this later!)

  

For Both Parents

• Pajamas (2 sets)
• Travel-sized toiletries
  • Face wipes (I preferred wipes over a facewash to minimize effort)
  • Shampoo/conditioner (or just dry shampoo if you’re like me!)
  • Body Wash
  • Moisturizer
  • Toothpaste
  • Deodorant
  • Toothbrushes
• Extra-long phone cord
• Laundry or plastic bags for dirty clothes
• Shower flip flops/sandals
• Contacts/Glasses
• Snacks – For energy and nourishment. Don’t forget to pack some for your birth partner as well. Here is a list of good (and healthy!) snacks to put in your hospital bag.
• Refillable water bottle

  

For Your Birth Partner

• 2 outfits
  

For Your Baby

• Nursing Pillow and Cover
• Sleeping outfit
• Mittens (to keep your baby from scratching themselves)
• Nail Clippers This is the one item that I did not anticipate and wish we had packed. The hospital did not provide any service to cut our baby’s nails and I was surprised by how long his nails were after birth!
• Socks
• Coming home outfit
• Car seat (with the base already installed in the car)
• Diaper bag (filled with the essentials!)
  

Make sure you check out the original list of Hospital Bag Essentials to see if there is anything else that you feel you would like to have. Hospitals will provide basic items, like swaddles for your baby and disposable underwear for yourself. Be sure to bring your own if you have a strong preference for your own items.

You can find all of my hospital bag items on my Amazon Storefront’s Hospital Bag List.