It’s official. Our hospital bag is packed and the final countdown to the twins’ homecoming is on. I’m officially due on October 1st, but I’m seriously hoping they grace us with their presence sooner. Carrying these babies around is getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute with rib, lower back and pelvis pain, so I would love to get them here asap.
As you may have noticed, I’m definitely not an expert when it comes to all things baby, labor and delivery, and becoming a parent. I’m just embracing this new journey, doing tons of research and laughing a lot with Chris along the way about how we don’t know what we’re doing. We’re having twins in a one-bedroom apartment for f*cks sake! Thankfully for me, Chris is Mr. Plan Ahead, and we’ve had this hospital bag packed for a couple of months now. This has given me time to slowly add new things I hear other women recommend, and double-check that we have all the essentials before I actually go into labor. Without further ado, here’s what’s on our hospital bag packing list for the big day.
labor & delivery kit
I was so happy that another new mom put Frida on my radar. This brand makes all the things for post-partum that I didn’t even realize I needed, and this kit is great because it has all of the things you need in one easy purchase. From a hospital gown and recovery underwear to icy healing pads, I was so relieved to order one kit from a brand that knows what they’re talking about, rather than researching individual products for all of these different needs.
slippers
For footwear, I’m bringing these Ugg slippers to the hospital to wear around the room after delivery. The only other pair of shoes I’m planning to bring is a pair of slide loafers that I can wear to the hospital and for the ride back home. It’s officially the least amount of shoes I’ve packed in any suitcase in my life. See, I’m such a sensible mom already (wink).
tumbler
As the beverage lover that I am, I, of course, need a great cup to comfortably drink lots of water and treat drinks throughout our time at the hospital. I picked up some coconut water and ginger ale to bring with us too, so I will have nausea soothing options on hand too. Lots of people recommended packing something with a lid and a straw for labor, so I thought this pink Swell option was a perfect choice.
weighted blanket
I definitely wanted to bring my own blanket, so I could get some proper sleep in the hospital before we head home to a whirlwind of late-night feedings and sleepless nights. This one by Luna is weighted for extra comfort and comes in a cube that’s super easy to pack in your hospital bag.
sleep shirt
One of the most commonly shared tips for hospital packing was to bring dark-colored clothes, since recovery can be…well, messy. I’m really thankful for this tip, because I don’t wear black much and definitely wouldn’t have defaulted to packing darker items. I love this sleep shirt by Eberjey, because the fabric is so soft and cozy, plus it will work for c-section or vaginal birth recovery.
lace robe
Being the maximalist that I am, the robe options I had in my closet were purple and white striped or floral silk, so I got this cute little black one for the hospital. It will be easy to wear for breastfeeding, and you really can’t go wrong with Eberjey’s soft pieces.
nursing bra
I truly hate wearing bras, so when I set out to find a nursing bra I knew I wanted something minimally binding. No wires. No crazy padding. I love this Cosabella one because it ticks all of these boxes and doesn’t look like a granny bra. Win, win.
nipple butter
I’m no expert on breastfeeding and actually just really hope I’m able to do it, but this nipple butter was recommended to me a few times by other women. That’s really enough for me. Add to cart.
nipple soothing pads
These nipple gels were another highly recommended item for breastfeeding. I’m a bit fearful of all the pain that is seemingly involved with breastfeeding, but I’m glad that I will have these couple of products on hand to make it a bit more comfortable.
back in the game jumpsuit
I just love all things Hatch and was really excited to get this jumpsuit to wear home from the hospital. It has easy access vents for breastfeeding and is the right balance of comfortable and chic for bringing the babies home. I really can’t wait for that moment!
beauty elixir spray
There’s nothing better than a good face mist on a normal day, so I can’t imagine how refreshing it will be to spray my favorite one by Caudalie during labor and delivery. I love this spray for its fresh rosemary, mint and rose scent and definitely recommend it for day-to-day use as well as labor.
makeup bag
I absolutely love this makeup bag set, and I already have the larger bag in the set packed with travel-sized shower products and skincare. I included shampoo, conditioner and body wash I took from a hotel stay, plus beauty items that I don’t use on a daily basis. I also packed some Neutrogena face wipes, even though I quit face wipes about a year ago because they can pull the skin down. In labor, I’ll make an exception, right? I have a second makeup pouch packed on my bathroom countertop with all of my daily go-to items—my hairbrush, my everyday makeup, toothbrush and toothpaste. This way when the big moment arrives, I can just grab this bag and hit the trail.
take-me-home sets for the twins
We’re bringing a few onesies for each baby in both the preemie and newborn size by Burt’s Bees, although if they stay in until 38 weeks I probably won’t need the smaller ones. My favorite items we’re bringing for the babies are these really great sets that have a blanket, hat, a onesie and a two-piece outfit for heading home. Talk about cuteness overload!
electronics
We aren’t planning to share very much in real-time during our time at the hospital (I have to draw the line somewhere!). However, I do want to capture lots of videos and photos of the experience for us to have for our own memories, and to share with you all once we’re settled back at home. I’m bringing my favorite camera—the Canon 5D Mark IV with the Sigma 35 mm lens—to take the first photos of the twins at the hospital. This probably merits a whole separate post, but I wish I would have invested in this camera set up way sooner than I did. It just takes the best photos, and, in all honestly, I probably spent more than the total cost of this equipment on buying the wrong cameras when I first started blogging. Anyways, we’re also bringing along a couple of iPhone chargers with really long cords, my iPad with a couple seasons of Real Housewives of New York on it, and this portable speaker for playing music.
snacks
Several people have recommended bringing candy and light snacks to the hospital, in the event that labor takes a really long time. Obviously, I’m not going to pack a hummus spread, but I have some dried mango, Jolly Ranchers, ginger candy and Haribo gummy bears in the suitcase, just in case things get desperate. I was also going to bring some BBQ chips, but every time I buy them to pack in our bag Chris eats them. We’ll just have to see if we have any chips on hand by the time I go into labor, but it’s looking pretty debatable (haha!).
