What to Pack for the Hospital Part I :: Birth Plan and Wardrobe

I'm nearing 35 weeks into The Other Boy, and as a precaution, I'm packing my bag for the hospital.

The Boy was a week late, and I had my bag packed well over a month before I needed to use it! That damn bag sat there by the door, taunting me, especially as I went a week over my due date.

Since I have many friends and family members who are expecting for the first time, I thought I'd share what I'm planning to bring the second time around.

What to Pack for the Hospital Part I :: Birth Plan and Wardrobe

With the birth of The Boy, I Googled multiple lists, cross-referenced them and made a lengthy list of my own. I know, pretty Type A of me, isn't it? Well, we brought everything but the kitchen sink to the hospital and used half of it. Having a child is a pretty intimidating experience, but what to bring can also be equally intimidating. 

The Birth Plan

You may have an Ironclad Birth Plan complete with Addendum and If This/Then That scenarios (amazingly I did not have a plan like that), but just know full well it may NOT go to plan. At all. 

It's okay, take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay.

The best Birth Plan is to simply have one with the notion that you want a healthy baby and healthy mama in the end. It is good to have a general idea of what you want (natural vs. epidural, induction, having your water broken or waiting it out, c-section or try everything else first), but don't beat yourself up if your birth ends up deviating from what you initially envisioned. 

I had a plan: I definitely wanted an epidural, and that was pretty much it. Chalk it up to my theatre experience, but I had a feeling chidlbirth was more like an improvisational performance than a scripted play. It is true. There is no script with childbirth. 

With The Boy, I was induced, they broke my water, and after what seemed like an eternity of having the Pitocin cranked, The Boy was born via c-section. He was simply too big. I felt oddly guilty for weeks afterward, thinking it wasn't a "real" birth, or that I should have kept trying other options for longer.

Now? The Other Boy is planned to be born via scheduled C-section, and I couldn't be happier about it! Ain't nobody got time for another 8 lb, 11 oz baby a week late (okay, you might, but it obviously wasn't for me)!

Wardrobe

• Delivery Gown
• Slippers/Socks
• Cheapo Flippy Floppies
• Nursing Bras
• Glasses and/or contacts (but bring glasses anyway if you use contacts)
• Going home outfit (sadly it's not what you think)

I made my own Delivery Gowns (I was issued a much frumpier hospital gown for the c-section, but I was able to change into my cuter gowns afterward), and it was one of the items I considered adding to the MarshMueller line. But there are SO many cute and cost-effective gowns out on the market already, I decided to pull them and make other awesome things instead. 

Here's a super rad delivery gown option (affiliate link):

Baby Be Mine Gownies-Labor&Delivery Maternity Hospital Gown,Isabelle L/XL pre pregnancy 10-16

Take this opportunity to shop for some cute slippers or slipper socks. If you're not into active labor, chances are you're going to be doing more laps around the maternity ward than an Indy 500 driver. Make sure you like walking in them. 

Womens Sherpa Winter Fleece Lining Knit Animal Socks Non Slip Warm Fuzzy Cozy Slipper Socks Fox

Get some cheapo flip flops to wear in the shower if you're skeeved out in hospitals. I'm not going to Google any for you, you're just going to want to toss them anyway.

Nursing Bras: OMG, these are super crazy important. But until your milk comes in, just get a couple of suuuper attractive Sleep Bras. Once your milk comes in, go get fitted at somewhere like Nordstrom. You may have to order them online once you know your size, but they give you the best fit in the store. Oh--and bring a few breast pads, just in case.

Sunzel Women's Cotton Spandex Seamless Sleep Bra for Nursing and Maternity (Dark Gray, XXL)

If you wear glasses and/or contacts, be sure to bring them. If you wear both and switch off, bring both. I've heard stories of glasses fogging up, contacts irritating, so it's best to bring both options. 

As for your outfit upon leaving the hospital, sadly, it's probably not going to be your pre-pregnancy jeans (seriously, life is so not fair). You'll still look a little preggers, so bring your favorite maternity outfit so you can go home in style. Yes, I know you totally were looking forward to burning your maternity wardrobe after baby, but give it a few months, okay? Then burn away. Just be sure to be following all local burn laws/permits. We don't want a freshly post-partum mama on the news because she started a forest fire while destroying the last bits of all her clothing with a Motherhood Maternity label on them. 

Next up: What to Bring to the Hospital, Part II :: Everything Else 

What did you bring wardrobe-wise to the hospital that was a must-have? Share below in the comments!