I am a chronic over-packer. I think of all of the scenarios, and try to make sure I have E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G I could possibly ever want in case this or that happens. I can tell you from first to second baby I got a lot better at knowing what to pack, and feeling good with what we brought. Especially with our first baby I wasn’t sure what to expect, and that left us with a lot more stuff than I needed. I will say too, every hospital is a little different. By packing in stages, you will feel less overwhelmed, and be able to make sure you have what you would like. Check out these lists of items to pack when you’re 20 weeks pregnant, 30 weeks pregnant, having contractions, and even a list of items you DO NOT need. Before you know it, that little babe will be in your arms. Let’s get prepared, I’m cheering you on!



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Why you should think about packing your hospital bag in stages
We live about thirty miles from our local birthing center. It was important to me to be prepared when I started having contractions because especially with our first, I didn’t know how quickly baby would come, and I didn’t want to have them in the car. I was in labor with my first baby for 40 hours. I went to the hospital three times before being admitted the fourth time. I was in labor with our second for about ten hours (so much better than the first time.) Both of my babies were born vaginally, so my information will be from that standpoint. Also, my water didn’t break on its own, with either of them. I did have an epidural with both births. However, I think I could have done so much better with relaxation techniques. Another blogger and podcaster I listen to, Lisa from Farmhouse on Boone, talks about the Bradley Method. You can see some of her birth stories here where she talks about the Bradley Method. I strongly believe that during the time I got the epidural my body was totally relaxed, and then delivery really progressed after I totally relaxed my body. I don’t think the epidural really helped and to be completely honest. It made it so I couldn’t walk for awhile after the births, which I didn’t enjoy. My legs were dead, heavy, and wobbly, like I was drunk and had been deadlifting all day long. It was the worst feeling!
I packed in stages throughout my pregnancy to ensure I had what I wanted in my bag and didn’t forget anything when I was having contractions. When contractions start, it’s really hard to think about anything else. Labor and delivery aren’t supposed to be enjoyable. This is talked about in the Bible several times referring to “the pains of childbirth.” It’s going to hurt, you’re going to be afraid to poop, walking will be difficult, and you’ll be more tired than ever before. Give it a few years, and you’ll see, these blessings are so worth it. Trust me. God called you to be parents, and it was part of his original design when creating the world, as the bible tells us in Genesis 1:28. God blessed them and said to them (talking to Adam and Eve), “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moved on the ground.” The Fierce Parenting Podcast has really been a blessing to me, and I would encourage you to give them a listen.
What to think about packing around 20 weeks pregnant
You always could find out if, and when your hospital is having a birthing class. My husband and I took the birthing class at our hospital with our first just to feel a bit better and know more of what to expect at birth time for our first baby. We really didn’t learn anything about breathing techniques…that is definitely what I thought would happen at these classes! It was not! Thank goodness! I didn’t want to practice sitting on exercise balls and panting. Save that for some other night..goodness. Birthing classes like that, in my experience, are literally just in the movies. Our class was so much more enjoyable!

Around this point in time you’ll want to find out what your hospital offers for you AND your guest while you are there for delivery and recovery. Most of the time hospitals will have a bed of some sort for your partner to sleep in, in your room. You, momma, will be sleeping right in the hospital bed. Plan on that. Wrap your head around it, and plan to be comfortable in that bed. You may also want to ask how many visitors can come while you’re in the hospital, and if your other children can visit too.
I would recommend packing your bag with most of the things you’ll need in the hospital that you won’t be using daily in a rollable suitcase. Packing things in my carry-on sized suitcase made things so easy, rather than lugging in a duffle bag while I was having contractions and when going home with our new baby. I made a separate list on my phone of the other things I would want to grab that I use every day (simple makeup bag, deodorant, toothbrush, etc.-I’ll go into more details in a bit). I titled the list “Hospital.” When contractions start, or your water breaks, trying to find the things you need in a rush without much mental effort is important. You’re likely to have your phone, so keep your list there, rather than on a piece of paper that could be misplaced in your nesting. Nesting is a thing. I didn’t believe it, but it totally happened. I started nesting with our second early on…around 12 weeks pregnant.
I know you might be nervous, excited, scared, and anxious. While packing your bag, remember to keep it simple. If you get nothing besides a couple changes of clothes in your bag, your toothbrush and deodorant. You’ll be fine. Even then, if there isn’t time, the hospital workers will help you get what you need. So, without further adieux, here are the lists of things you’ll really want while going to the hospital. You got this, I’m cheering you on.
Other things you may want to think about around 20 weeks:
- If you know you’re having a boy, and you’re going to have him circumcised, you might as well get a few squeeze tubes of vaseline for the healing process.
- Also, wireless Bluetooth earbuds have been THE best thing after having a baby to help me feel sane, be able to get more done, and just feel like a human again.
- There are so many different kinds on the market, and I think you need to pick a price point that works for you, and a style you like. I have the Jabra Elite Active 75t Earbuds, and they work fine. There are some things that I wish worked a little differently, and my husband has Samsung Galaxy Buds, but these JLab Go Air True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds have great reviews and several people have told us that these earbuds by Anker are great budget earbuds.
- I love using earbuds because you can talk on the phone while you’re holding your baby, change a diaper, make a bottle, wash dishes, listen to a podcast while holding a fussy baby, and so much more, all hands free!
- There are so many different kinds on the market, and I think you need to pick a price point that works for you, and a style you like. I have the Jabra Elite Active 75t Earbuds, and they work fine. There are some things that I wish worked a little differently, and my husband has Samsung Galaxy Buds, but these JLab Go Air True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds have great reviews and several people have told us that these earbuds by Anker are great budget earbuds.
- Put an extra bath towel in each vehicle that you might take to the hospital, just in case your water breaks, you pee the seat, or you need to deliver the baby in the car
- Put together a list of first people (and share it with your partner) you want to send a birth announcement to when baby arrives in order to avoid leaving anyone out unintentionally
- I love using Google Docs/Google Sheets for this purpose, because again, then it’s accessible on your phone and you don’t have to remember a piece of paper.
- Write out your ideal birth plan
- Order going home outfit, blanket, or anything else that you would like to have personalized for baby or other child(ren)
- Figure out what app you’d like to use to track feedings, diapers, etc. I used a few different ones between the two different babies
- Download an app to save all of your precious pictures. We love FamilyAlbum! We can share the photos we want with members of the family, but don’t have to post them all to social media.





Things to pack in your hospital bag to have ready around 30 weeks
- Silicone wedding band
- Phone charger with a long cord
- Every post I ever read said to plan for a 10 ft cord. I didn’t have this experience. I was close enough to an outlet to use my phone while plugged in, but also, maybe think about the purpose
- Nursing bra
- Nursing tank top
- Nursing shirt
- Comfy pants with a loose waistband (just in case you need to have a c-section, I would imagine this is very important)
- Hair ties
- Sock-fluffy socks and wool/warm socks.
- I feel like after I had our babies my temperature fluctuated a lot. Controlling the temperature of your feet allows the rest of your body to follow suit.
- Travel-sized shampoo, conditioner, facewash
- Breast Pump in a Pumping bag
- Did you know you, most of the time, can get a completely free breast pump with help from the company called Aeroflow Breastpumps? It’s true, check it out!
- Checkbook
- You will need this because believe it or not, you’ll need to write a few checks after the baby is born to pay for their birth certificate and social security number
- Journal paper and nice pen
- When you have some down time after having your baby I would highly recommend journaling in some way to recap your baby’s birth story. I wrote each of the kids’ birth stories while we were still in the hospital, and I added the birth story to each of our kids’ baby books. Looking back on them now I had written things from when I was in the hospital that I do not remember to this day (One year ago, and three years ago)
- Ask your hospital if these things will be charged no matter what, or if they are included and pack accordingly:
- Nipple cream
- If you can avoid it, something like nipple cream is something I’d pack to avoid being charged. I looked at our itemized bill afterwards, it cost $35! Both times the hospital brought Lansinloh brand. On Amazon, it costs $10.
- Newborn diapers
- Pads and underwear for momma
- Meals –for you and your partner for every day, for every meal, or what is included
- Prenatal vitamins-enough for five days
- Nipple cream
- Do you have a nice camera that you plan on taking pictures with at the hospital? Cool, get that ready. Make sure you have your battery charger ready.
- Going home outfit for your baby
- You might want the same outfit in newborn and 0-3 month depending on the size of your baby
- Swaddle/blanket for pictures
- Props for pictures, if you want
- Hey, while you’re packing, might as well get that car seat base set up, winter cover on the car seat, blanket washed and in the car seat (if temps are looking chilly)
- Keep your actual car seat in your house until you are on your way to the hospital to have the baby. That way if you get in an accident you don’t have to pay for another car seat!
- Nursing pillow
- Robe, maybe.
- I’m torn on this. I much rather preferred wearing a long sleeve, sweater-type nursing shirt. Then it’s already on when guests come in, your body is covered, you don’t have to worry about sitting up, putting it around your back, and it is under your butt while you’re still bleeding. But, if you’re going for looks, then go for it.
- I liked this style of nursing shirt
- Everyone’s breasts are shaped differently. The shirts that are cut diagonally and you have to get your nipple out of the side didn’t work for me. I much preferred the ones that allowed me to lift part of the shirt up, and then take my breast out diagonally towards the middle worked better for me.
- Latched Mama has nice ones too! I got a nursing sweatshirt as a gift and loved it!
- I liked this style of nursing shirt
- I’m torn on this. I much rather preferred wearing a long sleeve, sweater-type nursing shirt. Then it’s already on when guests come in, your body is covered, you don’t have to worry about sitting up, putting it around your back, and it is under your butt while you’re still bleeding. But, if you’re going for looks, then go for it.
- If you have other children, start thinking about what your other child(ren) should have packed for when the baby comes.
- Clothes for three or more days
- Diapers, pull-ups, underwear
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Hairbrush and hair ties
- Shoes and socks
- Jacket/coat/hat/gloves
- Sleeping items:
- Pajamas
- Familiar blanket
- Stuffed animal
- Favorite book
- Sound machine
- Night light
- Outfit you want them to wear for first meeting the new baby
- Put this in a zip lock bag, label it, set it on top, and tell whoever is watching them that way they know what you would like them to wear when bringing them home to meet the new babe
- If you have animals, be thinking about getting enough feed to get you through the first few weeks of having the new babe, and line up a chore person for while you’re gone at the hospital, if you’d like. This alleviated a lot of stress just knowing we had that taken care of. My husband was able to go home and do chores, but just in case something went wrong with baby or myself we had a backup plan.
Things to pack in your hospital bag to have a baby when contractions start
- Face moisturizer
- Lotion
- Lip balm
- Deodorant
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Simple makeup (something to make you put together when you’re ready to take pictures with your new baby)
- Underwear for leaving the hospital in
- Ones that you don’t mind if they get blood on them. Still large, maternity type. You will not immediately fit into the clothes you wore pre-pregnancy. You’re still going to feel huge.
- An empty large utility tote-type bag
- Especially for your first baby, maybe bring two. People love to send people stuffed animals, flowers, balloons, etc. You will want something to bring them, along with papers from the hospital, extra pads, and undies, newborn diapers, and other “freebies” from the hospital, home in. If it was brought into your room, or if it was there when you got there, or if you requested something be brought to your room, you are charged for it. Take. It. Home.
- Pillow and blanket for your partner (big enough to cover their whole body)
- Car seat for that babe to come home in!!
- Checkbook
- Drivers’ license
- Cash


Things you DO NOT need
- Robe-again, I’m torn on this. See notes in the first list.
- Slippers –socks are the way to go. Getting slippers on your feet while you’re sore is annoying.
- Pillow for momma. You’re moving the bed up and down. The hospital will provide multiple, squishy pillows to fit where you need them.
- Again, ask your hospital to see what is covered in the cost of your room, and what is not. More than likely you will NOT need to bring these because they are already charged in your labor and delivery fees:
- Pads
- Underwear
- Nipple cream
- Newborn diapers
- Newborn hat
- Straightener, curling iron, blow dryer
- Girl, you’re going to want to take advantage of that rest, and putting your feet up, literally. You’re bleeding…a lot. Take it easy. Don’t worry about doing your hair. Let it air dry, take some pics before heading home. Good to go.
- Belly band
- Compression socks –again, hospital will bring these to you, if you need it
- Diffuser and oils
- You can bring them if you really want. I just found that it was one more thing to remember, one more thing to pack, and it didn’t make a difference to me once I was there. If you really want some oils, maybe get some roller bottles of what you’d like. Remember: mint will decrease your milk supply.
- Extra blanket for momma – the hospital will give you one, probably (check on this), but you’re going to be changing pads, changing bedding, getting checked, you do not need to bring a blanket from home.
If you’re reading this to help another momma out, I’ll tell you what my biggest blessing was while coming home. My mother and father in law were watching our first child while having our second. We let them know when we were coming home from the hospital. My mother in law responded and said she already had supper made, AND she said she was taking our daughter back with them that night so we could all get settled. I was shocked, I cried, and felt all of the feels by this response and act of selflessness. I felt so loved and taken care of. It was truly the biggest blessing (besides bringing home that baby)!
I would love to hear your experiences from having your own children. I think everyone’s comfort levels are different, and we can all learn from each other. Please leave a comment below to help other mommas out with what to pack to go to the hospital to have a baby. That babe is coming, best of luck getting ready. I’m cheering you on! For more updates like this and others about simple family living, gardening, beekeeping and more, sign up for “The Dirty Fingernail Club.”

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