Sami’s Labor & Delivery Hospital Bag Checklist | Sami Kathryn at Home
Towards the end of pregnancy, Matt and I sat down with our amazing L&D nurse friend, Hailee, to ask her about a million questions about labor and delivery, and to go through our hospital bag. I am so grateful we did! Ever the list maker, I created a list of everything we needed to take to with us so that nothing was left behind. You can download that freebie right here! We used nearly everything on this list, but the five items below were my most used/most loved items in the hospital!
- Heating Pad. I really don’t know how I would have made it through labor without this!! They had heating packs at the hospital, but they didn’t last long, were hard to get in the right position, and weren’t hot enough. I used this the entire time I was in labor, and it’s so helpful to have while nursing to relieve some of the back pain.
- Velcro Swaddle. Swaddle blankets are adorable, but as a newborn photographer, I know that babies are stronger than they appear, and break out of swaddle blankets so easily! The nurses are great at swaddling babies tightly in the multiple layers of hospital blankets, but I found it easier to just use a velcro swaddle so she stayed cozy and warm!
- Portable Sound Machine. Sound machines should be mandatory for all new parents – they are amazing!! Nothing calms Annie down like white noise. It helps her sleep and feel comforted, and having one in the hospital that we could turn on and carry with us was amazing.
- Birth Announcement Props. Obviously, I knew I needed tons of pictures in the hospital to remember every last moment! It was fun having a way to share her name, birthday, and birth weight with everyone while sharing her sweet face.
- Computer & HDMI cord, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV Stick, etc.. If your labor & delivery room has a TV, having a way to stream your favorite shows can be such a comfort in the hospital. We watched Gilmore Girls all night while I was laboring, and it was such a good distraction. Even when I was in too much pain to actually pay attention, I found it comforting to have it on in the background.
Don’t forget to download your free copy of my labor & delivery hospital bag checklist right here.
