What to Bring for Labor

In just a few weeks, I should be holding my second baby boy in my arms. As such, the whole idea that I'm actually giving birth again has officially sunk in and likes to freak me out. To manage the concept of being a mother to two boys under the age of two, I've been making lists and over-preparing and in general, making my husband worry more than me.

I've been thinking of my last labor, delivery, and recovery hospital visit and came up with a more in depth list as to what I need to bring and why. Hopefully, this will be helpful to some of you.

Camera. Make sure you bring one and make sure it's charged before you go. Bring the charger too as you'll probably take so many photos of your new little one, the battery life will be short. Doesn't matter much in my opinion if it's a phone camera or a more professional one, just make sure you bring one.

My Baby Boy and I

Comfy Bedding for Husband. We own a memory foam mattress topper for a twin bed. It's hardly ever used at the moment, but we brought it with us to the hospital along with sheets, cover, and pillow, and my sweet husband was able to comfortably sleep on the chair beds the hospital provided. Granted, he only slept when I was asleep, but he was able to actually get sleep. Mom's need husbands who have had a good night's rest.

Toiletries. Shampoo, conditioner, hairbrush, hair ties, makeup, face wash, body wash, razor, etc. You will be able to take a shower after giving birth. Having these toiletries makes you feel human again after going through an incredible feat. Plus, you can then look nice for pictures and feel nicer even when you are sore everywhere.

Adult Disposable Underwear/Diapers. Sounds weird. I know. But they save you. You just had the most insane period ever. You will be recovering for a while. The hospital usually will provide huge giant pads, but this way you don't have to worry about leaking so much. Plus, they can better hold cooling pads. Better to heal with especially if you had stitches. Just bring some.

Comfy Clothing. You are not required to wear the hospital gown while recovering. Bring a couple of comfy shirts you can nurse in (button-up PJ shirt or nursing shirt) and loose, comfy bottoms that you could have worn in your 2nd trimester. You won't go back to your former size immediately after giving birth, so don't pack skinny jeans. You could also bring a robe to wear. Bring some slippers or sandals too, you might be more swollen after giving birth than before due to pushing a child out of you, so walking the halls to a nice, wonderful jacuzzi tub would be easier in sandals.

Nursing Supplies. For women who plan to nurse, bring nursing bras, nursing breast pads, and your nursing pillow. Nursing can be kinda hard to get a handle on. It helps to have everything you need to make it easier. Took my first child and me about 3 weeks to figure it all out, so I'd also recommend bringing an electric breast pump and bottles. They aren't necessary, but when you're really struggling with the latching and feeding, you can at least pump to encourage milk supply and feed your child the 'liquid gold' that's only there at the beginning of your child's life. I'd really invest in an electric pump, not a hand pump. My hands about fell off with how much hand pumping I needed to do. Bring lanolin cream for your breasts as well, they'll be sore.

Baby Hand Mittens
BedBath&Beyond.com

For Baby. Of course, bring the cute outfit for going home in, but bring them in a couple of different sizes: pre-term, newborn, 0-3 month. My son was born 9 lbs, so he only fit in the newborn size for about 2 weeks before he outgrow them. You're never sure how big he'll be until he's arrived. Bring some baby blankets too. I'd also highly recommend to bring baby hand mittens and baby fingernail clippers. Your child will be born with fingernails. They will accidentally scratch themselves unless their hands are swaddled in blankets. It also will help prevent your baby getting sick from people playing with his hands and then having your child put that hand into his mouth. Bring your child's baby book! You can ask the nurses to help get the baby's hand and foot prints. Make sure you bring the infant carseat. You will not be allowed to take your child home unless you have one.

Entertainment. Bring your laptop, a book, card game, or something. You'll be recovering for a couple of days and have some downtime.

Snacks. I was always hungry in the middle of the night. While the hospital food was amazing (seriously), the cafeteria isn't open in the middle of the night. I wasn't allowed to eat during labor (which lasted at least 12 hours), and right after you don't always feel like eating a lot either. I was starving by the time my first breakfast arrived. Your husband will probably be hungry too. Our hospital had a snack bar in the hallway stocked full of yummy snacks. However, sometimes the snacks were all gone because all the other couples grabbed some too. Make sure you bring snacks.

Other Advice. You don't need to bring diapers and wipes for your little one, as they usually provide those while you are in the hospital. Our hospital will leave the child with the parents unless otherwise requested, then they'll bring the child in for feedings. While some mothers want to be near their newborn 24/7, I personally recommend you request for the nurses to take your child at night. Not during the day, just at night. They will still wake you up and bring your child in to eat every 2 hours. But you're in the hospital to recover as much as you possibly can, in my opinion, that means actual sleep rather than being woken up from a restless baby who doesn't actually need to be feed yet, but you aren't sure. The more you're able to recover, the more you will be able to be there for your child when you are the only one there. You can trust the nurses, they know how to take care of newborns; it is their job, so you can rest easy. Check your hospital's website for any other advice they have on to what to bring or not bring to make your stay comfortable for all of you.