Hospital and Postpartum Checklists
Your hospital stay and your care after delivery.
Legend:
- 🔥 Personal Favorite
- ❓ Optional
Recommendations are in parenthesis.
Have a large bag or suitcase with these items ready at least one month before the due date (or earlier). When the time comes to leave for the hospital, you’ll have other things on your mind.
We kept a bag ready with most things we could spare, and a note with things we had to add when leaving for the hospital (like toothbrushes etc.)
We recommend hiring a doula. They will reassure and comfort you before, during, and after delivery. They can also take pictures of the whole thing.
We also recommend birth and first aid/CPR/AED classes, and Hypnobirthing.
Take some time to discuss your birth preferences with your partner, provider, and doula. Check out the birth location is possible (tour of the hospital birthing suite for example). Note the different pain-mitigation options and other equipment.
Hospital Checklist
- Insurance card and ID
- Birth documents filled in
- Birth preferences printed out
- Toiletries
- Shampoo, shower gel (Attitude, Mustela)
- Toothbrush, toothpaste (Tom’s of Maine)
- Hairbrush, hair ties
- Beauty products: deodorant, moisturizer, lip balm, etc. (Attitude, Mustela)
- Book, e-reader, tablet, or laptop
- Phone and charger with a long cord, as outlets might be far from the bed
- ❓ Camera (Sony)
- ❓ Folder to collect all the paperwork
- ❓ Pillow and towels (in case the hospital ones are bad)
Mom / Parent 1
- Comfortable clothing: things that can get dirty/abused
- Postpartum clothing (Boob Design)
- Warm grippy-bottom socks or shower slippers
- Big, comfortable postpartum underwear (Boob Design, Spanx)
- Nursing bra/tank top (Boob Design, Kindred Bravely)
- 🔥 Snacks
- 🔥 Gifts for nurses and doula (snacks or treats)
- ❓ Eye mask and earplugs
- ❓ Book, e-reader, tablet, laptop
- ❓ Essential oils
- ❓ Toilet paper (the hospital’s scratchy stuff is unsavory postpartum)
Dad / Parent 2
- Clothes
- Two wardrobe changes
- Warm hoodie or sweater, joggers
- Pajamas / sleep outfit
- ❓ Sleeping bag
Baby
- Infant car seat
- Blanket for car seat
- Mix of different-sized clothing
- Nursing pillow
Postpartum Checklist
These can be added to the hospital bag as well.
- 🔥 Peri Bottle (Lansinoh, Frida Mom)
- 🔥 Ice Maxi Pads (Frida Mom)
- 🔥 Disposable Underwear (Amazon Basics)
- Witch Hazel Spray
- Postpartum clothing (Boob Design)
- ❓ Pain medication (acetaminophen, ibuprofen)
- ❓ Silicon scar patches
- ❓ Stool softener
- ❓ Personal lubricant
Breastfeeding
- 🔥 Cooling Nipple Pads (Medela, Frida Mom)
- ❓ Silver Nursing Cups (Silverette)
- ❓ Lanolin (Lansinoh)
- ❓ Disposable Nursing Pads (Medela)
- Nursing bra/tank top (Boob Design, Kindred Bravely)
Alex and Clotilde live in Oregon, after two pandemic years in Switzerland. They are originally from Brussels, Belgium.
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