Everyone has a list of items they would consider hospital bag essentials. When I was pregnant, I certainly had a running list in my head. Unfortunately, since I gave birth 5 weeks early I actually didn’t have my hospital bag prepared! If you’re expecting a new addition to your family, take my advice…pack your bag early! You just never know what will happen! I asked some of my mom friends what their hospital bag essentials were, now that we can look back and base it on experience.

{Hospital Bag Essentials}

This post was sponsored by Huggies® Canada and inspired by the #NoBabyUnhugged program. As always, all opinions are my own.

An Early Birth

In case you didn’t know my birth story, I was 35 weeks pregnant and feeling completely fine – maybe just a bit tired. I  was out shopping for a newborn outfit for T when I felt a little “pinch” that was new to me. I decided to just call the hospital and see if there was anything I needed to worry about. Based on my symptoms (or actually lack of symptoms) it didn’t seem like anything urgent, but they asked me to come in just in case. My husband was on the other side of the country on a work trip, so I took my purse and e-reader with me, hopped in a cab and went to the hospital. To my surprise it appeared T was ready to greet us much sooner than we thought! As a result, I was instructed to stay in the hospital and had NOTHING with me.

Luckily my husband was able to catch a red eye flight that night and made it to the hospital early the next morning. While on his way I asked him to stop at home to pick up my semi-packed suitcase with my hospital bag essentials:

• Diapers and Wipes

Although we were fully stocked up on  Huggies® Little Snugglers diapers and Natural Care® wipes, we only had larger sizes available to us at home! Luckily the hospital helped and provided us Huggies® Preemie diapers. Even if your hospital provides them, I would STILL recommend bringing a bunch of diapers and wipes with you; it’s unbelievable how often newborns poop! (At least this was the case for T!)

After we left the hospital, I decided to continue using Huggies® diapers because they fit T really well and kept all his messes where they should be. The wetness indicator on the diaper was SUPER helpful; it’s important to count how many wet and dirty diapers your baby has in the early weeks to make sure they are drinking enough. Also, as a sleep deprived mom,  knowing which side is the front vs the back at a glance is a great feature!

As for the wipes, I found Huggies® worked best for us since they didn’t dry up and were very gentle on T’s skin. Newborns especially need products that are gentle for them and I love that these wipes are pure and gentle and safe for sensitive skin!

Here are some other hospital bag essentials you may want to consider packing.

Fuel for Delivery

Erica Schott – Parenting and Lifestyle Blogger at Anna Georgianna

Besides what I needed for the baby (diapers and a couple adorable sleepers) the most important item in my hospital bag for both of my deliveries was snacks. I brought energy drinks (which I typically never drink) and granola bars. Both were easy to stomach when I needed a little boost. In between contractions my husband gave me sips of an energy drink through a straw. I ate the granola bars afterwards when I was tired and hungry and felt instantly better.

After Care

Solmaz K – Editor, Writer & Influencer at The Curious Creature

The Fridababy Momwasher was highly recommended to me before I gave birth and I now understand why. It is amazing for perineal care. The hospital will give you a bottle so you can keep clean down there, but it’s pretty much useless as it doesn’t defy gravity! The Momwasher works upside down and was my BFF the first two months as I healed.

Communication

Nicole Campagna – Founder of Passion & Sparkle; Boss Babes Connect

For each of my three boys, my #1 hospital item was my phone charger. Capturing the moments and communicating with family/friends were the two most important things to me during those experiences. So that said while my camera and phone were high on the list as well, neither of those would be useful without my charger. Sounds silly but means so much. I could have managed without my toothbrush, cute baby going home outfit, nipple cream diapers or even enough clean underwear. But each time I unpacked my bag at the hospital that was always the first thing I took out.

Comfort Items

Alexandria Fox – Founder of Mamas & Minis Events

A List of Hospital Bag Essentials

If you’re an expecting mom, here’s a list of some hospital bag essentials to get you started:

• Diapers and Wipes (Huggies® brand are my favourites of course!)
• Snacks/Drinks
• “Momwasher”
• Phone Charger
• Night Gown
• Lip Chap
• Hair Ties / Clips
• Hand Cream
• Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, face cream, shampoo/conditioner)
• Socks
• Slippers / Flip flops
• Heavy flow sanitary napkins
• Adult Diapers
• Breastfeeding pillow (if planning to breastfeed)

What is or was on your list of hospital bag essentials? It’s always helpful to hear what’s on everyone’s lists!