I went into labor before I packed my hospital bag… here’s what you really need

They say nothing ever goes as planned when you have a baby. Let me tell you- it’s true! But it is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever been blessed to experience.

Baby Abner decided to make his appearance 5 weeks (and 1 day to be exact) early- I literally had planned to pack my hospital bag the very next weekend, but we never made it there.

So I walked into the hospital with nothing but the clothes on my back and my purse.

Here’s what you REALLY need.

1. Patience
   • This is something I need to work on in my day to day life in general. When you have a baby- your world stops. Nothing else matters except for you, your hubby, and that sweet new babe. Soak it in. Ask the nurses questions. Say please and thank you. S L O W  D O W N and don’t feel guilty about it.
2. A supportive spouse
   • Jake is the best person I know. Having him with me got me through some very difficult days in the NICU and he has continued to help me get through tough days and NIGHTS of being a new mom. If you’re pregnant now, make time to sit down with your spouse and talk about your expectations for after baby comes. Having a loving and healthy relationship going into child birth will make it a million times easier. Also, make time to talk about keeping an eye on each other. Post-partum depression is real, and it’s important for both of you to know the signs and be able to talk to one another if you’re feeling off.
   • I remember the first week we were in the NICU, one of our nurses was doing Abner’s morning check up and Jake and I were just talking, chatting about some things that we needed to do (because our house was under construction) and then I needed to go to the restroom, and he asked if I needed help. She said it was nice to hear us being so kind to each other, because being in the NICU is stressful and the only person you have with you to take your stress out on is your spouse. That meant a lot to me, and made me realize how blessed we were to have the care we did and the love we had for each other. I truly think our marriage was thriving more than ever in that first week of being parents.
3. A thankful heart
   • God is so good. And if you feel like there is something missing in your life and you can’t quite figure it out, please reach out to me. I’d love to chat with you about how you can fill those missing pieces in your life with an obedient life in service to God our creator.
   • God at the center of our marriage got us through those first two weeks of every emotion and fear and the greatest love we’ve ever felt in our lives. And He continues to watch over us and bless us, and we are so grateful to know Him.

OK- that being said, you also need some physical things. Here’s my tried and true list. The hospital really does provide the things you need, but here’s what I wish I had when we went in:

1. Flip flops for the shower. Grab a pair at old navy that you won’t mind throwing out. If you’re only in the hospital 1-3 days you may decide not to shower at all, but because we camped out there for 2 weeks, I took several showers in the public restroom in the NICU and flip flops were a MUST. Luckily we have family near by that was able to bring us things we needed, but because of COVID no one could actually come into see us.
2. Nursing Camis and disposable nursing pads. Bring like 5 of these camis and a bunch of these pads. Once you are home I recommend buying some reusable nursing pads, but at the hospital, it’s easier to have disposable ones. You’ll feel like you want to shower every morning because of night sweats and leakage- so bring a few of these camis.
3. 2-3 pairs of flowy pajama pants. These are a must for after birth. I didn’t want to wear leggings or anything form fitting for at least a week.
4. Grippy/Fuzzy socks. The hospital will give you atleast a pair of these, but it’s nice to be able to change them out when you start feeling gross.
5. Over-night pads. These are so much more comfortable than the giant ones they provide.
6. High waisted undies (trust me)
7. Lip balm. I used this. It is amazing. And necessary- trust me.
8. Deodorant (for you and hubby)
9. Dry shampoo
10. Body wash (for you and hubby)
11. Tooth brushes/tooth paste
12. Shower cap
13. Hair Ties
14. Onesies for baby
15. Several receiving blankets / burp cloths (the hospital does have these but I liked having some that smelled like home – my mom brought some to the hospital so we would have them once Abner was out of his isolette and in an open crib).
16. Going home outfit for baby and YOU
17. Shorts, tee shirts, undies, and SOCKS for hubby
18. Gift bags for nurses (I put together a few of these for our favorite nurses during our stay. Pinterest has tons of ideas for every budget and I think it’s a really nice way to say thank you)
19. Trash bag for dirty clothes
20. SNACKS

I hope this was a helpful post. Thanks so much for reading!

XOXO ~ Taylor