Pregnancy #2: In Our Hospital Bag

Since we didn't exactly pack for the birth center last time until I was in labor, I got all up in my planning and decided that, ok, let's do all the laundry and pack things so that we aren't scrambling and forgetting things.

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So we did. But I probably still forgot some things.

Every birth situation is different, and ours, as of now, will look like this: go into labor, have kid at birth center, go home 8 hours later. That's how it happened with Beck, and we loved not staying in the hospital. I also think the hospital works so well for people for a variety of different reasons, we just opted out because we like being at home.

Because we won't be gone for very long (with Beck it was less than 12 hours away from the house total), our bag is full of maybe fewer things than a traditional hospital birth - fewer clothes, that kind of thing. There are some other things that I already have at home for postnatal care, and things that I skip that other people use (nipple cream for one, I just don't like all the greasy stuff and didn't find that it helped much with pain last time).

Here's what's in our bag, which is this massive tote from Logan and Lenora - the Oversized Carryall in an older pattern. I got it several months ago during their flash sale, where things are super discounted and sell out in five seconds. I happened to get one of the big totes and we used it for a pool bag, and I like it for the size and wipe-ability for baby things. The birth center yields some mess, because, you know, I'm giving birth, so a super fancy bag doesn't make a lot of sense.

Baby Stuff

Two outfits - one teensy one from Monica and Andy, and one larger sweater onesie that was handed down to us. I have two sizes of clothes because I don't know how big the baby is.
Milk Snob car seat cover. Might use, might not, depending on the weather.
Aiden + Anais Super Silky Soft Swaddle. We have a few of these, but this is one I bought new for this baby at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Because life with two kids will be bananas? Whatever, I like it.
Bebe au Lait blanket. Also might use, and also new for this baby from the Nordstrom sale. This blanket is HUGE and thick but not overly heavy, I'm really excited to use it once we get home for nursing and snuggling. If we end up at the birth center for a few extra hours it'll be nice to have once we are clean and dry.
Uppababy Mesa car seat. Not in the picture, but no one's going home without a car seat. I got this one on clearance at BuyBuyBaby several months ago because the one we had for Beck expired, and I'm excited to try it out!
Not included: diapers, a hat, and baby toiletries. Those are all provided so why waste ours?

Parent Stuff

Athletic clothes for Jay. He'll wear a regular outfit to the birth center and back home, but if we do anything in the water he'll wear this quick-dry stuff. When I told him to pack an outfit his response was "I still don't get why they're so against dads being naked in the birth tub too." So I'm feeling awesome about my birth team, of which he is the captain, starting lineup, and bench.
Outfit for me. I packed operating on the assumption that whatever I arrive to the birth center in will end up messy, and I'll want to go home in very stretchy + soft things. I have Blanqi pants, which for pregnancy I don't love but they are SUPER soft so I have high hopes for them as a postpartum option. A sleep/nursing bra from Brayola and a pull-down tank from Gap a million years ago, then a big Athleta sweatshirt for on top of everything. Note the lack of underwear, see below for that.

Toiletries

Adult Diapers. My most forceful postpartum recommendation. At hospitals you're provided with disposable underwear and some kind of pad combination, which works fine. The diapers, though, are all-in-one, disposable, thin enough that they don't look diaper-ish, and just handle things without a lot of fuss after giving birth. I'll also wear one to the birth center once my water breaks (if/assuming it breaks at home) so that I'm not messing up things that don't need to be messed up. This is not the time for cute underwear.
Colace. I do not mess around with the postpartum poop, and started taking this in the birth center last time - I actually think I had two doses in me before we got in the car to come home.
Brazilian Bum Bum lotion and body spray. I've talked about this before in a few different ways, but for me, I like doing some normal+indulgent postpartum things, and makeup and lotion are two of those things. I love this fragrance because it's light, the lotion feels wonderful, and it's one of my sillier cosmetic indulgences so I don't use it all the time because I want to pay for our kids to go to college. So it'll be nice to have when I'm getting ready to come home with this new teeny person.
Afrin. I've had a cold recently, and absolutely without any exception cannot stand not being able to breathe through my nose. So I'm taking this in case that happens.
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Stick. My most favorite chapstick ever, I've used it for more than ten years and don't leave home without it, especially when going to medical facilities that are always so dry.

Things Still to Pack (at the last minute)

Snacks/drinks
Water bottle
Makeup
Toothbrushes
Phone chargers/technology needs because God forbid we just exist in the moment

So that's our list! Beck also suggested a toy for her baby brother. This is Ralph Pickles, one of her old rattles/teethers that she has been saving for the baby, which makes us die of happiness when she brings it up.