Most pregnancy websites like parents.com or the bump.com say to pack a bag at 34 weeks. Ha, I guess I am one to live on the edge because I packed my hospital bag a week before my delivery date. I just went on maternity leave a little over a week ago and I just didn’t have the time beforehand. I was doing some serious nesting. Like getting baby Z’s room in order. Which also meant a lot re-shifting of each room in the house to make room for our once shared office belongings to make a space that is now Baby Z’s nursery. In October I took a month long pottery class because I was concerned that once I had the baby I was never going to leave my home again. I had made a pact with a good friend that we were going to take this class and not let life get in the way. And it was a warm welcome. I got to see my friend every week and make things with my hands. It was awesome! This is something I had been wanting to do for about a year so I am glad I got to check it off my need to do list. As my tummy started to grow more and my due date got closer, I started to get asked a lot by concerned friends close to me when was I going to start to slow down. I was still working and trying to cram everything in at work too so that the work blog was taken care while I was on maternity leave. Let’s just say life was very busy. It took me a couple of days to get out of work mode and move into focusing on baby and me mode.

Last week I finally pulled together a hospital bag. It has all kinds of things for Baby Z and me. I was lucky enough that at one of the last photoshoots I worked at, one of our regular model moms also happens to be a labor and delivery nurse with 20 years experience and she gave me a quick run down of what I really need in my bag and what I should expect. Which was such a warm welcome for a first time mom-to-be.

Hospital Bag Necessities:

  • An outfit for Baby Z to come home in. – Which I packed 3 different outfits because I have no idea how big he is going to be. My Dr. has mentioned that my baby boy is going to be big so I just am prepared for anything. I have some hats and socks for him and a couple of receiving blankets.
  • Toiletries – I asked if this was really necessary and she said absolutely. I live super close to the hospital so I figured I would just come home to take a shower. But she said to plan for the unexpected, like a c-section, that I would stay longer if I end up having one. She said either way I would want a shower. I packed some body wash, a small hand towel, deodorant and some lotion because my skin has been so dry.
  • Extra pads just in case the hospital hasn’t caught up with the times. She said her hospital had only recently started to give out decent pads and she said better to be safe on this one.
  • I have two going home outfits for myself. One is leggings and a t-shirt and the other is a long maxi-dress. I also have a long sweater that can double as a robe if needed. She said comfort will be key here. I will want something loose and non-restricting.
  • A nursing bra.
  • Underwear in case I really didn’t like the hospital provided ones.
  • Phone Charger + Cannon Camera with a fully charged battery.

A Snack Bag

The best tip she gave me that I would have never thought of on my own was to have plenty of snacks for my husband. She said like two days worth. She said there are always lulls and the partner never wants to leave to grab a bite to eat in case the baby comes at that exact moment. She said it would never work like that but this just alleviates the guessing and worrying and hunger when trying to decide on the best time to leave to grab a snack. Snacks are like a love language for my husband so we went to Target one day and I had him pick out a bunch of stuff he thought he would like to have with him. We lost some sour patch kids and swedish fish already but have already replenished. I threw in a granola bar for me. It totally looks like we are preparing for a movie marathon.

I loved how the labor and delivery nurse kept referring to labor as a marathon. She said your body is going through this intense experience, like a marathon, and the old way of thinking was to not eat or drink too much in case of surgery but now the thought is you need some fuel to get through the marathon. I love that. She also said to embrace delivery wether it is natural or c-section. To not be ashamed if I end up having surgery instead. Which I loved that she prepared me for all of this. It can be nerve wracking to not know what is going to happen and what to think one should expect before a big moment like giving birth. She took all of the anxiety out for me. I am really trying to get some last minute things done for the nursery and just slow down and relax. The calm before the storm. She also said to have some sort of a birth plan in mind. She said it doesn’t have to be too involved but things like, do I want an epidural? Yes please! Do I want music. Some women do aroma therapy. I plan to have my phone and a book to keep me occupied during the lulls. But she also said if I can sleep, sleep as much as I can before the big marathon starts.

So now we have two bags packed by the front door. One just full of snacks and orange flavored sparkling water and the other just the basic necessities. We are ready for you Baby Z!