5 Items I Did Not Need in My Hospital Bag

One of my favorite parts of preparing for my newborn’s arrival was getting to meticulously pack my hospital bag. I followed (and cross-referenced) all the expert checklists and even made my own “go time” to-do list for any last minute items to throw in.

While I thought that I had packed everything I needed, there were a lot of items I could have omitted from my labor bag that would have made our luggage a lot easier for my husband to wield around the hospital.

Here are the five items I did not need in my hospital bag...

1. Newborn Diapers or Wipes

I think half of my hospital bag was crammed with diapers and unscented baby wipes as if my newborn would need to change their diaper every 15 minutes. There is no need to bring diapers or wipes with you as the hospital will overwhelm you with these baby products to take home.

2. Feminine Hygiene Products

After I saw a handful of expert resources recommending packing pads or adult diapers, I threw some into my hospital bag, too. But I really wish I had opted to keep the occupied space vacant for the feminine hygiene products that the hospital gave me, like the infamous mesh underwear and ultra-absorbent maxi-pads since those are, for some reason, totally unavailable via any major retailer. 

3. Formula and Bottles

The hospital will give you lots of formula samples (which you should hoard before you leave by the way), so you likely do not need to bring formula in your hospital bag. If you are worried about allergies or formula sensitivities, it may make sense to have your preferred brand handy, but otherwise, it’s not really necessary to pack.

4. Three Going Home Outfits for You

When it comes time to leave the hospital, a nurse or doctor will run through an exhaustive and overwhelming list of child rearing do’s and don’ts and then it’s time to just… leave… with your baby…? It’s weirdly a mundane exit given that this is such a monumental moment in your family’s life: bringing your newborn home for the first time. Given the incredible significance of the event, I wanted to dress up for the occasion! I obsessed about which outfit to wear home from the hospital and even packed multiple shoe options, too.

But once the time came to get dressed and leave, I was so overwhelmed with just trying to prioritize how to pack up my and our new baby’s things (and the baby himself!) that I threw on the first outfit I could fish out of the luggage and shrugged, “And so mom-life begins…” 

Nix the wardrobe changes and opt for a loose-fitting nursing dress or nonrestrictive leggings (since you will be healing, after all) that you’ll feel comfortable riding home in.  

5. A Nursing Pillow

Everyone urged me to bring a nursing pillow with me to the hospital to familiarize myself with how to use it at home while breastfeeding. While I think it was still a nice-to-have, Andrew would have appreciated not having to tow around this cumbersome u-shaped pillow throughout the hospital. If you want to streamline what you (or more likely your partner) will need to carry, leave the nursing pillow at home and see if one of your first hospital visitors can bring it with them instead.

So what do you need in your hospital bag? Here are the seven surprising things that I am really glad I packed for going into labor….