Well, we only have 5ish weeks until Mr. B should make his grand arrival! Look at how big that baby bump of mine has become. I no longer joke about getting around the house like a penguin, but now like a rollie pollie- ya, you only think I’m kidding!
Almost 2 weeks ago I spent an entire weekend in the hospital because labor contractions were progressing and I was having to be given all sorts of things to make the labor stop. That weekend just terrified me not only because Mr. B was trying to come entirely too early, but also because the organizer & preparer in me WAS NOT READY! So as soon as I arrived home & recovered in rest Mr. B’s hospital bag was packed.
With Little Miss I was overly prepared and had brought WAY TOO MUCH to the hospital. Miss Grace was an unexpectedly 2 weeks early and I had nothing packed, in fact my family just ran to the store and bought everything we needed. With Mr. B, I feel like my list is just perfect!!!! 3rd times a charm, right?
3 Blankets (1 receiving, 1 fleece & a heavy baby blanket): I’ve learned the air in a hospital is never consistent so swapping out blankets instead of baby clothes is much easier.
2 Baby Gowns: I cannot express how much easier it is to change nighttime diapers on a newborn in a gown nightie vs. a snapped onesie or footed sleeper. & since I always have to stay 2 nights at the hospital it’s a given that we need 2!
3 Baby Outfits: I choose 3 because you’ll never know if you need a back up. I love the sets that have a long sleeve, tee & pants because I can easily switch out a shirt if need be instead of a whole entire outfit.
Baby Socks: a pair for each outfit, gotta keep those baby feetsies warm!
Baby Caps: Now my hospital usually gives our newborn a little hat, but I just never know what to expect- cotton, knit, crocheted, etc. So this time I am bringing my own. 1 hat will be fine, but I found a set that matched each of my hospital outfits.
Scratch Mittens: The mittens are a MUST! Baby’s fingernails won’t be quite ready to clip yet and these keep him from scratching up his face every chance he gets
Health & Beauty: Now this is a section that is mostly completely optional, BUT I’ve found it easier in the past to pack these things instead of having to find a nurse to get me them.
-baby nail file
-comb, especially if your baby ends up with some locks (my girls didn’t)
-aspirator: The very first time I used mine wasn’t for Miss Grace’s nose boogers it was for suctioning her throat because as I nursed her in the hospital she began turning blue. My husband, family and I had her to normal color before the nurse made it down the hall. An aspirator is a MUST in my opinion!
-baby cleansing wipes: great for keeping baby fresh and clean!
-rash cream: just in case baby’s bum gets irritated, but also because I think it helps easily wipe clean baby’s bum after a yucky newborn diaper
-health care bag: this is mainly to just keep the above items together, but also contains everything we would need after we leave the hospital.
I’ve also tucked away the nursing cover and burp cloths I made into the diaper bag. I loved these sewing tutorials so much that I had to share them with you!
Nursing Cover: Diary of a Quilter, I used a shiny button to fasten my cover and I added a washcloth triangle pocket to the inside corner to hold my nursing shields, baby’s paci and to wipe baby’s chin clean after nursing.
Burp Cloths: Diary of a Quilter
Diapers & wipes will be given to you during you stay, but I always pack a few of diapers and pack of wipes just in case they are needed on the way home from the hospital.
I absolutely love this post by E Tells Tales, If I Could Repack My Hospital Bag.
Now, onto packing my bag in the next few days!!!
That’s on our bucket list for the week IF I can talk the kids out of playing the other “games” we play with our Old Maid cards!
