What I packed for the hospital birth of my third child.
With my third child on the way, I pretty much knew what I needed to pack already and what I didn't need. I had also been to the hospital before to deliver my second child. (I recommend doing a Birth Center tour before you go into labor so you can ask the nurses what is provided and see what kind of room you may be in.)
My second child had complications and had to stay an extra day. So I made sure to pack everything I'd need for at least three days, just in case.
Like most hospitals, ours had diapers available. Huggies Snugglers are my favorite disposable diapers, so I wanted to use those.
These are great at getting that sticky newborn poo off. They're natural too, which is a plus and what I really wanted.
These are so soft! I use ours to swaddle the baby and also as a nursing cover because it's so big. They're perfect for a spring or summer baby because they're light.
If you don't want to fool with swaddle blankets, you can always use these! I use these mostly at night because it seems safer than a blanket that can be undone.
I only brought this for the ride home. All three of my kids have hated car seats. I thought this would help and it did!
These aren't like regular nail clippers. They have a little open side where you can see what's actually being cut. They also slide like scissors, which is gentler.
I didn't want to use normal baby products on my baby's new sensitive skin. I really like this brand because it's all natural and it doesn't dry out his skin or leave a rash. The baby soap is a foam and is easy to wash off. We use the lotion after a bath and the oil on his skin when it was going through the newborn peeling.
We use cloth diapers on our other kids, so this diaper cream was a must have anyway. I didn't want something harsh or anything with petroleum in it on my baby's skin, so we got this.
Burp Cloths
Baby's spit up. My baby's are usually born quickly, which causes them to spit up amniotic fluid that they didn't have time to get out. Having something to catch the mess was a must have.
The nurses were in and out checking the baby all the time. Having something they could easily undo, instead of taking the whole thing off, worked pretty well for us. Plus since it's a shirt and not a body suit, it doesn't press on the umbilical stump.
Socks
Babies have a hard time keeping warm sometimes. I brought socks even though the hospital provides them.
Pacifiers
I brought a different brand of pacifiers, just in case he didn't like the one on the wubbanub. He liked the wubbanub better, but I'm glad we had the others.
That's everything I packed for my third hospital birth. We really didn't need anything else, and our hospital provided a lot of other things. You may need a folder to keep important papers in. Our hospital even provided that! Check in at the place you'll be giving birth and see what they will provide so you can make a list that suits your needs.
