As you near your due date, packing for the hospital becomes essential. Though you'll enter the hospital with only your partner, you will take a brand new person home with you! You will need to bring a few things to the hospital with you to make your stay and everyone's trip home comfortable.
Baby Clothing
When your baby arrives, he will be bathed by a nurse, dressed in a simple white shirt and swaddled in a thin hospital blanket. If you want your newborn to wear anything different from this hospital outfit during your stay, bring it with you. Keep in mind that newborn babies often leak through their diapers, so you may not want to bring fancy or beloved outfits. Comfortable onesies and light cotton sleepers are probably best during this time.
Feeding Supplies
If you plan to bottle feed your newborn, bring a few of your own bottles with you. Though the hospital will provide you with formula and bottles, you may want your baby to get used to your preferred formula.
If you plan to breastfeed your newborn, a nursing pillow is a wonderful addition to your baby bag. These pillows are C-shaped and should be wrapped around your torso. You can lay the baby on the pillow or rest your arm on the pillow as you cradle your newborn. Nursing pillows take some strain off your back as your learn how to nurse your infant.
Baby Book
If this is your first baby, you and your partner may want to write down your impressions of your labor and your baby's birth. Writing down your memories while they are fresh will provide a wonderful gift for your child when she is older. If you have older children, you may enjoy the quiet time in the hospital while your partner or another family member is caring for the other kids. Take advantage of the quiet time in the hospital to write about your baby's birth. You can ask the hospital staff to stamp your newborn's footprints in the baby book while they are taking footprints for her birth record.
Going Home Outfit
A special outfit for the trip home is a must. Choose a simple outfit for your baby that you want to see again and again in the pictures you will take to record this momentous day. You may want to bring a favorite baby blanket from home to tuck around your newborn if the weather is cold. Infants are very sensitive to temperature extremes, so take care in choosing clothing and blankets.
Car Seat
You can not legally leave the hospital until the staff has confirmed that you have a car seat for your baby and understand how to use it. A nurse will typically watch as you strap your newborn safely into his car seat and confirm that you have buckled him in correctly. Infant car seats with detachable bases are quite helpful for new parents, especially for your baby's very first car trip.
